From Corporate Stress to Studio Success...
- Brian Bowers
- May 20
- 4 min read
Updated: May 25
Why I ditched the corporate hamster wheel and went all in - on me.
Let’s start with a confession…
As a kid growing up in the 80's - I wanted to be a lot of things when I grew up. Chuck Yaeger. A Ghostbuster. Maybe Michael Knight or Michael Jordan or even Michael Jackson.. or maybe Bo Jackson! I even wanted to be Earl Anthony (a professional bowler) at one point. But I never, not even once dreamed about being a professional claims adjuster.
"I was comfortable handling claims but -
I wasn't growing."
Shocking, I know.
Somehow though, I spent almost fifteen years navigating the corridors of corporate insurance. Khakis and polos, long commutes and meetings that should have been emails. Hours upon hours spent analyzing auto accidents, interpreting insurance policies and meeting customer service objectives. I had a competitive salary with a profit sharing bonus. I contributed to a solid 401k plan and even enjoyed a flexible work from home arrangement. Everything the American Dream promises… minus the joy. I didn't hate my job. The work could be rewarding. I was comfortable handling claims but - I wasn't growing.
I started this path as a way to support my family. Day after day after day, I filed claims with other insurance carriers and took recorded statements with drivers. Until one day, I realized the only thing I wanted to file was my resignation.
I Left the Beige for the Booth
People had been telling me for years: “You’ve really got a great voice. You should do something with it!” Usually I would just smile and thank them. Sometimes I would follow it up with a joke about also having a face for radio. I am a part-time self-proclaimed comedian too, after all. Occasionally, I would even mention my old broadcasting days — back when I actually was doing something with it.
And then one day - it clicked. I didn’t need them to believe in my voice.
I just needed us to.
So, together - my wife and I hatched a plan to trade comfort for courage. Predictability for passion. A steady paycheck for a shot at something truly remarkable.. Freedom. And something that actually lit us up. We bet it all on my voice and in turn...
We bet on us.
“I bet on the two things I knew I could trust: me and my voice.”
I didn’t leave claims because I couldn’t do it — I left because I couldn’t unsee what I was missing. Day after day, I was helping people through wreckage (literal and figurative), following scripts I didn’t write, and solving problems I didn’t create. I was good at it… but I wasn’t alive in it. Somewhere between the conference calls and policy reviews, I realized I was building someone else’s dream — not mine. So I bet on the two things I knew I could trust: me and my voice. And more importantly, my ability to use it for something that mattered most. Our future.
We built BRaVO Voice Studio from the ground up. The studio, the equipment, the foam. All of it. She handled the studio and I began studying. Business classes, voice acting academies, and coaching calls. One script, one audition, one carefully sound-treated square foot at a time. I abandoned a steady paycheck for the unknown of entrepreneurship and launched BRaVO Voice Studio — a professional, broadcast-quality voiceover business. I get paid to do what I love: talk in a way that helps brands and companies not just be seen, but be heard.
No more lunch meetings. No more DRG's and all that other corporate jargon-y stuff.
Just me and some soundproof walls, a mic and some scripts that don’t make me want to fake a power outage.
From Burnout to the Booth
Here’s the wild part: there is a lot more to voice acting than just “sounding good.” If there wasn't, half of YouTube would have Oscars and your cousin’s neighbor's best-friend's uncle's podcast wouldn’t sound like it was recorded in a Lucky Charms box.
I digress.
Voice acting is hard. It's multi-faceted. There is no clear road map. No one-size-fits-all DIY book. It's not just showing up and performing. It's about presence and precision. It's understanding what the client needs and wants based on the words they use in their script. And it's not just reading what the script says either - it's knowing how to say it and who they want to say it to. Storytelling that converts “listeners” into believers, buyers, and brand loyalists.. all before they hit the on-ramp for the highway in their morning commute. It’s a grind that never stops and running a business from inside and outside the booth. All at the same time.
BRaVO serves clients across:
Commercials & Promos
Corporate Training & E-Learning
Audiobook Narration
TV, Radio & Podcast Voiceovers
IVR, On-Hold Messaging & More
Basically, if it has words, I can voice it — professionally, quickly, and with just the right tone to make people stop scrolling and start listening.
🤷 What’s in It for You?
You’re probably not here for my life story (but thanks for reading anyway).
You’re here because your brand, your project, or your campaign needs a voice that connects.
Not just a voice that sounds nice, you can find that anywhere.. you need a voice that:
✔️ Feels real and genuine
✔️ Delivers fast in the format you need it
✔️ Raises the bar on your brand and its' message
If that’s what you’re looking for, we should probably talk. Soon.
👍🏼 Ready to Sound Better?
🎙️ Get ready for voiceovers that are Bold. Balanced. Believable.
That’s BRaVO.
Comentários