NGS
April 2022
Next Generation Speakers
Tiran Jackson
Resilient Beyond Words! Also Inside This Issue: Prescription For Excellence The Butterfly Effect How Far We Have Come!
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Contents Table of
Editor’s Note... You are not going to believe power-packed this edition of NGS Magazine is! We have a story that is sure to remove all of the excuses that you have for not showing up to make a difference! This month we are featuring Tiran Jackson, in his article Resilient Beyond Words! This story has me running towards my goals like none other. You MUST Read his story, visit his website and grab his book! We also have another Dynamic Prescription For Excellence by Dr. James J. Williams and if you have ever thought about doing voice over work his article is a must read as well. Dr. Ladonya Yvette’s, The Butterfly Effect will show you your own worth by teaching you that “You Owe It To Yourself ” We also have a special bonus video from a presentation at the focus women’s conference that people are still talking about.. If you thought that we were slowing down after three years, you must not know who you are reading! We are NEXT GENERATION SPEAKERS Magazine and all we want to know is:
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...........................Body-n-Soul Nutritution
..............................................Editor’s Notes
.............................Resilient Beyond Words
..............Prescription For EXCELLENCE
....................................The Butterfly Effect
...............................Rising Above The Fray
....................Focus Women’s Conference
..........................................Client Spotlight
“Who’s Got Next?” Email: Text:
Cicone@ciconeprince.com 251-753-6299 Cicone C. A. Prince NGS Magazine Chief Editor Dr. James J. Williams Contributing Editor
Cover Photo Credit: Courtesy
Dr. La Donya Yvette Contributing Columnist 3
Resilient Beyond Words!! By Tiran Jackson
Many speakers use motivation as their means to inspire their audience to take action and to positively change their behavior. The most inspiring speakers can leverage their hardships, trauma, and personal experiences into opportunities to create lessons that can be relatable to others and impactful to far more than just themselves. Tiran Jackson is one of the best new inspirational speakers. Through his new book, ‘Choosing Resilience’ he shares the essence of his story of resilience and transformation after dealing with sudden change. The journey through his experience will leave you amazed by what he has overcome and empowered on what you can do if you establish the right approach towards dealing with adversity. Born in Florence, Alabama, Tiran Jackson grew up as a good student and athlete. He had a love for STEM, leading him to college at Tennessee State and beginning his career as an engineer. As he was learning how to apply his technical knowledge, he began to see the importance of structured processes and developing a plan on how complex systems were strategically put together. While he didn’t know it at the time, several of those same concepts would apply once he went through a life-altering situation and needed to understand the process of being resilient in times of need. In 2018, while on vacation in the Bahamas with his former wife, Maleka, Tiran’s life changed forever. As they celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary, they decided to take a boating excursion as part of their adventure. Just minutes into the start of the excursion, tragedy struck as the boat exploded, and Tiran found himself on the surface of the burning vessel. He would be pulled to safety, but sadly, Maleka died as a result of the explosion. Tiran found himself in a hospital on the island, on the verge of death, with severe injuries. He had to have his left leg amputated below the knee to survive. To make matters worse, he had to call their 12-year-old son, who was staying with relatives while his parents were on vacation, to let him know that his mother was not going to come back home. In a blink of an eye, life was forever going to be different for Tiran… 4
“It’s Your Reaction to Adversity, Not Adversity Itself, That Determines How YOUR Life’s Story Will Develop”
However, this served as the beginning of Tiran’s transformation from the man he once was to the man he would become. He recalls after going through multiple surgeries, just days after the accident, when he finally had a chance to process what had transpired. During that time, there was a moment that it became clear that he was spared for a reason and purpose much more significant than he understood. While knowing that the life he had before was no longer the life he was going to have, he made a decision - choosing to be resilient despite what the future may bring. And once that decision was made, his perspective on everything he was facing ahead became a challenge. One that he knew he would need to overcome if he wanted to get any semblance of his life under control again. For the next 2 years, he embodied resilience. He had to go through a process to find the proper support and counseling to deal with the emotional aspects associated with the grief, depression, and heartache of losing Maleka. He had to go through physical rehab consistently to learn to walk again with a prosthetic. Tiran battled PTSD and memory loss due to the explosion. He had to go through neurological recovery to get past those. And he did all of this while being a single father to his son, who was struggling with his own grief. 5
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PRESCRIPTION FOR EXCELLENCE With Dr. James J. Williams
How To Become a Voice-Over Artist: 5 Steps I recently launched a promotional video debuting a forthcoming documentary project. I created a promotional video using my voice. I’m now hooked on this process. Additionally, I came across an article written by Indeed.com that speaks to a career in this space I’d like to share: A career as a voice-over artist may be rewarding for creative individuals who love to use their voice. The path to become a voice-over artist relies on how you practice and market your skills. It’s also important to understand what you can do to build your voice acting techniques and gain experience in the industry. In this article, we explain what a voice-over artist does and how you can become one.
