Finding Your Voice: The Art of Writing Copy That Feels Like You | RR306
Some writers make magic with words—and copywriter and content strategist, Annette Mashi is one of them. I sit down with Annette to talk all things storytelling, learning your voice, and authentic messaging. Annette shares how she helps business owners sound like themselves in their marketing, whether it's through email sequences, blogs, or brand messaging. We get into the power of writing in your own voice, how to make your copy feel personal instead of salesy, and why storytelling builds stronger business relationships.
Annette doesn’t hold back on the behind-the-scenes of her creative process—from helping clients find the right words, to crafting content that resonates and actually gets read. If writing your own content feels like a chore or a mystery, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence to get started.
Highlights:
- Tips for finding and writing in your authentic voice—even if you’re not a “writer.”
- The simple copywriting shift that makes emails feel like conversations, not pitches.
- Why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in building trust and connection.
- How to turn inspiration from everyday life into relatable, engaging content.
- What makes a welcome email sequence work—and how to create one that builds lasting relationships.
Connect with Annette:
Website: https://www.writewizards.com/
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/annettemashi
Get your Free guide on 3 Steps to Turn Prospects into Paying Clients with Email - https://write-wizards.ck.page/f82d541acf
In appreciation for being here, I have some gifts for you:
A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:
An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by taking the
3 Card Sampler – you won’t regret it.
AND … Don’t forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and be eligible for my
complimentary LinkedIn profile audit – I do one each month for a lucky
listener!
Connect with me:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/
https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1
https://www.instagram.com/socjanice/
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Transcript
Annette, hello everybody, and welcome to this
Janice Porter:week's episode of relationships rule. Today we're going to dig
Janice Porter:into the power of authentic copywriting, how to make your
Janice Porter:words feel natural, connect with your audience and ultimately
Janice Porter:build trust. My guest, Annette Mashi is a talented copywriter
Janice Porter:and content strategist who helps business coaches, consultants
Janice Porter:and designers craft messaging that truly sounds like them.
Janice Porter:We'll explore how she captures her clients, voices, how great
Janice Porter:copy fosters meaningful business relationships, and why
Janice Porter:authenticity is key in marketing. So let's get into the
Janice Porter:show. Welcome Annette. Oh Janice. I
Annette Mashi:am so happy to be here. You've had so many, so
Annette Mashi:many episodes, and I've listened to so many of them. You're in my
Annette Mashi:ears a lot in the morning when I when I exercise, so I'm thrilled
Annette Mashi:to Well, thank you. Thank you.
Janice Porter:I love that. The thing I love the most is that we
Janice Porter:met on LinkedIn, and we have over a period of time, and to
Janice Porter:your credit for being consistent and keeping me to it, because
Janice Porter:sometimes I fall off the wagon, we have developed a lovely
Janice Porter:friendship based on consistent calls on zoom over the last
Janice Porter:several months or year. Now, I don't know how long. I think
Janice Porter:it's been about a year at least. Yeah, two marriages in your
Janice Porter:family. I know two weddings. Yeah, so, so this is really
Janice Porter:special to have you as a guest on the show. So let's sort of
Janice Porter:start with, let's back up a little bit and and ask you what
Janice Porter:first drew you to the world of copywriting and content
Janice Porter:strategies and writing, period? Yeah,
Annette Mashi:so I think that my first memory of like,
Annette Mashi:creating magic with words was when I was helping my 16 year
Annette Mashi:old sister get her first job. You know, when you're 16 years
Annette Mashi:old, and you don't have and you don't have anything to write on
Annette Mashi:your resume, you have to, like, come up with stuff to put there,
Annette Mashi:because otherwise it's just one big blank page. And so I said
Annette Mashi:that she was a beverage coordinator.
