We had the good fortune of connecting with Issa Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Issa, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
The most difficult decision that I’ve ever had to make, when it comes to having my own business was living in fear honestly.

Being a known radio personality for more than a decade in Colorado was something that I was very proud of. I was the type of person that never called in sick and dedicated 100% of myself to that job so the downside of that is that when I lost my radio show January 6th of 2016, which was a day I will never forget , I will also never forget the butterfly pitbull in my stomach.
I waited until it was legally ok to interview for other radio jobs in the United States. I flew to a couple of places, but the minute that I found out how much they wanted to pay me for that job was the moment that I realized why I was let go in the first place. I think as women we are so sensitive and I was focused so much on, “oh my God what did I do wrong” when in fact, I realized it was just a financial thing for the company.

So after a few interviews here and there I decided to take a risk, and that risk was to try to fly by myself, and finally invest in my dream of doing voiceovers full-time. But what they don’t tell you about having your own business is the fear you have waking up every single day unemployed. Every single day for about 11 months I woke up with this feeling of oh my gosh how am I going to find work? Who’s going to hire me? How am I going to find stability? That to me was terrifying.

The first thing I did when I made the decision to try to do voiceovers full-time was I sold all my luxury handbags I got rid of my luxury car I downsized everything I knew that I had enough in my savings to take care of the main bills for a year. I will never forget that year because it was scary every single day not knowing where your next paycheck is going to come from. It was just terrifying to me. The only thing that I can say is I was very lucky to be able to try something like this without any children because that would’ve made it more difficult.

I think another thing that made it even more intense is the fact that as a business owner I worked 24 hours a day to not work eight hours a day. It took everything. My business was open 24/7. I remember doing voiceover auditions on the weekends at night anything that was thrown my way I was available for. I will never forget the fear in my stomach. It’s something I don’t wish upon to my worst enemy.

What should our readers know about your business?

