August 16, 2024 • 12 mins
To me, a great VO podcast has to be current – this industry changes at light speed and if you’re last episode was 4 months ago or you publish when you feel like it, you’re not keeping the community up to date.
A great voiceover podcast has to be educational and insightful and give solid advice on the industry. If it’s full of get rich quick and Fiverr advice, it’s just garbage.
And a great voice over podcast has to be listenable. The host or hosts have to be engaging and interesting. If they feature guests, the guests have to have insights and stories to tell, and the hosts should let the guests talk.
Today, I’m going to give you 14 of the Top Podcasts in Voice Over in no particular order. In my opinion, all 14 meet these criteria, and are super helpful to learn about the industry.
_____________________________
▶️ Watch this video next: https://youtu.be/BzSc3XNnXls
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@vo-pro?sub_confirmation=1
The VO Freedom Master Plan: https://vopro.pro/vo-freedom-master-plan
The VO Pro Community: https://vopro.app
Use code You15Tube for 15% off of your membership for life.
The VO Pro Podcast: https://vopro.pro/podcast
7 Steps to Starting and Developing a Career in Voiceover: https://welcome.vopro.pro/7-steps-yt
Move Touch Inspire Newsletter for Voice Actors: https://vopro.pro/move-touch-inspire-youtube
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vofreedom
The VO Pro Shop: https://vopro.pro/shop
Say Hi on Social:
https://pillar.io/paulschmidtpro
https://www.instagram.com/vopro.pro
https://www.clubhouse.com/@paulschmidtvo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulschmidtvo/
My voice over website: https://paulschmidtvoice.com
GVAA Rate Guide: http://vorateguide.com
Tools and People I Work with and Recommend (If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission.):
Recommended Book List with Links: https://amzn.to/3H9sBOO
Gear I Use with Links: https://amzn.to/3V4d3kZ
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
For lead generation and targeting - Apollo.io: https://apollo.grsm.io/yt-paulschmidtpro
Way Better than Linktree: https://pillar.io/referral/paulschmidtpro
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Alright, what makes a great voiceover industry podcast?
God knows there's a mess of them out there.
But which ones are worth your precious time and attention?
To me, a great voiceover industry podcast has to have three things.
First of all, it has to be current.
Man, this industry changes at light speed.
And if your last episode was six months ago, or you you kind of publish when you feel likeit, well...
(00:27):
You're probably not keeping the community up to date.
Second, a good voiceover industry podcast has to be educational and insightful and providevaluable advice and insight to the industry.
you're chocking the thing full of fiver and get rich quick advice, it's just garbage.
And finally, a great voiceover industry podcast has to be, for lack of a better term,listenable.
(00:52):
The host or hosts...
have to be engaging and smart, and the guests have to be engaging and smart, and maybeeven on occasion funny and entertaining.
And most of all, the hosts, when they have guests, should let those guests talk.
All right, so today I'm gonna break down for you the top 14 voiceover industry podcasts,and in my humble opinion, all 14 of these, and by the way, in no particular order,
(01:18):
meet those three criteria.
We got a lot of ground to cover, so let's do it.
All right, first up, the VO Breakfast Show with Karin Guilfrey and Jamie Muffet.
Now Karin, as you may know, is the vice president and one of the co -founders of NAVA, theNational Association of Voice Actors.
She's also the newly crowned VO of the Year, Female VoiceOver of the Year at the recentOne Voice Awards 2024.
(01:43):
And Jamie is an accomplished
voice actor and audio engineer.
In fact, that's where he started his career and moved into voice acting through thatportal.
And together, they both run the vocation and evocation voiceover industry conferences.
So both of these folks are super connected.
They cover everything from tech to relationships in the business to FOMO, two of thesmartest people in our business.
(02:09):
And you would do well, especially if you're newer in your career.
to educate yourself with the VO Breakfast Show.
Next up, the VO booth besties with Jen Greenfield, Alicia Bake, and Jen Tafoni, sort ofthe kind of the Charlie's Angels of voiceover, except all three of them are brunettes.
Jen, Alicia, and Jen have built a huge following in a relatively short amount of time byfocusing on educating people in the VO industry, especially newer talent, and by
(02:38):
interviewing amazing guests.
