Campaign Advocates for Women in Male-Dominated Industries

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/04/20

Christy Harst, an influential voiceover actor and advocate for gender equity in media, founded the Building Doors campaign to create opportunities for women in male-dominated industries like sports, automotive, and tech. After years of effort, she discovered systemic barriers that kept women out of sports promo voiceover roles. Determined to change this, she launched Building Doors, revoicing traditionally male-led ads and engaging brands to commit to diverse casting. Her campaign gained traction, influencing companies like Valvoline and the Cleveland Cavaliers. She aims to reshape industry norms through advocacy, partnerships, and data-driven strategies and increase female representation in voiceover.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So today, we’re here with Christy Harst. She’s an influential voiceover actor and a passionate advocate for gender equity in media. For many people in their teens and early thirties, one of the most recognizable voiceover performances is Cortana, the AI assistant in the Halo video game franchise and Microsoft’s virtual assistant. However, the person behind that voice is Jen Taylor. While Christy is not the voice of Cortana, she is a powerful force in the voiceover industry, especially in advocating for more opportunities for women.

As the founder of the Building Doors campaign, Christy champions equal opportunities for women in traditionally male-dominated industries, including sports, automotive, and tech. With over a decade of experience in voiceover, she has collaborated with major brands such as Valvoline, the Cleveland Guardians, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, working to promote diverse casting practices. Her innovative approach includes revoicing advertisements to highlight female talent and challenge longstanding industry biases. Through her advocacy, training webinars, and media engagements, she has established herself as a leader in pushing for greater inclusion in the voiceover industry. Thank you for joining me.

Christy Harst: I appreciate it. 

Jacobsen: So, what inspired the launch of the Building Doors campaign?

Harst: I’ve been doing voiceover work for about twenty years. Before that, I was a college athlete and a head varsity coach, and now I’m a mother of two kids, ages 10 and 12, who drain my bank account with all their various sports activities. We are a sports family. About five years ago, I merged my passion for voiceover with my love for sports. My goal was to voice for male-dominated sports, specifically promo work.

If you’re unfamiliar with promos, they are the voiceovers you hear on networks like ESPN or Fox Sports announcing upcoming events. For example:

“This Sunday, watch Rory McIlroy take on the competition at Pebble Beach live at 11 AM.”

For years, I did everything industry professionals told me to do. I sent cold emails, made cold calls, and experimented with creative marketing. I wrote, produced, edited, and voiced fan videos for the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Guardians when they changed their names from the Cleveland Indians. I put my work out there in every way I could, trying to stand out and break into the field.

Despite my efforts, I kept facing the same problem—no real access to these opportunities. I spent money on multiple workshops, working with coaches, recording professional demos, and undergoing extensive training. Yet, I wasn’t seeing any return on my investment. The industry wasn’t opening its doors to women in sports promo voiceover.

During an online workshop with a prominent promo agent in Los Angeles—a woman—I finally asked the question that had been weighing on me:

“What are my chances? I’ve been trying for five years. I’m doing everything people tell me, and it’s not working.”

Her answer was blunt:

“Yes, it’s because you’re a woman.”

She explained that the lack of opportunities wasn’t due to a lack of talented women trying to break in. Women producers and copywriters who work for major brands on freelance projects actively try to include female voices in their campaigns. However, when those projects reach the final decision-makers—typically middle-aged white men—a male one replaces the female voice.

That was when I realized I wasn’t just facing rejection—I was facing an institutional barrier. Women in voiceover weren’t just underrepresented in sports promos; they were being actively removed from them at the highest levels of decision-making. That realization led me to launch Building Doors to create tangible opportunities for women in sports voiceover and beyond.

And so, she encouraged me to make my noise. She said, “Go make your noise.” I was upset and frustrated and wondered if I had wasted the last five years of my life. All the money, all the time, all the creative energy—was it all for nothing?

I realized I had two choices in front of me. Either I could give up and focus on my commercial, narration, and e-learning voiceover work, or I could recognize that all the clichés about women knocking down doors and kicking down doors didn’t apply to me—because there was no door for me. So, instead, I could partner with women worldwide and build one. And that’s exactly what I did.