What is a voice-over artist? A voice-over artist, also called a voice actor, is a professional who uses their voice to portray characters or provide information to an audience. Unlike screen actors who appear on screen, voice actor only uses their voice to act out or read a script. Examples of voice-over work include: • Public service announcements • Commercials • Audiobooks • Animated films • Video games • Podcasts • Award shows • Documentaries 6
What does a voice-over artist do? The work of voice-over artists depends on their industry, such as radio and television, and the objective of their work, which may be to inform or to entertain. The primary responsibilities of voice-over artists include: • Reading the script the casting director provides • Adjusting their voices to align with the script • Applying suggestions from casting directors • Using technical equipment, such as microphones and recording software • Recording their voices enacting the script
How to become a voice-over artist
To gain experience in the industry, it’s helpful to understand the mechanics of voice acting and the steps you can take to get the attention of the industry professionals. Consider following these steps to become a voice-over artist: 1. Practice reading aloud Practicing reading aloud can help you familiarize yourself with the sound of your own voice and identify ways you can improve. Consider reading a chapter from a book or a news article aloud, focusing on pronouncing the words correctly and enunciating them thoroughly. As you practice, you can change the expressiveness of your voice based on the material that you’re reading, which can help you build your voice-acting skills. For example, if you’re reading a children’s book and speaking the dialogue of a character who’s excited, you may heighten the pitch of your voice and speak faster. If the character is sad, you may lower the pitch of your voice and speak slower.
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The Butterfly Effect You Owe It To Yourself Dr. La Donya Yvette
What are you doing with your time to invest in yourself? Whatever it is, make sure it gets you closer to your purpose; one ripple at a time. If you are not living each day with excitement, energy, and passion, then you are not living true to your life purpose. While living a life of denial you cannot possibly obtain happiness from denying the truth. Your past represents who you used to be; but who you are right now? Your real purpose does not have to be bound by your circumstances. This is where most of us make our mistake. Give no excuses; instead, start working to create a new reflection of you! Know your purpose in the world and begin the process of doing whatever it takes to make it happen. Goals can easily be achieved if you begin to take action to get there. Never focus on what’s impossible; instead, focus on the possibilities of achieving your goal. Maybe you feel that you don’t have the skills to accomplish a particular goal. Or maybe you’re not ready to pursue it at this very moment. And that’s ok– nobody ever said that it would be easy. However, don’t sell yourself short before you even try. Because life is not always about reaching the end, it’s about living the now. 8
You have to change your mind set. Once you have a strong clarity of what you want to do in this world, it’s a stepping stone that helps you to set long-term goals to move you in the right direction toward your purpose, and in turn, paves the way to your short-term goals, action plans, then daily actions; which I like to call Action Steps! Also - it’s a good idea to stop living a life vicariously through the eyes of someone else. There was a time when I use to compare myself to others and all I did was say Yes to people, when all I really wanted to do was say was ‘No’. I have learned that it’s not about being liked by others; it’s about living a life of purpose – your purpose. Because in the end, you’ve earned it! So, as you begin to live out your purpose, remember it’s about living in alignment to become the best version of you! Your life’s purpose is your life’s message!
Buy the Book here! 9
Dr. La Donya Yvette The Clarity Coach
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Since that moment, he has made tremendous strides from being able to recover physically to the point where he runs 5Ks, to being rebuilt emotionally, finding love again, and developing a beautiful relationship with a woman, Kaye, whom he married in September. He has raised his son to be an outstanding young man. Tiran has become one of the more sought speakers inspiring others with the lessons from his experience. The resiliency he has shown leaves others speechless when seeing how far he has come. He uses his platform, Reborn Resilient, to help others facing insurmountable odds realize that they can find the resilience to get past their situations and regain control of their lives. In ‘Choosing Resilience,’ he provides his blueprint for others to use to overcome the trauma and move forward powerfully in their lives! The first step towards regaining control and happiness in our lives lies in making the decision to choose to be resilient in times of adversity. Choosing Resilience is about making a conscious decision to keep moving forward against undeniable opposition.
Responding with resilience means finding the courage and strength to keep driving, pushing and pursuing— having the determination that no matter how bad the circumstances may appear life will be better.
