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Talking Planet, Purpose, and… Hard Root Beer?

Blog post narrated by Kim Wilson

 

Voice Over For The Planet was honored to be a guest on the Speechless VO video podcast recently! Check out this guest blog post written by Speechless VO host, Natasha Marchewka and narrated by co-host Kim Wilson, about how it all went down, then go and watch the full episode below. Cheers!

As voice actors, we have had a lot of conversations in front of a microphone – but this one felt extra special. On our latest Speechless VO episode, we welcomed our fellow Voiceover for the Planet leaders, Anne and Kari, to share how this collective of environmentally minded voice actors came to life.

Of course, before we got down to business, we compared beverages (as we always do). Kombucha made an appearance (so on brand for Anne), Kari sipped a refreshing tonic with lime, and Natasha decided to go bold with a hard root beer — at 10 in the morning. (Don’t worry, she had the dentist after, so we cut her some slack!) I had a gorgeous clementine, seltzer, and lemon. That lighthearted start set the tone for a conversation that was as real and relatable as it was inspiring.

Together, we explored:

  • How a retreat in Asheville sparked the idea that voice actors could work for the planet, not just for clients.

  • The “buy one, give one” model — where paid projects fund pro bono voiceovers for nonprofits and changemakers.

  • Why joining 1% for the Planet makes such an intentional impact, and how in-kind donations fit into the model. (Although, one does not have to join 1% for the Planet to join VO4TP!)

  • The community that’s blossomed: weekly accountability calls, monthly audition feedback, and genuine friendships.

What struck us most was how this roster has become more than just a list of names. It’s a community of professionals who care deeply about their craft and the causes they serve. As hosts, members, and voice actors ourselves, we couldn’t be prouder to be part of something that amplifies good stories in the world.

Curious about how it all works – and what beverages we’ll choose next time? Tune in to the full episode for laughs, insights, and plenty of inspiration.

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🌍 New Podcast Alert: Good News from Planet Earth Is Here!

If you’ve ever found yourself doomscrolling through social media, feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world—same. That’s what prompted Voice Over for the Planet member, Ally Murphy and co-founder Anne Cloud, to create a new podcast – Good News from Planet Earth!

The Beginning

Ally grew jaded by the constant stream of misery, negativity, and arguments in her feeds. She tried nudging the algorithm toward something healthier: ocean facts, cute kittens, and random acts of kindness. 

Ally also noticed that her generation was stepping away from social media, and inboxes were overflowing with marketing emails that rarely got opened.

Podcasting, on the other hand, felt like a place people still leaned in – a place for depth, personality, and heart. After spending over a year co-hosting The Red Eye podcast, Ally saw firsthand how audio storytelling builds connection.

Meanwhile, Anne had subscribed to Talking Climate, a newsletter from Katharine Hayhoe —a super smart and down-to-earth climate scientist.

Anne loves how Hayhoe “…always starts with Good News, then moves on to the Not So Good News, and finally What You Can Do To Make A Difference. It’s short and super accessible to people like me who don’t always have a super sciencey brain. As the newsletter’s title suggests, her big mission is to get people talking about climate change and climate action. She often emphasizes that having real, everyday conversations about what’s happening around the world regarding climate change is the most impactful thing a person can do.”

As a bonus, Anne recently started collaborating with Katharine Hayhoe’s team to narrate the newsletters as tiny, bite-sized podcasts—making them even more accessible to more people.

And so, the seed was planted…


Ally wondered – what if we created a podcast that shared nothing but good news happening around the planet—5 minutes at a time?

“Our brains are trained to seek out the scary stories, so we start to feel like it’s just a dumpster fire out there. But actually, there are wonderful people, doing wonderful things – and that just sparks so much hope in me! If I could give people a snack-sized dose of hope in the shape of a 5-minute story, then I’d hope to spark some joy, maybe inspire someone, or just help somebody who is having a hard time feel a little bit better,” says Ally.

