Warm up your Voice with Nic Redman
I chat with Nic Redman about your voice in this week's episode!
Nic is a voice coach and helps podcasters get their voices ready to record.
Nic shares that it's about prepping your voice so you don't have to think about it whilst you're recording.
The exercises that she recommends (and are featured in her book "On the Mic") can help overcome the barriers and hang-ups we all have about our voices.
Nic is a big advocate of warming up your voice and is great for regulating your breath, releasing tension and helping with nerves that can affect your speech.
It's not about changing your accent or the way you talk but making your voice and speech sound the best they can be.
I find the whole thing rather fascinating and am surprised I haven't heard more about this in the podcasting space.
About Nic
Nic Redman has recorded and spoken for a living for nearly 20 years and coaches people to feel vocally free and at home on the mic, every day. She has been featured multiple times on BBC and Times Radio as well as in The Guardian, Irish Times and the Metro.
Nic coaches 1-2-1, and runs residential retreats, online courses and in-person masterclasses. She often guests on podcasts, speaks at conferences and speaks on panels offering insights into spoken voice training and recording for voiceover, podcasting, business and public speaking.
Nic is co-host of the award-winning Voiceover Social Podcast and creator of the 5* Voice Coach Podcast.
You can find a copy of her book On the Mic here
If you have any questions or would like some help with your podcast, book a podcast enquiry call.
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Transcript
Hi, and welcome to Podcasting 1 0 1 with Rachael.
Rachael Botfield:This podcast is for busy female entrepreneurs who run their own
Rachael Botfield:businesses and want to start podcast or who may already have a podcast.
Rachael Botfield:I want to share practical information and tips on how you can get your podcast
Rachael Botfield:started and managing it along the way.
Rachael Botfield:I'll also be interviewing other female podcast.
Rachael Botfield:Give you real insight into what it's like having your own podcast.
Rachael Botfield:Hi everyone and welcome to the show.
Rachael Botfield:This week I have Nick Redman with me.
Rachael Botfield:Nick is a voice coach.
Rachael Botfield:She also does voiceover work and is a host of two podcasts.
Rachael Botfield:But, um, we're here today to talk a little bit about, um, the voice coaching element.
Rachael Botfield:So, hi Nick.
Rachael Botfield:Thanks for coming.
Rachael Botfield:Hi, Rachel.
Rachael Botfield:Thanks for having me.
Rachael Botfield:Well, it's, yeah, it's lovely to be here.
Rachael Botfield:And like I was saying, um, before we hit record, um, it's something that I hadn't
Rachael Botfield:really thought about having a voice coach.
Rachael Botfield:And then, as I said, your name was popping up places and I was seeing,
Rachael Botfield:um, you know, this investment in your voice and for podcasters, uh, also for
Rachael Botfield:people who want to do speaking things as well, and actors and everything.
Rachael Botfield:But obviously for our interests for podcasters, so, Find it fascinating.
Rachael Botfield:And could you just let us know a little bit more about what you do and then
Rachael Botfield:also how you got into voice coaching?
Nic Redman:Yeah, I do sometimes question my life choices when I'm doing mad.
Nic Redman:Uh, squishy warmup faces to people on the internet.
Nic Redman:I love that video though.
Nic Redman:I thought it was so up here.
Nic Redman:And if you wanna know what that's about, check me on Instagram, Nick Red Voice.
Nic Redman:Um, yeah.
Nic Redman:I.
Nic Redman:So I started life as a performer, train as a a performer, and I was
Nic Redman:kind of fiddling around the West End musical theater and stuff.
Nic Redman:And then I got into voiceover and that was like liberating and exciting,
Nic Redman:and I'm suddenly aware of voice.
Nic Redman:Is this amazing?
Nic Redman:Like potential potentiality for like what you can do with
Nic Redman:your voice was just remarkable.
Nic Redman:So then I did voiceover and standup comedy for a bit, and then I went
Nic Redman:back to drama school to do a master's in voice studies, which was where
Nic Redman:I trained as a spoken voice coach.
Nic Redman:And that was like the final piece in the puzzle.
Nic Redman:I sort of was in this world of like voice geeks and all this incredible information
Nic Redman:and knowledge about how to use your voice, um, to the best of its potential.
Nic Redman:And I, I was struck by the, the fact that I.
Nic Redman:Why does nobody know?
Nic Redman:Like why do normal people not know that this exist?
Nic Redman:Why is voice coaching does?
Nic Redman:Why does it feel like it's reserved for like politicians or just performers or
Nic Redman:people who are like, you know, allocution to like quote unquote fix things?
Nic Redman:All this terrible stuff.
Nic Redman:I was like, why don't, like why don't everybody else who uses their voice in
Nic Redman:all those other interesting ways mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Know about voice coaching as much.
Nic Redman:And that's sort of the journey I've been on since this idea.
Nic Redman:All of this amazing stuff that has come from the hallowed halls of, you
Nic Redman:know, the RSC and uh, public speaking forums and all this kind of stuff.
