Keeping Up With Chaos From The Booth And Beyond
Welcome to the newest version of Keeping Up With Chaos From The Booth And Beyond! We have evolved again into total Creative Chaos!
We're a podcast created by a group of friends who are here to share, document and connect with other creatives as we all navigate our own creative journeys from the very beginning. Here you'll find our Signature series called - Meet Your Actor Series - where we highlight other fellow actors & dive into hearing all about how they got started on their own creative paths. Then we also love to bring on industry Professionals, who share their relatable stories, professional tips and knowledge about different topics we all can learn from! Join us at the Chaos table every other Wednesday. So go ahead, pop in an ear bud, strap on your walking shoes & grab the dog for a walk or kick off those shoes, grab a snack & find a comfy chair...while you listen in on all the Creative Chaos.
Keeping Up With Chaos From The Booth And Beyond
No Straight Path - Meet Your Actor Series with Katie Jostock
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S7, EP 210
Meet Your Actor Series - Katie Jostock
Meet Katie! Katie is a voice actor specializing in commercials, animation, corporate narration, and dubbing. Since booking her first gig with KFC in 2009, she's voiced projects for Google, Shell, Chevrolet, and more. After a detour into higher education, she returned to voice acting in 2020 and hasn't looked back. As a Door Builder in the Building Doors VO campaign, Katie is passionate about championing diversity and creating space for marginalized voices in the industry. When she's not in the booth, she's proving you can build a thriving VO business while being a stay-at-home parent.
Katie's Links:
Website - https://www.katiejostock.com/
IG- https://www.instagram.com/katiejostockvo/
Building Doors VO - https://www.buildingdoorsvo.com/
This is a shareable podcast where a group of creatives join together to document their creative voiceover & on-camera journeys in real time.
We hope this podcast creates inspiration, stirs up a few ah-ha moments or maybe brings to the surface a feeling of "you're not alone" while navigating the creative process. Either way, we are glad you are here. Oh, and we also pull into our conversations at the chaos table industry professionals along with other fellow actors, to share their stories, experiences and knowledge - so we can all connect, share, learn, grow and expand together.
This podcast is for entertainment and not educational purposes!
Enjoy and thank you for listening to our Creative Chaos!
*Have a creative story or journey to share, we'd love to hear it - email us at chaoskeepers411@gmail.com or jozlynrocki@gmail.com
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This is a podcast where a group of friends document their creative paths in and out of the booth and beyond the screen while also exploring the journey and origin stories of other fellow actors to learn from, get inspired by, and connect with our community as we share our ups and downs and of course our chaos along the way. Welcome to Keeping Up with Chaos from the Booth and Beyond.
Jozlyn RockiWelcome back. It's Jocelyn. This week, Angela Cortez is back at the Chaos Table. Hooray! And Gabby pops in as well. This week we have our Meet Director series where we are highlighting Katie Joestock. She is a voice actor who specializes in commercial corporate narration and dubbing. Her first big gig was back in 2009 for KFC. She's voiced projects for Google, Shall, Chevrolet, and more. She took a little detour, like some of us do sometimes, uh, for higher education, and then she returned back to VoiceOver in 2020. She's a part of uh she's a door builder for Building for Door, Building Doors VO campaign. And when she's not in the booth, she is a stay-at-home parent, which I think we can all relate to. So we have some mom talk, we have some business talk, we have some booth talk, we we get to hear all about Katie's journey into Voiceover and then out of voiceover and then back into voiceover. So um we're really happy Katie's here and we can't wait to share her story with you. Please share us with one or a million people because that's how we all organically grow. Cheers. Um, Gabby's coming late, so no problem. And uh yeah, so I work full-time. I took a corporate job. Ooh. So I um, and it's not about me. I'll just tell you really quickly while we're waiting for that. No, please. No, I took a corporate job because voiceover um and being is just like it's a tough industry. I mean, yeah, it can be very beautiful and creative and exciting, and some people have just really clear, instant paths that just create wonderful careers and sustain them financially. And then I think there are a vast majority of us who um don't necessarily have that. I've had some pretty big wins and some pretty good luck and been in the right place at the right time or was the right voice at the right time, but not necessarily hasn't it's not able to sustain me. So um, but so I went corporate. Um I mean, you you probably understand that, right? Angie Katie, Katie, Katie, Angela.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_02Hi, Angela. Nice to meet you.
Jozlyn RockiThat I can't hear anybody.
SPEAKER_02Oh no.
SPEAKER_01Maybe it's my settings. Give me a second. I'll be fine.
Jozlyn RockiWe're gonna keep chatting. So, Katie, I we love talking to other voiceover actors um on the podcast because I think it's so interesting. Everybody has like a cool story about how they got into it and why they got into it, and then sort of like how everything unfolded. So, because we're kind of tight on time, dive right into the fun stuff. Cheers.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, cheers. Here's here's my cappuccino. Nice. My little Midwestern accent. Um no, so so kind of like how did I get into voiceover?
