Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Savage.
Hi Jeff, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Many years ago, I pursued a dream of wanting to become a rock star. I truly did. I was one of those bright-eyed dreamers with a guitar and a prayer who threw caution to the wind and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music industry.
I was fortunate to find a job working for a recording studio in Burbank, CA, called The Enterprise. It was owned by a man named Craig Huxley, who once played the role of Captain Kirk’s nephew in the original TV show Star Trek. The Enterprise had a Pro Audio equipment rental company called Audio Affects, where I worked as a driver delivering and picking up recording equipment such as reel-to-reel tape machines, microphones, speakers, and outboard gear from virtually every major recording studio and movie lot in Hollywood, as well as artist’s home studios.
It was an incredible experience that allowed me to cross paths with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. In fact, on my first day on the job, I met Mick Jagger. Though I pursued a dream of having my own rock and roll band, I got introduced to the world of voiceover through my immersion in the industry, and while my musical aspirations may have fizzled out, it was through that pursuit that opened the door to the next chapter of my life.
After many years in Hollywood, I got a fresh start in Dallas, TX, where I really became serious about pursuing voiceover professionally. I trained with the best coaches in town, got the experience I needed, and, over time, built a respectable broadcast-quality recording studio in my home. I became the Talent Director for SyncLab Media, building a talent department from scratch, recruiting and managing a roster of on-camera and voiceover actors.
I also developed a fitness lifestyle and found a passion for running marathons, having written the #1 Amazon Bestseller “Savage Resilience: Conquer Adversity and Be Your Own Hero.” Over the course of running marathons all around the world, I took the message of my book to the world of public speaking, where I talked about Finding Your Stride in the Marathon of Life.
And here we are today as the host of TAKE 2, a talk show about the DFW acting community. TAKE 2 is a play on words, where I TAKE 2 actors and get 2 TAKES on the real-life struggles and triumphs of working performers. We just wrapped shooting episodes for Season 2 and are already looking ahead to the next exciting season of the show!
It’s been an exciting journey coming out of Hollywood and finding a way to be involved with the acting community in Dallas. There’s a dynamic mix of opportunities for actors, and the talent pool runs deep! It’s been amazing to get to know and learn from so many incredible people, to hear their stories, and to share their journeys with our viewers.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has been anything BUT a smooth road! And by reflecting on my own adventure into the world of acting and talent, I became aware that no two actor’s journeys are the same, and though we glamorize acting when we think about red carpets, award shows, autographs, fame, and paparazzi, there are real struggles in pursuing the craft of acting professionally. And those are the types of stories that I encourage my guests to share on TAKE 2.
I’ll be brutally honest here and tell you one particular struggle I encountered that completely humbled and grounded me. I was told for many years that I had a great voice and that I should consider a career in voiceover. It’s one thing to be told this by your close friends and family, but it had extra weight and significance coming from complete strangers I would meet out in the world and highly respected members of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. Before I had ANY experience in the voiceover realm, I entered it with a sense of confidence and a bit cavalier. And I fell flat on my face.
I quickly learned that many people entered the voiceover profession because they had a “nice voice.” But simply having a rich timbre or a pleasant tone is not enough, and when you sample the voiceover spectrum, you come to realize that truly unique voices are more common than “nice voices.” Those in voiceover are also considered voice ACTORS, and it is a craft. It’s not reading words off a page into a microphone. It’s not showing off your best Bart Simpson impersonation. It’s developing real acting skills, training to learn how to connect with your audience as you act in an invisible world, knowing the current advertising trends and what types of voices are booking,
There are audio engineering skills you must master. Your recording space must be quiet. You must learn to market yourself and promote your services to the right people at the right companies who use voices in their campaigns. And you need a professional demo. I remember walking into the biggest talent agency in Dallas with my homemade demo of voice samples in hand and essentially being laughed out of the place.
What happened? I was told I was destined to succeed! I was told that I could read the phone book and make it sound great. People said, “I can listen to you talk all day…” And yet, there I was, rejected.
I had built this up in my mind so much. But I found a way to turn it around and challenge myself to be better. And that decision introduced me to the unbelievable acting community here in Dallas. Through failure, we can become champions. All it takes is the courage to learn from it.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Being able to host a talk show is something that, on the surface, sounds amazing! I see people like Jimmy Fallon, Maury Povich, or even Oprah, and it’s fascinating to see myself in a role like these industry icons.
Sure, my show is on a smaller scale, but there’s no denying that I have taken on an endeavor that I’m passionate about, and that makes me truly feel alive. Not only do I get to highlight members of the professional acting community, I also get to give back to that community a resource for actors who are just starting out or are early in their own journey. Stories of hope, encouragement, and camaraderie, as well as struggles and cautionary tales.
There really isn’t one path to hosting a talk show. Some rise up through journalism, some through celebrity, some from a career in radio and television. And some build their own door.
From my experience building up my brand and business as a professional voice actor, I also became the Talent Director for SyncLab Media here in Dallas, which allowed me to recruit and cast talent for all sorts of productions. The opportunity to highlight local talent on our roster and in the acting community became the genesis of hosting a talk show, and TAKE 2 is an extension of my role as the Talent Director. I parlayed that experience into creating something truly unique.
I’m proud of how we learned from Season 1 of TAKE 2 and built on the best parts to create a better experience for Season 2. It’s the classic model of success, where we grow by learning and doing. Not being afraid to take creative risks and learning from failure. By always looking for ways to be better, we can lead by example and show others how it’s done.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
It’s been said that if you don’t ask, the answer is always no. It’s true in sales, in marketing, and also in finding a mentor.
There was a time in my own life when I might have looked at someone who has influence or accolades and thought that they must be very busy or couldn’t possibly have time for someone like me. And we might fear rejection or upsetting someone we admire and decide not to even bother. But if we are brave enough to simply ask, we can learn so much from those who have walked the path we want to travel down.
Today, we have access to other people in ways we never had in history. At any given moment, it is possible to reach out to a potential mentor simply by Google search, sending a direct message on social media, connecting with them through Linked In, or sending an email to the address they list on their website. You might find a way to send a message through the company they work for or through one of their agents or representatives. And it’s also important to be genuine and respectful.
Also, consider that beyond finding a mentor, make yourself available to be a mentor to others. Someone might be looking up to you, wondering how you got to be where you are. It’s humbling when people reach out to me and ask me how I got started in voiceover, or advice with fitness, or how to go about writing a book.
To be a resource and an inspiration to others is a feeling that is indescribable. To be sought after for advice is a real signpost that we’re on the right track in our pursuits. To share what we know to help others grow is a great legacy to aspire to.
Contact Info:
- Website: JeffSavageOnline.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/take2talkshow, instagram.com/jeffsavagefit, instagram.com/jeff_savage_vo
- Facebook: facebook.com/therealjeffsavage
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeffsavagevo
Image Credits
Vlad Levine/Opticalkind and Kelly Williams Photography