Nic Redman:How can this be packaged and shared and disseminated to people who need a
Nic Redman:quick warmup to jump on the microphone because they're recording a podcast
Nic Redman:today, or need a few things to do before they get interviewed on a podcast as
Nic Redman:a guest, you know, that kind of thing.
Nic Redman:How can people, Find their voice on the microphone in a way that feels
Nic Redman:real and authentic and open and easy.
Nic Redman:And they don't start sounding robotic and strange or you know.
Nic Redman:How do people find that confidence to sign like themselves at
Nic Redman:home on the mic, basically?
Nic Redman:And that's sort of my, uh, mo at the moment is trying to pedal my wares, uh,
Nic Redman:which to the outside eye probably just looks like a lot of jiggling, a lot of
Nic Redman:peculiar voice exercises, uh, and a lot of, uh, breathing and staying hydrated,
Nic Redman:which yeah, is definitely a part of it.
Nic Redman:But, um, ultimately for me, it's all about giving people really easy, simple.
Nic Redman:To make sure that their voice is expressive, clear, engaging, open,
Nic Redman:free, responsive to the emotional needs of their communication.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:You know, so, so that if you've got something in a share that's
Nic Redman:passionate or exciting or inspiring or serious or intense, your voice can
Nic Redman:help you do that and help you make that connection with the listener.
Nic Redman:Because so often, I, I listen to a lot of podcasts.
Nic Redman:I'm a bit of a podcast nerd, as I'm sure you are, uh, as well.
Nic Redman:So often with people I hear, I hear these amazing stories, or these amazing
Nic Redman:ideas, or these really inspirational topics, and I just feel like the voice
Nic Redman:is there and it's doing its job, but there's always something el, there's
Nic Redman:often a little extra something.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:And then when I get podcasters coming to me for coaching, they go, yeah.
Nic Redman:Like, how come I, how come I, I don't sound like I do when I'm
Nic Redman:chatting to my mates on my podcast.
Nic Redman:How come I sound like I'm reading from a page?
Nic Redman:How come the interview section where I'm with a guest is amazing, but my intro
Nic Redman:sounds really like stilted and strange.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Or how come when I do an advert for my podcast, it's really awkward
Nic Redman:and, and I sound really fake.
Nic Redman:You know, all those little things.
Nic Redman:Um, and ultimately that boils down to warmups and prep and
Nic Redman:understanding your voice really.
Nic Redman:So that's what I do.
Nic Redman:That's
Rachael Botfield:interesting you say about intros and, and.
Rachael Botfield:And I think I would say the same with mine because it is a kind of performance, or
Rachael Botfield:you're thinking about it at a performance when you are trying to do the intro.
Rachael Botfield:And I think there's already that barrier sometimes with podcasters about
Rachael Botfield:the sound of their own voice, like hearing their own voice, thinking,
Rachael Botfield:oh, that doesn't sound like me anyway.
Rachael Botfield:And then you've got the other thing of, oh, do I sound stilted or do I
Rachael Botfield:sound like I'm reading from a script?
Rachael Botfield:And those kind of things.
Rachael Botfield:I, I always think I.
Rachael Botfield:Say like Irman, so quite a lot d does.
Rachael Botfield:Um, the exercises and the coaching that you do can help with things like that.
Rachael Botfield:With, with how you are coming out with what you want to say.
Nic Redman:Yeah, so it's about preparing your voice so that you
Nic Redman:don't have to think about your voice.
Nic Redman:Ironically, you can focus on the text and you can focus on the job
Nic Redman:that you have to do as a podcaster.
Nic Redman:Are you trying to teach someone?
Nic Redman:Are you trying to inspire somebody or get them to think or make them feel happy
Nic Redman:or sad or entertain them, or whatever it is When it comes to those sorts of.
Nic Redman:Habits, like speaking habits like ums and as and likes and all that kind of stuff.
Nic Redman:For me, it's a balance.
Nic Redman:So I'm not the sort of coach who's gonna take your voice and change
Nic Redman:it and make it sound not like you.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Or tell you that you have to take all your ums and your As and your like side.
Nic Redman:I'm not gonna tell you, you have to do anything to your accent
Nic Redman:or you have to fix anything.
Nic Redman:It's all about empowering you didn't understand and use the voice that
Nic Redman:you have in the best way possible.
Nic Redman:Now, a lot of those.
Nic Redman:Can be boiled down to a couple of things.
Nic Redman:Number one, some of them are accent related.
Nic Redman:You know, I'm Northern Irish and we say a lot more words than
Nic Redman:we need to a lot of the time.
Nic Redman:Like we add words in all the time.
Nic Redman:Like that's just my accent.
Nic Redman:And if I try to censor that, then that's a barrier that I'm putting
Nic Redman:up in front of me, and that means I can't show up as, as real as I need
Nic Redman:to or as I like to on my podcast.
Nic Redman:So it's understanding the balance between what's an accent feature and
Nic Redman:what can stay and what feels like it's getting in the way of the performance.
Nic Redman:If it's something I can, um, or an ah, or a thinking sound, again, thinking sounds
Nic Redman:sometimes need to be there cuz you're thinking like it's a very normal thing.
