iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Cheers to everyone who checks their call-time email on the day of a shoot multiple times, as if it might have changed since the last time they checked. 😅😂

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Hey, voice actors. How are you staying cool in the booth this summer? 💦😰 For me, this neck ice ring from Daiso has been an absolute lifesaver. Just throw it in the fridge for 20 min or the freezer for 5, and it's ready to go. #voiceacting #voiceover

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

My suggestion? Figure out systems that work for you. I created a "Gig Tracker" in Google Sheets that has become my ride-or-die. I also have rules about how/when I archive emails in my inbox. If you're interested in the specifics, give this post a like!

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Being a working actor means juggling multiple pins/keeps, communicating promptly with your agents, checking castings, and keeping track of what you book AND what you don't, so you can learn your booking and make strategic decisions about what you go out for.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Psst. Want to know two unglamorous yet massively underrated skills as an actor/voice actor? Admin and schedule management.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

I’ll have twenty-four hours to film and submit a self tape if I’ve passed. #actorslife #auditioning

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Find a decent survival job. Leverage other skill sets. Have an emergency fund ready before you leave your day job to become an full-time VO/VA.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

This is not me saying don't do it. VO is my main source of income. Believe me, I am right in the trenches with you. But it is so important for aspiring VOs/VAs to understand what happens when they make their art into a business.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Even as a "pro" vo/va artist, you will probably need to work a survival job. The trick is finding one that is flexible enough so that you can go out to auditions or into the studio. Having another skillset you can leverage is a massive bonus here.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Knowing that whether or not you book is tied to your ability to keep the lights on and put food on the table adds a whole other level of stress and pressure to auditioning.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

If you're thinking about making a career out of voice acting (or any performing art), I strongly recommend that you consider the following. Your income will probably fluctuate drastically from month to month. How will you handle those times when you *don't* book your auditions?

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Of course the busy season for voiceover would coincide with allergy season… 😅🤧

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Sometimes, I get out from behind the mic and in front of the camera! I hosted part seven of the NHK documentary series, Journeys in Japan with Isabella Bird www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/... #japantravel #nhkworld

www3.nhk.or.jp

With Isabella Bird - Part 7: On the Road to Ise - Journeys in Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

British explorer and writer Isabella Bird arrived in Japan in 1878, just 10 years after start of the Meiji Era.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

I still have a lot of room for improvement, of course, not to mention a hurdles left to clear (cartoon and video game demos, let’s go!), but I am so excited to continue on this journey.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

That’s not to say everything is rainbows all the time, especially when it comes to that last part. Being an actor—be it voice, stage, or screen—means dealing with rejection. A lot. And let me tell you, those rejections sting even more when they directly impact the state of your bank account.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Now I feel like I’m sitting in the middle of a Venn diagram where “things I am good at,” “things I enjoy,” and “things that I can make money doing” all overlap.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

I’ve had a lot of jobs during the fourteen years I’ve lived in Japan. There were those I excelled at, but did not enjoy. In others, I was like a fish trying to climb a tree.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Within the span of a year, I’ve booked 47 voice over jobs, including another “big one” just yesterday. I can’t even begin to explain how wild that is. +

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

A year ago today, my best VO agent introduced me to the first “big girl” voice over job I would ever book. I was notified of my casting in early March and did the recording on my anniversary. All that to say: a year ago today, I still hadn’t booked my first commercial VO job. +

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

A year ago, I had yet to book my first commercial voice over gig. Last night, I did a remote recording session for a client in Europe. Sometimes I still can't believe that this is my life now. #voiceover #voiceactor #bookedandblessed

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

2026 is off to a strong start! I'm incredibly grateful to have booked so much work already this year. Let's see if we can keep it going! #voiceoverartist #voiceactress

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Man, thinking back on how we used to call production week “Hell Week” back in school. Now running from gig to gig, it’s just… Hell Life. 🤣 #bookedandblessed

