It's just words on the internet Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:48:41 -0500 https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518491 en-us © 2026 It's just words on the internet yes 008a8135-837a-52df-a8da-1f965449fa3a Stephanie Laforest serial false 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.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Stephanie Laforest https://storage.buzzsprout.com/vfahuytdlufodghr400yoi6nv8vv?.jpg It's just words on the internet 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 | Kaitlyn Hill Author
Sol & Sand Texas Elopements | Sol & Sand “Long Way Home” Photo Collection



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

]]> 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 | Kaitlyn Hill Author
Sol & Sand Texas Elopements | Sol & Sand “Long Way Home” Photo Collection



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

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17617900 Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1726 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Creative Brand Direction 1 8 full false Let’s play a game of word vs word (the nerdy episode) 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 | Wheel 2 | Wheel 3 | Wheel 4 | Wheel 5

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

]]> 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 | Wheel 2 | Wheel 3 | Wheel 4 | Wheel 5

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

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17617897 Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1333 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Tone Word Reactions 1 7 full false The one where we talk shit about frameworks and best practices 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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> 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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594152 Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 970 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Easeful Writing 1 6 full false People spend 43.5% of their day thinking about what to post 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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> 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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594147 Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1627 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Creative Friction 1 5 full false “What the hell do I actually say?” (How messaging ties back to your voice) “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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> 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 — my one-off session where we distill your voice down to something you can actually write from.

Follow her on Instagram: @stephlaffy

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594140 Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1753 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Framework Fatigue 1 4 full false Your brand voice isn’t 3 cute adjectives and some hype Your brand voice isn’t 3 cute adjectives and some hype Bold. Approachable. Fun. Cute adjectives, but not a brand voice. 

In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy breaks down why the common “pick three tone words” advice falls short — and what to do instead. Adjectives can give you clues, sure. But without context and emotional direction, they won’t tell you how to sound in an email, or a sales page, or when you’re explaining your personality to a writer (or to AI).

We’ll dig into what your brand voice is made of — vocabulary, rhythm, and feels — and how building a brand personality and “world” around your voice makes it way easier (and way more fun) to write from it on purpose. Because your brand doesn’t need more words. It needs a whole ass energy.


Key Points Covered

  1. Why tone words (alone) aren’t helpful—and what they are good for
  2. The three elements of brand voice: vocabulary, rhythm, and feels
  3. How brand personality and setting give your voice creative direction
  4. Why “writing from” your brand beats “writing for” it
  5. How to collect brand voice inspiration you can tap into on the daily

Quote of the episode

"When you stop writing for your brand and start writing from it, everything shifts."

EXTRA STUFF

My Pinterest Brand World — the visual inspiration behind my brand setting

Laffycore Playlist — the soundtrack to my brand world

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

]]> Bold. Approachable. Fun. Cute adjectives, but not a brand voice. 

In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy breaks down why the common “pick three tone words” advice falls short — and what to do instead. Adjectives can give you clues, sure. But without context and emotional direction, they won’t tell you how to sound in an email, or a sales page, or when you’re explaining your personality to a writer (or to AI).

We’ll dig into what your brand voice is made of — vocabulary, rhythm, and feels — and how building a brand personality and “world” around your voice makes it way easier (and way more fun) to write from it on purpose. Because your brand doesn’t need more words. It needs a whole ass energy.


Key Points Covered

  1. Why tone words (alone) aren’t helpful—and what they are good for
  2. The three elements of brand voice: vocabulary, rhythm, and feels
  3. How brand personality and setting give your voice creative direction
  4. Why “writing from” your brand beats “writing for” it
  5. How to collect brand voice inspiration you can tap into on the daily

Quote of the episode

"When you stop writing for your brand and start writing from it, everything shifts."

EXTRA STUFF

My Pinterest Brand World — the visual inspiration behind my brand setting

Laffycore Playlist — the soundtrack to my brand world

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

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594104 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 1788 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, Tone Clarity 1 3 full false Why that brand voice workbook didn't work for you Why that brand voice workbook didn't work for you You didn’t do it wrong. Those brand voice workbooks just weren’t built to help you actually see your voice. And they definitely weren’t built for nuance, emotion, or turning what’s in your head into something you can write from on purpose.