Nic Redman:And I think we have to understand it Also, as listeners, listeners
Nic Redman:are used to listening to flawed conversation and one of the problem.
Nic Redman:With podcasting is we try to be perfect.
Nic Redman:We try to speak every word really clearly and beautifully,
Nic Redman:just like mom would've wanted.
Nic Redman:Um, and we try and take all of the little bumps and lumps and of,
Nic Redman:of, of conversational beautiful, flawed, natural human speech out and
Nic Redman:newsflash, like I listen to lumpy bump.
Nic Redman:Conversation all the time.
Nic Redman:My husband can't finish a fucking sentence.
Nic Redman:He starts to sentence three times.
Nic Redman:It takes ages.
Nic Redman:But you know, I'm a generous, open human listener, and that's what we do.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:So what I say about ums and ass is if they're a real issue and you're doing them
Nic Redman:loads, then you do kind of have to reflect on if you know your topic well enough.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Because if you're having to think all the time, um, uh, Like, um, well, and you've
Nic Redman:got loads in there, then it might be that your brain is trying to give you time
Nic Redman:to think of what your next thought is.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Or to, to remember the sentence or to remember.
Nic Redman:Where the conversation was going.
Nic Redman:So it might be that you really have to do some honest reflection on how well
Nic Redman:you know what you're talking about, because we all know how quickly we
Nic Redman:throw podcasts together sometimes, and sometimes it is just a lack of
Nic Redman:preparation and you can easily cut some down by doing a bit of rehearsal.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:You know, um, there's another one I was thinking, oh, that's totally fine.
Nic Redman:You can become so conscious of them when you start talking about 'em.
Nic Redman:It's hilarious.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:But then the other thing about them is, They are useful for
Nic Redman:both listener and speaker.
Nic Redman:So if I, um, it's often cuz I'm thinking now if I'm thinking that's because I
Nic Redman:wanna make sure that the next thing I say is useful and pertinent and
Nic Redman:necessary and interesting and not a total waste of everyone's time.
Nic Redman:Also, as a listener, sometimes you need that thinking time to
Nic Redman:process what's just happened.
Nic Redman:So if you still think you've got too many in there and you're like a mad
Nic Redman:agent, the other thing you can do is just replace them with something else.
Nic Redman:So become aware, become aware of them.
Nic Redman:Listen back to a few of our recordings and, and reflect on how often they're
Nic Redman:there, when they happen, why you think they happen for you, and then think
Nic Redman:about just replacing them with a breath.
Nic Redman:Because the thing about speech is that, uh, the in breath.
Nic Redman:The in breath, the inspiration, that's where the thought happens.
Nic Redman:Like, that's just how we form thoughts.
Nic Redman:That's how we find our, the words we're gonna say, come on the in breath.
Nic Redman:So instinctively, every day we do that.
Nic Redman:Our body does that for us.
Nic Redman:We don't think about it, but when you're on a podcast, sometimes
Nic Redman:it just becomes a bit clunky.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:So if you feel like you're gonna, um, the best thing to do is just to let a
Nic Redman:breath out and then let a breath in.
Nic Redman:And what you'll find is your body probably finds the thought if you
Nic Redman:just give yourself a bit of time.
Rachael Botfield:I've no, I have noticed that when I've been chatting
Rachael Botfield:with other people and or listening to other podcasts where someone's thinking
Rachael Botfield:about the answer and instead of saying the um, or the, they, there is a, like a,
Rachael Botfield:there's a breath or like a slight pause.
Rachael Botfield:Um, I think some of that, some of mine comes from nerves.
Rachael Botfield:I think, um, having, um, Some nervous energy.
Rachael Botfield:Um, I know that in the, just for context, we, um, my, uh, podcast
Rachael Botfield:hosting platform is CVA and Nick.
Rachael Botfield:Uh, they have a Growth Labs, um, session where you can, um, have different experts
Rachael Botfield:coming in to help you with your podcast.
Rachael Botfield:And Nick came in and did a video and part of the, there was some exercises and
Rachael Botfield:things in there, and the one of them was talking about getting rid of some nervous
Rachael Botfield:energy at the beginning, wasn't it?
Rachael Botfield:Doing some exercises for that.
Rachael Botfield:So I was on a call just before this as well, so I was thinking I should have
Rachael Botfield:been doing, I thought I should have been doing some of those exercises before.
Rachael Botfield:And so I think maybe having a little routine like that before you start
Rachael Botfield:recording your podcast or whether it's a guest or um, a solo episode can help
Rachael Botfield:maybe get rid of that nervous energy.
Rachael Botfield:Yeah.
Rachael Botfield:As well, as well as prepare your voice.
Nic Redman:And that's why I'm such an advocate for warmups, even if it's
Nic Redman:super quick, because a warm ups not just about getting your voice ready,
Nic Redman:it's about getting your body ready, your breath ready, your mind ready.
Nic Redman:And if you've got a big interview coming up with that guest, you've been
Nic Redman:trying to bag for edges, the last thing you want is to feel self-conscious or
Nic Redman:to let those nerves get in the way.
