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Guests:
- Mike Cunningham, voice actor, conference organizer, VP of the National Sokols Lodge #93
- Jen Taphoney, professional voice actor, co-host of VO Booth Besties
In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, host George Wacker sits down with the organizers of Get Outta Your Booth!, a new kind of voiceover conference happening June 27–29, 2025 at National Sokols Lodge #93 in Bethlehem, PA.
This isn’t your average industry meetup — Get Outta Your Booth! is designed around accessibility and community. With just 100 attendees, sessions led by working pros, a six-lane bowling alley, karaoke socials, and zero profit motive, it’s built to bring voice actors together without the pressure or price tag of larger events.
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Why voiceover is about more than “having a good voice”
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How to go pro from your home studio — no LA or NYC required
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Building community in a solo-heavy career
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The scary reality of AI voice theft — yes, it’s happening
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What most beginners get wrong (and how to do it right)
🎟 Learn more + get tickets → getouttayourbooth.com
🎧 Listen to the full episode → lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/podcast/getouttayourbooth
Watch Episode
Thank you to our Partners!
L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Programs
WDIY
Lehigh Valley Health Network
Wind Creek Event Center
Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate
Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub
Banko Beverage Company
Get Outta Your Booth! — A Voiceover Conference with Community (and Karaoke) at Its Core
“It’s a crock pot career. It’s not a drive-through.” — Jen Taphoney
That quote pretty much says it all.
In this companion piece to the latest episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, we dive into the story behind Get Outta Your Booth!, a voiceover conference built on community, accessibility, and a whole lot of real-world wisdom.
Hosted by George Wacker, the episode features co-organizers Mike Cunningham and Jen Taphoney, who share how the idea for the event came to life—and why it’s so different from your typical industry gathering.
Listen to the Episode
https://lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/podcast/getouttayourbooth
Conference Info
https://www.getouttayourbooth.com
From Pottsville Attic to Microsoft Explainers
Jen Taphoney’s journey started in a 1928 house in Schuylkill County. After years in radio, she built a studio in her attic and began producing commercials for $100 a pop.
“When I left the radio station, I still had clients who wanted me on their commercials,” she says. “So I put a studio in my attic… sound treatment was super awesome. Yeah.”
She’s since built a thriving VO career with clients like Microsoft.
“They do a little explainer thing. I’ve been working with them for eight years now. They just send me the copy.”
Getting In (and Getting Real)
Mike Cunningham’s path to voiceover started in the military and IT. Then the pandemic hit.
“My friend was like, ‘Why don’t you do voiceover?’ The pandemic is happening. There’s nothing else to do,” he recalls.
He joined a program, trained, and stuck with it—turning his home setup into a launchpad for commercial work, video games, and narration.
“It kind of grew into an obsession out of spite… I’m going to do it. I’m going to make it work. And I don’t care what it’s going to take.”
Why Beginners Struggle
“A lot of people come in and say, ‘My friend told me I have a good voice,’” Jen says. “That’s not enough.”
“There’s a certain amount of instinct involved,” Mike adds, “but it takes training. And you have to be prepared to not hear back at all.”
“You don’t often get, ‘Sorry, we went with somebody else,’” Jen explains. “You just have to keep going. Audition after audition, day after day, year after year.”
Mike sums it up: “Most people start out trying too hard. Just be you.”
AI, Stolen Voices, and the Future of the Industry
Both guests have strong words about AI’s impact on the industry.
“It undermines our entire industry,” Jen says. “Whether it’s music production or art or writing or voiceover… it’s not human.”
Mike’s voice was actually cloned by a foreign studio and used in a live service video game—without his consent.
“I heard it. I’m like, ‘I didn’t say that,’” he says. “The falsification of humanity is not something I’m a fan of.”
So What Is Get Outta Your Booth?
The conference is designed to be small (100 people max), affordable, and stress-free—held at SOKOL Club in Bethlehem, a venue with a bar, shuffleboard, and a bowling alley.
“There’s no pressure,” Mike says. “If you want to bowl all day, go bowl all day. If you want to sit and drink, do that. If you want to watch sessions and learn something, do that too.”
The sessions cover:
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VO genres and niches
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Branding your VO business in Canva
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Making vocal efforts
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How to construct your own sound panel
“We’re not trying to make money,” Mike adds. “Everything we get goes right back into the event—for food, prizes, drinks. That’s the point.”
Why It Matters
This episode isn’t just about voiceover—it’s about building something that helps people connect.
“We’re all stuck in little booths,” Mike says. “It’s a lonely kind of existence.”
Jen adds, “Having that community to connect with and ask questions instead of trying to figure it out on your own… it makes such a big difference.”
George wraps it up: “It’s really cool that you’re doing this. If somebody had just given me this piece of advice a couple years ago, it would’ve saved me months.”
Mike replies, “Or thousands of dollars.”
