How much do you prioritize your vocal health? Most of us, even if we work in the voice acting, podcasting, or broadcast industries, don’t think too much about our voices. But remember: if you don’t have a voice, you don’t have a podcast! In this episode, Mary breaks down what we can all do to take better care of our most important business asset. The solution can’t be to never speak or raise your voice except while you work, but preemptive planning, some mind-body connection, and a little (or a lot of) self-love go a long way to keeping those chords healthy for when you need them. Give your voice the TLC it deserves! Listen in to find out: Why glugging water right before you speak doesn’t cut itHow to balance those fun, loud nights out with your podcast-related voice workThe mental component of taking care of your voice Links worth mentioning from the episode: Win tickets to the Podcasting for Business Conference by leaving a voice note! https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoiceAttend the Podcasting for Business Conference - https://pfbcon.com/attend-2024/Mary’s voice love notes chat with Andrea Klunder of the Creative Imposter - https://bit.ly/cimarychanRead the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s article, Effects of Hydration on Voice Acoustics - https://pubs.asha.org/doi/pdf/10.1044/cicsd_36_F_142Episode 50, “Stop Thinking About Yourself” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/stop-thinking-about-yourself-episode-50/Episode 54, “The Process of What's Working, What's Not Working, and What to Celebrate For Your Podcast” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/the-process-of-whats-working-whats-not-working-and-what-to-celebrate-for-your-podcast-winter-break-episode-54/Episode 55, “How to Find Your Podcasting Voice” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/how-to-find-your-podcasting-voice-why-authenticity-is-100-times-better-than-a-traditional-radio-voice-episode-55/Episode 70, “How to Use Research and Reports to Guide Your Podcast with Megan Dougherty” - https://www.organizedsound.ca/how-to-use-research-and-reports-to-guide-your-podcast-with-megan-dougherty-episode-70 Connect with Mary! Leave a voicemail with your feedback at https://www.speakpipe.com/VisibleVoice or email visiblevoicepodcast@gmail.comGet the full transcript of the episode at http://www.visiblevoicepodcast.comRead up on more secrets with the Visible Voice Insights Newsletter https://www.organizedsound.ca/newsletterTo learn more or work with Mary, check out https://www.organizedsound.caLink up on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marychan-organizedsound/Engage on Instagram @OrganizedSoundProductions https://www.instagram.com/organizedsoundproductions Show Credits: Podcast audio design, engineering, and edited by Mary Chan of Organized Sound ProductionsPodcast cover art by Emily Johnston of Artio Design Co.Show notes written by Shannon Kirk of Right Words StudioPost-production support by Kristalee Forre of Forre You VA Transcript with Audio Description: [MUSIC IN - GHOSTHOOD FEATURING SARA AZRIEL “LET’S GO” BEGINS] MARY: Your voice is your number one instrument. This is something I talk about a lot. I mean, it's also one of the first things you see on my website, because without your voice, and take it from me, I lost my voice in the middle of September for almost a whole week. Without your voice, you don't have a podcast. So why is it, as podcasters, we don't think about our voice as much as, say, the person we want to interview, or the titles, the artwork, those aspects always get a lot of focus. But your voice, not so much. So in this episode, we’re talking voice. Why it's not exactly what you hear in your head and how we can move forward to record more episodes with more love for your vocal cords and your heart. This is episode 85 of the Podcasters Guide to a Visible Voice. << WOMAN SINGS: So so so so let’s go >> Welcome back to the show. And like I said at the start, I did lose my voice in the middle of September, [INTRO MUSIC ENDS] and I still feel like it's a little dry and scratchy. So bear with me. But I do sound so much better even my daughter was like, you sound like a grumbly bear. Before I was kind of talking like this, and I actually didn't do any talking because I couldn't talk. So when you're a podcaster, it's like, your worst nightmare, losing your voice. [MUSIC IN] You know, it's funny how most people, even those who work in the industry, like voiceover artists or broadcast media, they don't always think about their voice until they lose it, like I did. I remember one of my coworkers back in the radio days. She hosted a four hour Monday through Friday show, but she lost her voice because she was screaming and having fun at a concert the night before. Long haul voice usage, so talking to people is one thing, but when you're a podcaster, you're actually performing with your voice. That's a totally different thing. That's like presenting, or teaching, or voicing audiobooks, ...