Nic Redman:Now, nerves are normal and natural, and it's totally okay to own that.
Nic Redman:And I'm actually a huge.
Nic Redman:Of advocating for yourself in those environments.
Nic Redman:So if you're, if I'm speaking to someone I'm really excited to speak
Nic Redman:to, I don't pretend like I'm not excited or nervous to speak to them.
Nic Redman:I just own the fact that I'm like, sorry.
Nic Redman:Even if it's, before you start recording, just say, I just need to say like,
Nic Redman:I'm really nervous about talking to you because I'm such a big fan.
Nic Redman:Or, thank you so much.
Nic Redman:This is a really big moment for me.
Nic Redman:Like, own that feeling because then your body goes.
Nic Redman:Oh, she's in control of this.
Nic Redman:That's okay.
Nic Redman:And it does really help.
Nic Redman:So first they see if there's a way that you can just step into that feeling,
Nic Redman:cuz like nerves just mean you care.
Nic Redman:And probably the person on the other side's nervous too, in their own way.
Nic Redman:So own a wee bit, step one.
Nic Redman:But then warmups help regulate the breath.
Nic Redman:They help release tension and they make sure that if you are
Nic Redman:nervous, It's not gonna affect your speech or your thought patterns.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Or your ability to form, um, um, thought, um, without, um,
Nic Redman:forgetting, um, every word.
Nic Redman:Um, that's, uh, gonna come next.
Rachael Botfield:Stalling.
Rachael Botfield:Robot or computer
Nic Redman:game?
Nic Redman:Like an AI machine?
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:Yes.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:Cool.
Nic Redman:Yeah,
Rachael Botfield:lots on ai.
Nic Redman:Do not open that.
Nic Redman:No Pandora's box with me.
Nic Redman:Please.
Nic Redman:Not, not at the moment.
Nic Redman:It's too
Rachael Botfield:early.
Rachael Botfield:Um, there's some great advice there.
Rachael Botfield:I think that, um, h owning your nervousness or owning that part of
Rachael Botfield:how you feel, um, I, I do always get.
Rachael Botfield:You know, the butterflies before I'm talking to somebody new, um, before
Rachael Botfield:you relax into the conversation.
Rachael Botfield:So having a little ritual that you might do before that to help, to help
Rachael Botfield:you get into that right frame of mind.
Rachael Botfield:I do, I do try and, um, get into, I try not to have, have a little bit
Rachael Botfield:of space before I start recording so that I can sit down and check
Rachael Botfield:my equipment and make sure I've got everything turned up, my notifications
Rachael Botfield:turned off, and things like that.
Rachael Botfield:So I know that I'm kind of ready, ready to go.
Rachael Botfield:So what would be your, um, kind of top tip, um, or advice to help, um,
Rachael Botfield:podcasters, um, with their voice?
Rachael Botfield:Or have you got any little.
Rachael Botfield:Exercises that you would, you know, maybe a five minute routine
Rachael Botfield:that you could do prior to
Nic Redman:talking to somebody.
Nic Redman:I've got loads.
Nic Redman:Loads of exercises and tips.
Nic Redman:They're all in the book.
Rachael Botfield:What book?
Rachael Botfield:Yes, the book.
Rachael Botfield:We did mention the book.
Rachael Botfield:I didn't mention the book in your intro.
Rachael Botfield:Um, that's alright.
Rachael Botfield:Nick has written a book called On the Mic.
Rachael Botfield:Do you wanna tell us a little bit more about that?
Nic Redman:Like Yeah, he did.
Nic Redman:I'm kind of joking, like I can definitely give you some exercises, but it's, it's,
Nic Redman:it's, it's in these moments now where I'm doing interviews after I've written my
Nic Redman:first book where I'm like, this is great.
Nic Redman:This is how I wrote the book.
Nic Redman:Like, because they're all, all this stuff is in there.
Nic Redman:So I'll have to kinda remind myself that it's okay to say Yep.
Nic Redman:And they're all in my book, which is available.
Nic Redman:And on the mic
Rachael Botfield:book.com.
Rachael Botfield:Absolutely.
Rachael Botfield:We'll put all the links in the show notes.
Rachael Botfield:Of
Nic Redman:course, of course.
Nic Redman:Um, yeah, so I think for me, exercises are about awareness of your own in.
Nic Redman:A lot of the time when people come to me and they've gotta warm up, but they're
Nic Redman:not sure if it's working or whatever, it's because they find some random thing on
Nic Redman:the internet that they're just following and they don't know if it's right for
Nic Redman:them or if it's actually doing anything.
Nic Redman:So the first thing you can do is have an awareness.
Nic Redman:Start thinking about how your voice feels when you talk.
Nic Redman:You know, maybe on a scale of one to 10, how much effort is it to talk?
Nic Redman:Um, and yet at the first, first time you do this, you might be like, I don't know.
Nic Redman:I talk all the time.
Nic Redman:It doesn't feel like any effort actually.
