In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews professional voice actor Robert Ricotta. Ricotta shares a formative story from his school years, highlighting how teachers encouraged his class‑clown antics to become character performances, illustrating that quirks can become a career’s foundation. He explains that the voice‑over industry lacks a formal education path; success comes from embracing one’s authentic tone, exploring personal quirks, and building a unique vocal brand rather than merely impersonating others. Ricotta offers broader business counsel, emphasizing quality over quantity as a cornerstone for brand reputation. He advises younger creatives to relocate to environments where peers are highly driven, as competitive surroundings foster growth. When asked about happiness, he describes it as a peace that surpasses understanding. His top book recommendation is Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater, from which he learned the critical importance of discovering one’s natural tone. His favorite quote, from Braveheart, is “Every man dies, not every man really lives,” reflecting his view on purposeful living. Finally, he directs listeners to his website robertricotta.com and mentions his involvement with the Up and Vanish podcast and Tenderfoot TV for collaborations.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite makes the process of becoming a published bestselling author as simple as sipping your morning cup of coffee. You can learn more about Authors Unite at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have Robert Ricotta with us. He's a voice actor, so welcome to the show, Robert.
Hey, how we doing, Tyler?
Doing awesome.
Thank you again for joining us, and we will dive right in. The first question that I have for you is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
Yeah, so just to give you a little background, firstly, throughout school, I was a pretty poor math student and I hated testing and quizzing and, you know, hours of plaguing numbers and formulas and rules. So all that to say, I thrived and kind of was intrigued by English and literature and history. So you can imagine having some teachers out there, and I know speaking to the teachers out there now, either in private or in public education, I just want to let you know you truly do help to shape and formulate our minds and our worldviews and sometimes even our likes and our dislikes throughout the kind of short time we're young. So I want to say a shout out to two teachers specifically in this story, Miss Miller and Mrs. Boyer out there. Thank you so much for allowing kind of a strange kid and his buddies to cut up over and over again in class, almost be class clowns. It could have been a massive problem and was at times in the classroom. And they turned that into an opportunity for my friends and I both to kind of take turns crafting characters we read about and shape their voices and even narrate for the class. We sometimes, and even in history class, got to dress up as characters in history. And Mrs. Boyer, our literature teacher, had her husband come in and narrate for us in the classroom, kind of had a low booming and authoritative tone in reading to our class. So really what I have to say is the underlying valuable message from all this would be that maybe what's been a joke to you or others all your life may be what's been your quirk, but maybe this thing that you have an aptitude for could very well be the thing that brings the most joy to you or the thing that you should pursue most of your life and future. And who knows, just like myself, It could be your brand and your business and your own way of maybe getting your unique art out into the world.
And what's the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Well, Tyler, your craft, just like your craft or my craft, is our own personal responsibility. And there is truly, in the voiceover realm and acting realm, there is nothing specific you can go study or go to school for really Moreso in saying that there's no method to the madness in this industry. It's not that I wouldn't say don't necessarily seek out originality because you're, you know, stay true to your own true tone and your voicing. And like I said, you may be surprised in the digging of this kind of well how your voice can become a brand in and of itself and a landscape for your art to be heard or seen. But more so than anything, be aware and explore your own quirks and your individuality. Impressionism these days is like a breed. It's flattering to those who you impersonate as a voiceover artist, but even maybe taking away some of the elements of those people's quirks or unique characteristics, but be you and create your own recipe for success is what I would say.
I love that answer. Thank you. And what's your best piece of overall business advice? Necessarily industry-specific. It might, it might tie in.
Oh, absolutely. And I'll go outside of industry-specific. In any business, if you must take losses for the sake of quality in your business, when you're starting out, or throughout your business, but especially when you're starting out, then you must and you should. I would say quality over quantity any day. It speaks so vibrantly and evidently to people And they cannot help but notice and be aware of you consistently producing quality and consistency in your brand or your product, I would say.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Besides probably, uh, patience, you shithead, um, I would probably say, yeah, move to a place where you aren't the best at what you do. And I mean physically move. There is something so very important about healthy environments that breed creativity. And what I mean by an environment or place specifically is a place where others are hustling and working their tails off in their craft. They may be moonlighting, they're spending their time, their energy and resource on getting better and scheming. So really, what does it do? It begs you and presses you to be better and not to settle for mediocrity.
And in your opinion, what's the key to happiness?
Man, I'd say happiness is when you have a peace that surpasses all understanding.
And what's the best book you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
I'm gonna give you an answer of an industry book because I believe that's what might help, uh, people and be of most assistance in this context. But I read a book called Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater. And one thing I had learned is that the exploration of your own tone is of paramount importance and really use in finding your own maybe unique tone and individuality in all this.
And what's your favorite quote and why?
I'll give you one. It's hard to give you just one, but I would say good old from the movie Braveheart, William Wallace. He says, "Every man dies, not every man really lives." And I would say, why, man? Because it's true. Death is final, but hey, life is a choice, I think.
Yes. Thank you so much for coming on, Robert. The last question I have for you before we let you go is, where's the best place for people to find you online?
Totally. I'm going to say it hopefully not like a telemarketer or salesman, but it's R-O-B-E-R-T. Ricotta.com, Robert Ricotta.com. You can find me there. And I'm pretty obsessed about bringing new things and always down to collaborate and bring maybe even dangerous and powerful ideas to the table with anybody. And of course, lastly, through our podcast Up and Vanish, or any of Tenderfoot TV's podcasts, everywhere you can listen to podcasts. Now I sound like an infomercial. I'm sorry.
No, awesome. Well, thank you again for coming on, man, and we will talk with you soon.
Thank you so much, man. I appreciate it, Tyler Wagner.
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