In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy is breaking down why those fill-in-the-blank exercises so often leave you staring at a beautifully written paragraph of…nothing. We’ll talk about what’s missing (spoiler: it’s not more adjectives), why finding your voice in a vacuum is almost impossible, and what to do instead.

If you’ve ever closed a workbook thinking “cool…so now what?”, this one’s for you.


Key Points Covered

  1. Why even the best-designed voice workbook often leaves you stuck.
  2. Why solo brand voice work is like reading the label from inside the bottle.
  3. How reflection and feedback give your voice the clarity a workbook can’t.
  4. Your voice lives in your rambles, not your five neatly circled adjectives.


Quote of the episode
"Trying to find your brand voice solo is like trying to read the label from inside the bottle."


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

]]> You didn’t do it wrong. Those brand voice workbooks just weren’t built to help you actually see your voice. And they definitely weren’t built for nuance, emotion, or turning what’s in your head into something you can write from on purpose.

In this episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy is breaking down why those fill-in-the-blank exercises so often leave you staring at a beautifully written paragraph of…nothing. We’ll talk about what’s missing (spoiler: it’s not more adjectives), why finding your voice in a vacuum is almost impossible, and what to do instead.

If you’ve ever closed a workbook thinking “cool…so now what?”, this one’s for you.


Key Points Covered

  1. Why even the best-designed voice workbook often leaves you stuck.
  2. Why solo brand voice work is like reading the label from inside the bottle.
  3. How reflection and feedback give your voice the clarity a workbook can’t.
  4. Your voice lives in your rambles, not your five neatly circled adjectives.


Quote of the episode
"Trying to find your brand voice solo is like trying to read the label from inside the bottle."


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

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594097 Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 783 1 2 full false Let's dig out your brand voice Let's dig out your brand voice If your brand voice is feeling a little…off, it’s not because you don’t have one. It’s just buried under a pile of “shoulds,” best practices, and niche pressure. The trick is learning how to spot it, pull it out, and have the motherfreaking guts to use it (on purpose).

In the first episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy’s digging into why writing for your business can feel so freaking hard, and why the fix is never a one-and-done brand voice guide. Instead, she’ll show you how to start collecting “voice clues” from the way you already talk, write, text, and joke. The goal? To help you trust what you’re saying, feel good putting it out into the world, and maybe even have a little fun with it again.

Key Points Covered

  1. Brand voice is something you discover, not invent.
  2. The actual first step to finding your voice = curiousity.
  3. What group chats and text messages can teach you about brand voice.
  4. How to start your own “brand voice clue” file (and what to put in it)

Quote of the episode

"If I dropped your brand in a random group chat, we should know instantly: yep, that’s them."



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

]]> If your brand voice is feeling a little…off, it’s not because you don’t have one. It’s just buried under a pile of “shoulds,” best practices, and niche pressure. The trick is learning how to spot it, pull it out, and have the motherfreaking guts to use it (on purpose).

In the first episode of It’s Just Words on the Internet, Laffy’s digging into why writing for your business can feel so freaking hard, and why the fix is never a one-and-done brand voice guide. Instead, she’ll show you how to start collecting “voice clues” from the way you already talk, write, text, and joke. The goal? To help you trust what you’re saying, feel good putting it out into the world, and maybe even have a little fun with it again.

Key Points Covered

  1. Brand voice is something you discover, not invent.
  2. The actual first step to finding your voice = curiousity.
  3. What group chats and text messages can teach you about brand voice.
  4. How to start your own “brand voice clue” file (and what to put in it)

Quote of the episode

"If I dropped your brand in a random group chat, we should know instantly: yep, that’s them."



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

]]> Stephanie Laforest Buzzsprout-17594035 Tue, 26 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0400 993 Brand Voice, Authentic Marketing, Messaging Strategy, Creative Entrepreneurship, 1 1 full false