Meet Ryan Do | Voice Actor & Cybersecurity Specialist

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

Hi Ryan, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When people think of work-life balance, most see it as “home life” and “work life,” balancing work and play. For those of us with feet in two fields of work—the traditional “9-5” day job and the “starving creative/freelance” line of work—the balance means continuously pursuing both to the best of our ability without burning out or dropping everything under pressure.

When it comes to balancing the creative and “traditional” fields, it’s important to consider them as opposite sides of a seesaw. At times, it feels as though your life leans more toward one side than the other. Often, we feel our creativity is stifled by our restrictive “day job,” while sometimes we see the day job as a safety net that allows us to pursue our creative endeavors with less worry.

While it can be beneficial to pursue both passion work and “life-sustaining work,” these fields also act as weights on each other. Time dedicated to one means time taken from the other.

Initially, I tried splitting my dedication down the middle—days for the 9-5, nights for the passion work. But as time goes on, more responsibilities pile on your shoulders, making it difficult to dedicate as much effort to both endeavors. Carrying twice the workload causes you to tire and burn out faster.

In a traditional work-life balance, you’d have time at home to rest after a day’s work. But when following your creative pursuits, your rest time also becomes work time. This strain gradually piles on, especially when your creative endeavors graduate from hobby to professional paid work.

I would love nothing more than for my passion work to be sustainable on its own, but at this point in time, that’s just not possible, especially when the day job grants you far more physical benefits.

So how do I balance the two?
Knowing when to scale back is something every creative needs to realize. You can’t create freely on an empty stomach or without a roof over your head. Scaling back may seem like “giving up,” but it isn’t. It’s narrowing your scope and saving time, learning what to prioritize and what to let go. This makes you a better creative because you’re not just creating without purpose anymore—you’re focused and know where your goal is.

Give up on your dreams and passions? Never. But knowing when and how much to scale back is important, and when you are able, you can re-scale and pursue your passions as strongly as before. That is what I consider to be work-life balance as someone in the creative and traditional fields.

As for what I think?
It’s a balancing act not meant for everyone. In one moment, you might mentally lean toward one end while life demands you to be in the other. Some people prefer to jump headfirst into one endeavor, taking a leap of faith. But as someone who enjoys moderate creative freedom and stability, this balance works for me. My soul keeps on creating when it gets the chance, and my life remains stable as I go to work as usual.

Work-life balance is key to keeping yourself grounded. Regardless of how much you’re working, be it 2, 3, or 4 jobs, you deserve a break every once in a while. No passion work on a weekend, for example. For your own sake, because if you don’t take a break, the break will take you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In my professional endeavors, I work in cybersecurity. I always was a “techie” growing up and I was very happy to learn about the technology I always ended up breaking. I wasn’t fully “on-board” until I was hacked at the ripe age of 12. And while I did find my way around the ransomware attack, it didn’t fully dawn on me until I saw another person on the news who received the same attack just a week later. Encountering a problem and finding the right tools to solve it was something that really motivated me, especially when the goal was something I personally wanted. From that moment, it snowballed to where I am now, doing this as a full-time job.

In my creative endeavors, I got into the field on a whim. I won’t go into the nitty-gritty details as the specific circumstances aren’t as “professional” but I will say that after sticking around the field as a hobbyist, I naturally wanted to improve my craft. It only took 1.5 years in the field before I worked my first ever paid gig, and the rest was history.

What I will say about both journeys is this: rejection is commonplace. I didn’t work professionally in cybersecurity until I was out of college, even when my curriculum incorporated work experience in between semesters. I have recorded and sent 10x more auditions into the void that weren’t picked than I have roles under my belt. It’s easy to feel as though you’re falling behind.

The lesson I learned from this: pace yourself. Enjoy the journey. Be proud of the work you’ve done instead of the end result. Didn’t land that job? At least you learned what you lacked and can build upon. Didn’t book the role? Well at least you felt good about the audition as you recorded for it. Pat yourself on the back because someone else may not. Better to gain nothing and grow a little bit than to not grow at all. At least you won’t be standing where you were yesterday.

What I want the world to know about me?
I want the world to know that I have a place here too. And maybe one day, it’ll be spotlit for the world to see. But until then, I’m going to enjoy my space. And when that day comes where the spotlight shines on me, I can share it proudly with you all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
While I am not particular about certain places to enjoy (I’m more of “who you’re with” than “where you’re at” kind of person), I will advise them to be wary of common tourist traps. But in my hometown, there’s endless surprises to be found. And as a tourist in my own city, it’ll be a learning experience for the both of us as we can explore together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, a shout-out to my parents, for they gave me the space and freedom to pursue what I felt was best for me. Both in my creative pursuits and in my studies. They never made me question my choices because they knew I would dive into both headfirst with determination and insight.

I’d also like to thank each of my teachers, peers, and friends in my life, all of whom have had their own little effect on my life in how I turned out. Thank you, each and every one of you.

I’d also like to thank every client I have worked for, in both my creative and professional fields. By giving me a chance, I have continued to grow as a person and as a talent, and I hope I have made you proud with your decision in picking me.

Website: https://www.ryandovo.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryando_vo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanDoVO

Image Credits
@PaleaRaptor

Loan Le

Thomas Halle