This workshop and revelation happened in February. Two and a half weeks later, I decided to launch the Building Doors campaign on March 1 for Women’s History Month. I called women I knew and researched other women around the world, and together, we revoiced scripts that were originally recorded by men in traditionally male-centric industries—not just sports but also alcohol, cars, gaming, and construction.

The campaign took off beyond my expectations. I intended to make a few posts, but it turned into something bigger. The response was overwhelming, and it became clear that the campaign had struck a nerve. It started gaining traction and developing a following, so much so that I could have a face-to-face conversation with the Chief Marketing Officer of Valvoline Instant Oil Change.

Valvoline has a female CEO, CFO, and CMO. When I spoke with her, she got straight to the point. She admitted, “Until Building Doors, we never viewed voiceover as an opportunity for diversity. We always just did the status quo. We’d say, ‘Here’s this guy,’ and that was it. Let’s have the guy voice it.” They had been focusing on putting more women in front of the camera, but they hadn’t made the connection to voiceover. She told me that because of Building Doors, Valvoline would now require their ad agency to present an equal number of male and female voice talents when pitching campaign ideas.

That moment was a huge milestone for me—it was a door built. That’s when I fully realized what this campaign could become and the kind of real change we could create.

Jacobsen: What are some practical tools to build doors and break down old ones? And separately, what actions are symbolic—emotionally meaningful but not necessarily pragmatic in moving things forward?

Harst: To answer your first question, Building Doors is about starting conversations directly with brands.

It’s not about attacking brands for what they haven’t done, but rather about showing them the value—financially and image-wise—of including more women both in front of and behind the camera.

For example, did you know that the NFL’s fan base is over 50% women, yet 85% of the Super Bowl commercials are voiced by men? There’s a clear disparity there. So, when I meet with a brand, my goal is to get them to commit—just like Valvoline Instant Oil Change did—to auditioning an equal number of men and women for any commercial, even non-broadcast spots.

When a brand takes our pledge on the Building Doors website, they commit to auditioning men and women. That means they will hear female and male voices when they sit in a conference room reviewing ad campaigns. Maybe they’ll choose the woman because she’s the right fit for that campaign—maybe they won’t. But even if she isn’t selected, she is heard in a space she previously wouldn’t have been.

Then what happens? Three months later, six months later, a producer or copywriter working on another project will remember, “Hey, that woman we heard in the conference room months ago—she’d be perfect for this!” That’s how we create opportunities for women where they didn’t exist before. We’re not just giving women a chance to audition; we’re shifting the casting culture.

I firmly believe that now, more than ever, people are searching for authenticity and community. They want to connect with like-minded people about work, life, or family. I want to think that Building Doors is that kind of community, even for people who aren’t in voiceover.

At its core, Building Doors is about ensuring voices are heard in spaces where they’ve been excluded. So when someone supports the campaign, I hope they engage with our content—sharing, tagging brands, amplifying the message. When a woman revoices a commercial originally voiced by a man, we want brands to take notice. But beyond that, I hope people find a sense of belonging in what we’re building.

Voiceover is already a niche industry. What I’m trying to do—advocating for women in sports and male-dominated branding—is a niche within a niche. And that’s why I hope women outside of voiceover—women working in male-dominated fields everywhere—see what we’re doing and feel inspired to do the same in their industries.

Here’s a real example. My best friend works in the insurance industry, which is also male-dominated. She just returned from a conference last night, and she told me that every networking event happened in bars and happy hours over three days. She was one of the only women there, navigating an all-male environment.

My best friend was super excited because a woman in her industry decided that, for one of their future industry conferences, they’re going to host a women’s tea—a gathering where all the women in insurance can come together, share their experiences, exchange stories, and build connections with their female peers. She’s so excited about it because something as small as creating a dedicated space for women in a male-dominated industry can make a huge impact.