Jozlyn RockiYeah, because I I read in your bio, you said that you've been doing this longer than we have. We're still in our first five years. I think you started in 2009, and then you took a little bit of a break. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So so the way that it started was so I've I've grown up in Michigan, right, my whole life. One of my friends, her dad was in the television production industry. So he was making like all the car commercials, right? That, you know, because we're Detroit Motor City. And um, you know, there was a talent agency here in Michigan. Um, and my friend, it was so random. It was my friend just called me up and was like, Hey, you're in all the school plays. There's this audition that I can't go to at this talent agency for voiceover. Why don't you go do it? And I was like, What's voiceover? And I'm like, sure, okay. So I went and I did, I don't even remember what the audition was, but I remember going and doing the audition. I remember um the person who was recording me like was like, just stay stay right there for a second. And then he went over to the head agent and was like, I think, you know, I think this this gal has something. She has some talent. Wow. And so then I just started like going in. This, I mean, this was when you would go into studio and do an audition, which I kind of miss those days. Um and just started going in, started auditioning, and then the first commercial that I booked was for KFC um in 2009. But at the same time, I was I was in college, I was doing my undergrad. Oh wow, and kind of trying initially I was going towards radio that I wanted to do radio broadcasting. Um but I don't know. I I and I had some opportunities, but they didn't work out. And at the same time, like I really love education. I've always, you know, and I've I love reading um and I love literature. So and I had some really great professors. So I was like, nah, I'm not gonna do voiceover. I'm gonna become a professor of British literature. Wow. Okay. Which I think back to that and I'm like, what are you thinking? Like there's like no jobs in that field. Um but yeah, so and then I got my master's, I kind of I like stopped auditioning and stuff and got my master's, started teaching at um a local university here in Michigan. And um, I was on that path for a while, but it kind of felt like it kind of felt like I was trying to fit this mold. Like I'm not I and I wouldn't necessarily say that academia is like stiff and professional, but it's it's probably not as bubbly as I am. We'll just put it that way. So um so I just, you know, I wasn't ha I wasn't happy. And my husband just was like, he he was always uh letting like telling friends, showing, showing our friends like my my wife used to do voiceover, listen to this commercial. And he was like, you know, like uh we should do this. We only have one life, like let's build a studio in your basement. Um, so yeah, we we built this studio, this booth in the basement, and I think that was around like 2020 that we we finished building it and then the pandemic hit and then I got pregnant. Wow. But it was but I was like I was still doing little jobs here and there. And then I would say it wasn't really until 2024 that I got to know people within the voice acting industry. I didn't for some reason I didn't know that you could like have agents in different states and stuff. I was just kind of playing the pay-to-play game. And then and then I, you know, met uh met really who who helped me the most with my career was Billy Joe Cohns. Um and she's also an accountability coach. And so I kind of started creating these systems to, you know, get you like get a professional commercial demo, coach professionally, um, you know, just kind of refining some of the rougher edges that I had, and then started getting agents and started booking jobs through agents. And yeah, it was uh it was bonkers.
Jozlyn RockiThat's to give you yeah. That's really cool. Uh well, first of all, I'm originally I'm an OG Michigan gal. Woo!
unknownI love it.
Jozlyn RockiI transplanted to Florida in 2018, right before the 2020, you know, like situation. So that's interesting that like I had a friend too that's dad was in the automotive industry. He was a voice actor, and he like he it was the dad though. Well, was your friend's dad too? Yes, yeah. So I wonder if it's the same person.
SPEAKER_02Right. Well, he's he's not a voice actor, but I kind of I wonder, I wonder if we so I coach with the who was who was your dad? Who was your digital dad?
Jozlyn RockiUm, it's odd. Uh well, he goes as Seth Ingram. So I'm maybe he maybe he uses Tom Ingram, so it might not be the same. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I know who that is. I know who that is.
SPEAKER_01I'm on Wori right now.
SPEAKER_02I do because I didn't meet Tom. I didn't meet Tom until he goes to the same church as my husband's aunt and uncle. And so they were like, you know, when I first started doing this on my own, sure. They were like, Oh, you should you should connect with Tom Ingram and he does. So I just kind of like I had a phone call with him, and I need to get back in touch with him. He's such a nice man.
Jozlyn RockiYeah. His son and I went to um high school together. So we were pretty close. We're not close anymore, obviously. It's been like a long time. It's been decades, like decades. And um, and I still remember he had his little booth in a closet in his basement. And I used to tell the story that he'd say, Well, come into my closet, I'm gonna show you. Because he's like, You have, you know, and it sounds so bad, but he was like, You have a voice, and he showed me very early on, um, uh like similar to what you, your friend, it just was like a natural thing. He showed me and he's like, You have to create characters, you have to figure this out. And I was like, I don't know if this what, you know, like this is mind-blowing to me. But yeah. And then I did that, was a first introduction to voiceover myself, too, because I didn't understand the industry either. But it was a long time after that, and many other things that I went through before I actually got into voiceover, like specifically.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, I mean, and I think that that's so cool. There's so I sometimes it's it's easy to get caught up, I think, in in some of the just in in some of the noise of like there's one right way and one right path to do voiceover, and there's really not, you know, like and and sometimes I feel a little like I I feel a um a huge responsibility when people who are just getting into the field come to me and are like, How did you do this? Because I'm thinking to myself, like it's you know, not every way is gonna fit my way. And sometimes I feel like I can tell you my story, but I but I I wanna have a caveat that this is not the only way you can get into it. You do not have to follow my path, you know, like um, because it's it's so easy to get to get sucked into that mentality and then feel shame, right? If you're like, well, I did it Katie's way, but I'm not booking, you know, or whatever. And and it's like, no, you like this whole industry is about bringing you to the mic. And I like that. As cliche as that sounds, right?
Jozlyn RockiNo, it's yeah, I mean, honestly, like Angela and I have talked about this with uh several other, you know, people in our industry. It's like, you know, you get told like this is the way that you should do it, or this is how it's gonna like be successful you're gonna find success. And yeah, and and you're right, it's like not always gonna be successful for this person, that person, this person, because it it happens in different ways, you know. Um, and like we talked earlier, it's like some people have a clear path and it's super easy peasy, you know, like financially successful in voiceover, and then some people, you know, struggle or just, you know, I have it. It's like for me, voiceover is like a little pot simmering on the stove, you know, and just tending to it, you know. And I've got other things, other pots I'm also tending to, because we're all moms, right? We also like that's the other big part of having you on is that when you are starting a business, creating a career, raising kids, having a family. I mean, you are doing it all, you know.
