JoJo Jensen
What do you do?
I’m a voice over talent. I read and record scripts for every type of project from documentary narrations to on-hold messages, commercials to training videos and almost everything in between. Video games and cartoon voices are on my project wish list and with deep respect, I don’t narrate audiobooks.
Armed with a quiet, professional studio and an Internet connection, I voice twenty or more projects everyday and send them to clients all over the globe. I’m excited to go to work everyday!
How did you get there?
The biggest misunderstanding about becoming a voice over talent is that simply having a good voice is enough to have a successful career. It’s not. More important than having natural talent is taking the time to learn and practice the skills required to become a professional.
The first time I stepped behind a microphone to record a radio commercial for my employers, it felt like home. I was terrified and my voice cracked, but I knew right then, that becoming a voice talent was what I wanted to do. I quit my job, found a voice over coach and never looked back.
I worked with my coach for two years taking private lessons and weekend workshops. She taught me the fundamentals of voice over including how interpret a script, how to avoid popping my Ps and how to deal with a sore throat. My teacher set the bar high for skill and professionalism making sure I would be ready for any project no matter how complicated or challenging. She taught me the importance of practice both in and out of the studio and pushed me to take more classes in acting and improvisation, along with singing lessons to strengthen my voice.
Becoming a voice talent isn’t about being good at only one thing – it’s about having a variety of skills that have been honed through practice and the ability to put them all together when you need to, like in front of a room of eight casting directors just waiting to be wowed.
After cutting my first demo, I created a marketing strategy to land projects. When I started, it was cassette tapes, outside recording studios and the only available projects I could get were where I lived. Now it’s Mp3s, home studios and a global market. I record from a home studio and email finished audio to my clients around the world. It’s really cool and never ceases to amaze.
Why do you like it?
It’s fun. Don’t get me wrong – it’s hard work every single day, but I have such a great time every day I step into the studio and hit record that it’s worth it any struggle to keep going. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a French speaking marine biologist, a la Jacques Cousteau, a family court judge, a dancer, a gymnast and an international business mogul. However, when no one was looking, I read the back of toothpaste tubes out loud and watched British comedies so I could practice my British accent.
A professional voice over talent with more than eighteen years experience, JoJo Jensen has recorded every type of project from short, snappy television commercials to YouTube marketing videos, long form documentary narrations to on hold messages thanking you for your call. With a background in sales and marketing years before ever standing in front of a microphone, JoJo runs her voice over career with a sincere dedication to customer service and satisfaction! Listen to JoJo Voice Over demo samples at www.jojojensen.com!
Photo credit to AJ Halliday Photography
