The brilliant folks behind my website tell me this page needs to be “personal” and “not salesy.” I don’t think my life is anything crazy interesting, but since I trust their expertise, here we go…
Childhood
When people ask where I’m from, I hold up my left hand like anyone born and raised in the Great Lakes State of Michigan. I kept the non-accent but left the cold to live in Georgia.
Since I have no coordination and therefore stunk at sports, I turned to singing and theater as a teen where I found it was much more fun to be other people than my bookish, nerdy self.
It was on stage where I discovered my happy place and even made some money in high school entertaining at children’s birthday parties as Snow White, complete with balloon animals and a Pin the Ears on Dopey game. Fun Fact: Our youngest daughter works for a party character company where she plays The Evil Queen from Snow White.
College Life
College kicked off with me earning a double minor in Theater Performance at Auburn University, but then breaking my AU Tiger mother’s heart when I was accepted to the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism.
At UGA, I earned a degree in Public Relations/Journalism. During my time in Athens, Georgia, I worked three jobs to pay for my education and likely annoyed you with a telemarketing call or served up a meal if you hit several of our local restaurants.
Early Career
My best college job was as a DJ at WDDK in little ol’ Greensboro, Georgia. General Manager Chip Lyness not only gave me a job but also provided a ticket to my future. His love of the broadcast industry was contagious, and I never looked back.
Luck brought me cowboy boots and Wrangler jeans when I got a job as a VJ at a local television music video station in Athens, Georgia, which then led me to my first professional post-college job with a country radio conglomerate in Tucson, Arizona. Since I didn’t know squat about country music, I drew a lot on that acting background.
These work experiences introduced me to the magic of broadcast advertising.
How I Ended Up in Voice Over
I spent most of my post-college life working in public relations and media, including stints as a newspaper reporter, copywriter, on-air talent and non-profit communications director.
After doing VO on the side for years, it was time to pull the trigger. Brilliant coach Paul Armbruster helped me channel my theater background and marry it to my broadcast experience by teaching me how to be a voice actor. All of us who coached under him miss his calm, sage wisdom.
Incredible voice actor and sound engineer Zak Miller took me under his wing and helped me navigate the VO industry’s waters. After he taught me everything he knew, we became best buds and work partners. Like Paul, I miss Zak every day.
When I’m Not Working
If I’m not hanging out with my family or voicing, I’m exploring the outdoors in my red kayak, via my own two feet, or behind the wheel of my Jeep Wrangler. My husband and I travel as often as we can get out, either on bucket-list adventures or towing our camper to a state park with friends.
When being outside is impossible, I’m reading, playing board games with my family or making Personality Hangups for people’s rearview mirrors by dissecting old jewelry and making it into something entirely new. I also am always on the hunt for vintage mics to add to my collection.