There are so many opportunities to set an example of how tiny changes—small micro-adjustments—can produce big results. I’m not trying to change the entire world with Building Doors; I’m trying to change my world—my little world. I’m focused on making improvements in my industry, and I hope that by doing so, I will create a ripple effect that reaches women in other fields.

Jacobsen: Do you find that tech or automotive advocacy differs from sports advocacy? Or, since we’re talking about voiceover, is it all similar? And how has your partnership with Valvoline unfolded? Is it strictly about commercials, or does it extend to broader ad campaigns and promos? Are they partnering with various industries through voiceover, or is it more targeted?

Also, when negotiating with different brands and industries, do you find the conversation dynamics at the table similar?Or do different industries have distinct language, personalities, and approaches to these discussions?

Harst: There are commonalities, but each industry has its quirks. I started Building Doors over a year ago, and I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had since then.

For example, when I was trying to get to Sportsnet—the #1 sports broadcasting network in Canada—I had to speak with the creative director. It took me about four Zoom calls to finally get a face-to-face meeting with him. But to get a meeting with a Super Bowl-winning NFL franchise? That took me nine calls.

So I have many conversations, and I’ve noticed three main reactions when I bring this issue to companies:

1. “Do we need this, Christy?”
2. They’ll say, “I hear women on the radio constantly. Doesn’t Erin Andrews already broadcast live from the NFL end zone? Didn’t the Red Sox hire their first female play-by-play announcer? So do we need this?”
3. “This is great! Love it. Applause… but nothing more.”
4. They’ll tell me, “I love what you’re doing! Wonderful. Fantastic.” Then, that’s it: no follow-up, no action—just verbal support and a pat on the back.
5. “I see the problem, and I want to help.”
6. This is my favourite response. Some people say, “I agree that more needs to be done. How can I help you?” I’ll ask, “Can you make a public statement supporting this mission? Can you post something online to show that your brand is aligned with this initiative and that you’re committed to hiring more women or listening to more women?” And they’ll say, “Absolutely, no problem.”

It’s so interesting—when I look at all the brands I’ve reached and the face-to-face conversations I’ve had, I’ve only gotten there because of men. Why? Because there aren’t enough women in leadership positions.

That’s the reality. There aren’t enough women in executive roles for me to make those direct connections. Instead, I have to go through multiple levels of men before I can even get to the decision-makers. And that’s exactly why Building Doors exists—to help change that dynamic and create more pathways for women to rise into leadership positions.

Don’t get me wrong—amazing women have helped me get some of these calls and guided me along the way. But by and large, the people who have committed to supporting the brand after hearing about it are men. Most of the connections I’ve had to make to reach these brands have been through men in leadership positions.

So, going back to those three types of responses I typically get—the first one, where people ask, “Do we need this?” misses the forest for the trees. They point to one example of a woman in a prominent sports broadcasting role and act as though that means the problem is solved. The second response—”I love what you’re doing! This is great!”—isn’t as dismissive, but it isn’t helpful beyond acknowledging the larger issue. The third response—where people want to help—is the most useful.

Jacobsen: But what kind of support do they typically offer? Is it job opportunities, advocacy, or something else? We get a public quote—they give you a statement, and it goes on the website. Great. Shared support.

But do they go further? Do they offer access to their social media platforms? Because, let’s be real—if we’re talking about Sportsnet or any major franchise, their social media following is massive. And their audience isn’t just casual Facebook scrollers—fans who are emotionally invested in the Rams, the Raiders, or whatever team they follow. So when these brands show support, what does that look like?

Are they actively advancing this initiative? Or is it just a symbolic endorsement with no real action behind it?

Harst: That’s the challenge—we’re not quite there yet regarding widespread, active brand engagement. However, I will say that the Cleveland Guardians—through their nonprofit arm—reshared our post along with their quote of support, which was incredible. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been amazing.

The Cavs invited me to collaborate with them on creating an in-house roster of male and female voiceover talent, which is huge. They also invited me to be a panel speaker at their Women’s History Month event, another incredible step forward.

