We have voices – a written voice and a spoken voice. Sometimes these voices are buried deep under layers of shoulds and shouldn’ts, constrained by self-beliefs and limited by the opinions of others. 

I found my spoken voice on a stage in a small town in rural Alaska more than 20 years ago. I’ll never forget the feeling I got when I connected with my audience in my first public speech. They laughed, they cried, they listened. At one stage, you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium. And to think I nearly said no when I was asked to give the graduation speech. I was worried that I’d embarrass myself … because I stammer. 

I had found my written voice years earlier. At one stage I was corresponding with 34 people around  the world – and this was in pre-Internet. I learned to tailor my message and my stories and to always keep my audience in mind. If I didn’t, they wouldn’t write back. 

Today, I help people like you to find their voices, to experiment, see what fits. So much of good communication is being aware of the words we use and choosing those that best serve our message. It’s about style. And substance. And finding what works for you. 

It has to work for you, because if it doesn’t, it won’t work for your audience either.