Saying No - For the Right Reasons

I turned down a gig last week.

A European producer reached out for me to narrate part of a documentary in the voice of one of the characters. It looked like it would have been an interesting challenge.

But there was one problem:

The person in the documentary was from Texas and I’m not from Texas. I’m from the Boston-area, but speak with a “neutral American” accent. Sure, I could have mimicked how I think a Texan would speak, but it would likely have sounded inauthentic or like I was making a joke of it.

So, in the interest of authenticity, I turned it down. I just wasn’t right for it. If I had gone through with the project, it would have reflected poorly on the production and made me look like an amateur.

Bottom line: it’s okay to say no, especially if you’re not the right person for the job.