Katie Skelton: Showing Up as You in Emails
In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland is joined by email strategist Katie Skelton to explore the powerful link between written voice and spoken voice. Katie shares how redundancy during maternity leave pushed her to start her own business, how she gradually found her niche in email strategy, and why the way we write and the way we speak are not separate at all, but two expressions of the same identity. Together, they unpack authenticity, improvisation, practice and trust, showing how finding your real voice on the page can strengthen your confidence everywhere else too.
Katie reflects on building a business through many small evolutions, discovering the creative freedom of email writing, and realising that her most authentic work comes when she writes close to the feeling of the moment. The conversation also moves into public speaking, where both Anne and Katie discuss why rigid scripts often kill confidence, how improvisation can unlock presence, and why truly connecting with an audience matters far more than delivering a perfect presentation.
Key Takeaways
Written voice and spoken voice come from the same place.Katie explains that the voice people hear in her emails is recognisably the same as the one they hear in conversation. When your writing sounds like you, it creates authenticity and connection. Sometimes your business direction becomes clear through doing, not planning.Katie’s move into email strategy was not part of a grand masterplan. It emerged through experimenting, noticing what felt natural, and listening when someone pointed out a strength she had overlooked.
Authentic writing needs the right conditions. Katie talks about “ideal conditions” for creating work that feels real. For her, that means writing close to the emotion or thought she wants to express, often with a little bit of pressure and immediacy, so the words stay alive rather than over-rehearsed.
Templates and formulas can make people lose their voice. In a world full of blueprints and frameworks, Katie believes many people become disconnected from what makes their writing theirs. Authenticity often comes from noticing your own natural rhythm, not forcing someone else’s system onto it.
Improvisation can be more powerful than scripting. Katie discovered through stand-up comedy and speaking experience that heavily rehearsed presentations do not bring out her best. She is far more effective when she trusts her expertise and responds in the moment. Trusting yourself is central to speaking well.Anne and Katie both reflect on how public speaking becomes easier when you stop trying to perform perfectly and instead trust your knowledge, experience and ability to connect with people in real time.
Slides do not create authority, presence does. The conversation makes the point that anyone can research and build a presentation, but that alone does not create trust. What builds trust is knowing your subject and being able to speak about it with confidence, energy and connection.
Audience connection comes from speaking to people, not at them. Katie adapts her voice by imagining one specific person when writing emails and by staying responsive to individuals in the room when speaking. That sense of real conversation keeps both writing and speaking human.
Practice builds clarity as well as confidence. Katie says that writing every day has not only strengthened her style but also helped her understand her own opinions, processes and teaching more clearly. Repetition turns instinct into something you can trust and share.
Best Moments
“Our written voice and our spoken voice are not separate. They’re two expressions of the same identity.”
“I was forced into it through redundancy.”
“I thought, well, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to have to do it now.”
“People would reply and say, ‘I heard you saying this in your voice.’”
“That’s how people lose their voice.”
“Scripted, rehearsed, rigid speaking does not work for me.”
“I just perform much better under improvisational circumstances.”
“The more secure you are that you are an expert… the easier it is to just stand up and talk.”
About the guest
Katie Skelton is the founder of Little Green Duck Ltd, where she helps solofounders and small businesses grow through clear, consistent email strategy and copy.
She writes the daily newsletter ALTITUDE, read by ambitious businessowners for practical email and sales insights.With a background in winning multi-million-pound broadcast industrycontracts, she brings real-world strategy to founders looking to turn words into predictable revenue.
About the Host
With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business.
Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/