Elise Arsenault Makes Creative Work Pay

**Racheal Cook**: I'm so excited you're joining me finally on Promote Yourself to CEO.

**Elise Arsenault**: Thank you, Rachel. This feels like a full circle moment. I feel like I've been listening to your podcast forever. And it's incredible to be here as a guest. I'm so excited to have you and share your story and the wins that you've been experiencing over the last couple years.

**Racheal Cook**: It's so funny because I always say we're industry agnostic at CEO collective. We like to work with lots of different types of creative entrepreneurs and different types of businesses. And somehow a few years ago, I ended up in the world of audiobook narrators. I didn't realize this was an industry. But it's a close-knit industry, like a small group of people. There were some audiobook narrators who had found my work, who attended some of the very first CEO retreats. And then it just kept growing. And I kept hearing about this whole little space that was just growing incredibly quickly and such an incredible opportunity for so many creatives.

So when you joined us at the CEO retreat and then the CEO collective, I was really excited because the work you were doing has the potential to really help a lot of creatives to start their journey as a business owner. Before we get into your experience, I'd love for you to share with everybody a bit about your journey. How did you come to being an audiobook narrator and building a business around that?

**Elise Arsenault**: I've been an actor my whole life. I'm one of those, I think a lot of actors are this way, where we know from a very young age, this is what our calling is. At the age of five, I knew I was going to be an actor. I grew up with a family of educators - my parents are both teachers. They encouraged me to be a teacher, but I wanted to be an actor, though I had that teacher gene in me.

As I progressed in my acting career, I went to school for some education, some theater, and ended up creating my own degree. I got going as an actor - I worked national tours, did regional theater performing. And I reached a point where I had basically hit a big goal and what I experienced wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be.

I was a union actor performing on stage, having multiple contracts a year, but I found that I was still struggling. I still had to work so many other jobs to pay the bills. It was around that time that I started thinking about voiceover. I had always known about it and had done a little bit in college. I had such vocal background - vocal training from college, worked privately with folks, been a singer my whole life. So it was just an obvious avenue for me to pursue.

I started looking into it, did some research and found out that there were actors who lived near me in New England who were narrating audiobooks by day and then performing on stage at night. I thought, "This is a real cool nine to five. This is a great way for me to replace all of those other non-creative jobs and be acting as much as possible."

That was around 2014-2015. I narrated my first audiobook in 2015, and that book turned into four jobs. It's just been going ever since. Today I've narrated over 175 audiobooks. Each of these books are like 10 hours long. My longest book was The Definitive Biography of Madonna, which was 40 hours.

**Racheal Cook**: Oh my gosh, and that's the one you are up for an award.

**Elise Arsenault**: Yes, it's already won one award, the Audiophile Earphones award, and it's nominated for the Service awards now.

**Racheal Cook**: It's so incredible to think about how quickly this industry has taken off. Even 20 years ago, this might not have been as accessible of a career unless you happened to live somewhere near a studio where you could record. But now you were able to build this side of your acting career from home, mostly, right?

**Elise Arsenault**: Yes, I got started going into studio for the first two years. Then I lucked out because my husband is a very tech-oriented engineer person. He was able to create this awesome studio for us. Most of my work has been from home at this point.

**Racheal Cook**: That's incredible. And so at this point, you're no longer acting in theater as much. It's primarily driven by audiobooks and then the Great Audiobook Adventure, which is like the next evolution of your business - went from you narrating books to helping other actors find an income stream. Tell me about that decision - when did you decide that it was time to start teaching other creatives how to get into this?

**Elise Arsenault**: As I said earlier, I come from a family of educators, but I was resistant to being an educator, even though I really was. I was educating throughout my 20s and was a teaching artist. That was always one of my side jobs.

In 2016, I was performing in a production of Avenue Q. For anyone who's heard of that musical, it's basically like Sesame Street for adults. It's puppetry, like the puppets are like Muppets, but they're saying naughty things. I did this show multiple times with different theaters and different universities. I learned puppet coaching because usually when I learn something, then I want to teach someone how to do it.

