What Brand Voice Really Distills (A case study double-feature)

What Brand Voice Really Distills (A case study double-feature)

You’re in a “saturated” industry. You offer something a lot of other people offer. You probably even know half of them on Instagram. At some point, someone’s told you the key is to “differentiate yourself” is to niche harder, invent a signature method, or slap a cute acronym on your process. In the season finale of Its Just Words On The Internet, Laffy unpacks why that pressure to be different often backfires, and what actually makes a brand feel distinct. Spoiler: it’s not just the niche, the method, or the acronym. It’s your creative direction, your voice, and your personality. She shares stories from two real-life clients in the same industry to show how brand voice work distills what’s already there, giving each brand its own hyper distinct without forcing a gimmick or making either business feel like their cozplaying. If you’ve been stuck trying to sound unique for the sake of it, this episode will help you focus on what’s actually worth building.  Key Points Covered * The difference between creative direction and “niching harder” * Why your voice matters more than your method * Two client examples of totally distinct brand voices in the same industry * How to blend your world(s) into one cohesive brand * What happens when your voice finally feels like you  Quote of the episode: “The brand voice isn’t the cherry on top. It’s the whole damn flavor.” Client Links from this Episode: Kaitlyn Hill Photography [https://www.kaitlynhill.ca/] | Kaitlyn Hill Author [https://www.kaitlynhill.ca/author]Sol & Sand Texas Elopements [https://www.solandsand.co/] | Sol & Sand “Long Way Home” Photo Collection [https://solandsand.pic-time.com/art] Links + Resources Check out Voice on the Rocks [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMEnLAHja1ja_tHpyuLljXHVF80WHdau7zJpLzr6UG0/edit?usp=sharing] — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from. Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy [https://instagram.com/stephlaffy]

Let’s play a game of word vs word (the nerdy episode)

This one’s for the word nerds. In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy unpacks why tone words like “bold” or “elevated” don’t mean much…until you define what they mean to you.  Because your brand voice isn’t built by circling a few cute adjectives. It’s built by pulling apart what those words actually feel like in your gut, your world, your weird little niche corner of the internet. She shares how her Word vs Word exercise helps clients spot the nuance under each tone choice — and why that nuance is what makes your voice easier to write from. If you’ve ever picked tone words and still had no idea how to actually use them, this episode will show you how to bridge that gap. It’s less about the word itself — and more about what you mean when you say it. Key Points Covered 1. Why picking tone words is only step one of voice work 2. How our reactions to words reveal brand personality direction 3. Real-world examples of how a single word can change brand direction 4. How visuals and voice work together — and when they should balance each other 5. Tips for running your own mini Word vs Word exercise Quote of the episode "Tone words are a starting point — but the real magic lives in what they mean to you." BONUS FUN STUFF Feelings wheels to get the ideas turning: Wheel 1 [https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/690528555402285522/] | Wheel 2 [https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/690528555402285498/] | Wheel 3 [https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/690528555402285497/] | Wheel 4 [https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/690528555402285444/] | Wheel 5 [https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/690528555402285437/] Links + Resources Check out Voice on the Rocks [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMEnLAHja1ja_tHpyuLljXHVF80WHdau7zJpLzr6UG0/edit?usp=sharing] — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from. Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy [https://instagram.com/stephlaffy]

The one where we talk shit about frameworks and best practices

Frameworks, formulas, and best practices aren’t evil — but they can be creativity killers when they take the lead. In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy breaks down her beef with best practices, why starting with a template often flattens your best ideas, and how to flip the process so your creative instinct comes first. She digs into what happens when you stop defaulting to the “right” way and start trusting your own ideas again. The goal? Trust yourself enough to let your gut have the first draft, then bringing in the frameworks to refine, clarify, and shape it.  You don’t need permission to break the rules. But if you’ve been waiting for it, you’ll find it in this episode. Key Points Covered 1. How over-relying on frameworks can drain the spark from your ideas 2. Why “should” and “need” are creativity red flags 3. What to do before you reach for the strategy template 4. Why self-trust builds the voice that actually stands out 5. Why creative self-trust makes writing faster, easier, and more fun Quote of the episode  "The second you stop doing what you think you should, you’ll start creating what only you could." Links + Resources Check out Voice on the Rocks [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMEnLAHja1ja_tHpyuLljXHVF80WHdau7zJpLzr6UG0/edit?usp=sharing] — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from. Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy [https://instagram.com/stephlaffy]

People spend 43.5% of their day thinking about what to post

Okay, she made that stat up. But between the posts you haven’t written yet, the captions you’ve rewritten twelve times, and the website update you keep putting off, feels plausible doesn’t it? It’s easy to spend more time thinking about your words than actually using them. In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy gets real about the pressure we put on our words — and what happens when we finally let go. This isn’t about chasing a strategy or saying the “right” thing in the “right” way. It’s about building the muscle of showing up, even when the post is messy, the plan is nonexistent, and the vibe is “fuck it, good enough.”  You don’t need more rules. You need more room to play. Let’s talk about how. Key Points Covered 1. How to build creative consistency without crushing structure 2. Why expression is strategic, and your “just because” ideas matter 3. The myth of perfect content—and how to replace it with sustainable storytelling 4. Why “good enough” content builds your voice and message faster than perfect drafts Quote of the episode "Because “I felt like it” is 100% a valid reason to post something on the internet." Links + Resources Check out Voice on the Rocks [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMEnLAHja1ja_tHpyuLljXHVF80WHdau7zJpLzr6UG0/edit?usp=sharing] — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from. Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy [https://instagram.com/stephlaffy]

“What the hell do I actually say?” (How messaging ties back to your voice)

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 1. Why most messaging templates feel like renamed content buckets 2. The difference between guiding principles, differentiators, and messaging pillars 3. How to collect real-world messaging clues from your rants, rambles, and repeat lines 4. Why your messaging pillars should come from your own stories, opinions, and soapboxes 5. 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 [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMEnLAHja1ja_tHpyuLljXHVF80WHdau7zJpLzr6UG0/edit?usp=sharing] — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from. Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy [https://instagram.com/stephlaffy]