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Please Support this Amazing Documentary by our very own Dr. James J. Williams! https://www.gofundme.com/f/rising-above-thefray-a-documentary
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2. Create your own recording studio With your own recording studio, you can practice your voice-over skills in a soundproofed area and track your progress. You can use small spaces, such as a walk-in closet, to set up your studio. Make sure the area you choose is quiet, so your recordings only pick up your voice. Equipment you may need for your studio includes: • Microphone: A microphone amplifies the sound of your voice and provides clarity. • Recording software: The recording software records your voice, and you can save the recordings in different digital formats, such as .mp4. • Computer: You can use a computer to organize and store your recordings and the computer screen to display your script. • Soundproofing materials: Soundproofing materials, such as acoustic foam and mineral wool, prevent distractions from outside noises. You can also surround your recording space with heavy blankets to help block out interference. 3. Develop a demo reel A demo reel is a portfolio that features different snippets of your previous work, which you can use to show employers your voice-acting skills. To develop a demo reel, collect your voice recordings and edit them together into one file. You can use voice acting from different characters to show your versatility. You can also include recordings that are relevant to the job you’re seeking. For example, if your goal is to become a voice-over artist for advertisements, you can include a recording of you reading a product description. Your demo reel should also be brief, no longer than one or two minutes. Include your strongest recordings or the ones most relevant to the job in the first 30 seconds of the reel to attract the attention of employers.
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I was so honored to be selected to a workshop at the Focus Women’s Conference. Being the only male presenter could have been intimidating if it wasn’t for all of the helpful ladies who welcomed me with open arms. In this engaging workshop you will learn the importance of having the right mindset to move you closer to your goals. With interactive segments, thought provoking dialog and helpful strategies, “Wearing the Right Mindset” will catapult you beyond your normal thinking to that of your future self. Connecting with them, laughing with them and helping them change how they viewed their own mindset was an incredible experience. The stories, the questions, and the reactions let me know that they took a lot of things to heart. I was so happy to help them keep their mission by encouraging, educating, and empowering women. The vendors were amazing, the workshops were dynamic and the keynotes were superb. 14
Keeping with my custom of “Letting the Record Show,” I recorded the presentation and it’s available to watch here. You can also download the entire presentation below as well as get access to some Digital Goodies by clicking on the Gift Bag!
ciconeprince.com/focuswc 15
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4. Audition for casting calls
With casting calls, you can demonstrate your voice-acting abilities for employers directly. Although it may be competitive, auditions can help you strengthen your skills, and you may receive feedback from casting directors on how you can improve. Additionally, casting calls can expose you to various employment opportunities in the field. Here are some practices you can use when auditioning: • Rehearse your lines: Reviewing the script before the audition can help you decide how you want to read it and how to embody the character you’re portraying. • Drink water: It’s important to stay hydrated so you can deliver your lines effectively. • Be prompt: Arrive early at the venue for the audition so you have time to review your lines before the casting director calls on you.
5. Find a casting agent
Representation from a casting agent can allow you to build your career as a voice-over artist. Casting agents market your skills to recruiters and inform you of casting calls where you can audition. They also negotiate your salary on your behalf. To find an agent to represent you, send out your demo reel. You can express your interests in a specific market, such as radio or movies, and search for an agent who specializes in that market. Speaking from experience, voice over work can be very rewarding. At the beginning of this article, I mentioned my promotional video….have a listen! The opinions expressed here by Next Generation Speakers Magazine columnists are their own, not those of the magazine itself. Email - jjwilliamsphd@gmail.com
Cell - 301-806-8614 Webstore - ChasingTheEagle.com Twitter @jjwilliamsphd LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/james-j-williams PRESCRIPTION FOR EXCELLENCE With Dr. James J. Williams SCHOLAR | AUTHOR | SPEAKER | VETERAN | SUCCESS EXPERT 16
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Launch Your Own Magazine!
If you have ever Seen, Admired and Read an online magazine and wondered how hard it would be to publish your own then this is the course for you. In this course we take you step-by-step from Planning to Preparing and Publishing your OWN online magazine.
What will you learn
Today and Get A Bouns Course!
Your Why The Approach The Layout The Software Online Platform Promotion
cicone2608.miestro.com/courses 18
Client Spotlight After implementing the information shown in the “Launch You Own Magazine” our client Dr. La Donya Yvette has published iWIN Global Magazine! There are a lot of people who talk about having their own magazine, but few ever produce one. After completing this course and some coaching, Dr. La Donya had enough confidence to tackle the task of creating a Global Magazine. The results are nothing short of stellar! Check out the latest Magazine here:
You too can publish YOUR OWN MAGAZINE BY signing up for the course here:
cicone2608.miestro.com/courses 19
The Day Time Talkshow world is about to be turned upside down! They have no idea what they are in for with the launch of The CiconePrince.com Show. The daytime talk show will focus on Personal Development and Leadership Development along with interviews of Industry Leaders! If you are in Atlanta you can watch it on Preach The Word Network Wednesday at 10:00 AM EST. It will also be airing on my YouTube Channel at the same time! You can like and subscribe and hit the notification button to see when a new video is posted!