authenticity

Having Standards: Why Your Integrity Shows Clients They Can Rely On You

September 3, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

A few weeks ago, I was working out and started thinking about integrity. Strange combination? Maybe. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense: integrity is to a creative freelancer’s business what core strength is to exercise. Invisible at first glance, but essential to stability.

When you’re a freelancer—whether in voice-over, copywriting, design, or video production—no one’s looking over your shoulder to check your work. There’s no manager to double-check your deadlines or ensure you’ve done proper quality control. It’s tempting to slack when there’s no external accountability.

But what happens when you start phoning it in? Rushing through projects? Copy-pasting old work instead of delivering something fresh? Cutting corners because “the client won’t notice”?

That’s where integrity comes in.

What Integrity Really Means in Freelancing

Integrity is simple to define but harder to live out. It’s:

Doing what you said you’d do.
Delivering consistent quality.
Being transparent when something goes wrong.

In freelance life, it’s tempting to say yes to everything. After all, more projects mean more income, right? But when we overcommit—bit off more than we can chew, get sick, or face equipment delays—it’s easy to rationalize rushing the job. The client may never know.

But integrity isn’t just about the deliverables. It’s about the trust, and reliability that form the foundation of every client relationship.

When freelancers act with integrity, clients feel safe, respected, and understood. That builds long-term trust.
When integrity is missing? Missed deadlines, broken trust, damaged reputation—and no repeat work.

Trust is the currency of freelancing. Integrity is how we earn it.

A Voice-Over Example: Pickups and Integrity

Here’s an example from my own work as a voice actor.

Let’s say a client sends me a pickup request—“just a couple of words” to be re-recorded because of a last-minute script update. Easy, right?

Except, I know it’s not that simple. To make it sound seamless, I often need to re-record the entire phrase, sometimes multiple takes, matching intonation, volume, speed, and emotional tone perfectly so it blends into the original recording. I also need to ensure my studio setup is identical to the original session—mic placement, preamp settings, recording levels.

Could I do less? Absolutely. Especially if there’s a music bed underneath that might mask the difference. But I know the audio engineer or producer will hear the mismatch. And I don’t want to give them extra work fixing something I could have done right.

For me, integrity means giving clients something they don’t have to fix. Something that’s one less worry on their overflowing plate.

How to Stay Aligned With Integrity

So how do we make sure our work stays up to our highest standards—whether the client notices or not?

Here are a few strategies I live by:

Manage time and energy like training for a run. Don’t sprint at the start only to crawl at the finish line. Pace yourself with realistic deadlines.
Promise late, deliver early. Clients may want everything tomorrow, but many don’t need it that fast. Give yourself flexibility. And if you can deliver it sooner, you look like a hero!
Be transparent when life happens. Sick kids, rescheduled meetings, or even your own flu aren’t the conditions for your best work. Ask for extensions when you need them.
Know your limits. Say no when you can’t realistically deliver. Expanding your skillset is great, but give yourself margin as you learn.

It’s not about being flashy. It’s about being consistent.

Why It Matters

At the end of the day, only you know if you gave it your all or just coasted. Clients may only see the polished final result, but they’ll feel the difference in how you communicate and in the consistency of the work you deliver.

Integrity is the quiet force that builds lasting client relationships—the kind that generate repeat work, referrals, and a solid reputation in industries like e-learning, explainer narration, commercial, animation, dubbing and beyond.

And just like strengthening your core muscles, building integrity takes daily practice. Small, consistent actions compound over time.

That’s how you sustain your freelance business—not just for the next project, but for the long run.

What about you? How do you make sure your work reflects your integrity—even when no one’s watching?

Reach out to me to talk about your next voice over project, listen to my podcast Freelance Fitness or follow me for creative freelance tips and musings.

When You Fail a Client in the Creative Freelance World — and How to Bounce Back

August 20, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

Mistakes Happen — Even to the Pros

Look, we’ve all been there — salaried or freelance. Sometimes, inadvertently, we screw up.

Back in my IT days, I managed to shut down an entire inbound call centre… twice. Once by rebooting the wrong server. Another time by accidentally leaning on the main power switch in the server room. Beeooooooo. Silence.

