Trust what you feel and hear inside. This month, focus on your voice.
When I was a junior in high school, I tried out for the school musical and was shocked when I landed the lead. I had been in choir since it was offered in middle school, but I was kind of always a more sing-in-the-car-with-the-radio kind of performer. It was my father-- and his 8 siblings -- who were the real musicians in our family. I had been tagging along to their band gigs since I was an infant sleeping in a piano case. Music was in my DNA, but it wasn’t something that I had really actively cultivated or focused on. Rather, I took for granted that I was involved in music in school. I adored our choir teacher and my friends were also into choir. It was more or less expected that I would do it. But once I had that lead, I practiced and practiced. I devoted hours and hours after school to this new craft of mine. On opening night, as we lined up to greet the audience so many of the comments to me were “I didn’t know you could sing!” and “Where have you been hiding that voice?!”
While singing went by the wayside as I left high school, my voice hasn’t left me, though it has been quieter at various times. And as I’ve gotten older, when I think of “voice” I don’t associate it with singing, but more of speaking up, of being heard. Of not being silent or silenced.
In the early days of my career my focus was in finding real people to share their stories, giving them a voice. Later, I learned to write in the voice of our anchor or correspondent. I even got to a place where I could hear my correspondent’s voice in my head as I wrote. My writing couldn’t sound like me, and that was the point. As my career continued and I was building a website, little bits of my voice came through in that writing. But it wasn’t until I went out on my own that I got the courage to really use my voice and to tell a very personal story of my own. One that focused on times I had been silenced in my life by those with more power than me, and how my first son’s birth was a stark reminder of previous traumas, and ultimately -- how I found my voice.
It may sound ephemeral or hard to pin down, but voice is a really important aspect of our lives and our work. We all have that inner voice that whispers to us, but sometimes listening to it or finding your own voice can be a struggle. Sometimes being silent is the easier option. But this month, let’s stop being silent.
Last month we focused on growth. But as you grow, it’s also so important to be honest with yourself, to listen to yourself and speak up when you need to. So this month, we’re going to hone in on the theme of voice both in personal life but also in work. Think brand voice, writing, etc. Our founder Melissa will share the struggles she’s had with finding her voice at work, as well as tips for finding your target audience (and how best to speak with them). We’ll also have a primer on headline writing for different platforms and continue our Power of Influence series with a look at Ashley Mayo who has nailed the influencer voice.
We’ve also got some terrific contributors lined up for you. Long-time friend turned colleague of mine Tara Smith has a powerful essay on using her voice after 15 years of keeping silent in the corporate world so as not to “scare the white folk.” Tara is a PR phenom and the director of the University of Delaware’s masters in strategic communication program, and her essay is an eye-opening, emotional must-read. I’ve also got a Q&A with the fabulous Amanda Aldinger of Antonym Studio - a voice strategy and copywriting studio. Amanda shares some fascinating perspectives on the power of brand voice. And of course the wonderful Megan Collins of The Manicured Shelf is back with her voice-inspired reading list.
We hope you join us this month in cultivating your voice, in living your truth, and continuing to grow your confidence -- and in turn, your career and business.