Janice Porter:Oh, a beverage coordinator, a
Annette Mashi:beverage coordinator. But what? What she
Annette Mashi:did was she worked at McDonald's, and she asked you if
Annette Mashi:you wanted coke Sprite or orange soda. I love it, and I expanded
Annette Mashi:it into beverage coordinator, so made her sound important. Then
Annette Mashi:when I started working, when I was working with Intel, what I
Annette Mashi:used to do there was I would help them with their yearly
Annette Mashi:reviews. I would help all my co workers with their yearly
Annette Mashi:reviews. So instead of saying, I did this or I did that, all of a
Annette Mashi:sudden they implemented, they optimized, they strata,
Annette Mashi:strategized. Is that even a word, they streamlined, and I
Annette Mashi:would pump up their titles and pump up the words that they were
Annette Mashi:using in their so that they would sound more, you know, more
Annette Mashi:important Sure, still the stuff that they were doing, but it's
Annette Mashi:by using different words, it really helped them, and then
Annette Mashi:they could advance in their careers. And I just carried
Annette Mashi:writing all the way through, from presentations and training
Annette Mashi:manuals. And so when I finally decided to escape from corporate
Annette Mashi:America, I say escape because I really did escape. When I
Annette Mashi:finally decided to escape. I realized that writing was the
Annette Mashi:consistency that I had all throughout all the years.
Janice Porter:So when you were a child, were you an avid
Janice Porter:reader?
Annette Mashi:I don't think so. I mean, I did read books. Yeah,
Annette Mashi:surprisingly, I did read books. Definitely for the library, I
Annette Mashi:used to get your card stamped if you read so many in so many
Annette Mashi:books. I remember meeting like rich man, poor man or something,
Annette Mashi:and it was so I read. I definitely read. I definitely
Annette Mashi:read a lot of books. I mean, not a lot of books, but
Janice Porter:I did read. Did you write in a diary where you
Janice Porter:were consistent diary writers?
Annette Mashi:Not a consistent diary writer. And I was awful at
Annette Mashi:grammar. Oh, yeah, grammar. And I was awful grammar was okay.
Annette Mashi:Actually, I was awful at spelling. I couldn't see
Janice Porter:both of those. I'm a grammar nerd and a
Janice Porter:spelling nerd. I i correct spellings on things that I see
Janice Porter:in the, you know, on walls in the stores and things like that.
Janice Porter:Yeah, that but, but that's interesting, because so I'm a
Janice Porter:Virgo and I'm, like, detail oriented, and those kinds of
Janice Porter:things drive me crazy. But writing, come are you Virgo,
Janice Porter:too? Did I know I am?
Annette Mashi:No, I did not know that. Look at this, okay,
Annette Mashi:but
Janice Porter:you had the knack to write. I don't. I just
Janice Porter:struggle with the writing part, the flow and the the you know,
Janice Porter:to make it sound poetic. I mean, you do a great job of that, and
Janice Porter:it fascinates me, because you were really good at sort of
Janice Porter:themes and and make it like your website. It you your website is
Janice Porter:right with right wizards,
Annette Mashi:right wizards, yeah, yeah.
Janice Porter:About. Magic, and the branding is perfect. So
Janice Porter:yeah, it's I always think people who are good writers were
Janice Porter:probably avid readers. So there goes that theory. No, no, okay.
Janice Porter:Okay. Well, my next question really started to talk about is
Janice Porter:you have a real talent for making copy sound like the
Janice Porter:person that writing it. So you do find somebody's voice. So
Janice Porter:what's your process for finding and capturing a client's unique
Janice Porter:voice?
Annette Mashi:Think it starts with listening. You're listening
Annette Mashi:to what other people are saying. I'm listening to the words that
Annette Mashi:people are using. There's an interior designer who might talk
Annette Mashi:about creating your soul space, which is very different than
Annette Mashi:some right that that puts a picture in your mind the kind of
Annette Mashi:space that they're creating, where somebody else is talking
Annette Mashi:about comfortable elegance. And so you have two different
Annette Mashi:images, and they're two different designers, and they
Annette Mashi:create two different spaces for two different types of clients.
Annette Mashi:And so it's really listening to the words that they're using.
Annette Mashi:It's also it would sound funny if somebody said, If, some if a
Annette Mashi:lawyer would start emails by saying how they unless, of
Annette Mashi:course, of course, they were in Texas, yeah. And then it would
Annette Mashi:make perfect sense. So all of that depends on who you are and
Annette Mashi:and your voice, and where you're located, and who your audience
Annette Mashi:is, the way that you're talking, so
Janice Porter:you're asking questions, you're listening,
Janice Porter:you're forming a feeling, and you're getting a sense of
Janice Porter:somebody quite quickly that probably starts to bring those
Janice Porter:images to your mind that would work for that person. Have you
Janice Porter:ever been like completely off?