SPEAKER_02And it's not that's this is like perfect. This is the perfect time to come on this podcast too, because I do feel like recent like my husband and I have sat down recently and been like, what the are we doing? You know, like he like it's so exciting when you're young and like you you just get married and you're like, we're gonna be big and we're gonna make this amount of money and we're gonna go on these vacations and blah blah blah. And you have good intentions thinking that thinking that success equals money, right? To me, I feel like the more, especially after having my son, I'm like, no, like my time is so much more limited and so much more valuable these days that I and like last year I had I had a good year financially doing voiceover, but I was like, I started like tearing up with my husband when I was talking about it because I'm like, what has been the cost? What's been the cost of having of having financial success doing voiceover? The cost has been that, you know, um it's it's been difficult for me to be present with my five-year-old son. And it's been some because I feel like, oh, I should be auditioning for this or I should do this, I should market, I should, you know. And then I usually my husband works odd hours. He's a mental health therapist, so sometimes he'll um you know, he'll have a couple nights a week that he, you know, sees some of his clients who are coming after work. And so we would be in this, in this pattern of like, I would take care of my son during the day, and then my husband would come home, and then like he would take care of my son so I could go audition. And then it was like we had nothing left for each other, you know?
Jozlyn RockiYeah.
SPEAKER_02And and now we're kind of and so I feel like I went through this this um I'm I'm going through this transformation of like in 2024, I was like, hustle, do all the auditions, be on all the pay to plays, get all the agents, do every single audition, no matter if you feel a connection or if you feel like you're right for it or not. Um because you never know. Yeah. But that's an elder game.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_02And there is like some truth to that, but that is not, I'm realizing, kind of going back to what I was saying before, that is not my path. That's not my path, and that's not that's not what I value. Like I have always valued, you know, being a mom and being a wife, and I vo value that family time, right? Yeah and I know a lot of people, some people in the industry have the luxury to s to do all the auditions, you know, and to to hustle. And I just I don't yeah, and I'm and I'm fine with that, you know, but it's I'm I don't really want to have this mentality, this like keeping up with the Joneses mentality of like, I'm not doing 30 auditions a day. There must be something wrong with me.
Jozlyn RockiRight. That's a really good point because a lot of times I think some of us that decide like, oh, well, I'm not doing 30 auditions, or I'm not doing 20 auditions every day, or I'm not making this a full-time priority, it's a part-time thing, or it's a little pot simmering on the stove that I'm not a voice actor. No, you are a voice actor. You are creating it in a way that fits your lifestyle and your um family. And and that's okay. And to let go of the shame and let go of that debilitating feeling that like you're not a voice actor because you're not in the booth, you know, every single day doing 20 to 30 auditions, you know. Like, you're no, I'm still a voice actor, you know. I still do, I still book, you know, I just I'm not in the booth every single day. I'm doing other things, you know. Or sorry, go ahead, Angela.
SPEAKER_01I'm sorry. I was just gonna say, I like the fact that you say that, you know, you're still a voice actor because I have definitely gone from feeling like, oh yeah, this is my path, this is who I am, I'm a voice actor, to it becoming, oh, it's just a hobby that makes me money sometimes, you know. Like, you know, it's totally flip-flop, but you know, you're right, I'm still a voice actor. I still can, you know, produce and and give what the client wants and to do exactly how they want it. And it's not like a little hobby that I'm just tinkering with, you know, it's not a hobby, and I really gotta flip my mentality on that one.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, and I I think what's cool is that everybody everybody has an individual choice, what they want to create of this and you know, create of their business, right? If they I mean, my son is gonna be going to school five days a week for the first time ever. Umgratulations. Yeah, I made but so I know I know that things are gonna change. Like maybe I will have a little bit more time for marketing, or maybe I will have a little bit more time to do the auditions. But there's also these, for me at least, there's these other components of like, wow, I really haven't been prioritizing exercising every day, or eating, you know, in a way that makes my body feel good every day, or just going outside and touching grass.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02So but I think I don't want to like shame. Yeah. I don't want to like shame or say like anybody's way of doing of doing voiceover is wrong. Yeah. Because I think it's cool the people who are able to hustle and who love it. I I can't for me, I'm just like, I can't do it. I it doesn't work for me. Yeah. Um, but yeah.
Jozlyn RockiThat's okay. I mean, honestly, like it's refreshing, and that's why we have these conversations because it's like all too often, you know, and I've had this whole thought, like this whole thought process where it's like, oh, well, I should be doing this, I should be doing that, I should be doing this. And then, no, this causes me stress, this makes me anxious. Like, it doesn't feel good for me. So, you know what? I'm not gonna do it. And I think that goes for life in general, you know what I'm saying? Because there's been times where like I feel like, oh, somebody invited me to come over to a party. It's you know, I should probably go. Nope. It's my time. Like I'm being way more, way more picky and choosy with the time and the people that I spend it with. Because, you know, life is too short. And you're right, your kids and your husband are very important. They have to be priorities too.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_01Maybe that is the sign of success in itself. You know, it's like you're allowed to be picky. You know, you're allowed to be picky and choose when you're wanting to work and when you feel the the need to get out there and and put yourself out there. So maybe that is a sign of success in itself.
Jozlyn RockiI mean social media, like because Katie, you are hilarious.
SPEAKER_02I just I'm just like you crack me up. Like I'm so glad.
Jozlyn RockiI'm like, I'm like, she's she's like the good kind of crazy. Like, I want her to come hang out with me. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like that that's a total compliment because it's like, you know, because you just like let it all hang out. You're like, whatever. Like, and I just love it, but like that is like a really great way to market yourself because you are marketing yourself when you do, you know, you're supporting other people, you're connecting with other people on social media, you're having conversations, you're starting conversations.
SPEAKER_02So, like it's it's pretty I know, it's pretty bonkers. I don't really know where I got the the kahunas to do that. Because I think I think one of my first, I was just I was actually going back and looking at some of my videos and and I was look like one of my first videos, I didn't even know J. Michael Collins, like, you know, individually, but I I just was like, you know, seeing all this stuff about like him doing the Euro retreat, and I was like, man, I really want to go, but it's really expensive. And wouldn't it kind of be funny if I like if I made up a song about him, you know, providing me with some kind of go fund me, or yeah. So it's just it's a fun, it's a fun way to like, yes, to connect with people and I guess, I guess to market. I mean, a lot of it I'm just kind of exercising a creative muscle, but um and I love making people laugh, of course. So I'm glad to hear that it works.
