Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Dawn.
Hi Erica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. Here is where I was introduced to my love and passion for creative and performance art through music, voice, dance, writing, and design. I am a former NBA Dance Captain (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Collegiate Dance Team Coach (The University of Akron), and I have been so blessed to be able to share my gift as a choreographer in various capacities throughout NE Ohio and now here in Metro-Atlanta. In 2012, I moved to Atlanta to continue pursuing dance, voice, and writing professionally. My passion and love for teaching in these spaces is what brought me to where I am in my career today as an entrepreneur. Over the past eight years, I have been working as a Dance Instructor and a Commercial Voice Actor/Audiobook Narrator. Like most of us, when the pandemic hit, I was out of work and needed to find something quickly. With me being creative, I knew there was something I could create to generate income but still reach my audience. Here is when I created my first online course for dance titled ‘Tap/Ballet With Miss Erica’. I built the course through a platform called Thinkific through my business, Rising With Dawn Dance Co. with the goal of still teaching my children the art of dance from the comforts of their living rooms. Sales of this course did okay, but not as well as I’d hoped. I needed to find another way to share my knowledge.
So, I created a virtual instructor-led course titled ‘Intro To Voice Over’ under my business, Erica Dawn Voices. I first designed and hosted a webinar (which I still host monthly for free), where I provide tons of information on how to get started as a voice actor. My first go-round, I enrolled six amazing students and hosted the learning for four weeks via Zoom. After a few months, I had a lot of interest, but scheduling was a conflict for most as I hosted the course on Saturday afternoons. I quickly recalled my experience with building the online course for dance and decided to write, film, and produce a self-paced online course for ‘Intro To Voice Over’. Within the first year of launch, I enrolled over 50 students and generated over $25,000 in course sales. I also offered private one on one coaching and VO demo production services. Many of my students began working professionally in the field in less than a year of working with my coaching program. Since the first launch in 2021, I have produced three additional online courses for advanced learning in voice acting and audiobook narration.
My love for online course creation led me to earning a certification in Instructional Design from ELVTR TECH under the instruction of Liana Griffin, who is the Learning Evangelist for Microsoft. I have now expanded my business by adding an Instructional Design component, where I design e-learning, webinar presentations, graphics, job aids and more for businesses and educational institutions, large and small. I also help small business owners and individuals interested in building their own online courses to sell through done-for-you services and consultations. And of course, I am still working as a pro voice-over talent and coaching future voice-over pros along their journeys to success!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Obstacles faced while growing my business have definitely been the utilization of time. During the time when I was in class myself to receive my ID certification, it took me away from my business for months. Delegation and outsourcing is something that I am working on forcing myself to do. Especially as the business grows and expands, I will be needing more hands on deck.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
If you have ever desired to create an online course for your business or passion and would like my assistance in doing so, please feel free to contact me for a consultation. Also, if you are interested in a career in voice acting and/or audiobook narration, Erica Dawn Voices is the place for you. In addition to your online learning, you will have access to our monthly class meetings, discounts on 1:1 coaching, VO performance opportunities, and a private community Facebook Group for exclusively for students of the program,
Pricing:
- 1:1 VO Coaching $100/hr
- $200 OFF Intro To Voice Over with Code VOYAGE
- 30-minute course creator consultation $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://erica-dawn-voices.teachable.com/p/intro-to-voice-over
- Instagram: @ericadawnvoices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericadawnvoices
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-dawn-voices/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ericadawnvoices7093