One of the best features of the VO booth besties podcast is their VO demo producers serieswhere they get into interviews with yes, the better known, but also the lesser known demo
producers in our business.
So if you're working towards your first demo or whether you're a vet getting ready toreproduce a demo or refresh a demo, you got to check that series out next up.
(03:04):
Sound Advice with Kate McClanahan and Jeff Finney.
I can't remember a time when I got into voiceover full time before I was listening to thispodcast.
It was one of the first podcasts I got turned on to.
If you're serious about building a voiceover career, a voiceover business, you got tocheck this one out.
Topics range from auditioning to branding to acting technique.
(03:27):
Kate and Jeff have both been doing this for a long time and they're a fountain ofinformation on everything you need to run your voiceover business.
Both of them have a real knack for breaking the complex stuff into simple, easy tounderstand terms and I highly suggest you check it out.
That's Sound Advice with Kate McClanahan and Jeff Finney.
Next up, VO Sermons with the right Reverend Terry Daniel.
(03:50):
And Terry cuts right to the heart of the VO business.
He's got a similar style to me.
He kind of shoots from the hip and lets you know what's on his mind.
He's an accomplished voice actor and voiceover coach running Universal Voice Talent.
And if you dig an OBS approach, then you're going to like voiceover sermons.
Terry tells it like it is.
He doesn't hold back.
(04:10):
And if you're new to the voiceover business, that's especially useful.
And if you're a veteran, well, it's going to ring true for you.
Next on the list, This Week in V .O.
with the Honorable J.
Michael Collins.
For those of you that remember This Week in Baseball when I was a kid with Mel Allen, it'skind of the same premise.
Every week, JMC, well, sometimes it's a guest host because, let's face it, he's one of thebusiest people in the business, delves into topics that are super useful and relevant to
(04:40):
the voiceover industry.
Most of all, they're current.
That's why it's called This Week in V .O.
Now the great thing about JMC is because he's got his fingers in so many pies.
Yes, that's a food analogy.
He's got a unique perspective and as comprehensive a view of what's going on in thisbusiness as anybody out there.
(05:00):
Most often he'll interview another industry expert and they'll dive into industry trends,what's current and happening in the business, new technology, market shifts, you name it,
it's on This Week in VO.
Moving on, Atlanta VoiceOver Studio with Heidi Rue and Mike Stout.
For those of you that don't know, Atlanta VO Studio is run by Heidi and Mike.
(05:22):
It is a physical brick and mortar studio.
Both of them are extremely accomplished voice and in Heidi's case, on camera talent andthey bring a lot to the podcast.
Now you've never been exposed to Heidi and Mike, they're two of the sweetest people youcould ever come across.
They've got a super friendly style and that comes through on the podcast.
I really do think you'll enjoy it.
I think you'll learn a ton from it.
(05:43):
It's the Atlanta VO studio podcast with Heidi and Mike.
If you like a super laid back, chill approach, you're going to want to check out the VOcoffee shop with my friend and colleague, Andrew Morrison.
Again, super casual, super laid back, but he still attracts some of the biggest names inthe voiceover industry.
If you've never met Andrew Morrison, you're not gonna meet a friendlier, more loving,kinder person, and that's the style that he brings, his authentic self, to the podcast.
(06:13):
And the cool thing about that is, because he is so engaging and friendly, I think guestsoften open up to Andrew maybe a little bit more than they would maybe to folks like me.
He tends to focus a little bit more on the human,
personal side of the business, if that appeals to you, definitely check out the VO CoffeeShop with Andrew Morrison.
VO Gurus with Linda Bruno.
(06:36):
Man, VO Gurus has it all.
A little bit of humor, a little bit of practical advice, a lot of wisdom to help voiceactors navigate this crazy clown car of an industry.
Linda's been a high -level voice actor since practically the earth cooled, right?
The 1990s.
She's been doing it that long.
And so she brings not just a
(06:56):
but also a historic perspective to the podcast.
Decades of experience in a positive, friendly sort of package.
Check out the VO Gurus with Linda Bruno.
This next one is truly unique, the VO Roundtable with Emma O 'Neill and Mike Tobin.