Additionally, they’ve offered to share content on social media—not through the Cavs’ main account, but through their Empower initiative. Empower represents all the women working across the organizations owned by Rocket Mortgage, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Monsters (NHL), and the Cavs’ G-League team. The support from Empower has been fantastic, as it highlights women in all roles—whether it’s social media managers, lawyers, or executives—across these teams.

When I think about moving forward with brands, public support is great—and if you scroll through our social media or check our website, you’ll see approved quotes from various organizations. But I want to take it further.

I want them to go beyond statements. I want them to take the pledge—to publicly commit to auditioning an equal number of men and women when casting. I want them to partner with us, not just in words but in action. That could mean sponsoring our new podcast, which is launching soon, or supporting our Instagram and LinkedIn Live events this month.

Because, honestly, that’s what a true partnership looks like. It’s not just saying, “We support you,”—it’s showing up, investing, and helping push real change.

I would say that what they’ve done is a true partnership. However, one of the things becoming increasingly clear—from both my research and external data—is that brands are leaving billions of dollars on the table by not including more women in front of and behind the camera.

Billions.

Women have global purchasing power at an overwhelming scale. I believe—and don’t quote me on this because I’m not certain—but the statistic suggests that women control 80% of global household spending. That means women are researching and selecting insurance policies, choosing their cell phone carriers, deciding which sports camps their kids attend, and—if they’re a sports family—choosing season tickets, team merchandise, and overall brand loyalty.

Yet despite this, 85% of Super Bowl commercials are voiced by men. And when you break it down further, the numbers are even worse. Zero of the insurance commercials, zero of the alcohol ads, zero of the car ads, and zero of the cell phone ads were voiced by women.

Brands are missing out on billions simply by failing to be more inclusive. That’s why I believe huge partnership opportunities still need to be explored.

I will say this—I am one person. I am this campaign. That’s it.

Jacobsen: To quote Noam Chomsky to David Frum, ‘I am just one person. I am not Amnesty International.’

Harst: I don’t have the resources of a massive nonprofit. Mine is Building Doors.

On top of running this campaign, I have two kids, a life, and a lot going on. But right now, I’m working hard to find funding sources because I know that if I could hire even a small team, I could focus on what I do best—reaching out to brands, advocating for change, and finding the best partners to help advance this mission.

I don’t have as much time as I’d like, but we’ve accomplished much in just a year. That said, for 2025, I want to 10x the awareness of this campaign outside of the voiceover industry—and that’s why I’m so happy to be speaking with you today.

And ideally, by 2026, we’ll be going global.

Right now, Building Doors is represented in seven countries. Still, I am forming a group called Global Builders. These women in different countries are voice actors who will spend 2025 laying the groundwork for Building Doors in their regions. The goal is to raise awareness within their local voiceover communities and adjacent industries so that 2026 they can launch their own Building Doors campaigns in their native languages.

So ideally, by 2026, we’d have:

• Building Doors Egypt
• Building Doors Mexico
• Building Doors UK
• Building Doors Turkey

The goal is to have more representation of women in voiceovers.

Jacobsen: But beyond that, there’s another issue creeping into the industry—the encroachment of AI on male and female voice actors. Does AI replace voice actors? Does AI diminish opportunities for women and men? Does AI pose a threat to any of these efforts, or could it potentially provide new strategic opportunities—a way for ordinary women who may not have the CEO, CFO, or CTO connections to gain greater access?

Harst: You’ve opened a big box by asking about AI. AI is a huge disruptor in the voiceover industry.

I used to be the official e-learning voice for Delta Faucets’ high-end product line, Mars, the chocolate company, and Sherwin-Williams. I can tell you firsthand that AI took some of my jobs. It’s already happening.

There are voice actors right now who, if they can afford it, are working with AI models to clone their voices. They offer clients a choice:

“Oh, you want my voice? But do you want it fast? Here’s my AI-generated voice option.”

That’s becoming a real business model for some people.

But the bigger issue—the one I keep hearing in conversations with brands—is that companies are getting frustrated with AI voice submissions.

I recently spoke with a Major League Baseball team executive, and he told me:

“I want to work with real people. I want to pick up the phone, call someone I know and trust, and get things done. I don’t want AI in my auditions. But that’s what I’m getting—AI-generated auditions from people trying to make a quick buck.”

