When you do the work, and you don’t get paid, you wonder,… what hurts most? Your pride, or your lack of common sense!
I’m a NYC voice talent that has been on the air in this market for over 25 years. Sometimes I work for free, when I know someone needs and can’t afford. Other times I’ll work within someone’s budget in order to build futures with that person. Most often, just like you, as a talent, I do get paid.
Some call me ‘a visionary,’ because I come up with cool ideas that unfortunately take most a few years to catch on to :-), some call me a mentor, because I take people under my wing, some call me ‘witty,’ I even had my PD at FRESH tell me I was the ‘most liked woman’ he’d ever met, while we were at the Conclave! LOL! (That being said after I paid a million of my buddys to go up to him and said, “Hey! I hear you hired my friend Robin Marshall!” Hahah! JK on the paid part!) I’m lucky he didn’t fire me on the spot from being sick of hearing my name! Let’s be real, I’m sure I’ve been called some negative names as well, because you can’t please em’ all, and I can be feisty! I admit to having an attitude! Ok-yuh??
I’m a wife, a mom, a daughter and to many, a friend.
I’ve recently encountered a group of men that all work for the same company ,that are giving me a pretty hard time. Each of these men, have been my friend, at one point. In fact I’ve found them to be warm, funny, and at times caring. I even worked for them! I have the proof that I worked for them.
I just never got paid for the work I did for them.
Now. As I mentioned above, I work for free, when I know someone is in need, as I’m sure you do too!!! If you’re my friend, you are exactly like me, in that way! It’s just the way we are… but this company that I worked for, is NOT a not for profit company. In fact, they’re pretty ‘up there.’
All it took was for me to send them an invoice, and they have resorted to ‘name calling tactics’ trying to cheapen who I am. Cheapen the friendships that we had. Cheapen what I feel and felt in my heart.
Funny too,… they’re all Dads, Sons, or Brothers… and even with having that honor in life, they have turned into street bullies, bullying a woman who’s just trying to make a living.
Since when did sending an invoice to friends, turn into having to call my attornies?
I’m running out of ‘rose colored glasses.’ :- ( BUT! It has smartened me up! I’m ready. I’ve got my dukes up! All my ‘Proof-ducks’ in a row…
I’m doing this for every voice talent out there, that has been taken advantage of. If you’d like to follow the story, just stay in touch. I could also use your support.
Thank you for reading this long note, and for being my friend.
Robin
PS. I’m keeping the company name quiet for now. I’m putting on my last pair of rose colored glasses, still having hope they do the right thing.
This tool, and our hearts, are what we make our living from.