Today's guests are Rob and Helen Bee — voiceover professionals, podcast hosts, and community builders behind The VO Social, a UK-wide grassroots movement that's changing how voice artists connect and grow.
Rob and Helen talk with Todd Kramer and Jay Reum about the loneliness of the VO life and how they've worked to combat it — not just with their podcast, but with real-world meetups, business services, and grassroots support. They share their journey from working VO professionals to running a creative services company tailored specifically for voice artists, helping them with tech, websites, branding, and community.
We talk about what makes The VO Social different, how to turn freelancing into a sustainable business, and why connection is the secret sauce to surviving the isolation of the booth.
00:00 – Opening
02:12 – The loneliness of voiceover
05:50 – Why they started The VO Social
08:34 – Building grassroots VO connections
11:16 – Moving beyond isolation
14:00 – Turning community into action
17:44 – How the VO Social grew across the UK
21:29 – What voice actors actually need
24:05 – Rob and Helen's transition to business owners
27:48 – Building websites and branding for VOs
31:33 – Common struggles voice artists face
34:22 – Keeping the VO Social accessible
38:16 – What freelancers misunderstand about business
41:12 – Helping artists run things sustainably
44:05 – Freelancing myths and realities
47:18 – Gatekeeping vs. sharing knowledge
50:01 – What works better in-person
53:42 – Mistakes voice artists keep repeating
56:20 – Learning to say no
59:08 – The real value of showing up
1:02:20 – Why VO success isn't about the mic
1:05:45 – What's next for The Bees
1:09:30 – Final thoughts and outro
💬 Join the Conversation
What resonated with you in Rob and Helen's story? Drop your thoughts in the comments — or tag us on socials with your takeaways!
🔗 CONNECT & FOLLOW
🎧 Full Podcast & More: https://offstageacting.com/podcast
🤩 Facebook: https://facebook.com/OffstageActing
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/OffstageActing
🌍 The Bees:
Website: https://b-double-e.co.uk
Podcast: https://www.thevosocial.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thevosocial
💫 TODD: https://linktr.ee/toddkramer
💫 JAY: https://linktr.ee/jayreum