Jozlyn RockiOh my gosh, all there's like something lives rent-free where you're like cook you were like cooking, and then you were like, you know, and it's like and then you're like, I'm making butter noodles because that's all my kid will eat. And I'm like, oh my god, that's so relatable. Relatable. How many times have you like? I mean, my kid lived on chocolate bars and milkshakes. I mean people were like, I mean, I was like, I don't care, it's calories at this point, you know. It's like they just that's that's how I feel too.
SPEAKER_02It is so hard to get my son to eat. Like he, and I'm always like, I always try to go with like, what's your body telling you? You know, and he's like, My body's telling me I want to play.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, that that was really funny because this was this is my first year going to Vio Atlanta, the conference. Yeah, and somehow, so my my booth is in my basement, and somehow, like somehow the brochure, the like conference brochure ended up at the bottom of my stairs, and it was just JMC smiling at me every time I Went down, like for some reason I didn't pick it up. And then I just was like, gosh, he's just like everywhere. And then I started like getting all these emails from him about like, now's the time, you know, spring demo sale, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, oh, I gotta do something with this. And thank God he's he's very like receptive and cool about it. Um, but I was just like, yeah, this this needs to be made into something.
Jozlyn RockiI have to tell you a funny little story that um Gabby and Angela already know about JMC. I went to Vio Atlanta, like in my my you know, season of I'm doing all the additions, I'm on every pay to play, I'm spending all the money, all the time, everything. And now I'm like, uh, and no, and no, and no. But like I went to Vio Atlanta and I had one friend that I knew that I connected with, Melina, who's come on the podcast. She's here in uh she's a voice actor in Florida. And I hadn't seen her yet, but I like got there really early and I was like, okay, I'm gonna sign in. I'm gonna like, you know, do all the things. And I was like confused. And so I like just walked up to this big man with a bald head, and he looked like he might have known something. And I was like, hey, I'm like, how come this is all in paper? Like, why are we not doing this virtual? Because like the last conference I went to was all virtual, and I'm just confused. I'm like, I don't know what to do. And he was like, Oh, very calm about it. He's like, Okay, well, let me just show you how to do this. And yeah, and you know what, that virtual is a good idea, but we know we haven't quite gotten there. We're kind of in a transitional period, and I was like, Oh, okay, cool. And I walked away and then I said something to somebody later, and they're like, that was JMC. I'm like, who? Who? No clue. Like the like the leader of the whole like event thing. Yeah. I just walked right up to him, completely like, didn't even know.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah.
Jozlyn RockiNow I know who he is. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I feel like I've definitely had, I probably have talked to, I probably did talk to people that, you know, I didn't even know, or you don't really necessarily know um where they are in the industry or or you know, whatever. But yeah, that's that's right. I really want him to now change his tagline to a bald guy who looks like he might know something.
SPEAKER_03Oh God. That's perfect. That's perfect. Yeah.
Jozlyn RockiI mean, he's he's he's a very tall man and he has a very big presence, but he's also very comforting and like welcoming. So it was very easy to like walk up to him and ask him a question. Yeah, he's not intimidating at all. Although but again, like the industry is so huge. Like you said, you had no clue. You started in voiceover through a friend of yours, through a local agency, took a break, did higher education, and then got back into it. And and and we've talked about this before too. Like, voiceover is very small, it's a very small community, but it's also like a vast landscape, you know. Yeah, and so there's so many people in the industry.
SPEAKER_02There's so many people, there's so many different genres. Um, there's yeah, there's just and then there's so many, so many ways to get clients and to do auditions. And one of the best things that Billy Joe Cohns um said to me when I was coaching with her was like, Yep, you have all these things, but you're gonna overwhelm yourself if you focus on all of these things. Just pick one, see how it goes for six months, right? You know, and because I was like, Oh, I gotta do pay-to-plays, oh, I gotta do agent auditions, ooh, I gotta market, oh, I gotta get a website, oh, I gotta get more demos, I get like LinkedIn, social media, blah, and it's just it's and now I'm like, I'm like, I'm so burnt out.
SPEAKER_01Plus your new mom and all that good stuff happening at the same time, you know, with COVID and all that, yeah, it it definitely can, you know, take you for a loop.
Jozlyn RockiYeah, for sure. It's interesting though, because you're you're you specialize in commercial, but you're also corporate narration. Uh-huh. And then you also do dubbing. So dubbing for yeah, and so I mean, but you also have like so many character voices, and you're you just you're on a video game, like a pretty big video game now. That like, so how I mean, how did you find your way into I mean, obviously commercial's pretty general. But like how did you specialize in you know, corporate narration and then move into dubbing and then now character?
SPEAKER_02So I think you it actually kind of started a little bit backwards um because in in the early days, I was booking a lot of dubbing gigs um through this production uh company in LA. So I was doing a lot of dubbing. I was doing more character there when I loved this show. It's um it's a a show in China called Princess Dore Mi. So I got to dub the English version and I got to be for whatever reason, they they they chose me as a like I play this kind of snooty British princess, but it's just it's so much fun. And then sometimes I would play like some minor characters on the side. So that's that's a lot of what I was doing. Um was those kinds of games, so dubbing uh animated and then also dubbing live action. So I've done I did like a movie in Spanish where I um I played a bunch of different characters. Um there's also like some some shows in Turkey that I've dubbed, you know, just kind of like random stuff, right? And then and then yeah, I think it and then I've I've always been on the pay to plays. So like sometimes I would get those corporate narration gigs because it is, you know, because voice acting, you are embodying a bunch of different characters. So you can do something like kid-like and silly, or you can talk about fiscal responsibility, you know. I love it.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02So um I love that. Yeah. So and then I'm trying to I'm trying to remember. So, and then and then once I started coaching with Billy Joe and talking about landing an agent to get me like the larger paying jobs, she was like, Well, you know, like your your agent, an agent wants to see that you can book commercial. So then I was like, okay, I better start coaching commercial. Wow.
