“Don’t count the days; Make the days count.”

– Muhammad Ali

Losing my dream job was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

Wait…what?!

A few years ago, I took a short trip on a wild ride known as WWE. For me to call working for WWE a “dream job” is by no means an exaggeration. I had actual dreams of WWE (then known as WWF) as a kid. For real- ask me about the time “Sensational” Sherri teamed up with Kirstie Allie to kidnap me!

(I was a weird kid.)

The best way I can describe my time with WWE would be to equate it to online dating. You know how an online relationship can go great until you meet in person- when it starts taking a slow but steady nosedive? Well, WWE was my online girlfriend. Before meeting her face-to-face, I was sure I found my soulmate. Then we met, and while her photos didn’t do her justice, something was a bit off personality-wise. She chewed with her mouth open. She refused to tip her server anything more than 7%. She doused her steak in ketchup & mustard. Long story short, we weren’t exactly the best fit for each other.

…BUT SHE WAS HOT!

She was so nice to look at that all the red flags didn’t matter! I was willing to cast them all aside and say to myself, “We can make this work, baby!”

But it didn’t work, and after a short time we broke up. The breakup wasn’t even my choice, but hers, in the form of corporate layoffs. Finding myself with no dream job and no prospects was tough. With this sudden void, I did the only thing I could afford to do: I closed my eyes and listened to the universe. And what did I discover?

I discovered that I didn’t want the concerns of a company’s budget to take precedence over my hard work.

I discovered that I never wanted to be “just another name” an HR rep could cross off of a list.

I discovered that I wanted to be the sole arbiter of my success.

With that info now in mind, I asked myself another question: “What do I have to offer to this world?”

And then it hit me. I have my voice.

Muhammad Ali once said, “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” It was only after losing my dream job that I was able to stop counting, and start making…count.

(I tried so hard to turn that quote around into something profound, but…yeah. Y’all know what I’m trying to say!)

My journey into VO hasn’t been long, but it’s been pretty dang awesome nonetheless. I’ve met some amazing people, gained some amazing clients, and made some lifelong connections. But it hasn’t all been roses. Some days have been bad, and there have been moments where I have felt like the worst voice actor on the planet. The thing is though, both the good days & the bad days are my days. For the first time in my life, I am in complete control, and it’s all thanks to a horrible day I had a few years ago.

TL;DR: If you ever find yourself in a place with a sudden void to fill or are just wondering, “What the hell do I do now?” try closing your eyes and listening to the universe. You never know what you’ll hear.

Take it from me. I lost my dream job, but I gained my dream career.