Will Moving Impact My Career? Stephanie Carlson of Amp Up My Biz Interviews Voiceover Artist Kate Marcin about Her Decision to Leave the Big City during COVID
As the pandemic makes telecommunication and remote work a reality for a much larger percentage of the labor force, many people are re-evaluating what is truly necessary for their lives and careers. The country has seen a wave of migration out of the big cities. Meanwhile, home sales in suburbs and small cities are robust.
BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As the pandemic makes telecommunication and remote work a reality for a much larger percentage of the labor force, many people are re-evaluating what is truly necessary for their lives and careers. The country has seen a wave of migration out of the big cities. Meanwhile, home sales in suburbs and small cities are robust.
According to USPS data, 15.9 million people have moved during the coronavirus epidemic. Looking into the why behind this life change, Pew Research Center conducted a study to understand COVID moving trends better. The data shows that most people chose to move because of the fear of catching the virus, while some wanted to be closer to their family or had to move due to a significant change in their finances.
One of our top clients, voiceover artist Kate Marcin, recently relocated from the entertainment capital of Los Angeles to the small city of Burlington, Vermont (pop. 43,000). We asked her about her move and its impact on her career.
Where are you from originally and what brought you to LA?
I'm originally from Boston. My husband had a job opportunity in LA. He'd lived there before and loved it, so we decided to give it a shot. We ended up staying about 8 years!
What made you decide to move to Burlington, VT?
I've always held a special place in my heart for Burlington. I went to the University of Vermont and loved it. We even got married here though we were living in LA at the time! Once COVID hit we just couldn't stand being cooped up in our small LA apartment anymore. We really wanted to move somewhere that offered lots of space for a much more affordable price tag.
What's the difference in your cost of living in LA vs. Burlington?
I mean, exponential! We're spending less renting a large three bedroom house with TONS of outdoor space (I mean we're literally in the woods) than on a small two bedroom apartment with no outdoor space. We also just bought a house here so we're getting ready to move again. This home would probably cost about $5 million in our LA neighborhood (let's just say it was less than ⅕ of that here in VT).
Were there any unexpected challenges to relocating?
Traveling across the country during COVID was a challenge. We stayed at AirBnbs in out-of-the-way places, and packed a big cooler with food (and yes, we did eat way too many carbs on that trip, thanks for asking!) We got lucky finding a rental and being able to purchase a house really quickly. Overall, I'd say it's all been pretty smooth for us.
What do you like most about Burlington?
So many things! It's unbelievably beautiful and everyone is super nice here! I love fall and it's been so nice to have this season again. There's heaps of outdoor stuff to do (I'm actually slightly looking forward to winter because we can ski all the time). Maybe the best thing is we get almost all of our food from local farms who have incredible organic produce and pasture-raised meats. It's pretty amazing.
What do you miss most about LA?
Our friends for sure...there's always a new restaurant to check out (I miss restaurants in general, let's be honest) and while I'm not missing the weather just yet, ask me again in February and I'm sure that will top the list.
Has moving impacted your VO career?
Not really! In a way, it was perfect timing because COVID forced everyone to start recording remotely and I was already set up in my broadcast-quality studio to do just that. In fact, it got pretty busy for a while there with most companies putting out COVID-related commercials and e-learning projects. My workflow has been pretty much uninterrupted, so I'm very grateful for that.
Do you think the industry perception of artists and professionals who do not live in LA, NYC, Chicago has changed?
I think so. Especially with voiceover, you really don't need to be in person to do your job. You can get amazing coaching from anywhere (I do either phone or Zoom sessions with my coaches) so it's not like you're missing out on the right training. That is probably different if you're talking about on-camera or theatre acting, but for voiceover, I think your location is less important.
Where do you see your career in 1, 2, 5 years...?
I think that the e-learning and narration genres are going to continue to build up over the next few years so I hope to gain more of those clients. I also would love to start working with more local businesses in Vermont since I love the community here so much.
What are you most looking forward to post-COVID?
Restaurants!!! And seeing friends and not being freaked out when you walk a bit too close to someone. Just to feel the ease of life that we had before and actually interact with other people in person will be so nice.
About Kate Marcin
Kate Marcin is a professional voiceover artist serving clients such as Toyota, Aflac, Target, Southwest Airlines, and Skechers. She also narrates many audiobook titles that are available on Audible.com. Learn more at https://KateMarcinVoiceover.com
About Amp Up My Biz, LLC
Amp Up My Biz is a woman-owned online marketing firm, providing full-service custom digital marketing, social media management, and comprehensive training to business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn more at https://AmpUpMyBiz.com
Media Contact
Stephanie Carlson, Amp Up My Biz, LLC, 3236961110, [email protected]
SOURCE Amp Up My Biz, LLC
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