So once I learned the puppetry for the show, I brought that to different productions. In 2016, I was both performing in this production and puppet coaching. I felt more alive than I'd ever felt before because I was using all of my gifts at the same time. I noticed what was happening and finally listened to that part of me that wanted to be a coach more, but was afraid that if I was more of a coach that I wouldn't do as much performing.

I started my career coaching business in 2016. I taught actors how to do a few different things - how to narrate audiobooks, but I would also work holistically on the rest of their career in these small groups. It was really like an incubation period of developing my frameworks. A few years into that, by late 2019, the main reason people were coming to me as a career coach was to learn how to be an audiobook narrator.

So I put that course together and we launched it in late 2019. And what happened a few months later? Lockdown, pandemic, March 2020. Suddenly, I was one of those rare people that when shutdown hit, had such a solution for every actor I knew. The course had already existed, so it was just such a kismet moment of being ready for that opportunity to connect with actors.

We have now brought 900 actors through this program since late 2019. We are five years in and it's been incredible because these frameworks and the timing of it all has just caused my clients to have such an incredible fast track and rocket fuel for their careers. So many of them are award-winning narrators today.

**Racheal Cook**: It's so amazing because I think what's happening in the world of work right now, we're seeing a huge shift away from traditional employment. We're seeing a huge shift towards more freelancing or portfolio careers. And I think anybody who's more of a creative type, if you were dreaming of becoming an actor when you grew up, there wasn't like a clear path for a lot of people, and it certainly didn't have much security.

It was kind of like you're really crossing your fingers and hoping you land enough things to cover your bills and take care of yourself. We all have heard the stories of actors who go to New York, or they go to LA, and they're auditioning all the time, trying to get roles, trying to get anything. And at the same time, they're waitressing, bartending, taking on any job they can just to be able to eat.

**Elise Arsenault**: Right.

**Racheal Cook**: And a lot of people burn out because it takes such a long time to often figure the industry out and find your break and make those connections. So I love that you were able to come together and tell people, "Hey, guys, there's this other way you can use your acting skills and do creative work, but get paid for it."

**Elise Arsenault**: You don't have to go be the bartender anymore. And it's really fun for me because even though my whole acting career was a challenge, I always looked for these systems. That's why I love your work so much, Rachel. I learned in college how to attend these regional theater auditions, how to prepare for it, how to show up, how to follow up with postcards and things. I think it's a bummer that our society doesn't do enough to support artists because when artists connect to business, it's just incredible what we can do.

**Racheal Cook**: Amazing things can happen. I think a lot of the artists and creatives who've come through the CEO collective have all had this very business-minded lens, entrepreneurial lens that they use to approach their work. Even like you're just sharing - you created a process for yourself. Here's how I'm preparing for audition, here's how I'm preparing for this next big opportunity, here's how I'm following up with it. A lot of people don't think like that.

A lot of people kind of get stuck in their own way. And as a result, their income has that kind of chaoticness to it where it's really hard to make a living as a working artist. So I love that you were able to identify this. And as you went through this process yourself, made your own frameworks and systems.

I really love that you spent like three years working with people and uncovering what it was that was going to be the right fit. I think this is something a lot of people skip over. They are kind of like, "Yeah, I can coach with this." And they go directly to, "This is what I think the answer is, that's what I'm going to focus on." And they don't work the material with people.

**Elise Arsenault**: They don't actually get that input and make sure that this is actually going to get them where they want to go.

**Racheal Cook**: But you kind of took a bigger picture with them saying, "I'm not going to say audiobooks are the only way, but let's talk about what you're trying to accomplish." And then you were able to hone in because it just became more clear as you worked with more people that this was the path that made the most sense for most of them.

