13123: Don’t Be Too Proud To Ask For Help
Hey there, hero!
(For those who will listen to the audio podcast: at the very beginning of the episode, I’m holding an object in my hand, up close and in focus on my camera – just in case you’re saying “How would I know what that is…I can’t see it on an audio podcast!”)
I recently needed help. I’m usually the one offering help to others, but this time…I needed help myself.
And I’ll be honest – I had to fight the urge to say “Nah! I can do this! I don’t need no stinkin’ help!”
But I did. And I found I had to set aside my desire to be self-sufficient and not to burden others…and take a bit of my own medicine.
I got help – from one of my clients, Hopper Stone (a badass photographer, who came to the Palatial Lawrence Estate and helped me set up my new video camera.)
Ever find yourself in a moment of pridefulness or embarrassment, not willing to seek the help you need? Tell me all about it in the comments below.
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Raw transcript:
Raw transcript:
{holds up small brass object}
have you ever wondered what that is
just take a look at that wonder what
that is maybe it’s familiar to some of
you hmm
yeah
so you probably know that’s the insert
for the bracket that comes with an
at2020 USB plus but
I couldn’t show it to you in such great
detail with the focus on the camera if I
didn’t ask for help and so today’s
podcast episode is all about being
willing to ask for help
and we’ll talk about that coming up in
this episode of the vo Heroes podcast
[Music]
so as I’m sitting here and I’m talking
to you this is kind of standard for the
podcast I work in this space I work with
this camera I work with this setup this
backdrop this microphone
but it’s actually different than it was
just four hours ago when my friend and
client Hopper Stone who happens to be a
very successful very very well regarded
very powerful in the industry set
photographer still photographer on sets
and I asked him for help
because I wasn’t getting around to doing
what I wanted to do and what I wanted to
do was to be able to show you things
like this on camera when I’m talking
like this and then put this up toward
the camera and have the camera focus on
it like it is and then when I pull it
away the camera goes back and focuses on
me
the camera that I’m using right now is
the Sony zv E10
and it’s very similar in many ways to
the camera that I used for several years
the Panasonic Lumix G7 the image is very
similar the way it handles lighting the
way it handles sound uh the way it feeds
into my computer when I record but the
one difference is it has this feature
that allows me to show you an object
like a microphone or a cable or the cord
the the the connector for the cable or
this little piece of brass that
confounds those that try to install the
at2020 USB Plus on
a mic stand like this and this fits on
top of this mic stand or is removed so
that it can fit on another type of mic
stand there are European threads there
are American threads this is an adapter
it comes with the at2020 but it really
confounds people from time to time
and so I wanted to be able to show that
to people I wanted to be able to show
that that kind of an object in these
podcasts from time to time sometimes I
just talk about sort of Concepts
sometimes I’m showing you objects Etc
and I needed to upgrade my stuff and I
was I was kind of just putting it off
and putting it off and putting it off
this camera has been sitting here on the
desk waiting to be installed for
three months four months
yeah
um
and I finally decided it’s time for me
to ask for help
and I want this to be a message for you
when you need help
don’t feel too proud to ask
okay
don’t feel like you have to put things
off because you need help that somehow
it’s a
an admission of a Frailty or failure or
some sort of a deficit right you’re a
human being
and you don’t know everything in fact
you don’t even know what you don’t know
right
so ask for help if you need help from me
if you need help from if you’re a vo
Heroes Pro and you need help from our
coaching staff or from other vo Heroes
if it wasn’t for Hopper I wouldn’t be
able to do what I’ve done on camera here
today and it’s a tiny little thing
but it’s so valuable because I’ll be
able to show you things in detail and
then when I’m done showing you things in
detail when I show you that in detail I
can set it down and I’m not out of focus
so that’s what I wanted to accomplish I
needed Hopper’s help I really appreciate
the fact that he took the time to do
that and to help me and now I’m off to
the races with something that I really
needed to get done
so
how about you
are you
cautious hesitant
shy about asking for help or is it easy
for you to do let me know in the
comments below I’d love to know what
your thoughts are and feel free to
hit the like button or subscribe to the
channel or hit the notification Bell if
you want to know when these episodes
come out pass this on to another voice
Talent OR on camera talent that you
think might benefit I’d love it if you
do that I’m David H Lawrence the 17th I
thank you so much for watching and for
listening and I will see you in the next
episode of the vo Heroes podcast
[Music]
(from YouTube)
Great advice, and that’s a fun feature for a camera. Asking for help for me is fairly easy, but I occasionally find myself being stubborn about something and then saying, “Hey, why don’t you ask for help?”
You hit the nail on the head for me, David. I am cautious, hesitant, but mostly embarrassed by my lack of knowledge when it comes to technology. I don’t want people to think “boy is she dumb”. But the good thing is I feel comfortable with you, Max and Victoria, Stuart, the other coaches and in ProConnect Live with other pros. But that feeling still creeps into the back of my mind, so I have to put it aside to get the help I need from the people I trust.
Thank you David!
Mare
Agreed – I can be hesitant and embarrassed before asking for help, and as a newbie, it’s probably even more important that I get comfortable with it!!
Thanks for the reminder David!
I’m responding to this MONTHS LATER… cuz I’m soooo on top of ALL THE THINGS. I’m super embarrassed about everything having to do VOHeroes. I paid in… and….. never did a damn thing. Why? Well… I took rash action followed by moving twice in less than a year… coupled with a ton of apprehension about how I’m gonna “do this out of my home” READ: am I really tech savy enough to handle this? I’m stuck and scared to ask for help cuz… I’m stuck and afraid to ask for help. I’m getting to the point where I think the only way forward is to just hire someone to “rig it all up for me” so I can get on with it. I mean, I can’t really participate with lessons, etc. unless I get the studio thing going, right? I’m 62 and I feel fairly confident that doing audio-book work will be a nice addition to my retirement. Will somebody offer to hold my hand and answer all my stupid questions? Aaaarrgh!
People have been waiting all along – your coaches and your fellow Pros – in the ProConnect discussion group to both hold your hand and answer your questions. Take the first step and engage there.
Thanks David! I was encouraged about possibly sitting in on “workouts” even though I’m not really set up yet to DO workouts?! Also, I’m considering buying a Macbook Air… does it matter if it’s M1 or M2? I’m working through the Audio set up portion of the classes.
Re-watch the lesson in Mastering Home VO Gear about which Mac to purchase. It will answer the M1/M2 question and more.
I try not to ask for help. I have no problem telling students or actors I direct to ask for help, clarification, etc. in fact I encourage it and them; however I feel I should be able to figure it out. For me it’s not pride, it’s fear of judgement….or maybe it is pride masked as fear of looking stupid, Oh today has been a day of learning.
Thank you for the reminders.