chaanz,I am a marine mammal trainer at a facility in the keys hence the laid back uniform. It's a great job and the only part which has been a challenge for me is all the public speaking we have to do. But actually like I said recently it's gotten much better and I've found that I'm not pushing so much, I'm relying on the microphone for my amplification (thank God for microphones) and yes, I agree, that the compensation is actually much worse than the SD because when I don't try and push and I let the microphone amplify for me, I sound almost normal. If I'm having a good day most people never know. This is how I'm able to get away with having such a public relations oriented job.
I know many people have had to leave their jobs for reasons related to their SD. I feel fortunate because in my field there are so few places to work and most of them involve some aspect of public speaking, so you have to be good at it (which I feel I'm the best that I can be in my particular situation, but I'm nothing compared to some of the other silver-voiced trainers I work with) but I lucked out in finding my particular facility. My place has a need for physical performers as well as good public speaking skills, and this is where I excel. When I was looking for a job in this field, I could not have hoped to find a better match. Many other places might have heard my voice and never given me a chance.
So I'm pretty lucky, cute froggy monster voice and all. I haven't done BOTOX in a very long time- a couple years. I've considered it recently- especially when I've had a rough week and I just want a little relief, but I feel like it's a quick fix for a complicated problem, and it boosts my confidence to be able to have "good weeks" without it. Plus, because I'm performing in the water every day, I felt that BOTOX sometimes hindered that performance (not being able to cough out water, wheezing) and I decided I'd rather be really good at one thing (performing) and okay at another (speaking) than be average at both. Lastly, I have such a great team that I work with- they are always willing to help out when they see I am struggling.