**Elise Arsenault**: Absolutely. And I would say for anyone coming up, if you have a business idea, take the time to do the research. I know that's what you teach Rachel, because otherwise you don't have clients who are ready to buy. And that's kind of what has been able to happen - I'm researching with folks who are interested, and I find my potential clients in the research process too.

**Racheal Cook**: Absolutely. I think that happens a lot more than people realize. The more you're willing to talk with people and engage with people, the more answers you're going to get. As you're asking those questions and getting really clear about where they're stuck, then you will get so much clarity on what the actual problem is, how they're talking about the problem. As someone who's a few steps ahead of them, you can then very clearly come back and say, "Okay, I get it. I know what you're struggling with. Here's what I would recommend."

**Elise Arsenault**: So it becomes a lot faster for them to get that traction.

**Racheal Cook**: Now we're five years in of the Great Audiobook Adventure. Tell us a little bit about this program, because this is like the signature offer that you really have made such an incredible impact with - 900 clients, that is a lot of people who've now gone through this program to learn how to go all in on audiobook narrating.

**Elise Arsenault**: Yes, I'm getting chills when I think about it because it's true. It's incredible what we all have in us that could potentially help the world. Nine hundred people is a lot. This course was created primarily for actors to meet that actor who is a film and TV or a theater actor who needs a replacement for those other jobs that are just exhausting, like waiting tables, temping, all of that.

We meet the actor where they are with the skills they already have, but then we help them translate their acting tools to the specifics that are needed for the audiobook creation medium. There's a shift in the tools that you need when you move from theater to film, and the same is true when you move from either those to audiobook narration. That's what we teach first.

We also teach actors how to set up their home studios. We really do need to understand tech. I'm so lucky that my husband Justin Mara, who is a sound engineer, teaches the course with me. Justin really helps the adventurer create their space. Wherever they live, there is going to be some sort of solution.

Whether you live in the city, whether you live out in the country, whether you have a lot of space in your home, or you've got a small corner to work with, Justin will help you get creative and create a space and purchase the equipment that's right for you. We are really interested in challenging any limiting beliefs of how much money you need to spend on a studio.

We really try to help people get started as efficiently and as affordably as possible to get the industry standard sound you need so that your startup costs can be paid back in your first job or two. That's our goal - that you pay for the course with your first job, that you pay for your home studio with your second job so that then you can move on and have this really profitable stream through your acting work.

**Racheal Cook**: I think this outcome that you've defined is so important. Anybody who's listening, this is how you determine what the value is of your offer. Being able to say our goal is that you're going to pay for this program with your first job and pay for your home studio with your second. How many books do a lot of people end up narrating per year? This is an intense thing. As someone who records a lot myself, I'm always in awe of these audiobook actors because to talk for six hours at a time or eight hours or longer at a time...

**Elise Arsenault**: It's marathon work.

**Racheal Cook**: It's true. And those hours recording aren't finished hours either. Those are just getting it all out.

**Elise Arsenault**: It's true. I think there's a range. Some of our clients decided to just do this once in a while and then other people, this becomes really their nine to five. For folks who this is their nine to five, they're usually putting out like 15 to 30 books a year. We're talking mid five-figure income. Some of my clients have gone on to six-figure income pairing that with other voiceover jobs as well and their other creative opportunities.

We also teach who the buyers are, who the decision makers are, who the potential clients are out there, how to reach out to them. We're really connected - we share who the publishers are, how they prefer being reached out to, provide templates to get started. And then we offer coaching calls for you to customize that and make it your own. You'll be all set up with your marketing materials. Essentially, this is like a startup program.

**Racheal Cook**: From my understanding, a lot of people tend to niche into specific types of books. Some people love recording fiction, some people love recording memoirs or biographies. We definitely know that there is like...

**Elise Arsenault**: Like a little underground audiobook world that I discovered. Yes, I have a separate name for those books. I did a lot of romance and erotica when I was first getting started.