Nic Redman:And think about your breath, you know?
Nic Redman:Do you find yourself running on a.
Nic Redman:Um, during sentences do you find yourself tripping up over particular clusters of
Nic Redman:sounds and particular words edited it?
Nic Redman:Digital?
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Um, hypothetical, you know, what is it within your equipment that gets a little
Nic Redman:bit tied and a little bit stumbly.
Nic Redman:And once you've got those bits of information, then you can
Nic Redman:start to inform, uh, your a tiny little pre-recording warmup.
Nic Redman:So I did, I, I did one on Instagram today and I was talking a lot y.
Nic Redman:And what I needed today for my warmup was not sound.
Nic Redman:I needed release of tension that built up yesterday cuz I was
Nic Redman:online till like 10 o'clock.
Nic Redman:So I did a lot of stretching my body a little, a lot of, um, like hip circles,
Nic Redman:shoulder rolls with gentle chewy hums.
Nic Redman:I did some releasing my face.
Nic Redman:I released my lips, my tongue, my jaw.
Nic Redman:I got the breath flowing and, and you know, got the vocal folds
Nic Redman:by braiding nice and easily with a couple of particular signs.
Nic Redman:And it was very easy and free and gentle because today I'm not.
Nic Redman:Oh, so far, although it's only 11 o'clock, I'm sure they'll arrive, but not too
Nic Redman:much voiceover work has come in yet.
Nic Redman:It's usually very on the day kind of environment, but
Nic Redman:today all my speaking is me.
Nic Redman:So like I had a chat with someone before this, so now I'm doing this interview
Nic Redman:and then I have another chat, and then I'm planning a session with a friend.
Nic Redman:So, you know, it's all chat, chat, chat today.
Nic Redman:So it's about knowing what you need to say, you know, how much focal load or how
Nic Redman:much speaking you've got to do, what you think your vo, your vo, your voice needs.
Nic Redman:And then picking the exercises to fit.
Nic Redman:That being said, if you want a couple of fun, easy ones to try, we can do that now.
Nic Redman:Oh yeah.
Nic Redman:Come on.
Nic Redman:That's, that'll be fun.
Nic Redman:Do you, this is a bit where most host are like, oh God, what have I signed up to?
Nic Redman:Um, but yeah, I think shoulders and neck is really useful for
Nic Redman:podcasters cuz we're very mic focused.
Nic Redman:It's like, ah, big piece of metal.
Nic Redman:So a nice gentle shoulder.
Nic Redman:I dunno if you record the video as well,
Rachael Botfield:but I do actually, I thought I would with this in case
Rachael Botfield:there was some, uh, we could put some little show people the little
Nic Redman:exercises that you're doing.
Nic Redman:I.
Nic Redman:Yeah, I find myself popping up a lot on reels when I do these at interviews.
Nic Redman:So, rolling the shoulders just to release some tension in the back
Nic Redman:and the shoulders in the neck area.
Nic Redman:And then what you can do is add on a really gentle chewy hum.
Nic Redman:So if you get a hum, feeling the lovely buzz in your lips.
Nic Redman:And then chew your lips.
Nic Redman:Ryan,
Nic Redman:do the shoulders as well.
Nic Redman:If you're coordinating, is it.
Nic Redman:So you can do it on one note and then you can just slide up and down your range.
Nic Redman:So what we're doing there is releasing tension in the shoulders, which
Nic Redman:is great for nerves management.
Nic Redman:And also for freedom of the voice, we're getting the vocal folds
Nic Redman:vibrating nice and easily with a very simple, gentle humming sound.
Nic Redman:We're getting the breath regulated nice and easily, and we're also
Nic Redman:releasing the lips, which is one of the main articulators.
Nic Redman:So it's four little things and it took, what, 30 seconds?
Nic Redman:Yeah, but very simple like this.
Nic Redman:Loads of also using the breath in that way with the sign is
Nic Redman:also really nice for nerves.
Nic Redman:You know, when we get nervous, the breathing gets high, and
Nic Redman:a bit judey and a bit shallow.
Nic Redman:Just focusing on the out breath.
Nic Redman:or a zip trail or a v Gentle glide on a, on a voiced ative,
Nic Redman:like T or V or something.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:With some shoulder rolls.
Nic Redman:With some hip circles.
Nic Redman:Really nice, easy ways to feel a little bit more free and open and settled.
Rachael Botfield:It's amazing sometimes, like talking about the
Rachael Botfield:breath, how much difference it makes if you do stop and take a little bit of.
Rachael Botfield:With that breath, I noticed, um, on your website you have
Rachael Botfield:some, um, a breath course.
Rachael Botfield:Is it a breath course that you'd
Nic Redman:breath in?
Nic Redman:I've got like a little, yeah, like a little dine load.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:It's like an eight minute meditation for Yeah.
Nic Redman:And breath body wise.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:And I
Rachael Botfield:thought that's, um, like, like a, maybe a first step to, you
Rachael Botfield:know, introducing yourself into calming down and, and thinking about your breath
Rachael Botfield:and thinking about your voice in that.