And what makes the VO Roundtable quite a bit unique is the fact that it's recorded live onClubhouse every week.
(07:18):
And the great thing about that, of course, because of Clubhouse is that makes itinteractive.
Every week they bring in a new industry vet or expert and the topics range across theentire board for voiceover, tech, business, performance, you name it.
Both Emma and Mike are big time Canadian talents.
They work a lot here in the U .S.
Especially Emma is one of the most decorated VOs in recent history that I can ever recall.
(07:43):
They're both the sweetest, most helpful people you'd ever want to come across.
I highly recommend the VO round table with Emma O 'Neill and Mike Tobin.
Next up, Speechless with Kim Wilson and Natasha Marchefka.
Like this podcast, their podcast Speechless runs both on YouTube and on your favoritepodcast platforms.
The great thing about Speechless with Kim and Natasha is they bring a very woman -centricperspective to the business.
(08:11):
Empowering, insightful.
So the guests most often, but not always, are women in the industry.
and especially those women kicking ass and taking names.
And let's face it, women have issues in this business and in any business that men do notface.
So while the podcast is not specifically for women, men will enjoy it too and learn a lot.
(08:34):
If you're a woman, I especially recommend Speechless with Natasha and Kim.
This next one is just pure fun.
Trivio Pursuits with Mark Ryder, Mandy Fisher, and Matt Baker.
Trivio or
Tri -VO, depending on your perspective, takes its name from two things.
First, having three great hosts.
Second, they actually do sprinkle in trivia into the episodes.
(08:58):
These are three heavy hitters in the business, and because of that, they bring a kind oftrifecta of brilliant networks of people to talk to.
And so you've got amazing guests like Joe Cipriano, Allison Packard, Mark Grau, DaveFinoy.
legends in the business.
Think of Trivio Pursuits as Trivia Night meets your favorite VO industry podcast.
(09:23):
Now warning, they do have a ton of fun.
So if you're allergic to fun, do not listen to this podcast.
Next up from across the pond, the VO Social.
The VO Social was originally hosted by Leah Marks and Nick Redman.
It's now hosted by the formidable powerhouse duo of Rob and Helen B.
If you don't know Helen and Rob, Rob is an accomplished audio engineer.
(09:46):
He's a home studio guru for VOs, an accomplished producer, and Helen is an expert onbranding, websites, and self -promotion for voice talent.
So between the two of them, they cover a ton of ground.
One of the things that's real apparent with the VioSocial and in talking to Rob and Helen,they're all about fostering a sense of community within this business.
(10:10):
You know me, you know how much I value that stuff and so I do everything I can to supportthe bees and the sense of community in the business that they're trying to foster.
The VioSocial publishes new episodes every first Tuesday of the month, like clockwork.
Next on the list, Making Waves.
Clever title, right?
With Bobby Maxwell and Kevin Kilpatrick.
(10:31):
Now, Making Waves is a rebranding of sorts of the podcast that used to be called theMiddle Class VO Podcast, also with Kevin and Bobby.
Now, the cool thing about this one is they have several recurring features on the podcast,like nightmare sessions, identify the audio, and the cold read challenge.
(10:52):
Again, great interviews.
fun features.
Bobby and Kevin have both been doing this for a very long time and both are industry vets.
I highly recommend making waves with Kevin and Bobby.
And finally, with obvious bias, this podcast right here, VO Pro with me, Paul Schmidt.
If we haven't met before, it's my pleasure.
(11:13):
As I alluded to before, this podcast, if you don't already know, if you're listening to uson the audio podcast, you can watch us on YouTube.
And if you've
Been watching on YouTube and didn't know we had an audio podcast.
Well, guess what?
We're in both places.
Now here we focus mainly on the business of the voiceover business, right?
Being a freelancer, being an entrepreneur, being a marketer and how to market yourbusiness directly to clients.
(11:38):
So we cover email marketing, websites, branding, mindset, freelancing and accountmanagement.
In other words,
the stuff that's actually gonna grow your voiceover business.
And I don't like to brag, but I like to think that we have the lowest bullshit to factsratio in the entire industry.
Well, I guess that's for you to decide, but if you haven't guessed by now, I tend to shootpretty much straight from the hip.