Jozlyn RockiSo you did it backwards, kind of.
SPEAKER_02I know, like what I know. So there's there's no straight path, right? Um so then I started coaching. My my first coach was Hugh Klitzky, um, who is wonderful. I would recommend he's so good at script analysis. Um, and he's so like talk about like you know, JMC making you feel like safe and comforted. I feel I feel that way with Hugh too, that he'll still, you know, he'll challenge you, but he also is, you know, just very contemplative with the script. And um, so he was great. And then I I just started coaching with like a bunch of people, like Tina Marasco, Brad Hyland, Marilyn Whisner, just all the, you know, because I I wanted to get really good at commercial and then put together a commercial demo, started sending it out. Um and then yeah, started. I think I started booking like animatic gigs. Um that was one of my first ones that I I booked to. There was the animatic that I booked, I remembered, um, I remember it because it was so it was so funny. It was basically it was a Super Bowl commercial, an animatic for the Super Bowl commercial, Hellman's, where it's it was like the recreation of the when Harry met Sally scene. Oh like the diner scene. Oh and this was like this was the most um like this was the most I have ever been paid for an animatic before. Because usually like animatics are like 250 bucks or whatever, right? And they kept calling me back because, you know, if you're familiar with that scene, like she's you know, in in the throes of female enjoyment, yeah. So so they were like, we we want you to, and I guess I sounded close to Meg Ryan way back when. Um and so they were like, we want you to kind of act as if you're having a food gasm, right? So we were trying to, I think I was, I think I was called back three or four times because we were trying to, you know, we were trying to find that line of like between food gasm and orgasm. Oh my God. Takuma. It was it was crazy. It was crazy, but it was very fun. And we did find that line. Um, but that was a really crazy session too, because there were, you know, it's it's it is important to be prepared as a voice actor that something can happen within a live directed session that just you have to just be like, okay, stay calm, cool, and collected. Because like at first there was, at first there was like one team on the line, and then their bosses came on the line, and then their bosses came on the line, and then the network came on the line, and I was just like, okay, this is cool. And they were just like, sorry, Katie, like, are you doing okay? And I'm like, oh yeah, it's totally fine. And I'm like, oh my God.
unknownOh my god.
SPEAKER_02Wedding. Yeah. But um, so yeah, so that's kind of a fun story. And then um, and then I guess my I I landed my my big agent Stuart. This is this is actually like a cool mom story, I feel like, because I think it was, was it 2025? Yeah, 2025. I had, you know, booked a few gigs here and there. And I've just I've just been one of those weird people. Like I don't I don't really see a lot of patterns to what I book, you know, because I've booked corporate and then I'll book a video game and then I'll book, you know, a commercial or s you know, it's just it doesn't really make sense to me. But um I remember I remember through acting and voice studios, they were having a meet the agent night where you could read for an agent and Billy, I wasn't even aware of it. And Billy was like, Katie, Stuart is Stuart is doing, you know, a meet the agent night, and they're doing animation and you should go. And my first response was like, No, like I I don't have child care, right? Yeah, and then she was like, I really believe you should do this. I and I was like, Okay, so I kid you not, I asked five people to watch my son, and all of them said no, right? So I was like, Okay, I there's no way, but then I was like, let me just try again, let me try one more person, and that sixth person said, sure, I'll watch your son. And so it was this really like cool magical moment where I was able to go and and read for Jason Sesportis, the um, you know, the head agent at Stewart, New York. And then um and then I was like, okay, I guess I'm I guess I'm gonna like follow up. And I felt like the read went well, and I was like, I guess I'll send him an email. I don't know. And I sent him an email, and he's like, We really liked your read. We'd like to meet with you. And I was like, oh. And then um, and then I remember like, so we set up a time to meet, and I refer to this time as as one of the craziest 17 minutes of my life because there were like three agents on this Zoom call, and I kid you not, it was like, Can you do this? What about this character? Can you sing? Can we hear this? What about this? So I was like pulling out everything in my arsenal. Um, and then, you know, and then later that day they called me and said, We want to sign you. And I was like, But it just was like, if I hadn't, if I hadn't have taken that workshop, you know, like I I wouldn't be where I am today. And and it would and I'll I've also had one of those cool stories where I don't even think I auditioned, they just sent my demo to someone and like I booked a job based on that, which was those are really nice when you don't have to audition for something. Um but yeah, just that whole spiel of believing in yourself, and and especially as a mom, sometimes it's just like I don't want to burden anybody with watching my kid, and I've already asked these people, and you know, but just that it's okay, you kind of it's okay to push sometimes, right? Like you don't want to push to this uh the the edge of burnout, but just to do something for myself and and to show like wow, like I am good enough to land a New York LA agent, right? Like I think that that was kind of news to me.
Jozlyn RockiThat's something to celebrate. That's something to celebrate and and and it's so important, like you said, to get the coaching and then also to recognize as you're moving through your career to recognize where it's time to push forward and apply a little bit of pressure and maybe expand yourself and doing those meet those agent nights and not just a regular coaching session because it can open up doors for you that right and it there is a little bit of a cost to those to those sessions, but it's an investment in your career, you know. Yep, and it is a hard balance being mom and whether you have like a daytime job outside of the home or you have a remote daytime job or you're a voice actor or all you know, everything in between. We are all of it, you know? You know, and I said to my husband, I'm like, it's really funny, like that, like you can just get in the car and drive to your job, and then like you know, you're listening to your music, and then you come home, and it's like, you know, he's got a day off, and I'm like, um, I'm still doing the job, I'm still in the booth, I'm still doing the laundry, I'm still doing and I'm like, you know, he's actually very helpful too, yeah. Very supportive, which is also why I can do what I'm doing today as well. Um but it's like you still are doing it all, you know. Like it's like, yeah. So it's it's a lot.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. It is it is a lot, and and it's been nicer, I feel like generally the summers are a little slower in voiceover anyway. So it's been nice for me to kind of take a step back and um, you know, just just realize that maybe I can't and maybe I shouldn't be doing it all. You know, like there are so sometimes I will get an audition from an agent and be like, nah. You know, like I'm not connected to it, or do I really want to do this? Um I've been thinking a lot about um not to go too woo-woo, but I've been thinking a lot about energy and you're in the right place. Bring it all on. Yeah, like just thinking about where do I want to put my energy? Like, is doing this task going to deplete me or invigorate me? Or I think for me now, the important question is am I going to have enough energy left over for my son and my husband?
