Huge thanks to Marc Guss and his guest tonight on the Marc Guss Voiceover Club, Debbe Hirata! Debbe, the renowned voice actor and SOVAS Board Member, shared her time with the club to talk about the longevity of her career and to answer audience questions. In a heartfelt discussion that ranged from all aspects of voiceover and beyond, both Debbe and Marc shared a great deal of vulnerability, particularly in their exploration of the many ways that their mothers inspired them with their strength and resilience. Thank you, Debbe and Marc, for sharing your stories.
Debbe shared her career’s journey, which started at Gonzaga University and led to jobs in TV and radio, writing and voicing promos, news, whatever came her way. She later worked in advertising and then at Xerox, creating campaigns and voicing them. What struck me after hearing her story was the number of times she said she was doing something she’d never done before and was figuring out how to make it happen. She saw something new as a challenge and found a way to realize her vision. “Figure things out yourself — it may seem impossible, but go learn it,” Debbe said. “That’s the true entrepreneurial spirit.”
Debbe later found her way back into the VO world, and after getting a demo produced, taking classes, and finding a great agent, things took off for her. And when non-union work became predominant, she adapted. And when home studios became the norm, she adapted. When her daughter moved to LA and needed a roommate, Debbe joined her and said that’s when she started to book a lot of work, including ADR work, which was something new to her. Throughout the interview tonight, Debbe showed that she has a willingness to do what needs to be done in order to succeed, and I find that so admirable and inspiring.
When asked about how she deals with burnout, Debbe said, “In today’s market it’s much easier to get burned out now than it was a long time ago. We didn’t have a lot of technology to worry about — it was a much slower life.” What she suggests is taking time each day to check in with yourself. “I listen really carefully to my body. When I go to sleep at night, I have a conversation with it, and if there’s any little aches or pains, I really try to say ‘What are you telling me?’ Because your body will tell you to slow down,” she said, adding that it’s important to recognize when you need self-care.
Another question for Debbe was about social media and how to post without sounding like you’re bragging. Debbe understood that feeling, saying that her generation was not encouraged to talk about themselves. But what she advises is not to think of it as bragging and more about celebrating yourself, adding that Joan Baker is a good role model for not being shy. Debbe said that she’s inspired by Joan (who isn’t?!) and that Joan is “such a great example of being her truest self at its fullest expression.” So re-framing social media posts as sharing a collaboration you were involved in, or expressing yourself, and not thinking about it as bragging is an important shift in mindset.
Thanks so much to Marc and Debbe for their advice and insight into the industry, and thanks to the audience questions that helped everyone listening learn so much! Check out the Marc Guss Voiceover Club every Wednesday night on Clubhouse at 8:30 pm ET.