TechCulture Staff We sat down with Simone Laraway, founder of The Vocal Bureau. The Vocal Bureau has the singular goal to help customers with their voice. Whether through singing lessons or vocal coaching, the company helps individuals and businesses find their “voice” to help them communicate effectively.
Simone, thank you so much for joining us today! Can you tell us a little bit about the Vocal Bureau and what you guys do?
Thank you for having me! I set up The Vocal Bureau to bring my skills under one roof. I am a vocal coach and new business consultant and have been for over 20 years. We offer traditional cold-calling and new business development services along with vocal training for anyone who wants to get on the phone themselves but feels unconfident in their vocal abilities. The company also offers singing lessons for children to adults and is focused on unlocking vocal potential.
Wow, how fascinating! It’s certainly a service we need, as I believe with the lockdown, people probably haven’t had much opportunity to go out and interact with others the way they used to. What inspired you to start the Vocal Bureau, and who are your primary customers?
That’s for sure! I love voice, and I love helping people unlock their potential, and so The Vocal Bureau was born. I teach singing and speech to 4-year-olds all the way to people in their 80’s. I teach business people how to use their voices in pitches and meetings, work with public speakers, members of the clergy, and voice-over artists. I teach how to feel vocally fit and confident and believe that the voice is central to our well-being. I have also created cold-calling courses for people who want to have the confidence to build their business or career using the phone.
It seems like you cover a wide variety of needs. I guess with a broader audience comes broader challenges. What would you say was the biggest challenge for you starting out?
I am a workaholic and absolutely love what I do, so my biggest challenge has been finding a work-life balance. Working from home, I have to be very strict on when I switch off the computer, but there are many times when I find myself burning the midnight oil! So I haven’t got the equation right just yet!
I guess of all the problems to have, that’s probably not the worst! Though you are right, I feel work-life balance is becoming a bigger issue these days, especially with more people working from home. What strategies do you employ to overcome stress and the inevitable roadblocks for moving forward?
I tend to sing my stress away! I am also a practicing naturopath, so I believe in eating healthily and try very hard not to rely on coffee and chocolate if I’m having a hard day! (but I am human!) I love switching off with a good book. To relax, I read everything from fantasy novels, historical fiction to taking courses and reading about herbalism, acupuncture, and anything that interests me. I live in Scotland’s Highlands, so if I really need to switch off, I wander in the hills.
If I lived in Scotland, I’d probably unwind with a nice glass of scotch! But it’s great that you have a variety of options to help you manage the stress of the daily grind. Whom would you say has been your greatest source of inspiration?
To each their own! I was listening to the audiobook “Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia. It made me think about whether I was living my purpose or not. Voice has always been central in my life, and I really love helping people. I had been teaching singing for 20 years on and off and was also a new business consultant and had spent lots of time cold-calling. I knew there was an overlap between my skills, so I was inspired to collate my skills and create a business where I can literally love what I do every single day.
I’ll have to check that book out! Simone, thank you so much for your time today. Where can readers learn more about The Vocal Bureau?
My pleasure, and thank you for having me. You can learn more on our website at thevocalbureau.com. Additionally, feel free to check out my book on Amazon or view one of our online courses.