Annette Mashi:I think I've, I've worked with somebody where
Annette Mashi:I told them to tone it down, like to tone it down. There they
Annette Mashi:were. We want to go there with so I worked with, it's okay. No,
Annette Mashi:I worked with, I work with people who were creating a
Annette Mashi:course to expose the Islamic Jihad, okay? And so they talked
Annette Mashi:about annihilating the Islamic Jihad, and I said, Well, we
Annette Mashi:don't really want to use the word annihilate. I'm not sure
Annette Mashi:how that works in marketing. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I was trying
Annette Mashi:to be nice. You can expose them and you can safeguard humanity
Annette Mashi:like that. That's a kinder way of saying like annihilating
Annette Mashi:people. Because, you know, we really are supposed to be like
Annette Mashi:humanity. And yes, we are. We're human race, and we do try to be
Annette Mashi:kind to each other. And so he just said he wanted stronger
Annette Mashi:language. So in that sense, I wasn't totally off, but I was
Annette Mashi:trying to pull it back. I don't know if it was like a male, a
Annette Mashi:male female sort of thing that he would go annihilate or or I
Annette Mashi:would, but we ended up with exposing and they said that that
Annette Mashi:it wasn't they wanted to really, really, really create that
Annette Mashi:strong image of like taking control. And I said, you know,
Annette Mashi:wasn't really my thing. So they said I was a little off with the
Annette Mashi:voice, but they can, they can tweak it. I mean, that's even if
Annette Mashi:you're off, there you go back. That's part of the copywriting
Annette Mashi:process. I might use a different word than what the person really
Annette Mashi:wants to use,
Janice Porter:right, right? And I have to say that, that in the
Janice Porter:work that I do these days, I am writing with people when I'm
Janice Porter:doing their LinkedIn, mostly their about section, but writing
Janice Porter:their profiles with them and and I may get a sense of what I
Janice Porter:think they should say, but I absolutely want them to put it
Janice Porter:in their own voice and and go from there. And that's kind of
Janice Porter:been an interesting process for me, because I'm not far off
Janice Porter:usually with people. So I guess, you know, I've learned a little
Janice Porter:bit along the way about writing in that sense, what would you
Janice Porter:say are the biggest mistakes people make when trying to write
Janice Porter:in their own voice?
Annette Mashi:I think that you're so close to the text that
Annette Mashi:you really don't even realize it. I often tell people that
Annette Mashi:you're inside the pickle jar and you can't read the label. I love
Annette Mashi:that. Yeah, you can, and it's always good to get that second
Annette Mashi:opinion. And that's even the two of us as we collaborate, like,
Annette Mashi:what do you think? And that's where you have a coach, or you
Annette Mashi:have a consultant, or you have a best buddy that they can look at
Annette Mashi:it from an outside point of view and then give you feedback to
Annette Mashi:see if, if you're really resonating with with yourself
Annette Mashi:and with the people that you're writing
Janice Porter:for. That makes sense. That totally makes sense,
Janice Porter:all right, how does authenticity in copywriting help build
Janice Porter:stronger relationships with your audience or with potential
Janice Porter:clients? I mean,
Annette Mashi:nobody really wants to fake it. If you're
Annette Mashi:faking it, it doesn't it doesn't work. It doesn't connect, it
Annette Mashi:doesn't resonate. And so you have to speak your truth. You
Annette Mashi:write what's in your heart. You put the emotions on the piece of
Annette Mashi:paper. You try to put empathy in what you're writing so that you
Annette Mashi:under. Understand where your clients are coming from, and you
Annette Mashi:understand what their issues are, and you you realize what
Annette Mashi:their issues are like. I hear you, I see you, and this is how
Annette Mashi:I can help you. I A lot of times we're writing for clients that
Annette Mashi:have been like ourselves in in the past, and how we've
Annette Mashi:struggled with an issue, and how we've gone through the
Annette Mashi:transformation, and how we've come out on the other side. And
Annette Mashi:so I'm writing my experiences, and that's where storytelling
Annette Mashi:comes in, because you're telling the story of what you did, how
Annette Mashi:you went through it, and how you know you can help somebody else
Annette Mashi:get over the hurdle.