Jozlyn RockiYeah.
SPEAKER_02And because yeah.
Jozlyn RockiSo, you know. That's good. I love all that you said that because it's like all too often we do think we need to do it all. And I've definitely like looked around my house. I'm like, I need to vacuum. I know. Not today. Not today. I'm not vacuuming today. Yeah. You know, it's like, I'm gonna take my kids to a movie. It's summertime, you know, they're home. And by the way, just FYI. My kids are doing all nighters right now because I have older kids. And so, like, I literally got up this morning at 6 45, 7 o'clock in the morning, and I was like, my kid was still was up. I'm like, Have you doing bed? He's like, Oh my gosh. Holy crap, you know, like, are you serious right now? So yeah, I have teenagers. That's what happens. Oh my gosh. Yeah, so I know.
SPEAKER_02And yeah, my son, you know, my son, he just turned five, and yeah, and just like thinking back on, oh my gosh, where did these five years go? And especially during like the baby and toddler stages, I was like, my life is forever gonna be like this, and I'm trapped, and I, you know, yeah, and then now I'm like, gosh, I'm I'm getting some time back. It's just you know, there's different stages bring different bring different kinds of struggles, I guess. He's like, you know, he's so active, no nap. Um and he he stays up really late at night too for for a kiddo, but he sleeps in, so I'm not, you know, complaining about that. So yeah.
Jozlyn RockiI think every kid is who they are and they're doing exactly what they need, and sometimes it's not always exactly ideal. Yeah. So I just have to try to like, you know, I'm trying to reel it in a little bit, you know, because but it is summertime, so I mean, yeah, anyways, kids are weird. I have one out out of the house now at this point in time, so it's really weird to like have like be have two at home and then one out of the house, and that's a whole nother category of parenting from afar.
SPEAKER_02So being being a parent is wow, absolutely bonker. I never thought that I I would just be in this constant flux of emotions, like it's and that's where I learned that you can have two completely opposite feelings at the same time, which is kind of a mind F, right? Yeah, because I feel like I would die for my son. I love my son, he's the best. And then I also can simultaneously peel feel like leave me alone. Oh my god, you know, get away from me, right? And then it's but it's just like the emotions are just so crazy and how you can see yourself and them and how like your childhood stuff comes up, and like it it has been a wild ride, and I know it's not, but but I think that that's you know, for I'm very much an empath, I'm very much an emotional sponge, and so you know, and and so that does take energy from me, right? And so I need to have that reserve left over so that like while I'm like parenting him and like reparenting myself and helping him regulate his emotions, trying to regulate my own, like it's just oh, it's crazy.
Jozlyn RockiIt's a lot. There's been plenty of times where I've been driving in the road and I'm like having a meltdown about something because I was like, you know, like you're having like a physical reaction to some sort of anxiety that is like infesting into your brain and your body. And then I'm like, and then I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry. The message is the same. The delivery was wrong. I apologize for the delivery, you know. And I'm like, I'm just having a moment has nothing to do with you, but I still didn't like the way that you talked to me in this moment, you know? Yeah, and it's it's definitely a challenge for sure. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's really wild too, because when my kid moved out, I like literally nested to get ready to like move him out, just like you nest to have to bring them into the world. And um, and there's been a couple moments where he's like, I don't need that. A couple months later, he's like, Thank you. I needed that. Yeah, you did, you did need that kid. You know, and boys are wild, they're crazy when they're younger, but then they just they chill out, yeah. They chill out, and then you're like, then you're the one who's like, hi, hi, yeah, can you hang out? Can you hang out? Thank you. And like, you know, and then they're like, bro. I know, bro. That's what I get now. Bro. That's where my. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02It's so it's and that's so crazy to think that. And I know that it's coming, but it's yeah, it it and I know that that's gonna, I'm probably gonna be in therapy about that too. But like, yeah, just the shift of like, oh my gosh, like mom, like see right now is very much mama, mama, dad-da-da, and just him wanting to be around us all the time, wanting to play with us all the time, and and we're both like exhausted but trying. Yeah, and I know that there's gonna come a time where he's just gonna be like, eh.