This is the problem AI is creating in voiceover. It’s flooding the industry with inauthentic, synthetic voices while brands still want to work with real, trusted professionals.

Building Doors hopes to connect brands with real, passionate talent—not just based on voice quality but on authentic expertise.

For example:

• If a woman is passionate about tech, we want to highlight her.
• That should matter if a voice actor is a die-hard Red Sox fan.
• If someone worked at Ford for 40 years, retired, and is now a voice actor, she should be the one narrating Ford’s e-learning because she knows the product.

We want brands to see beyond the voice—to recognize the value of lived experience and genuine passion.

The issue is that society still assumes women don’t belong in certain industries. They assume women can’t be real baseball, real football fans, or knowledgeable about tech, cars, whiskey, and cigars.

I hear from women all the time:

“I don’t want a pink-logoed hat and a wine night at the stadium. I want to go to the game and have access to the same experiences male fans do—because I’m just as into it.”

Oversized pretzels, big beers, and significant weekend spending debt. That’s all part of the fan culture, and women are part of that culture, too.

Brands need to wake up to that reality—and Building Doors is here to help them see it.

When you go to an auto show, Comic-Con, or any major industry event, women don’t want some pink-washed version of the experience that brands think defines them. They want to be included as they are.

It’s so important to focus on authenticity. Take me, for example—I told you I’m a former college athlete. My family is deeply into sports. My kids play sports, my husband plays soccer, and our family vacations are basically staycations across Ohio, where we travel the state watching professional sports.

There’s a knowledge and passion that a voice actor brings behind the mic when they genuinely love what they’re talking about. That’s why female voice actors are fighting hard to be heard in these spaces where they have traditionally not been invited.

We are just as passionate and knowledgeable, and in many cases, brands could actually improve their bottom line by including more diverse voices.

I’ve been collecting data for a while now, and I’m still working on this study, but I can give you some preliminary insights.

Give me a second—let me pull this up… yes.

I have about 100 client responses so far, and here are the key takeaways:

• Do you notice when a brand uses a female vs. male voice in ads?
• → 88% say yes.
• How important is it to you that a brand aligns with gender inclusivity?
• → 57% say it’s extremely important.

These are real numbers that brands need to consider when deciding who will be in front of and behind the camera.

Jacobsen: Many large corporate entities promote people who work their way up using a specific strategic mindset that tends to be singularly focused. These aren’t people working forty-hour workweeks; they specialize in a narrow, repetitive skill set they’ve mastered through endurance, consistency, and industry-specific expertise.

So, regardless of the campaign, these executives will primarily ask you: “What is the value-add? How will this help our bottom line?”

Suppose the data suggests that brands miss out on 35% of their total market when its 85% men but half the market is women. In that case, that number might be off, but let’s assume it’s a significant chunk—and that’s women who want to engage with the industry and contribute capital to it; how do you make that sale?

Beyond simply saying, “You’ll make more money,” what’s the strategic and targeted way to prove they can make more money? If they can say, “We’re doing the right thing by hiring more women,”—but at the same time, they’re also making an economically sound decision—how do you strategically sell that to them?

Harst: I think it’s critical to avoid opinion-based arguments and focus on data. That’s why I spend so much time researching, collecting data, and conducting polls.

When you can visualize a statistic and show them a picture of the gap, it makes a compelling case. For example, I’ve been working with AI to generate a visual for a stat I recently collected:

• 73% of male voice actors report receiving five or more promo auditions in the past year.
• Only 27% of female voice actors report receiving the same.

I want to take a baseball stadium and highlight 27% of the seats in the worst sections—while the remaining 73% are in the premium seats. That’s a clear visual of the imbalance.

The more I can back up personal experience—not just mine, but those of countless women in the industry—with hard data on lost revenue and missed opportunities, the more I can convince brands that hiring more women isn’t just ethical—it’s profitable.

Jacobsen: Christy, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. 

Harst: Cool. Thank you so much.

Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.