Rachael Botfield:Because as we said at the beginning, and like you were talking about having like
Rachael Botfield:regular people not really being aware that this kind of thing and being a voice
Rachael Botfield:coach is available to people and mm-hmm.
Rachael Botfield:I think with podcasting becoming, uh, if we just look at it from the podcasting
Rachael Botfield:there with, with podcasts on the rise and it's a, lots of people are doing
Rachael Botfield:podcasts now, especially in the online space and yeah, I think that thinking
Rachael Botfield:about your voice is a really, Um, would be a valuable tool because yeah, it's
Rachael Botfield:not something that I thought about before either until like they came across you.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:I think for me it's all about ease and confidence really.
Nic Redman:Um, a lot of people start podcasts because they have something to say
Nic Redman:and sometimes that barrier is hearing themselves back and realizing their voice
Nic Redman:sounds different in their head to when is coming out of your phones, step one.
Nic Redman:Um, but for me it's about letting people know.
Nic Redman:It's okay.
Nic Redman:And normal to feel that way.
Nic Redman:You know, we're conditioned to think certain voices are
Nic Redman:better than other voices.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:And we're conditioned sometimes in our own personal lives and our own
Nic Redman:upbringing to think certain things about our voice and our accent and whether
Nic Redman:we should or should not be heard.
Nic Redman:So it is a process.
Nic Redman:It's a really courageous thing to start a podcast.
Nic Redman:And all I want people to know is that there are really little, simple,
Nic Redman:easy, fun, mad things that you can.
Nic Redman:To make the process of getting on the mic much easier and I get so frustrated.
Nic Redman:It's the same advice over, to be honest.
Nic Redman:When people get started, they're like the tech and the studio and the scripts
Nic Redman:and the mic and the, you know, online profiles, and the website and the branding
Nic Redman:and the social media, da da da da da.
Nic Redman:I'm like, hang on.
Nic Redman:What about the words?
Nic Redman:What about the voice?
Nic Redman:Like that's literal.
Nic Redman:That's literally the thing that's gonna connect to you.
Nic Redman:That's, that's the thing that is gonna represent who you are
Nic Redman:and what you've got to say.
Nic Redman:And it's just baffling to me that more people don't think
Nic Redman:about getting a bit of help.
Nic Redman:You know, people will spend hundreds on a mic, they'll spend loads on branding.
Nic Redman:They'll get people to cue their social media for them, they'll
Nic Redman:get people to do their editing.
Nic Redman:They've got people to, they don't think, they don't give themselves
Nic Redman:the like generosity of a bit of time to think about their.
Nic Redman:And every time I work with podcasters, they're like honestly, nearly every time.
Nic Redman:Little bit skeptical.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:By the end they're like, I cannot believe.
Nic Redman:I cannot believe how much better it is now and how much, and that's not,
Nic Redman:oh my God, my work is life changing.
Nic Redman:Yeah, that is very simple, easy things about making you aware of what you need
Nic Redman:to do, how you can use the words, the language, how you can structure those
Nic Redman:adverts to feel more natural and flow.
Nic Redman:How you can get your intro to sign much more like you and not
Nic Redman:like this clunky, hi, welcome.
Nic Redman:And this is my podcast.
Nic Redman:Like how.
Nic Redman:Feel at home, how you can connect to your listener with
Nic Redman:the sound that you're making.
Nic Redman:That's what podcasting is to me like that's exciting.
Nic Redman:I listen to a podcast and somebody's voice and story, and the words they're saying
Nic Redman:takes me away, you know, transports me to another world, or gets me excited, or
Nic Redman:terrifies me or inspires me to like do a thing with my business or buy something.
Nic Redman:And it's literally the power of their voice and the words that they're.
Nic Redman:I mean, you can have any mic in the world, but if Yeah, exactly.
Nic Redman:You're not using the words or you're not using your voice in a way that's
Nic Redman:like, that connects, then it's all moot.
Rachael Botfield:That's given me a lot to think about and I think
Rachael Botfield:that I would like to say breathing, thinking there, saying, um, yeah.
Rachael Botfield:It's just something that's really new to me and I don't know why it's new to me.
Rachael Botfield:The first, like this year, hearing about you and, and, and, and voice coaching.
Rachael Botfield:It does seem just like a natural thing that should go directly hand
Rachael Botfield:in hand is when you are starting a podcast, is thinking about your
Rachael Botfield:voice, and maybe you're right.
Rachael Botfield:People do get bogged down in the tech.
Rachael Botfield:I think that's a big thing about people who wanna start a podcast that I hear
Rachael Botfield:about is the tech side of things is that's the thing they're most worried about
Rachael Botfield:when actually, like, you're right, your voice and then the content of what you're
Rachael Botfield:actually going to say is more important.
Rachael Botfield:Thinking about what microphone or you know, yeah.
Rachael Botfield:Thing that
Nic Redman:you're going to to use.
Nic Redman:I have never seen, sorry.
Nic Redman:I'll get on my soapbox for a minute.
