# 75. Success Has No Zip Code | I Left LA and My Career Got Better

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574/75-success-has-no-zip-code-i-left-la-and-my-career-got-better
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574/75-success-has-no-zip-code-i-left-la-and-my-career-got-better.md
Podcast: [Get Messy with Maddie](https://stenobird.com/podcast/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574)
Published: 2026-07-27T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/getmessywithmaddie/episodes/75--Success-Has-No-Zip-Code--I-Left-LA-and-My-Career-Got-Better-e3mhq89
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f2e24c24/podcast/play/123315913/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-25%2F428609504-44100-2-7ef693bdd0496.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/get-messy-with-maddie-7067574/episodes/75-success-has-no-zip-code-i-left-la-and-my-career-got-better
Duration seconds: 674

## Resource

I've moved six times in six years — LA to Virginia Beach to Miami to Virginia Beach to Miami to Virginia Beach, and now Kansas City — and through all of it, my voiceover career has kept growing. So today I'm talking about something I've learned the hard way: your zip code does not define your success. I get into the hardest move I ever made — leaving LA — and a conversation I had with another actress who was torn up over whether to leave the city too, because so much of her identity was tied to living there. I unpack why that grief is real and worth honoring, but also why the old "move to LA or New York or you're not serious" belief just isn't true anymore, especially in voiceover. I talk about how the industry has shifted, why geography matters so much less than it used to, and why some of my best career years have happened since I left. This one's for anyone who feels like where they live is capping what they can build, or who's afraid that leaving a place will mean losing a part of themselves. In This Episode: Why I left LA, and the identity grief that came with it A conversation with a friend on the fence about leaving LA for family How the industry shifted — from in-person auditions to self-tapes to fully remote work Why geography used to matter so much more, and why it doesn't anymore What I've gained since leaving LA: community, opportunity, and some of my best career years Zip code as lifestyle, not ceiling — the difference between the two Why you have to start with where you'll thrive as a whole person, not just as a creative Settling into Kansas City and what it's taught me about resilience ✨Connect with Maddie✨ Explore Maddie's Website | @messywithmaddie

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