It's just words on the internet
The podcast where we stop treating words like they’re sacred, start treating them like they’re fun, and figure out how to make your brand sound like…well, your brand. I’m Steph Laffy. Brand voice builder, messaging nerd, and friendly instigator of breaking “best practices.”
Each episode, we dig into a different crevice of voice, messaging, and the creative direction that actually makes you one of one...without forcing a gimmick, chasing a niche, or circling five cute adjectives in a workbook.
Come for the nerdy rants, stay for the double-dog dares, side tangents, and occasionally made-up stats.
It's just words on the internet
“What the hell do I actually say?” (How messaging ties back to your voice)
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Voice and messaging aren’t separate universes — they’re tangled up together. Which is great… until you’re three-hours deep in a “what the hell do I actually want to say” rabbit hole.
In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy’s breaking down how your messaging shapes your voice (and vice versa), why “content buckets” aren’t the same as messaging pillars, and how to find the narrative threads you want to come back to again and again. We’ll dig into what messaging pillars really are, why they matter, and how to start spotting yours in the wild. Pluuusss, what you can ignore.
Because when your voice and messaging are aligned? You stop asking “Does this sound like me?” — and start writing from a place that already feels like you.
Key Points Covered
- Why most messaging templates feel like renamed content buckets
- The difference between guiding principles, differentiators, and messaging pillars
- How to collect real-world messaging clues from your rants, rambles, and repeat lines
- Why your messaging pillars should come from your own stories, opinions, and soapboxes
- How voice and messaging work together to make writing feel lighter and more you
Quote of the episode
"If your voice feels flat, you might be trying to deliver someone else’s message in your own tone."
Links + Resources
Check out Voice on the Rocks — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.
Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy