BW media production grad works for voice-over industry change

Christy Harst '98 is challenging industry norms and advocating for equal opportunities for both men and women.

When Christy Harst '98 watches major sports events on TV, she's as interested in listening to the commercial breaks as she is in watching the game. 

Harst — a BW media production graduate and former Yellow Jacket volleyball player — is a successful voice-over artist who's worked with brands like Sherwin-Williams, American Greetings, John Deere, Delta Faucet, Wendy's, AT&T and YouTube TV.

She runs Christy Harst Voice Over out of a broadcast-quality studio in the Fairview Park, Ohio, home she shares with her husband and two children.

She's also become a leading voice for her female peers after encountering barriers to landing work with traditionally "manly" brands.

Building Doors

Harst founded the "Building Doors" campaign a year ago to advocate for equal opportunities in the male-dominated voice-over industry, especially within sectors like sports, technology, automotive, finance and construction.

"Women's voices have historically been underrepresented in the media," says Harst. "Representation matters. When women's voices aren't heard, their stories, perspectives, and power are diminished. We're here to change that."

She told Crain's Cleveland Business that her frustration about the gender imbalance gave way to a light bulb moment when an agent told her that male decision-makers often assume a male voice is the right voice.

"And I said, 'Well, I have a choice. I can give it up, or, with all these clichés about women knocking on doors and kicking down doors, why don't I just build a door? And I'll bring a bunch of women with me.'"

Fostering opportunity

"Building Doors" was hatched in March 2024 as a social media campaign featuring women revoicing ads originally voiced by men for sports, technology, automotive, finance, construction and more.

The idea was to give marketing decision-makers a chance to hear the ad copy with female voice actors delivering the lines.

Harst also collected data to prove her point about the severity of the imbalance.

She tracked ads for the 2025 Super Bowl in California, Atlanta and Cleveland and found that men voiced 85% of the ads in Sacramento and Cleveland and 83% in Atlanta.

"'Building Doors' isn't about taking jobs from men," Harst explains. "It's about giving women an equal opportunity to land those jobs."

Making a difference

After more than a year of posts, live stream events and the launch of a podcast, the campaign has increased awareness and produced some tangible results. Harst reports that three women can trace job opportunities directly to the campaign, including her own voice-over for DIRTVision, the live-streaming home of the World of Outlaws dirt racing series.

Other brands have stepped up to pledge that they would audition an equal number of men and women for each ad campaign. Harst has been invited to speak at events like the Cleveland Cavaliers-sponsored EmpowerHER event and the upcoming International Sports Convention Women's Sports Business Week.

And earlier this year, Harst won the Unicorn Award at Voice Over Atlanta, which honors voice actors who "selflessly give back to their community in ways that do not actively seek accolades or recognition."

Harst is happy the campaign is getting noticed. "'Building Doors' is fighting to have women's voices recognized for their authority and power, heard in spaces where they've been excluded and considered for all types of voice-over jobs in the future, especially those once reserved exclusively for men."

Going Global

In a May interview and article in Authority Magazine titled "Female Disruptors: Christy Harst Of The Building Doors Campaign On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry," Harst talked about plans to expand the work in different languages.

"Currently, we're represented by women in seven different countries who have already lent their voices to the campaign. But we're just getting started," she said. "This year, I'm partnering with female voice-over actors from around the world to lay the groundwork for 'Building Doors' campaigns set to launch worldwide in 2026. It's a truly exciting moment."

By challenging industry norms and advocating for equal opportunities for both men and women, Harst is proving the saying, "The only way to find your voice is to use it."