Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Parisi.
Hi Joe, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A lifelong St. Louis resident, I began my media career in radio, working my way up the ladder for a variety of stations, first as an intern, then a promotions coordinator, and eventually an on-air personality. I worked on-air at 106.5 The Arch, Movin’ 101.1, 93.7 The Bull, Z1077, KLOU and KDHX. After nearly a decade in radio, I left the industry to pursue other opportunities and launched my voice over business.
For over 25 years, I’ve been a working voice actor, voicing everything from corporate videos and on-hold messages, to video games, stage announcements for national touring musicians, and more. In addition to voice work, I work as an commercial actor and spokesperson, a professional ring announcer, auctioneer, public address announcer, and emcee.
I host the podcasts “America’s Pop Culture Trivia Show with Joe Parisi” and “The Odd Podcast”.
I’m also a documentary filmmaker.
I found out at an early age that I loved to perform, and that I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to perform in front of live crowds. After 2.5 decades in the media and entertainment business, I can happily say that I get to perform roughly 6-10 times every month.
I live in South County with my wife Kristine and son Reece.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anything having to do with media is challenging at times. There is always great competition out there, and opportunities can be tough to come by. I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve really found my niche in a lot of the areas that I work,
I truly think finding your niche is key. I spent many years chasing opportunities in announcing and voice over that seemed fun and interesting, but they just weren’t the right fit for me. Once I realized that, and doubled-down on what I was much better at, doors started to open a lot quicker.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m known as a professional ring announcer. I announce for the nationally televised Shamrock Fighting Championships (MMA), along with Budweiser Guns ‘n Hoses (boxing). This is something I started doing in college for small, independent pro wrestling organizations and eventually it turned into bigger opportunities.
I got in on podcasting fairly early (around 2015), and have been hosting shows consistently for more than a decade. I host two fun pop culture shows: America’s Pop Culture Trivia Show with Joe Parisi and The Odd Podcast with Joe Parisi.
As a filmmaker, I’m 100% self-taught (which isn’t all that uncommon these days). I make films about unique local topics that I stumble upon and find interesting, and take a DIY approach with the whole project. I make films to learn how to make films. I also make films to provide myself with opportunities that probably wouldn’t otherwise fall into my lap. It’s pretty simple…if you want to narrate a documentary and nobody is hiring you to do that, go make your own documentary and hire yourself as the narrator. The same goes with filmmaking and acting. It all gets a lot more fun when you start creating your own opportunities.
That’s sort of the approach I take. I’m doing it because I find all this stuff really entertaining, but I’m also just creating really cool opportunities to do the stuff I want to do. In an industry full of gatekeepers, there’s something truly satisfying about just doing it yourself, without anyone’s permission, and making something that truly resonates with people.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
For independent filmmakers, the sky is the limit. Good equipment is so readily available, along with all of the technical knowledge we need right at our fingertips. I think we’ll continue to see independent films made by people we’ve not yet heard of make the biggest splash in the coming decade. And I think we’ll be learning about them and seeing their work in places that are unconventional. I have a few independent documentary filmmakers that have really inspired me and I’ve learned a lot from. Their films aren’t shown in theatres or on broadcast television. I stumbled upon their work on places like Instagram and TikTok, where I was able to watch their short films.
The Hollywood studio system is really up in the air right now, production isn’t just in LA anymore, and anyone can find an audience online.
Same goes for actors. You can put yourself out there online now and you can get discovered. The traditional routes with casting directors and studios making the decisions isn’t the only way in anymore. You can make your own stuff!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joeparisivoiceover.com
- Instagram: @joeparisivo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@parisijoe