She wanted to give people this snack-sized dose of hope. Something they could listen to in the car or on a walk. Something that could spark joy, start a conversation, maybe inspire an action—or just help someone who’s having a rough day feel a little better.

When Ally shared this idea to create a podcast focused solely on stories of hope and good news, Anne was immediately on board.

“Plus,” Anne says, “it’s just so fun! Collaborating with a bunch of talented voice actors and hearing them bring these stories to life is such a joy. I’m super grateful to be part of it.”

Introducing: Good News from Planet Earth

So here we are, thrilled to have officially launched Good News from Planet Earth! A short-form podcast dedicated to climate hope, innovation, and everyday victories for the planet and its people. Each episode is just five minutes long—and each one is rooted in truth, joy, and action.

You might hear about bees sniffing out landmines, a breakthrough clean energy solution, or a grassroots community making a big difference in their neighborhood. We skip the shame and the overwhelm, and go straight to what’s working.

But why Podcasting? Why Now?

Podcasting offers something unique in the noisy media landscape: presence. As Scott Hawksworth explains in this article, podcasting builds trust, creates intimacy, and cuts through digital fatigue. It’s a human voice in your ear, not a flashing notification or another pop-up.

Here at Voice Over for the Planet, we believe in using our voices for good—and this podcast is one more way to do exactly that.

Join Us

We’re excited to share Good News from Planet Earth with you and hope you’ll listen, share, and subscribe. If you’re someone who cares about the planet but needs a breather from the usual headlines, this podcast is for you. If you’ve been looking for a way to bring more hope and lightness into your day—this podcast is also for you.

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Episodes are just 5 minutes. Easy to digest, impossible to forget.

You can find Good News from Planet Earth on your favorite podcast app. Let’s spread stories that spark change.

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Voice Over for the Planet has signed the Clean Creatives Pledge!

Voice Over for the Planet signed the Clean Creatives pledge as part of our commitment to do good on this planet we call home! As the Clean Creatives slogan says, ” The future of creativity is clean,” and we’re 100% on board.

Who and what are Clean Creatives?

If you don’t know already, Clean Creatives is a movement of advertisers, PR professionals, their clients, and creatives like ourselves who have pledged to cut ties with fossil fuels. What does that mean exactly?

Glad you asked! Well, remember when cigarette makers deliberately misled the public about the dangers of smoking? It’s like that but for fossil fuels. Many ad and PR agencies work with fossil fuel companies to greenwash their message.  

Earlier this year, UN General Secretary António Guterres spoke about this in his World Environment Day address, saying, “I call on these companies to stop acting as enablers to planetary destruction. Fossil fuels are not only poisoning our planet, they’re toxic for your brand.”

Why was signing the Clean Creatives pledge important to us?

Well, we value the power of community and try to surround ourselves with people and organizations taking meaningful action to help change the tides of the climate crisis. So, signing this pledge was easy. We are now in great company with the 1250 agencies and 2300 creatives who have also signed the pledge!

A few of our VO4TP members had signed the pledge individually. We felt it was important to align ourselves with this movement as a collective as well.

We, as voice actors, could be sought out to provide the voice over for one of these greenwashing campaigns but we’re not interested. Not in being enablers or even in enabling the enablers. We’ve taken this pledge not only to say no to working with fossil fuel clients, but to say ‘YES’ to working with likeminded and concerned creatives on clean projects. Projects that will not mislead the public on this or any other climate related matter.

The whole reason for Voice Over for the Planet’s existence is to use our voices for good. We do this through our buy one give one model. We also love connecting and collaborating with amazing clients who want a cleaner and more sustainable world too. Helping fossil fuel companies continue to spread disinformation and greenwash their messages is not where it’s at. 

Join the Clean Creatives movement too!

If you are an ad agency or a creative with a passion for protecting the planet, you should come join the movement with us. Finding strength in community and working in alignment with your values goes a long way in confronting the realities of climate change. We are stronger together and we look forward to pledging and working with you!

You can sign the pledge here!