**Racheal Cook**: So I have a pseudonym for that. Not everybody knows it's me.

**Elise Arsenault**: These are huge industries.

**Racheal Cook**: There's a lot of growth happening in the world of audio right now.

**Elise Arsenault**: Absolutely. A few years ago, as I talk about this in my intro class, one in four folks in the US had heard an audiobook and then just last year or the year before that became one in two. That's incredible growth. We help folks figure out what stories are going to be best for them to tell based on what they're interested in listening to.

**Racheal Cook**: I love hearing all about how you have structured this and how you're getting people into this world of audiobook narration. How have you been able to find all of these actors? It's not like there's a central place where you can go and be like, "Hey, I have another thing other than bartending." Getting 900 clients in five years, that's a lot of marketing that's getting in front of people.

**Elise Arsenault**: Absolutely. I had to get out of my comfort zone. There are some people that have told me they don't like all my marketing, and that's okay. I've learned a lot of lessons as well. I've also learned that I'm not right for everyone, and that's okay too.

When I first got started, I was working with a coach who also worked with actors who became a coach for coaches. There's this beautiful community of actors who were coaches, and we all started sharing each other's materials. It just became this really abundant, not afraid to share each other's stuff, not feeling competitive environment.

I have a core group of coaches that I started with, maybe a handful of us. From there, I just got brave enough to ask other acting coaches who were teaching something similar to what I was teaching, but different. I have some friends who are really focused on helping folks book more television roles. That's a great fit - folks who are looking for television roles might also be looking for audiobook roles. So we will share each other's free resources with our lists. That's my main marketing strategy - cross promotion shares. Sometimes my team helps me reach out to more and more people so that we can continue to just have this flow of cross promotion.

**Racheal Cook**: That's huge because I think where a lot of small businesses get stuck is they feel like they've got to build an audience from scratch. But what you've been able to do is tap into all these other audiences, other people's communities and say, "Hey, you teach something little different, but what we do is so complimentary and let's partner up."

That has been an amazing strategy to watch you do. So you've been sharing free resources. I know you have free training that you will go in and teach in their communities. And so that started with people you knew, and then you've been gradually branching out and connecting with people who you don't know at all.

**Elise Arsenault**: Exactly. Whenever I meet someone and I think, "Oh, I like your vibe," let's see.

**Racheal Cook**: Sometimes you are into it, they're not, but that's okay.

**Elise Arsenault**: It's a practice of networking. There's a myth that in order to build a business where you serve 900 people in five years in a program, you have to have thousands and thousands of followers on social media. On my personal Instagram, I only have a small following. A smaller engaged list is more powerful in my experience.

**Racheal Cook**: I find that too. If you're able to get in front of the right people, you don't need to get in front of everybody. So that's been your core attract strategy when we think of our client growth engine framework - these joint ventures, these collaborations where you're swapping each other's free resources.

**Elise Arsenault**: Yes, absolutely. Sometimes we have an evergreen funnel going, sometimes we do live launches, and we have such a system set up now that takes folks from the beginning, being welcomed. We've got a great team supporting inside the course, which is made up of graduates who are now community mentors, and that's been incredible too.

**Racheal Cook**: That's amazing. A couple of years ago, you started attending the CEO retreat first. That was your first time really getting into our world. And I remember you signed up for the CEO retreat, you were one that showed up like you had done all your prep work, you had all your questions, and then you always booked a one-on-one session with me after, to make sure that you had every single question handled.

**Elise Arsenault**: I had heard your podcast for a year or two before and there was a practical side that I felt I needed. I needed guidance on things I just didn't know because I don't have an MBA and I was growing in a place with the business that I had outgrown everything that I had at that point.

We couldn't afford the full CEO collective at the time, so I thought, "Well, what's the best next step in between?" I've actually did this with grad school as well. I always wanted to get into an MFA acting program and I didn't get into the program I wanted to. Instead, I hired two teachers from that program to be my coaches. If something isn't working, I think, "Well, what do I need? How else can I get it?"

