In the season two premiere, Graeme Spicer sits down with Memo Sauceda to trace the journey from a WhatsApp group formed at the OneVoice Conference in Dallas to the formal launch of LAVA as a committee within NAVA. Memo shares how a viral manifesto video, a pandemic, and the rise of AI voice cloning galvanized Spanish-speaking voice actors across 34 countries to organize — and why joining forces with NAVA was the right move.
Timestamps:
0:00 — Cold open (Jordan Peele / Obama deepfake)
0:41 — Introduction & episode overview
2:12 — What was OVU and what sparked it?
4:57 — Early advocacy: the viral manifesto video
5:55 — The talking points that predicted everything
7:22 — OVU's biggest challenges & why a partnership made sense
8:29 — Reaching out to the NAVA board
12:37 — Transitioning from OVU to LAVA inside NAVA
13:34 — Why a committee model vs. independent affiliate (CAVA comparison)
16:16 — Servicing 34 culturally diverse markets
16:53 — Budget realities & country-specific rate guides
17:21 — Professionalism gap: US vs. Latin American recording standards
20:59 — AI legislation differences across Latin America
21:43 — Membership fees & economic fairness
22:21 — Pricing decision: $99/year (discounts available)
24:54 — LAVA membership vs. NAVA membership benefits
26:07 — AI voice threats unique to Spanish-speaking talent
26:29 — The Amazon anime AI dubbing controversy
30:04 — Memo's vision: What does success look like for LAVA?
32:52 — Paying it forward: mentorship & community
35:57 — Outro & how to get involved
Links & Resources:
- NAVA / LAVA membership: navavoices.org
- OVU manifesto video: Instagram @ovu
- Podcast theme music: The Urban Renewal Project — urpmusic.com
Key Quotes:
"We say that we want to have a seat at the table on the decisions of what's gonna happen with our voice."
"When you want to be better, you get together with people that are better than you."
"If we make people understand that it's important to read the contract and really make an informed decision, then we are winning."
"My life wouldn't be what it is right now if it weren't for the people that helped me at the beginning."
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