Meet Laya Hoffman | Award-Nominated Voice Actor, Live Announcer & Champion for Authentic Storytelling – Voyage ATL Magazine

From national commercial campaigns and live announcing to podcasting and award-winning voice acting, Laya Hoffman has built a career around the power of authentic connection. Fresh off multiple One Voice Award nominations alongside her daughter, she shares how resilience, creativity, and staying true to her own voice have shaped a career that’s as inspiring as it is impactful.

Laya, you’ve built a career as a voice actor, podcast host, emcee, and live announcer, and this year you’ve once again earned multiple nominations at the One Voice Awards, including Female Voice Actor of the Year. Looking back on your journey, what first drew you to voice acting, and what has kept you passionate about the craft?
Music was my first love, and it eventually led me to study radio broadcasting in Chicago. Once I got behind a microphone, something clicked. There was this freedom in being able to connect with people using only my voice—no costume, no camera, nowhere to hide. Just intention, instinct, and truth.

Voice acting has been part of my life for more than 20 years, but my relationship with it continues to evolve. What keeps me passionate is that no two days, scripts, or clients are exactly alike. One minute I’m helping a brand make someone laugh, the next I’m giving power to an important message, opening a live event, or helping an audience feel seen.

This career has also taught me resilience. Voiceover comes with a lot of rejection and very little explanation, so you learn to keep showing up, keep growing, and stop letting someone else’s “no” decide what you’re capable of. I’m still curious, still coachable, and still excited when the red light comes on. That’s how I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

Your work spans national commercial campaigns, television promos, political campaigns, and live announcing for major brands like Delta. How do you adapt your voice and performance to such a wide variety of audiences and projects while maintaining your own unique style?
Before I think about how something should sound, I think about who I’m talking to and how they need to feel. A political campaign requires a different level of urgency and responsibility than a playful commercial. A television promo needs momentum and precision, while live announcing for a brand like Delta demands presence, timing, and the ability to stay grounded in a high-energy room.

The adjustment comes from listening—to the client, the creative direction, the words, and what’s underneath the words. My job is never to just “sound good.” It’s to understand the intention and make the message feel human.

The common thread is still me: warmth, confidence, connection, and, when the moment calls for it, a little sass. I don’t leave myself outside the booth in order to serve a brand. I bring the most useful, honest version of myself into the room and build from there. That ability to collaborate without losing my own point of view has become one of my greatest strengths.

Being nominated in multiple categories at the One Voice Awards is an incredible achievement, and this year makes your second nomination for Female Voice Actor of the Year. What do these recognitions mean to you, and how have they influenced your career and confidence as a performer?
Honestly, it’s huge. Being nominated for Female Voice Actor of the Year once felt surreal; having it happen a second time makes me pause and really take in how far I’ve come.

So much of voice acting happens alone in a booth. We audition constantly, hear “no” far more than “yes,” and often never know how close we came. Recognition from people who understand the level of work, discipline, and persistence behind the performance hits differently. It feels like my peers saying, “We see you.” I don’t take that lightly.

The nominations haven’t made me feel like I’ve arrived and can relax. If anything, they’ve made me more excited to stretch, take risks, and trust the instincts I’ve spent years developing. Awards don’t define the value of the work, but they can be a beautiful reminder that the work is landing—and that a woman can build a career on her own terms, grow through every version of herself, and still be getting started.

One particularly special aspect of this year’s awards is that your 13-year-old daughter, Cyla, is also nominated for her commercial demo. What has it been like sharing your passion for voice acting with her, and how has watching her develop her own talent enriched your experience in the industry?
Sharing this with Cyla is easily one of the greatest gifts of my career. I’m incredibly proud of her nomination, but I’m even prouder of the young woman she’s becoming through the process. She takes direction, puts in the work, and brings this natural honesty to the mic that simply can’t be manufactured.

For me, working with Cyla has always been about so much more than voice acting. As a young girl growing up in today’s world, I want her to know that her voice matters—that she has every right to stand up, speak out, be heard, and use her voice for good. If this career helps teach her to trust herself and take up space with confidence and purpose, that means more to me than any booking or award ever could.

What I love most is that she isn’t trying to become a smaller version of me. She has her own instincts, personality, sound, and creative point of view. My role is to give her the tools, teach her how to be professional, and help protect the joy that made her want to do this in the first place.

In 2023, we made One Voice Awards history as the first parent-child duo to win in our respective categories on the same night. That will always be an unforgettable moment for us. Now, to be nominated together again, for the fourth year in a row —especially for a demo that represents her own developing identity as a performer—is incredibly emotional.

Watching her work has also made me better. Kids are fearless until the world teaches them not to be. Cyla reminds me to play, trust myself, and stop overcomplicating the moment. I may be guiding her through the business, but she is constantly teaching me something about the art—and about the power of owning your voice.

Looking ahead, as your career continues to evolve across voice acting, podcasting, and live announcing, what goals are you most excited to pursue, and what advice would you offer to aspiring voice actors hoping to build a lasting career in the business?
I’m excited to keep expanding my work in sports, news, and television promo, along with live announcing—especially in spaces where powerful female voices haven’t always been the default. I want to step onto bigger stages, take on bolder campaigns, and continue bringing strength, warmth, and authenticity to work that informs, energizes, and moves people.

I’m also at a point where success means more than stacking up bookings. It means creating meaningful work, building genuine relationships, opening doors for other people, and showing my daughter what it looks like to pursue your purpose without shrinking yourself to make anyone else comfortable.

For aspiring voice actors, my advice is to respect both sides of the career: the art and the business. Train consistently. Learn how to take direction. Understand your equipment, your rates, and your worth. Be someone people want to work with again—not only because you’re talented, but because you’re prepared, collaborative, and kind.

And please don’t build your entire identity around whether you booked today. Rejection is part of the job; it is not a verdict on your talent. Keep showing up, stay curious, and stop trying to sound like whoever is popular right now. Trends change. Your truth, your work ethic, and the way you make people feel are what create longevity.

Most importantly, be grateful for every level while still allowing yourself to want more. You can appreciate how far you’ve come and remain hungry for what’s next. Those two things can absolutely exist together.

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