What am I most proud of well,
I will say I’m flying by myself in this VOICE OVER world …..like I’m actually paying the bills and comfortable financially, which is great because that leads to helping others. Growing up in Colorado was super hard for me. I had a very rough childhood here in and out of foster homes, so to have a safe home to be in on my own was everything. There is no worse feeling to me than being scared in your own home.
Also with stability comes giving back whether it’s mentoring someone else or helping a dog rescue. That makes me feel good.
Getting to where I am was super hard I think people see me on Instagram and they see all the things that I’ve currently booked but just like many other people that post stuff online they do not see the work that it took to get here.
When people message me and ask me about getting into voiceover I always try to explain it’s constant work at least for me it is. I think what people don’t see is how many times a day I audition. I audition still more than 25 times per day every single day, five days a week.
I think the reason why I’m successful is because of the mixture of things: DRIVE., work ethic, impeccable response time, I provide things for my customers quickly, and I have fast turnaround which is super important. One of the main voiceover genres that I provide is radio imaging and when it comes to radio or television promo work you have to be available QUICKLY! I make myself available for my clients.
I care about peoples business just as much as my own. If you contact me about voicing something for you, I want to portray that passion when I deliver that voice work. I want you to be able to hear that I care.
I love bringing life to your vision with my voice. I remember specifically during COVID being contacted to provide voice instructions for the blind community on how to handle the COVID situation. I don’t know if everyone remembers, but at that time the CDC kept changing the rules. It’s like we were all lost in a forest together…like we were all blind about COVID. When the health department reached out to me to voice guidance tools for the actual blind so that they could listen to how to handle the situation, it was extremely rewarding for me. I felt like I was part of the solution because I was able to use my voice to help the blind community get through the scary time.
It’s voicing things that make a difference that I’m most proud about.
One of my biggest goals when I got started was trying to gain more Christian radio stations and now I’m finally seeing that happen. I’m finally getting to voice positive messages that people get to hear in radio stations all over the world. If there’s anything that we need right now is positivity and I am so proud that I use my voice for those kind of messages.
As far as what I want the world to know about my brand, it’s my story. I’m just a girl who moved here when I was six years old from Puerto Rico, ended up in foster homes, and found support and worth in strangers. I know that sometimes people remember the word stranger with danger but to me people that were not family have been the most amazing memories of my life.
Being a young girl in Colorado, I was one of those kids that was afraid to leave school and go back home. My mother was mentally ill. I did not know who I was going to go home to. I remember literally being in the classroom, looking at the clock, knowing that it was close to 3 PM and being afraid to go back home.
But I remember teachers that made me feel like I was someone. They made me feel like I could do something in life.
I was on my own at 16 and by 23 years old I had three jobs. One of them was an exercise counselor at Curves and the reason why this time in my life will always stick out to me is because I remember thinking these older women that used to come in and exercise every day we’re SOOOOO old and didn’t know anything but through the years that I was there these women showed me so much support. They gave me my first things from my first apartment and they showed me support when I was trying to make it as an actress going to auditions. They showed me that I mattered and now that I’m the age of those women myself I realize those women were not old women. They were women just trying to make their way in this world just like I am right now.
No matter what mountain you’re facing right now, whether it’s a person, a group of people, a goal, or a dream, please remember that we are all just people whether you’re in front of a millionaire or a custodian at the end of the day. We are all just people. We all have feelings and we all have fears.
But one thing I will not stop doing is showing someone their worth. I don’t know what I would’ve done, especially during my younger years without people that came into my life, adopted me as family, and helped guide me through the rough patches of life. I will always be grateful to strangers because they’ve been good to me.
I can’t leave this particular question without also saying that you can’t give up on your faith. One of my favorite quotes is, “FEED your FAITH and your FEAR will starve”.
Everything in life is mental. Please don’t forget that how you decide to react to something is your decision.
This is my favorite story that explains that. Two twin brothers were interviewed in separate rooms. One brother was a drug addict. The other brother was a famous fertility doctor and they were asked the same exact question and they both answered the same exact thing. The question they were asked was, “why are you who you are today”? The drug addict brother answered, “because my mom was a crackhead. That’s all I saw”. The fertility doctor answered, “because my mom was a crackhead. That’s all I saw”. That speaks wonders.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Don’t tempt me with a good time in Colorado. Oh my God…my favorite thing to do which I’ve done so many times is drive them to VAIL.
First, we have to go to a local diner. I’m not sure if they’re even around, but I would go to Denver diner all the time with folks.
Then head up I-70 go to VAIL.
That drive is priceless especially if you have the right music. I prefer 80s for that drive.
Then I absolutely love going to my favorite place in the world which is Beaver Creek. I love everything about the experience from telling the person at the gate why I’m headed up there to all the curves in the road, passing the golf courses and the beautiful mansions that I dream of.
There’s something magical to me about Beaver Creek.
If I have enough time for that day, I have been known to take them to ASPEN. 
That drive is also priceless. You really don’t know the beauty that you are surrounded by in Colorado until you go to other places and then you come back and then you say to yourself OK yup we got it great here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?


One of the most beautiful things about this VOICE OVER industry is that I have been blessed with amazing mentors, especially when I went full-time on my own and I was alone I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I made less mistakes because of these amazing people in the VoiceOver industry that took me under their wing and literally were there for me and are still there for me to this day, and I will always be grateful to these people. Some of these people believed in me before I did.
Whether it was a phone call, encouragement, advice, or even a listening ear. It meant everything to me.
Cayman Kelly
Josh Goodman
Mara Junot
Efrain Gonzalez
Jennifer Sweeney
Ann Dewig
Kelly Doherty
Rachel McGrath
Maria Pendolino
Joe Cipriano
My husband Joseph too

And last, but not least thank you to my talent agency, who took a risk on me and signed me, ATLAS TALENT AGENCY.

Website: www.issavoice.com

Instagram: issavoice

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/issavoice/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsissavoice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/issa.lopez.9235/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mDVacWiQMbuOay2sAGbiA

Image Credits
just took the pic myself

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.