Conversations with Janie Kol

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janie Kol.

Janie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am first generation Cambodian-American. As a child of refugees and the youngest of four I was raised in survival mode. Always doing what’s best for the family, you know the saying, “It takes a village…” I was always working towards independence and stability.

As adulthood came, I knew I had to work towards a career that gave me those said things. That career was in healthcare: x-ray and radiation therapy. I started in the medical field as a young adult and knew it would give me the opportunity to be able to fulfill my creativity elsewhere in the future, while the present required stability – duty calls.

After a decade in healthcare, I needed to be creative. In 2018, I quit my Radiation Therapy job, sold my home and moved to Atlanta, GA from Jacksonville, Florida.

After going down different avenues to fulfill my creativity I found Voice Acting – you can act out of the comfort of your own home and not be on camera?! Sign me up! I took my first intro class at the Alliance Theater here in Atlanta and never stopped. Sure, I idled for a little while to help build confidence.

In 2024 I decided to go full force and commit to the craft of voice acting and have since acquired representation with multiple talent agencies around the world. I have voiced commercials, a toy, narrated audiobooks, an audio tour and more.

If I could describe voice acting simply; it’s like Maya Angelou’s saying, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. Voice Acting is all about feeling. I love the nuances of the craft and really enjoy being a part of a wonderful community that pushes each other to show up authentically and allows us to be heard.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like anything in life, anything worth having does not come easy.

The job of voice acting is auditioning. There are a lot of “no’s” that come before one “yes”. I think an average is about 100 auditions to 1 booked job. All those “no’s” or really just radio silence comes with feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, worry and sadness.

Working towards the life you want isn’t always easy or a linear path, but it is always worth the sacrifice and the journey. If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life – it’s true because I worked a lot. Did I tell you I grew up in a family drycleaning business? That sure did feel like work.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in commercials. My voice brings a unique POV. I have a silent strength – a balance of confidence and empathy. I bring a natural feeling of being everyones life long best friend.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
– Atlanta Voiceover Studio Podcast
– The Voicecaster: Voiceover Casting Corner Podcast
– Death in Cambodia, Life in America Podcast

Contact Info:

• Website: https://janieonthespot.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janiekol/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janieonthespot/