**Racheal Cook**: That was probably my intention when we set up the way that we did in my business - that you can get some momentum just by attending the CEO retreat and you get started implementing this framework into your business. I could see every time we were connecting, you were putting the systems in place, we're up leveling the systems behind the scenes. And then you got to the point where you're like, "I think it's time for me to hire some coaches inside my program."

**Elise Arsenault**: Totally. And that was the hardest thing for me. That's where I really needed your help, Rachel. That's what I kept bringing to the quarterly calls that I would have with you, and then eventually when I joined the CEO collective. My biggest need for help was growing a team because I am a recovering people pleaser. I found it so hard to directly ask for what I needed and not feel like I was being mean. I had to understand and learn how to stand in my power as a leader and how to talk to people and ask for what I need and how to give feedback and be okay with people's reactions.

**Racheal Cook**: I think for women in general, we do all struggle with the people pleasing, with the good girl syndrome. There's one level of it that's happening when you're getting your business up and going, because now you're suddenly very visible. You're in front of all these clients now who all have their own requests and things. So there's a certain level there of that internal up leveling you have to go through, increasing your boundaries, increasing your confidence and holding those boundaries, putting processes in place to make sure that you're not bending over backwards for everybody because it's not possible. You can't serve this many clients if you don't have clear processes, if you don't have clear guidelines and boundaries in place.

**Elise Arsenault**: And it was at first. I really had to build a lot of boundaries pretty quickly since we were growing so fast.

**Racheal Cook**: This is where I think there's this big misconception that as we're growing our businesses, we're supposed to do more and more and more. But the reality is you as a business owner actually need to do less because not only does your business have a lot going on and your team is running those things, but you have to have the capacity to manage a team, which is a whole other thing.

**Elise Arsenault**: And that's been incredible to have accountability. I think it took me finally being in the collective to actually finish my plan because the CEO retreat has such a system that you teach that it took me like a year to deeply grasp how it worked and then to finally implement. There are some things that were on my quarterly goals for probably six or seven or eight retreats. One of them is me launching my podcast. It took me being in the collective for like three quarters to finally do this thing that I had wanted to do two years ago.

**Racheal Cook**: Well, and I think that's totally normal. And that's because it was something new to create versus the other parts of the plan that we really focus on, which is building on existing things in your business, building on your existing marketing or sales or client delivery system. When you're growing as fast as you were, or you still are, it just takes a lot of focus to keep those things running smoothly without throwing something new in the middle of it.

**Elise Arsenault**: When you want to grow and scale and be visible, we really need downtime to think, more self-care than ever. There are certain things that I do for myself and my body that I never used to do or think that I had to do. And now I'm like, "Oh, if I don't do this, I'm not going to believe in myself, never mind be able to think of new ideas or new content that I want to put out there."

**Racheal Cook**: Well, thank you so much, Elise, for jumping on with me today. Do you want to share with everybody how they can learn more about the Global Actor and the Great Audiobook Adventure?

**Elise Arsenault**: Absolutely. I have a free class that I would love you to check out if you're curious to learn more about audiobook narration, whether you are an actor or not, or you're a creative who loves telling stories. The intro class is called "Narrate Your Way to Abundance" where I teach you about the audiobook industry and my three tools to get started working with audiobook publishers. You can take that class for free at audiobookadventure.com/learnmore. And you can also follow us on Instagram at the Global Actor.

**Racheal Cook**: Perfect. We will have all of those links in the show notes. Anyone who's interested or knows somebody who you're thinking of like, "Oh my gosh, I wish they knew about this as an opportunity," send it to them because this is such a cool interesting new field that I feel like more people need to know about. There are creative interesting ways to make a living and to make a business. Sometimes it means you're making it up as you go along, but there are people out there who have done this before and are excited to support you.

**Elise Arsenault**: Thank you so much, Rachel.

**Racheal Cook**: Thank you, Elise. That was so fun. I can't wait to see what happens next.