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{{first name | friend}}!
I sent a friend two writing samples and asked her to guess which one I wrote.
Her answer: "I feel like I'll go with number two. Since when you're writing it always appear like you're sitting with the person and talking with them. If that makes sense lol"
And yes, that makes perfect sense. Here's why that matters for your content.
1. The voice test
I've been inconsistent with my daily emails lately. Not sending them out on schedule. Missing days completely.
Why? I've been building out Foundpreneur for the last few weeks. The Caribbean founder media brand is consuming all my attention.
But the experiment with my friend got me thinking about authentic voice versus outsourced content.
2. The instant recognition
She picked mine immediately. Not because it was better written. Because it sounded like me.
"Like you're sitting with the person and talking with them."
That's exactly how I want my content to feel. Conversational. Direct. Human.
3. The problem with outsourcing
When you hand your content to someone else, you lose the one thing that makes people follow you: Your voice.
Doesn't matter how good the writer is. They can't replicate how you think, how you phrase things, your specific way of explaining concepts.
4. What your voice actually is
Your voice isn't just your writing style. It's:
How you structure thoughts
Your specific examples and references
The way you transition between ideas
Your natural rhythm and pacing
The assumptions you make about your audience
No writer can replicate that. Because they haven't lived your experiences.
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5. Why people notice
Your audience has been reading you for months or years. They know how you sound.
When someone else writes "as you," it feels off. Like hearing someone do a bad impression of your friend.
The content might be good. But it's not you.
6. The business risk
Consistent voice builds trust. Inconsistent voice breaks it.
People follow you because of how you communicate. When that changes, they question everything.
"Is this really what Stephen thinks?" "Did he actually write this?" "What else isn't authentic?"
7. My take
I'd rather send inconsistent emails in my authentic voice than consistent emails that don't sound like me.
People follow you for you. Not for professional copywriting that happens to come from your email address.
Your voice is your competitive advantage. Don't outsource your advantages.
Talk tomorrow,
Stephen
P.S. The friend who identified my writing said it sounds like "sitting with the person and talking." That conversational voice took years to develop. No outsourced content is worth losing that connection with your audience.