(12:02):
I'm so glad to have you along as a follower on the audio podcast or as a subscriber on theYouTube channel.
And if you get value out of our podcast episodes, whether it's audio or video, like,subscribe, follow the channel.
Head on over to voPro .pro to get my move, touch, inspire newsletter for voice actors thatcomes out every week.
Join our voPro community or check out information on the VO Freedom Master Plan, which isour signature program to help you market your business more effectively and self -generate
(12:32):
more opportunities for your business.
Thanks so much for the conversations we have here on YouTube, on the voPro blog, and inthe VO community at large.
Again, the more we talk amongst ourselves, share information, treat each other kindly,
and with respect the better, more powerful, stronger business we will have for all of us.
Thanks so much and we'll see you again next week.
Alright, what makes a great voiceover industry podcast?
God knows there's a mess of them out there.
But which ones are worth your precious time and attention?
To me, a great voiceover industry podcast has to have three things.
First of all, it has to be current.
Man, this industry changes at light speed.
And if your last episode was six months ago, or you you kind of publish when you feel likeit, well...
(00:27):
You're probably not keeping the community up to date.
Second, a good voiceover industry podcast has to be educational and insightful and providevaluable advice and insight to the industry.
you're chocking the thing full of fiver and get rich quick advice, it's just garbage.
And finally, a great voiceover industry podcast has to be, for lack of a better term,listenable.
(00:52):
The host or hosts...
have to be engaging and smart, and the guests have to be engaging and smart, and maybeeven on occasion funny and entertaining.
And most of all, the hosts, when they have guests, should let those guests talk.
All right, so today I'm gonna break down for you the top 14 voiceover industry podcasts,and in my humble opinion, all 14 of these, and by the way, in no particular order,
(01:18):
meet those three criteria.
We got a lot of ground to cover, so let's do it.
All right, first up, the VO Breakfast Show with Karin Guilfrey and Jamie Muffet.
Now Karin, as you may know, is the vice president and one of the co -founders of NAVA, theNational Association of Voice Actors.
She's also the newly crowned VO of the Year, Female VoiceOver of the Year at the recentOne Voice Awards 2024.
(01:43):
And Jamie is an accomplished
voice actor and audio engineer.
In fact, that's where he started his career and moved into voice acting through thatportal.
And together, they both run the vocation and evocation voiceover industry conferences.
So both of these folks are super connected.
They cover everything from tech to relationships in the business to FOMO, two of thesmartest people in our business.
(02:09):
And you would do well, especially if you're newer in your career.
to educate yourself with the VO Breakfast Show.
Next up, the VO booth besties with Jen Greenfield, Alicia Bake, and Jen Tafoni, sort ofthe kind of the Charlie's Angels of voiceover, except all three of them are brunettes.
Jen, Alicia, and Jen have built a huge following in a relatively short amount of time byfocusing on educating people in the VO industry, especially newer talent, and by
(02:38):
interviewing amazing guests.
One of the best features of the VO booth besties podcast is their VO demo producers serieswhere they get into interviews with yes, the better known, but also the lesser known demo
producers in our business.
So if you're working towards your first demo or whether you're a vet getting ready toreproduce a demo or refresh a demo, you got to check that series out next up.
(03:04):
Sound Advice with Kate McClanahan and Jeff Finney.
I can't remember a time when I got into voiceover full time before I was listening to thispodcast.
It was one of the first podcasts I got turned on to.
If you're serious about building a voiceover career, a voiceover business, you got tocheck this one out.
Topics range from auditioning to branding to acting technique.
(03:27):
Kate and Jeff have both been doing this for a long time and they're a fountain ofinformation on everything you need to run your voiceover business.
Both of them have a real knack for breaking the complex stuff into simple, easy tounderstand terms and I highly suggest you check it out.
That's Sound Advice with Kate McClanahan and Jeff Finney.
Next up, VO Sermons with the right Reverend Terry Daniel.
(03:50):
And Terry cuts right to the heart of the VO business.
He's got a similar style to me.
He kind of shoots from the hip and lets you know what's on his mind.
He's an accomplished voice actor and voiceover coach running Universal Voice Talent.
