A dad who faced bankruptcy in his youth has revealed how he overcame financial turmoil and bought a £1.7M property after discovering a lucrative talent for voiceovers in his forties.
Amrit Sandhu, 46, from Ealing, west London , was left feeling desperate in late 2019, as he struggled to make ends meet, splitting his time between his family’s ailing property business and odd jobs, when a voice over actor friend suggested he followed in his footsteps.
Investing in a cheap microphone, he sat in an empty bedroom and made his first recording for an online business presentation in India , earning £15.
From there business boomed – with him now making at least £8,000 a month, without leaving home.
Amrit, who lives with his HR business partner wife Arrinder, 44, and their sons Taran, 19, and Karam, 16, said: ‘We’ve had it so hard in the past and things are now finally turning around for me and my family. ‘I feel so privileged every time I get in the recording booth.’
Setting out on his new venture by joining Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance serves, in his first month, Amrit made £400.
But he has now met more than 2,000 orders for customers ranging from Nokia to Qatar Airways – even earning £4,000 in a day for an e-learning video for a world leading car manufacturer.
Amrit, who has now hired two assistants to help him, said: ‘I even built myself a recording studio in the garden.
‘I think something magical happens when you make a commitment.
‘I think of myself as a voice actor now, which is incredible.’
Working on everything from TV ads to introducing Ed Sheeran’s latest album on Spotify, while Amrit modestly predicts his income as £100k a year, he has earned a staggering £150,000 in the last 18 months for commissions including a Christmas ad as Santa, which aired on BT Sport.
He said: ‘This new career has been life changing.’ And his newfound wealth enabled him to move his family from a west London house with rooms so small he says he could not stretch his arms out without touching the walls, to a stunning five-bedroom £1.7 million home in Ealing in July 2021.
He also bought a dream sportscar – a Porsche 718 Cayman – for £46,000 in February 2022. Where had Amrit worked?
Voiced the Spotify ad announcing Ed Sheeran’s latest album
Played the role of Santa on national adverts on BT Sport over the Christmas period.
Worked with Nokia and Qatar Airways on international ads seen across the world
One of his biggest clients saw him bag £4,000 in a day for an e-learning video for a world leading car manufacturer
Advertisement
Describing his staggering pay rise, he said: ‘The most surreal feeling was every single month I was making money and I was wondering if I’d make that money ever again.’It’s just such a blessing.’I got the house I dreamed of. I got the car I dreamed of. It’s been incredible.’I will be able to give my family and my children a better life.’And to be able to do all of this from a room at my house, so I can still spend time with children and be really present as a father, is just amazing.’One of Amrit’s proudest moments was seeing his son’s excitement when he heard his dad’s voice announcing Ed Sheeran’s new album on Spotify.Amrit said: ‘I was on Spotify the other day promoting Ed Sheeran’s new album. My son Taran listens to Ed so much, he’s the biggest fan, so for both of us it was a pretty surreal experience.’Raised in Shepherd’s Bush, then a tough west London neighbourhood that has since been gentrified, Amrit’s life was once very different.He started to work at his parents’ sweet shop when he was just five, although his dream was to one day appear on BBC’s Blue Peter.Drawn to showbusiness, even as a child he started cultivating his love for learning new accents, as he grew up in a diverse area, where everything from Cockney to Irish and Jamaican voices were common.He said: ‘Being surrounded by all these rich voices. I started playing games. I’d mimic the voices I heard, so I picked up all the accents.’But his dreams were usurped by harsh realities when tough times saw his family moving in with relatives in the late 90s. Setting out on his new venture by joining Fiverr, an online marketplace for freelance serves, in his first month, Amrit made £400. But he has now met more than 2,000 […]
make money, manage money, live your life
Protected by Patchstack