October 8, 2014 is a day I will remember for years to come. How I choose to remember it is the key.

It was on that day that I moved from my full time career in radio news to working from my home studio as a voice actor, a move which was not supposed to take place until a couple of years on down the line.

Thanks to an abrupt format change, News 92 FM ceased to exist that day and I  found myself in the unemployment line along with close to 50 of my friends and co-workers. While many of those people have moved on to other jobs, some in other cities, there are others who are still struggling to find their new normal. For me, the transition was a natural one. I had been building the foundation of a voice over business for years, working at night and on weekends to learn what I could and practice my craft.

I chose to view this as a positive move and look toward the future with a faith that God had not only opened a door for me, he led me right through it. I could have wasted my time grumbling and complaining about losing my  job, and I probably did my fair share of that… but when all was said and done I considered myself blessed to be in a position to start my own business, and that is exactly what I did.

In the first year of full time voice over work, I have recorded for some of the biggest names in the corporate world.  HP, BP, CB&I, Sunbelt Steel, CenterPoint Energy & McDonalds to name a few.  As for current projects, I am producing two audio books — The Battle of the Alamo, by Ben H. Proctor and The Battle of San Jacinto, by James W. Pohl.  These will be available soon through the Texas State Historical Association. As a native of Texas, I am beyond excited to be a part of these two projects.

I won’t say I don’t miss the old job on some days. I mostly miss the people. It is difficult moving from an active newsroom, interacting with people, to sitting alone in a booth at home everyday reading. I also miss the news makers I came to know, in particular the men and women of the Houston Fire Department.

So while some are marking this anniversary as a sad day, I am choosing to think of it as the first anniversary of my business and career.  Meanwhile, I am looking forward to what the next year holds.