Elaine
Elaine A. Clarke IBTimes US

Professionals in voice-over coaching, directing, recording, speaking, and casting tend to specialize in only one area, honing their expertise in their respective niches. Elaine A. Clark, a renowned speech communication coach, author, podcaster, and app creator, sets herself apart from other industry experts by offering a multifaceted approach to elevating individuals' performances across various platforms.

For over 40 years, Elaine has delved into acting, voice-overs, on-camera work, audio engineering, casting, and directing. Her entrepreneurial business journey began when she founded Voice One in San Francisco in 1986, believed to be the first voice-over school of its kind. Her venture into communication coaching started when invitations from newscasters, sports announcers, business executives, and sales teams poured in after noticing her expertise in improving communication effectiveness as it pertained to their specific medium.

For 10 years, Elaine and her business partner, Joe Schmitz were awarded a grant to provide an improvisational program for special needs students in schools and camps. She then leveraged this experience and the kinesthetic movements they created as a learning approach and applied innovative communication techniques in her coaching.

Her directing projects further reinforced her know-how regarding the connection between physicality and emotion in communication, making her methodology foolproof. Elaine's system is shown in her best-selling book, There's Money Where Your Mouth Is: A Complete Insider's Guide to Earning Income and Building a Career in Voice-Overs, which many consider the "Voice Over Bible." Here, she shares in-depth performance techniques and industry insights she obtained from her decades of experience.

Elaine also authored Voice-Overs for Podcasting: How to Develop a Career and Make a Profit to help podcasters deliver engaging stories to audiences while making a living out of it. As the book gained traction, so did the inquiries about her podcast. "My peers and followers encouraged me to host my own podcast, and back then, I thought it was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experience in a new format," she recounts.

The author then launched "Real Talking Tips," a podcast and YouTube series. The first season includes 52 episodes and covers various communication skills applicable to anyone. She was able to simplify complex concepts and turn them into practical tools for students. Besides authoring books, Elaine also developed innovative apps like "Activate Your Voice" and "Adding Melody To Your Voice" to offer practical tools for improving diction, breath support, resonance, melody, and overall performance precision.

The communication coach acknowledges that there's no one-size-fits-all methodology in speech communication, may it be in delivering a powerful TED talk, conducting a business meeting, or engaging an audience through a podcast. Believing that the message must resonate and connect with the audience, the woman of many hats developed the Making It M.I.N.E.™ method, which revolves around incorporating subtext and utilizing the body and gestures to achieve desired results.

Elaine was also inspired by veteran actress Glenn Close's analogy about the energetic exchange in live theater. She emphasizes the importance of connecting with audiences on a molecular level, whether on stage, television, or film. The coach utilizes this principle in her coaching and teaching endeavors.

Elaine's holistic approach addresses the fundamental components of communication and ensures a balanced application of the rhetorical triangle of ethos (credibility and authority), logos (logic and reason), and pathos (emotions). With this, she has significantly impacted the field, influencing the success of numerous individuals across various industries. She launched over 5,000 voice actor careers, and performed, directed, cast, or recorded a multitude of video games, commercials, narrations, and toy voice performances.

Her mantra, "Trust, relax, breathe, and believe," encapsulates the essence of her methodology. It highlights the significance of trust, relaxation, mindful breathing, and self-belief in championing effective communication and overcoming performance challenges. It also ties back to the importance of cultivating a deeper understanding of the rhetorical triangle—ethos, logos, pathos—to refine one's ability to connect with audiences.

Reflecting on her career, Elaine shares, "In many cities, it's encouraged to focus on one particular niche. In San Francisco, the opportunities are available to be multifaceted and dive into different things to make an impact. For this very reason, I was able to evolve with my communication skills as the various industries and their communication needs evolved."

Ultimately, Elaine Clark's extensive background and diverse experience in communication, voice-over performance, coaching, and directing position her as a valuable coach for individuals and organizations seeking to elevate their communication skills and performance. She remains committed to providing clients with a holistic approach that integrates subtext, body language, and emotion to deliver compelling messages to audiences. Elaine is currently working on her third book, which focuses on corporate communication. She aims to build on her previous works to offer insights and strategies tailored for addressing individual and team-specific issues in a corporate environment.