Jozlyn RockiYeah. Yeah. He's gonna be like, bro, yeah. Yeah. Um, so I want before we lose enough, we're gonna lose time here. Um I I want to talk about the building doors because like I think that's so important. You got involved in that. I know that like that you're passionate about you know creating spaces and um, yeah. So tell us about that for yeah, I think you said marginalized voices. I think you were saying that. Like, so yeah, how does that work into like your path?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so um, so yeah, building doors for people who don't know is basically an organization developed by Christy Harst, who lives just south of me in Ohio. And um, but it it basically is an organization where that sheds light on spaces and rooms where female voices aren't haven't been like historically welcomed or recognized, right? So we have specifically in voiceover, we have these different um, these different kinds of commercials like finance or tech or you know, alcohol, to name a few, that usually are voiced by men, right? Sometimes we'll hear yeah, true drugs, right? Yeah, we have in I love how um I whenever we hear like a Ford commercial, it's Brian Cranston and I'm just like I I don't understand why they're not using a Michigander voice because anyway, um so yeah, I just you know and I I really love Christy. Like she's she's one of those women who when you listen to her you feel inspired and motivated, but you also feel seen. And I think especially um especially as a woman, sometimes we don't feel very seen, especially as mothers, we don't feel very seen. And so I just immediately like locked on to um what she was doing. And and essentially what Building Doors does, what kind of the foundation of it was, was taking a commercial originally voiced by a man and then having a woman voice it and kind of ask the question like, hey, tech and alcohol and finance, uh what if a woman voiced this? Like, would it really, you know, would it have an impact, right? Especially because um I recently Christy showed me this stat that was like 80% of or yeah, around 70 to 80 percent of financial decisions worldwide are made by women, right? When it comes to like household um, so it's it's women are buying these products, but they're not necessarily being represented in marketing efforts. And um so it's it really is a way to raise awareness of like, hey, I know the industry has kind of been doing it one way for a while, you know, having men voice these commercials. Um, but uh you can also you can reach women if if I think that's kind of the question that or the um experiment is trying to ask or answer is, you know, can you reach, can you um can you reach more of your female audience? Can you earn more money? Like, can it be um not something that's necessarily a woke issue of like, oh, let's just throw a woman on this spot or whatever, but um, but can it be something that's profitable, right? And a lot of the research that Christy has been doing, um, and she's she's doing some additional um original research as well, is showing that yeah, women women want to hear women talking about these products. Um so I think I think too, like for me, what got me connected with building doors um was again just feeling like sometimes it feels really lonely being a woman. Sometimes I don't feel seen, sometimes I don't feel appreciated. Um not even necessarily within voiceover, but just life, you know, like in general. Yeah. And so I wanted to be a part of an organization that would shed light on how powerful it is to be a woman, even when we don't necessarily feel powerful. Um and I actually had a a I think a couple years ago, I posted I posted about this job that I booked that originally the client said, I want male voices only. And it was really cool because it was it was on a pay to play and um and initially the the video producer was like you know, so I I I think that within within the casting bulletin he had put like male and female voices, or he had put female voices, and so I auditioned, didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks, and then he came back and he was like Katie, the client you know, initially was like, I want to do male voices, so I had to go like repost the audition and get all the male voices. But then I I said to my client, I was like, Well, here's the male voices. You really should listen to you know, these other couple women too. And the client ended up choosing my voice, um, and it was for a financial explainer, right? So a again, a genre that women are not often heard in. Um and I think that it just it also illustrates not only like go for it, like audition if you feel a connection to it. And it was a funny, I loved the script, it was really funny. Um, but also like we need as much help as we can get, right? Like I wouldn't have been considered by the client if the video producer didn't advocate for me, right? So it is it's a collective communal effort um to champion women's voices. Um, so yeah, I I uh love building doors. I um it's again personally it has it has really motivated me, um, really inspired me, and and I hope that I've been able to inspire other women too. Yeah, you definitely have.
Jozlyn RockiI mean, obviously, like I that's why I'm asking the question. Yeah, you know, because they get the word out there too, especially since you know, it is like a it's a passionate, you know, motivating, like, you know, you feel it to the core. So I love that.
SPEAKER_02And I do want to share too that a lot of people will ask, like, well, how can I support building doors?
Jozlyn RockiSure.
SPEAKER_02And it's so easy. Like a lot of people think, like, oh, like it's just like another money grubbing thing. Sure. Um, and it's not. That's what also what I love about Christy. She does have the like on the Building Doors website. She does have um, like, if you want, you can like buy her a coffee, you can buy merchandise if you want. But really, the easiest, most cost-effective, uh free way to support is to like a post, is to comment on it, is to follow Building Doors and share. Like, so she's active or Building Doors is active on LinkedIn and then also on Instagram. So the more you know that we're kind of telling the algorithm, hey, this content matters. We like this content. So like following and share. Um, sharing is really great. Um, she also has a podcast as well. Buildingdoorsveo.com is is the URL. So yeah. So that costs you nothing. It really costs you nothing. There's a podcast too. Cool.
Jozlyn RockiI love it. I we we always talk about that, like in terms of like educating yourself and like learning. It doesn't have to necessarily cost money. Some stuff does cost money, but like they're like podcasts, you know. I mean, you can learn and grow through listening.
SPEAKER_02Podcast, and she also, I I keep thinking about forgetting all the stuff that she has. Um, she also has a weekly newsletter that goes out as well, which I love reading because she always puts in um, she always puts in a personal story and it always makes me cry. Always.
Jozlyn RockiThat's like Oprah. Um it really is. It really is. Okay, so we always usually do like a fun question at the end and it's like a rapid fire, and this is like super rapid fire because we've got like a few minutes, and I might be able to actually um hang a little bit longer if you guys are patient with me. Um, if I have to log in and just like be present in my full-time job. Yeah. Um that thing. So Katie, just pick a number, any number. It's like one to like over a hundred. Oh gosh. Everybody always I'm always scrolling to like the later numbers, and so they're like one, five. Um, okay, so oh my god, this is perfect for you. If you had a pet parrot, what would you teach it to say? Oh my gosh. It's rapid fire. Who has to come first? Leave mom alone.
SPEAKER_03Oh, good one, good one, good one.
SPEAKER_02Let mom sleep.
Jozlyn RockiYes. Going up the mom thing, I'd say, I'm not your bro. I'm not your bra.
SPEAKER_02Not your bra. Not your bra.
Jozlyn RockiGabby, I know you're you're kind of um I'm sorry, I I got here late.
SPEAKER_02Mom's dumb. Mom came off. Yes.
Jozlyn RockiAn hour later. Hi, Gabby.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
Jozlyn RockiJust probably on location. What's your parrot saying? What are you gonna teach it to say?
SPEAKER_01Oh, uh probably tell my son mom's about to leave.
Jozlyn RockiSo put your shoes on. Oh, I love that. Put your shoes on. Oh my gosh. Angela's still thinking.
SPEAKER_01It's very mine should probably be something like, uh, no, mom's not gonna give you money.
Jozlyn RockiNo money for you.
SPEAKER_01No money for you. No money, get a job, get a job. That's what it was. Get a job. I love it.