Nic Redman:I've never seen a voice session at a podcast conference yet, unless it's
Nic Redman:been me offering it, and I find that.
Nic Redman:Just so baffling particularly.
Nic Redman:It's all right, it's all right if you're like a celebrity and you're confident and
Nic Redman:you've got your voice, or it's all right if you're a really experienced business
Nic Redman:person and you've done loads of public speaking and all that kind of stuff.
Nic Redman:But what if you are the person with a small business who's starting a podcast
Nic Redman:who's never spoken before in their life, uh, in this kind of environment?
Nic Redman:You know?
Nic Redman:I just find it fascinating, fascinating that it's not more of a focus.
Nic Redman:Yeah,
Rachael Botfield:that was me two years ago when I started my business.
Rachael Botfield:Then I did my first podcast, which.
Rachael Botfield:Um, interviewing different virtual assistants cause that's
Rachael Botfield:where I was at that point.
Rachael Botfield:Um, but their stories, I was so nervous about how I sounded, I
Rachael Botfield:really got in my own head about it.
Rachael Botfield:I was really nervous about, um, chatting with different people.
Rachael Botfield:And the first few ones I did, I was very, very nervous.
Rachael Botfield:Kept kind of getting distracted by.
Rachael Botfield:My own kind of talking and my own nerves, so that distracted me in
Rachael Botfield:listening to what the person had to say.
Rachael Botfield:So having something like that, the guide that could help you get over your
Rachael Botfield:nerves and help you with your speech, so you are sounding the best you could
Rachael Botfield:sound, does sound like a no-brainer.
Rachael Botfield:And it's, I'm, I'm, I'm surprised that people.
Rachael Botfield:I haven't heard more about it.
Rachael Botfield:You mentioned that you were gonna go to the podcast show.
Rachael Botfield:Is that, are you going in that capacity or are you, you just visiting as a podcast?
Nic Redman:If you're listening, I'm still waiting to hear, but All right.
Nic Redman:Because that would be awesome if you're gonna go do, oh my God, I'd love to.
Nic Redman:That is like the pinnacle.
Nic Redman:I'd love to do a session at the podcast show and I have.
Nic Redman:Been in touch, like I'm trying, but if I'm not this year, I will beck, we'll be next.
Nic Redman:Cause I'm wanna find the person when I'm there and be like, oh yeah, absolutely.
Rachael Botfield:What are you doing?
Rachael Botfield:So what made you want to write the book?
Rachael Botfield:Like put everything together?
Rachael Botfield:Um ha.
Rachael Botfield:Has it been in the works for a long time?
Rachael Botfield:Is it something you'd considered or is it something that fairly recent
Nic Redman:idea?
Nic Redman:Yeah, probably in the last year.
Nic Redman:Well it was always.
Nic Redman:Sitting in the background, I just, I was absolutely against books.
Nic Redman:I was like, no.
Nic Redman:All the amazing people before me have written books.
Nic Redman:All the people who taught me, who I learned from, who mentor
Nic Redman:me, they wrote the books.
Nic Redman:I don't need a book.
Nic Redman:I can't write a book.
Nic Redman:Uh, cut to me doing a load of stuff with clients and like recommending this book
Nic Redman:and that book and read this and have you heard of this amazing practitioner
Nic Redman:and this person influences me.
Nic Redman:Here's my, here's their book, LA la la.
Nic Redman:And all my clients were like, where's your book?
Nic Redman:You keep recommending everyone else's book.
Nic Redman:What about yours?
Nic Redman:And I was like, I don't, I'm not writing a book.
Nic Redman:I can't do sentences.
Nic Redman:I do speaking and.
Nic Redman:I distracted myself from that and did the Voice Coach podcast, uh, which
Nic Redman:was the first of a couple of pod book distraction projects, to be honest.
Nic Redman:Did the podcast, and as I was doing the podcast, I was like,
Nic Redman:oh, I think I could write a book.
Nic Redman:Actually, I think I found my, I, I find the floor of the
Nic Redman:book by making the podcast.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Because the Voice Coach podcast basically takes you through the
Nic Redman:voice training process step by step.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:And my process for recording that, because I was really.
Nic Redman:A lot of it's, you know, some of, there's a bit of research in there,
Nic Redman:there's some facts in there, there's some anatomy in there had to be, right.
Nic Redman:So I wrote it all like word for word.
Nic Redman:So I all of a sudden had like 50 episodes of text.
Nic Redman:Oh, okay.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:And I was like, Oh, I could maybe.
Nic Redman:And then I was like, well, I'll just tap into a book.
Nic Redman:I'll just take my, my podcast script into a book.
Nic Redman:Ha.
Nic Redman:How naive.
Nic Redman:I was like, it was not that easy.
Nic Redman:That's not, it did give too easy to be true.
Nic Redman:Yeah.
Nic Redman:But it did give me the structure.
Nic Redman:And I think through that and through working with loads of one-to-one clients
Nic Redman:and, and developing my online course, the vocal empowerment program, which
Nic Redman:is booking in at the moment, by the way, um, I found, What my book was.
