You Don't Build a Voice. You Excavate One.
Why your most powerful writing voice isn't built — it's uncovered
Have you ever stared at a blank page and thought — I just need to find my voice?
Like it’s something you’re supposed to go out and get. Like it’s sitting in a store somewhere between the “content strategy” aisle and the “pick a niche” display.
Here’s what nobody tells you: you’re not looking for something new.
You’re looking for something buried.
The Archaeologist’s Secret
Archaeologists don’t make the artifacts they find.
They show up at a site, tools in hand, and they excavate. Layer by layer. Carefully. Patiently. Brushing away centuries of dirt to reveal something that was always there — a pottery shard, a coin, a fragment of someone’s real life.
Your writing voice works the same way.
It’s not something you construct from scratch. It’s not something you build by studying enough copywriters or reverse-engineering enough viral LinkedIn posts. It was formed long before you ever started a newsletter or posted a reel.
It’s been there your whole life.
Buried under perfectionism. Under comparison. Under years of being told — directly or indirectly — to sound more professional, write more formally, or be more like her.
The Voice DNA process is your excavation tool.
What You’re Digging Through
Before we get to the how, let’s name what we’re clearing away — because the layers are real.
Layer 1: Perfectionism. The belief that your voice isn’t “good enough” yet. That you need to clean it up, polish it, make it more... something. This layer buries your most natural expressions under endless rewrites that slowly drain the life out of your writing.
Layer 2: Comparison. You read someone else’s newsletter and think,“ That’s the voice I need.” So, you try to sound like him or her. Warm, but not too warm. Smart, but not intimidating. Relatable, but polished. Meanwhile, the voice that actually sounds like you gets pushed further underground.
Layer 3: Everyone else’s advice. “Always use bullet points.” “Keep paragraphs to two sentences.” “Never start with a story.” Rules. So many rules. And none of them know you.
The excavation isn’t about adding anything. It’s about removing what doesn’t belong.
The AI-Assisted Excavation Process
This is where it gets practical — and honestly, a little magical.
AI doesn’t write your voice. But it can reflect it back to you with stunning clarity. Here’s the process:
Step 1: Feed it your realest writing. Pull writing you created before you ever thought about “content strategy.” Old emails. Journal entries. A rant you typed to a friend. Voice memos you transcribed. The messier and less polished, the better. This is the unfiltered dig site.
Step 2: Ask AI to name what it notices. Not “write like me.” Instead, ask: What patterns do you notice in the way I write? What’s distinctive about my sentence structure, word choices, and rhythm? What keeps showing up?
Let it excavate. Let it show you what’s already there.
Step 3: Document the artifacts. The words you reach for naturally. The rhythm of your sentences. Whether you write short and punchy or long and lyrical. Whether you’re funny before you’re serious, or serious before you’re warm. These aren’t quirks to fix — they’re features to keep.
Step 4: Create your Voice DNA document (Psst … check out the P.S for help with this). This is your map. Every time you sit down to write — or every time you prompt AI to write with you — you hand it this document first. It becomes the filter. Does this sound like me? Does this feel like mine?
Step 5: Test and refine. Write something. Read it out loud. If you’d never say it, you’d never keep it. Your voice has a sound — and you know it when you hear it.
Why This Changes Everything
When your voice is excavated and documented, two things happen:
1) Writing gets easier. You stop second-guessing your writing because you have a reference point. You know what “right” sounds like for you.
2) AI becomes an actual collaborator, not a voice replacement. You’re not handing AI a blank prompt and hoping for something usable. You’re handing it your voice — and asking it to work with what you sound like, who you are.
That’s the difference between AI-generated content and AI-assisted content.
One sounds like everyone. One sounds like you.
Your Next Excavation Step
Don’t start by trying to write the perfect newsletter.
Start by pulling three to five pieces of your most unfiltered writing — the stuff you wrote when no one was watching. Then sit down with AI and say: Tell me what you notice.
What shows up might surprise you.
Actually, it’ll probably feel like coming home.
Your voice has been waiting. It’s time to dig it up. ✨
Now I Want to Hear from You 💕
Here’s my question for you this week, and I genuinely want to know:
Which layer has been covering your Voice DNA — perfectionism, comparison, or everyone else’s rules? Hit reply and tell me. I read every single one.
P.S. Speaking of excavating your voice — I put together something for you.
The Voice DNA Starter Kit walks you through the exact process I outlined above, step by step. It’s designed for online business builders who are tired of sounding like everyone else and ready to let AI amplify what’s already theirs — not replace it.
Grab the Voice DNA Starter Kit → HERE
♻️And if this changed how you think about content creation, hit “Restack” so other creators can find their own Voice DNA. ♻️