Jozlyn RockiKatie, we love having you on. I'm so happy it worked out. I know we had to do this a couple times. I wish we could probably talk for like another couple of hours. Oh, yeah, for sure. This went by way too fast. I know. Maybe we'll have to have you back on again. We always say that, you know, and just like hang out and talk. But um, do you want to give the businessy side of things like how people can connect with you? Because we learned kind of how to buildingdoors.com is important to you. But how else can they find you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so I'm on mostly Instagram and LinkedIn. Um, so I'm Katie Joestock, and then my handle on Instagram is Katie Joestock VO. Um, but yeah, I'm usually usually posting stuff on LinkedIn and Instagram. My website is www.katiejock.com. And yeah, I I mean I I think that's about it. That's awesome. I don't know.
Jozlyn RockiDefinitely like and follow her stuff because it's so funny. It's like cracks me up. And you're so supportive too, you know. I mean try. Yeah, that's like super important, you know.
SPEAKER_02I don't I try to keep it real. I'm actually I'm thinking I when I was dropping my son off at daycare today, I was having like I have an idea for a video that I'm gonna post. That's it's not gonna be like super funny, but it's it's gonna be talking about um just individual worth and some of the some of the some of the um aha moments that I've been having lately about like what that looks like and what success looks like and that it's not contingent on what you do, but just being, you know. Um I'm excited about that.
Jozlyn RockiI mean, how many times a day do you like you're thinking you're like, I just did that? Like it was something tiny, but like I actually did it, and I'm so happy that I got it done and I feel good about it. And I can now just check that right off your little like sticky note list.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and even even like for me, even during times that are difficult for me or you know, times of struggle, sometimes I will really literally say to myself, like, look at you, you've flossed and brushed your teeth. What can you do and stuff? You know, like you have to, it's so easy to be the source of like negativity for yourself, or you know, to kind of be your own bully when really you should be being your best your own best friend, right? Yeah, um, yeah. That's so funny.
SPEAKER_01Um I find myself giving myself thumbs up when I get something done. Good job. Right. Right. I had you good job.
Jozlyn RockiI had it, I had an almost everything shower yesterday. I just didn't shave my legs. I was like, and it might have been a few days, and it's summer down here. I'm hot, I was really hot and sweaty and salty. And I was like, I gotta shower. Like, I need to take like five minutes just to shower because I forgot, you know, because you've been busy.
SPEAKER_01Lots going on, lots of I know eating like this, giving yourself like fueling yourself with food. I know food at that, not just you know, McDonald's because the kid wants it.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_01I know back to the getting job, bro.
SPEAKER_02We all know I yeah, I know. I am so addicted to French fries, McDonald's french fries right now. I just I was telling my my husband the other day, um, you know, I've I've kind of like I've stopped we've stopped getting McDonald's for a little bit, and I'm like, man, I'm just really craving potatoes right now, and I don't know why.
SPEAKER_01I love potatoes.
Jozlyn RockiOh, they're so good. We watched the The Martian yesterday. Like it was Matt. And speaking of potatoes, anyways. Yes. I was gonna ask you guys what's the last movie that you guys watched, just really quickly. The The Martian, and then I watched Dune, part one and part two, which is like really good too. It was like my fancy hand. This is my fancy glove that I'm wearing. It's copper infused because I have no, I have carpal tunneled. How annoying, anyways. Go ahead. What's the last movie that you guys watched? Really quickly. Well, just while I'm I'm doing something else.
SPEAKER_02Josh and I, we actually we just had our anniversary and we went to go see Disclosure Day, the new Spielberg movie. Nice. Was it worth it? Was it worth it? I think so. I mean, it's definitely like you know, a popcorn type of a movie, but it made me cry. Sure.
Jozlyn RockiDefinitely one that's on the list of movies to go see this summer in the theater for sure. It was good.
SPEAKER_01It was very good. Angela, you guys have all I did watch a movie and I cannot remember the title for the library. But it was so mom like it was yeah, it was about this old lady who ended up finding her long-lost uh grandson and an octopus was involved. It's a lot.
SPEAKER_02I know what you're oh I know. It's the um it's a sweet book.
SPEAKER_01Yes that was made into a movie. It's a Netflix.
SPEAKER_02It's something creatures, whatever.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it has something in the title.
SPEAKER_02How many moms does it take?
SPEAKER_01Totally, totally, but it's a great movie and it made me cry as well.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that was a good one too.
SPEAKER_01I loved that one. Oh, but truly, something, the word something is in the title of it. Yeah.
Jozlyn RockiIf you remember two hours from now, email all us. Yeah, I will, I will. Because that happens so often.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, it's like it's like wonderfully bright creatures or something. Something like that, yeah. Something like that. My my husband, have you guys heard of that movie Still Alice with Julianne Moore? And it's like she's battling Alzheimer's. Yes, I have. So my husband, because I have terrible mom brain, my husband always, not to make fun of Alzheimer's, but my husband always, you know, tea teases me whenever I forget something or I'm like mispronouncing some celebrity's name or whatever. He's just like, still Katie. Still there. So it's I know what a remarkably bright creature. Remarkably bright creatures.
SPEAKER_01You're very close, yes.
SPEAKER_02Yes, we were close.
SPEAKER_01Yes, good job. I don't know where I got something from. I I thought it was like something in the water or something. I don't know.
Jozlyn RockiI mean, how often are we all pulled in like multiple directions? Like, and I was trying to explain to my husband that I might be fully present in front of you and I'm like actively listening, but I'm also like 10 steps ahead of you, already doing like 50 to five other things, you know, in that social media post where they're saying like the bridge is burning down. And I'm like, Yeah, I already had like 10 other bridges built. You know, I've got like life preservers and life rafts, like, you know, we can like that's bacon cookies. There we go. All right. Well, I'm all logged in, but I just want to say thank you so much for hanging out with us today. I really appreciate your time. So thank you.
SPEAKER_02What an honor um to be asked to come and be on this podcast. And it was so lovely to meet all of you, and hopefully, we can chat again soon.
SPEAKER_01That's a wrap. Tune into our next episode and continue the creative conversation. Feel inspired? Share this podcast with a few friends so we all organically grow and feel connected. Follow us on social media to keep up with all the creative chaos.