Nic Redman:And then also the clients that I was getting were nearly all on microphones
Nic Redman:in some way, whether it's voiceovers or broadcasters or pod, a lot of podcasters.
Nic Redman:And I was like, well, that's my book speaking for microphone.
Nic Redman:So I had little Google couldn't find one, and here it is.
Nic Redman:Well,
Rachael Botfield:awesome.
Rachael Botfield:Simple as that.
Rachael Botfield:Yeah, it sounds so interesting and I am definitely going to give it a
Rachael Botfield:read because you have inspired me to.
Rachael Botfield:Want to work on my voice.
Rachael Botfield:I think it would help me, um, with my nerves, with my ums and
Rachael Botfield:the Rs that I think that I have.
Rachael Botfield:Yeah.
Rachael Botfield:Um, and I do think that it really would.
Rachael Botfield:Yeah.
Rachael Botfield:So that is definitely something that I will be thinking about.
Rachael Botfield:Um, have you
Nic Redman:got anything else?
Nic Redman:There is a bit.
Nic Redman:I was gonna say, there is a bit in the book.
Nic Redman:Do you want a bit of asmr?
Nic Redman:Oh.
Nic Redman:Um, there is a bit in the book that is, um, That so talks you through,
Nic Redman:you know, if you get nervous.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:This exercise is really useful, Laura.
Nic Redman:This is what to do with the warmup if you're feeling a bit nervous type thing.
Nic Redman:So, oh, that's good.
Nic Redman:At the back there is like a, um, where is it trying?
Nic Redman:That's really good air, isn't it?
Nic Redman:In depth?
Nic Redman:Um, oh, I can't find it now, but, uh, Yeah, it's basically like if
Nic Redman:you're doing something, you feel a bit nervous, try this exercise.
Nic Redman:Mm-hmm.
Nic Redman:Then this exercise.
Nic Redman:Then
Rachael Botfield:this exercise.
Rachael Botfield:Oh, that's really good.
Rachael Botfield:That's really helpful.
Rachael Botfield:So it's full of those kind of helpful advice and tips to use depending
Nic Redman:on Yes.
Nic Redman:It said that you are, it's a doing book.
Nic Redman:A doing book.
Nic Redman:Like I contacted people and I was like, they were like,
Nic Redman:I'm really enjoying your book.
Nic Redman:I was like, oh, where are you up to?
Nic Redman:They're like, I've only just started because I can't, I can't
Nic Redman:do the next chapter until I'm in.
Nic Redman:Living room or my studio or whatever.
Nic Redman:Oh, okay.
Nic Redman:You can read it.
Nic Redman:You can just read it, of course.
Nic Redman:But yeah, there's loads of exercises in there.
Nic Redman:It's like a manual, like a hi to manual and a bit of a kind of
Nic Redman:inspirational self-help kind of get
Rachael Botfield:stuck in.
Rachael Botfield:Wow.
Rachael Botfield:I'm really pleased that you came onto the show so we can let all the
Rachael Botfield:listeners know about your wonderful book.
Rachael Botfield:And what was the course that you
Nic Redman:said you had?
Nic Redman:Yeah, it's amazing.
Nic Redman:It's called the Vocal Empowerment Program and it's six weeks online with me,
Nic Redman:two sessions a week and it's basically like everything you need to know about
Nic Redman:get becoming aware of your voice and what it needs, how to get it to the
Nic Redman:point where it's like free and easy and expressive and clear and engaging.
Nic Redman:How to make sure you've got all the breath you need for those sentences.
Nic Redman:How to get through the trickiest of like words so that you're not editing for ages
Nic Redman:and ages cuz you keep making mistakes.
Nic Redman:There's also a lot of vocal health stuff in there, so what
Nic Redman:to do if you wake up when.
Nic Redman:You've got no voice, but you have to record.
Nic Redman:You know, it's basically giving you all the tools you need to be
Nic Redman:your own voice coach day to day.
Nic Redman:Um, it's all about empowering you to feel like you know what to do to get your
Nic Redman:voice in the best position for recording.
Nic Redman:Yeah, and it's starting on the 9th of May, so I'm booking that in the moment.
Nic Redman:The early bird is, uh, open for registry.
Rachael Botfield:Brilliant.
Rachael Botfield:We'll pop a link for that if, um, you are interested in the show notes.
Rachael Botfield:So you can find everything else about Nick, about her podcast, and
Rachael Botfield:her book, and her coaching program.
Rachael Botfield:And I just wanna thank you so much for coming on today and I've learned a lot
Rachael Botfield:and I've got a lot to think about from, from what we've been chatting about today.
Rachael Botfield:So
Nic Redman:thank you very much.
Nic Redman:You're very welcome.
Nic Redman:Thank you.
Rachael Botfield:Thanks for listening to the show.
Rachael Botfield:If you'd like to connect with me or get in touch, then head on over to my website.
Rachael Botfield:If you like the episode, then I'd love it if you could leave me a
Rachael Botfield:review in your chosen podcast app.
Rachael Botfield:Your feedback is much appreciated.