No, I didn’t get fired.

Fast-forward to my voice over career. One day, I recorded way more of a client’s e-learning script than I was supposed to. The script had colour-coded lines for multiple voice actors. My lines were in dark grey, and unassigned lines were in black. I should have double-checked. I didn’t. And I ended up recording four times as much narration as required.

The result? My audio files were unusable. The client was on a tight deadline. I’d dropped the ball.

This Could Happen to Any Freelancer….and It’s Not the End

When we’re on a creative freelance contract — whether it’s a commercial voice over, audiobook narration, explainer video, or video game — the stakes feel higher. There’s no boss protecting your job. You might think, “One mistake and they’ll replace me.”

This happens to everyone.

But here’s the truth:

Clients are under pressure too. They care about their deliverables, deadlines, and their own stakeholders.
Replacing you mid-project isn’t easy for them — it’s more trouble than it’s worth if you can fix the problem.

What they need most in that moment is reassurance and solutions — not excuses.

In my e-learning script mishap, I didn’t blame the text colours. I didn’t ramble. I simply told the client:

“I’m re-recording the correct version right now and will send you the updated file shortly.”

And then I did it. Fast. Professionally. No drama.

The client thanked me. We moved on. And here’s the important part: we’ve worked together since.

The Three Keys to Bouncing Back

The difference between a one-time mistake and a reputation-killer isn’t the mistake itself — it’s how you handle it.

1️⃣ Own It
Acknowledge the problem. Keep it short and professional:

“Hi [Client], I’ve realized I made an error on the project. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I’m already working on a fix and will update you shortly.”

2️⃣ Fix It Fast
If you can, deliver the correction immediately. If not, come prepared with options:

A revised timeline
A small discount if appropriate
Alternative solutions that still meet their needs

3️⃣ Focus on Their Needs, Not Your Feelings
Skip the lengthy explanations. Avoid defensive language. Show that your priority is their project’s success, not saving face.

The Long Game

Listen.

Handled well, a small failure can actually strengthen a client relationship. Why?
Because people remember how you show up under pressure. They remember you didn’t disappear. They remember you kept your focus on them.

And if you step in to fix a problem — even one you didn’t cause — you become their go-to problem solver. That’s how long-term loyalty is built in the voice over industry, and in any creative freelance field.

Mistakes happen. Professionalism is what makes clients stay.

Reach out to talk about your next project, to chat about voiceover or fitness, or Follow me for more tips.

Let’s engage. DM, comment, and why not arrange a discovery call?

Subscribe to my podcasts for fun and functional business and exercise talk.

Link to podcast: Ep 15: Failure doesn’t have to be the end of your client relationship

Authenticity – Be Yourself. Everyone Else is Already Taken.

June 4, 2025 by AlisonP Leave a Comment

Authenticity.

That word has been so overused, what does it even mean anymore? Specifically in how it relates to your public-facing self and how you promote your freelance business?

As freelancers, we are told to show our “authentic” selves on social media in order to stand out from the crowd, from the competition, from the AI clones who stand in the shadows ready to replace us.

But, we are also supposed to be “professional”.

So don’t:
Overshare
Be TOO vulnerable

Or be boring, because who’s going to hire a creative freelancer who isn’t entertaining and engaging at every moment?

Oh yeah, also don’t burn out from trying to do all of the above at the same time.

As a voiceover talent, my clients often ask for an “authentic” read. They will describe what they are looking for in the brief as sounding grounded, human, relatable, and imperfect. But I know that you can’t perform “authentic”.

You can only BE yourself.

So, to sound relatable, grounded, human and “authentic”.

I have to relate to, be grounded in, and see myself in the product or service I’m talking about.

I think this also works for how we present ourselves professionally online and in social media as creative freelancers. Relate to what you are saying, be grounded in your truth, accept that we, like everyone else, is imperfectly human.

Oh, and boundaries are healthy!

In this week’s Freelance Fitness episode, I explore what authenticity means to me, while I coach you through a can-do-this-anywhere cardio workout.

Fun video of me authentically demonstrating the exercises in a cramped space.

Let’s squeeze a workout in and find the authentic balance together.

Work hard. Rest well.

ALISON PENTECOST