Today we’d like to introduce you to Lawana Dyer.
Hi Lawana, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As a teen, I received one of those mailers to “meet top agents and scouts” at a local mall. I showed up, and after a brief catwalk and spin, I was approached to attend John Casablancas Modeling & Career Center. There, I learned how to apply makeup, walk the runway, etc., and took my first modeling headshots. I went off to college and found my way to the theatre department. Oh, the fun I had…from starring in plays, to set design, sewing, dance, and Ben Nye stage make-up.
After college, it was career, family life, and little time for anything else, but I always had a plan to return to my creative roots. I built a successful career in healthcare but found ways to use my other talents. I was the go-to for presentations, flyers, and announcements. I maintained my skills with acting classes, modeling gigs, and stage plays. During one rehearsal, a castmate mentioned voiceover and I had an “aha moment”. She was gracious enough to answer my many questions and I was off.
I took voiceover very seriously, attending VO classes after work, purchased some equipment, and made my first recording booth in the corner of my closet. When Covid-19 arrived, I was excelling in my career and my VO plans were already in motion. With virtual school and home offices as the new norm, as an essential worker, I needed a way to be home more. It was my husband who ultimately gave me the push I needed to leave Corporate America and start Dyer Voices. And, it wasn’t long before I started booking voiceover jobs and on-camera commercials.
I now have a professional home studio equipped with a custom-built voiceover booth, lighting, and equipment for on-camera work and a host of coaches and peers that keep me sharp. I specialize in E-learning, Commercials, Corporate Narration, Audiobooks, IVR, Film, Print Modeling, and more. With my passion for growth and development, I intend to use my voice to empower, educate, and engage the world in quality conversations.
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?
Not at all! Just as I left my corporate career, my mother was diagnosed with metastatic cancer and I started traveling back and forth to my hometown to be with her. I had a crash course on how to assemble a portable recording booth (travel rig), but I am now a pro!
The entertainment and voiceover industries are not for the faint at heart; it takes more than just a “great voice”, pretty face, or someone who can do funny characters to succeed. I had to become an audio engineer, learning that the landscapers are no longer my friends because the microphone is so sensitive that it picks up weed-eaters and the neighbor’s barking dog. I am also now a director, videographer, cosmologist, stylist, as well as anything else I need to be to ensure the success of my business.
As an entrepreneur, I am the entire business from the talent to the secretary, bookkeeper, janitor, and the Director of Marketing. To be successful, I have to consistently show up and tell the world that my business exists. Adding these responsibilities to the many hats I already wear as a parent, spouse, sibling, friend, daughter…I have to be very organized, intentional with my time, and focused on the long game.
Although sometimes it’s a challenge to be consistent with my coaching sessions or vocal warm-ups, I make them happen because I am in it for the long haul. So, I don’t compare my journey to anyone else because it takes the focus off of my vision and I really can’t see the worn face behind their mask.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am what some would call a “Triple Threat”, a performer that can Act, Sing and Dance. I am also a Model showing that real women are dark, light, pale, plus-sized, thin, curvy, and everything in between. I can draw from my many years of experience in government, theatre, healthcare, and hospitality to create characters that are relatable and easy to connect with.
My mission is to empower, educate and engage the world in quality conversations. Not just reading words on a page to sell a product, performing in a public service announcement to educate others, or training staff via an e-learning course, but delivering performances that makes my audience ask questions, connect emotionally or feel compelled to do something is what sets me apart.
What matters most to you? Why?
Knowing my WHY is what matters most to me because it is the foundation for everything in my life. My WHY is pressing on for something greater than myself; leaving a legacy that will far surpass my existence or anything I could imagine. Being the first to graduate college was not just for me, it was so I could see my children, nieces, nephews, and generations to come also pursue advanced degrees or have the audacity to do something different. It gives me the courage to persevere through any challenges I may face in life and in business.
Contact Info:
- Email: lawana@lawanadyer.com
- Website: https://www.lawanadyer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dyervoices/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DyerVoices
Image Credits
Black Iris Photography
Brent Weber Photography
Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship