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

I booked my first TV commercial gig of the year! 🎉

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

First voice acting job of 2026 is in the books! #voiceacting #voiceactor

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

I look a massive leap of faith this year and jumped into the world of voice over with both feet—and frankly, with very little proof that I would be successful. Nearly ten months later, I now have thirty-one gigs under my belt! Can't wait to get back to work in 2026! #voiceover #voiceacting #voartist

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Merry (post-gig) Christmas to all, and lots of hugs to my fellow performers still hustling until the end of the year.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

I’ve been told I need to post more to build my brand on social media, so here’s a post wedding gig selfie for y’all. Am I doing this right? 😅

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Six weddings, two jazz gigs, and two voiceover jobs in the next four days? #bookedandbusy but also send coffee 😅 #voiceover #VoiceActors

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

My pick for an underrated #voicerover / #voiceacting skill? Admin. Have a CRM system to create quotes/invoices to make sure you’re getting paid. Create an audition to booking tracker so you can see where you’re having success and where you might need to revamp your strategy. #VOtips

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Reposted by Rachael Aoki

Jennifer/Aster Unkle 🏳️‍⚧️ @spookycutewitch.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Corporations: “AI is here, it’s going to be in everything, and you will simply have to get used to this new normal.” Those same corporations as soon as enough people yell at them: “aaaaAAAAA FUCK FUCK FUCK RETREAT, RETREEEEAT”

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Now that the game has been released, I can announce that I voiced Eleanor Estrella and some additional voices in the new #inazumaeleven RPG game, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. 🎮🎙️ #voiceactor

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 18/10/2025

Hi! I'm Rachael Aoki, an American voice actor, singer, and performer based in Tokyo. 🎙️ I've done commercial, corporate, and narration VO for clients like Shiseido, Pokemon, and Bvlgari, plus voices for several upcoming video games. 🎮 rachaelaoki.com #voiceactor #voiceover

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

With a couple of TV/film credits and just two VO jobs under my belt last year, I jumped into #voiceover full-time this year. From audio guides to commercials, explainers to video game dubs, 2025 has been good to me so far! #voiceactor

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

I'll be recording an #audioguide for a luxury brand exhibit early next week! I love when I get to use my "sophisticated" voice for work. #voiceover #voiceactor

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Slightly belated #ThrowbackThursday to the time I narrated a short documentary video about No Theatre for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. #voiceover #voiceoveractor

youtu.be

Essence of Nō Theater

YouTube video by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

The great thing about having a voice over booth is that it can double as a sauna in the summer months! /s #voiceactor #voiceacting #volife

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 14/09/2025

At last, I found some of my work in the wild! I voiced this trailer for the new Nintendo Switch and smartphone game, Pokemon Friends~ #pokemonfriends #voiceover #voiceoverartist www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCm2...

youtube.com

Puzzles, Plush, and Pokémon Await in Pokémon Friends! 💡

YouTube video by The Official Pokémon YouTube channel

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

What’s the best way I’ve found to improve this ratio for voice over? Training with—and I cannot stress this enough—reputable pros and, especially for the Japan market, creating amazing demos.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

While I have made more money in the past three months than I did all of last year, it's still not enough for my personal situation.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

However, the booking ratio you need will vary based on your financial situation and the average fees of the jobs you book. Full disclosure: I currently have a booking ratio of almost 29% for voice over.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

This ratio will be influenced by things like experience and the source of your auditions, but a good starting point is to aim for a booking rate of 3-10% of your submitted auditions.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Last but certainly not least is to know your casting ratio—the number of jobs you book versus the jobs you auditioned for. If you intend to have voice over, acting, or any other creative field be the means by which you put food on your table, you have to know this.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Taking time to unplug is essential, and I have a personal policy of putting my phone on do not disturb after 10pm, but during working hours/whenever possible, reply to your agents as soon as you can.

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Rachael Aoki @rachaelaoki.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

I will happily admit that I have gotten jobs simply based on the fact that the casting was urgent and I was the first to reply saying that I was available.

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