And if you dig an OBS approach, then you're going to like voiceover sermons.
Terry tells it like it is.
He doesn't hold back.
(04:10):
And if you're new to the voiceover business, that's especially useful.
And if you're a veteran, well, it's going to ring true for you.
Next on the list, This Week in V .O.
with the Honorable J.
Michael Collins.
For those of you that remember This Week in Baseball when I was a kid with Mel Allen, it'skind of the same premise.
Every week, JMC, well, sometimes it's a guest host because, let's face it, he's one of thebusiest people in the business, delves into topics that are super useful and relevant to
(04:40):
the voiceover industry.
Most of all, they're current.
That's why it's called This Week in V .O.
Now the great thing about JMC is because he's got his fingers in so many pies.
Yes, that's a food analogy.
He's got a unique perspective and as comprehensive a view of what's going on in thisbusiness as anybody out there.
(05:00):
Most often he'll interview another industry expert and they'll dive into industry trends,what's current and happening in the business, new technology, market shifts, you name it,
it's on This Week in VO.
Moving on, Atlanta VoiceOver Studio with Heidi Rue and Mike Stout.
For those of you that don't know, Atlanta VO Studio is run by Heidi and Mike.
(05:22):
It is a physical brick and mortar studio.
Both of them are extremely accomplished voice and in Heidi's case, on camera talent andthey bring a lot to the podcast.
Now you've never been exposed to Heidi and Mike, they're two of the sweetest people youcould ever come across.
They've got a super friendly style and that comes through on the podcast.
I really do think you'll enjoy it.
I think you'll learn a ton from it.
(05:43):
It's the Atlanta VO studio podcast with Heidi and Mike.
If you like a super laid back, chill approach, you're going to want to check out the VOcoffee shop with my friend and colleague, Andrew Morrison.
Again, super casual, super laid back, but he still attracts some of the biggest names inthe voiceover industry.
If you've never met Andrew Morrison, you're not gonna meet a friendlier, more loving,kinder person, and that's the style that he brings, his authentic self, to the podcast.
(06:13):
And the cool thing about that is, because he is so engaging and friendly, I think guestsoften open up to Andrew maybe a little bit more than they would maybe to folks like me.
He tends to focus a little bit more on the human,
personal side of the business, if that appeals to you, definitely check out the VO CoffeeShop with Andrew Morrison.
VO Gurus with Linda Bruno.
(06:36):
Man, VO Gurus has it all.
A little bit of humor, a little bit of practical advice, a lot of wisdom to help voiceactors navigate this crazy clown car of an industry.
Linda's been a high -level voice actor since practically the earth cooled, right?
The 1990s.
She's been doing it that long.
And so she brings not just a
(06:56):
but also a historic perspective to the podcast.
Decades of experience in a positive, friendly sort of package.
Check out the VO Gurus with Linda Bruno.
This next one is truly unique, the VO Roundtable with Emma O 'Neill and Mike Tobin.
And what makes the VO Roundtable quite a bit unique is the fact that it's recorded live onClubhouse every week.
(07:18):
And the great thing about that, of course, because of Clubhouse is that makes itinteractive.
Every week they bring in a new industry vet or expert and the topics range across theentire board for voiceover, tech, business, performance, you name it.
Both Emma and Mike are big time Canadian talents.
They work a lot here in the U .S.
Especially Emma is one of the most decorated VOs in recent history that I can ever recall.
(07:43):
They're both the sweetest, most helpful people you'd ever want to come across.
I highly recommend the VO round table with Emma O 'Neill and Mike Tobin.
Next up, Speechless with Kim Wilson and Natasha Marchefka.
Like this podcast, their podcast Speechless runs both on YouTube and on your favoritepodcast platforms.
The great thing about Speechless with Kim and Natasha is they bring a very woman -centricperspective to the business.
(08:11):
Empowering, insightful.
So the guests most often, but not always, are women in the industry.
and especially those women kicking ass and taking names.
And let's face it, women have issues in this business and in any business that men do notface.
So while the podcast is not specifically for women, men will enjoy it too and learn a lot.
(08:34):
If you're a woman, I especially recommend Speechless with Natasha and Kim.
This next one is just pure fun.
