Nic Redman is a voice coach and accent specialist who has worked with celebrities, presenters and business professionals looking for help with public speaking. With a background in performance work, Redman always knew she wanted to work with creatives and in the performance space, and when she started a family she became more determined than ever to have control over her work schedule. Today the Manchester, England-based entrepreneur is working on delegating and outsourcing tasks as her business grows and enjoying the recognition that comes with years of work in the industry.
Redman’s story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
I wanted to use my blend of globally renowned voice training, practical voiceover and podcasting work, alongside my experience in performance art to offer a fresh, approachable perspective to voice training, which has a bit of a reputation for being academic and elitist. I’m passionate about demystifying the voice coaching process and want to reveal how little simple things can make a huge difference to our voices whilst working to cut through the belief that it always needs to take years of training to hone your voice. My family is also very important to me and I was eager to build my business around being there for my son and husband, who is also a self employed creative. We love the flexibility our careers affords us!
Ultimately, I define success by the continued growth of my business and reach within the industry. It is getting to the stage where my work speaks for itself within the industry I work in. I feel a huge thrill when people come to me for guidance on the back of a recommendation from a past client. I love when people approach me having been inspired to explore voice training by listening to the podcast I make or being a member of my Facebook community, The Voice and Accent Hub. On a personal level, success is about having a business that affords me the time and flexibility to still be a mum and a wife. It’s important for me to be able to support my husband and give my son the opportunities he deserves.
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There are many things I’m proud of. My podcast, The Voiceover Social, has been nominated for a huge industry award, The Voice Arts Awards. I’m also hugely proud of launching my first ever residential training retreat! There aren’t many places in the UK that offer residential spoken voice training getaways and, due to the growth of my audience in the last year, I’ve been able to launch and sell out my first residential course. It’s hugely exciting and the start of the next phase of my business which is building towards creating a creative retreats businesses.
The hardest thing I’ve been having to address as I scale up is outsourcing! I no longer have time to be the only person involved in the running of my business so I’ve needed to outsource certain things. But as a solo-preneur, it’s incredibly tough both knowing what to let go of controlling and the actual letting go of it! When you’ve been responsible for every aspect of your business it’s very hard to give things over to other people. I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses so am starting from there and seeing how it goes. But it is certainly a journey; learning how to communicate with others you’re getting to do tasks and to trust.
Relocation – a move from London to Manchester allowed me to establish myself as a voice and accent coach in a city that needed it, which was an incredible springboard. And now, a relocation to the countryside is the pivotal change in setting up the retreats business. Having my son was a huge change – I had a very tough time during labour and in the first two years, getting diagnosed and treated for post natal PTSD. This made me really assess what was important in life and come to grips with wanting to be a good mum and a successful businesswoman, in addition to what I felt society and my new mum brain was telling me! You don’t have to chose. You can do both very well. I also knew having my own business was the true way to achieve flexible work hours and I wanted to make that happen and find emotional and financial stability. I always knew I wanted to work with creatives and in the performing sector. My whole life has involved performing in some way and it was important to me that that was always a part of my business life.
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My parents are my most important role models. They’re the most hardworking, positive people in my life. Their support and belief in my ability to achieve what I set out to do is the reason I’m here and working in an industry I love. They never once doubted I could do it and trusted me as I adapted and changed my goals as I grew and developed. They are solution finders not problem finders and I think that’s a key ethos that underpins my day to day. Nothing is unachievable in their eyes and that’s hugely inspiring.
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