Trivio Pursuits with Mark Ryder, Mandy Fisher, and Matt Baker.
Trivio or
Tri -VO, depending on your perspective, takes its name from two things.
First, having three great hosts.
Second, they actually do sprinkle in trivia into the episodes.
(08:58):
These are three heavy hitters in the business, and because of that, they bring a kind oftrifecta of brilliant networks of people to talk to.
And so you've got amazing guests like Joe Cipriano, Allison Packard, Mark Grau, DaveFinoy.
legends in the business.
Think of Trivio Pursuits as Trivia Night meets your favorite VO industry podcast.
(09:23):
Now warning, they do have a ton of fun.
So if you're allergic to fun, do not listen to this podcast.
Next up from across the pond, the VO Social.
The VO Social was originally hosted by Leah Marks and Nick Redman.
It's now hosted by the formidable powerhouse duo of Rob and Helen B.
If you don't know Helen and Rob, Rob is an accomplished audio engineer.
(09:46):
He's a home studio guru for VOs, an accomplished producer, and Helen is an expert onbranding, websites, and self -promotion for voice talent.
So between the two of them, they cover a ton of ground.
One of the things that's real apparent with the VioSocial and in talking to Rob and Helen,they're all about fostering a sense of community within this business.
(10:10):
You know me, you know how much I value that stuff and so I do everything I can to supportthe bees and the sense of community in the business that they're trying to foster.
The VioSocial publishes new episodes every first Tuesday of the month, like clockwork.
Next on the list, Making Waves.
Clever title, right?
With Bobby Maxwell and Kevin Kilpatrick.
(10:31):
Now, Making Waves is a rebranding of sorts of the podcast that used to be called theMiddle Class VO Podcast, also with Kevin and Bobby.
Now, the cool thing about this one is they have several recurring features on the podcast,like nightmare sessions, identify the audio, and the cold read challenge.
(10:52):
Again, great interviews.
fun features.
Bobby and Kevin have both been doing this for a very long time and both are industry vets.
I highly recommend making waves with Kevin and Bobby.
And finally, with obvious bias, this podcast right here, VO Pro with me, Paul Schmidt.
If we haven't met before, it's my pleasure.
(11:13):
As I alluded to before, this podcast, if you don't already know, if you're listening to uson the audio podcast, you can watch us on YouTube.
And if you've
Been watching on YouTube and didn't know we had an audio podcast.
Well, guess what?
We're in both places.
Now here we focus mainly on the business of the voiceover business, right?
Being a freelancer, being an entrepreneur, being a marketer and how to market yourbusiness directly to clients.
(11:38):
So we cover email marketing, websites, branding, mindset, freelancing and accountmanagement.
In other words,
the stuff that's actually gonna grow your voiceover business.
And I don't like to brag, but I like to think that we have the lowest bullshit to factsratio in the entire industry.
Well, I guess that's for you to decide, but if you haven't guessed by now, I tend to shootpretty much straight from the hip.
(12:02):
I'm so glad to have you along as a follower on the audio podcast or as a subscriber on theYouTube channel.
And if you get value out of our podcast episodes, whether it's audio or video, like,subscribe, follow the channel.
Head on over to voPro .pro to get my move, touch, inspire newsletter for voice actors thatcomes out every week.
Join our voPro community or check out information on the VO Freedom Master Plan, which isour signature program to help you market your business more effectively and self -generate
(12:32):
more opportunities for your business.
Thanks so much for the conversations we have here on YouTube, on the voPro blog, and inthe VO community at large.
Again, the more we talk amongst ourselves, share information, treat each other kindly,
and with respect the better, more powerful, stronger business we will have for all of us.
Thanks so much and we'll see you again next week.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Monster: BTK
'Monster: BTK', the newest installment in the 'Monster' franchise, reveals the true story of the Wichita, Kansas serial killer who murdered at least 10 people between 1974 and 1991. Known by the moniker, BTK – Bind Torture Kill, his notoriety was bolstered by the taunting letters he sent to police, and the chilling phone calls he made to media outlets. BTK's identity was finally revealed in 2005 to the shock of his family, his community, and the world. He was the serial killer next door. From Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts, this is 'Monster: BTK'.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.