Janice Porter:I know the best, the things that I'm drawn to
Janice Porter:when I get 40,000 emails in my inbox are the story ones are the
Janice Porter:people. When people tell me a story, those are the things that
Janice Porter:that attract me more than just all that content, you know, all
Janice Porter:that stuff I don't want to read. So not everybody writes that
Janice Porter:way, though, and not everybody wants to. Some are more, you
Janice Porter:know, do you? Do you in your head? Do you have like,
Janice Porter:categories of people and the type of writing? Like, I don't
Janice Porter:know. I don't, I haven't thought about it this way before, but
Janice Porter:you know, the storyteller versus what? Well,
Annette Mashi:I always try to pull in a story, regardless of
Annette Mashi:what it is. I really do, because I really think that the stories,
Annette Mashi:we love stories, because always love stories. I mean, our
Annette Mashi:Throughout history, people have told stories, yeah, so, I mean
Annette Mashi:the story is what sells it. You're not going to remember
Annette Mashi:necessarily the numbers and the facts right before the dates and
Annette Mashi:the times, but you can remember that story, you know, it's
Annette Mashi:funny, those connections.
Janice Porter:I was, I was doing a, I was part of a
Janice Porter:presentation yesterday that one of my clients was doing for his
Janice Porter:clients and and it was to do with, we were introducing them
Janice Porter:to send out cards, which you're familiar with. And he told, he
Janice Porter:wanted me to tell a couple of stories and talk about, you
Janice Porter:know, the power of sending cards and whatever. And I, I always
Janice Porter:tell this one story. This story is now probably 20 years old,
Janice Porter:but every and it's not very long, but, and it's about the
Janice Porter:owner of our of Send Out Cards and a card that he sent, and the
Janice Porter:experience that this person had. And it's to this day when I tell
Janice Porter:that story, I still get goosebumps because it's so
Janice Porter:powerful, and it's not very I've shortened it, obviously, over
Janice Porter:the years, and then just give the gist of it. But when you
Janice Porter:tell a story that really resonates. You can really tell
Janice Porter:and sometimes it's caused a hush, you know, in real life,
Janice Porter:when I've told it, but those are the most powerful things. And
Janice Porter:you're absolutely right. I think
Annette Mashi:there's nothing that mentioned, yeah, there's
Annette Mashi:nothing better than story. It's a connection, whether it's
Annette Mashi:whether I'm talking about, you know, the an architect or
Annette Mashi:designer, and how they make you feel in that room and and the
Annette Mashi:joy that they have, and the children coming in, like your
Annette Mashi:grandchildren coming in, and I can see your face lighting up,
Annette Mashi:yeah, with the words like grandchildren, children and
Annette Mashi:grandchildren, they're coming in, they're playing in the
Annette Mashi:space. They're enjoying the room, they're running, they're
Annette Mashi:jumping on the couch and things like that. And that paints a
Annette Mashi:picture for people, yeah, and it's all white
Janice Porter:furniture, and you're going, Oh, you're vague,
Janice Porter:yeah,
Annette Mashi:well, there's that too, yeah, a separate space
Annette Mashi:so you have, like, a good, clean and person that's going to come
Annette Mashi:and help you. So, yes, for sure, for sure, but it's, it's the,
Annette Mashi:the whole idea of the picture and the story and the connection
Annette Mashi:that totally helps people and totally and we use stories as
Annette Mashi:lessons as well. Like I tell people. I remember my roommate.
Annette Mashi:I had a roommate in college, and I would every time I would call
Annette Mashi:her, which, you know, was whenever I felt like and I would
Annette Mashi:call her and she would say, oh, it's about time you're calling
Annette Mashi:me. And I was so put off by this.
Janice Porter:My mother used to say that to me,
Annette Mashi:there you go. And I'm thinking, why am I calling
Annette Mashi:you? Yeah, like, I'm not going to comment. That's not a good
Annette Mashi:relationship. And I tell people that's if you're sending emails,
Annette Mashi:like, every once in a while that the person on the other end is
Annette Mashi:like, oh, sorry, they're selling something. That's why they're
Annette Mashi:sending an email. But if you're consistently sending those
Annette Mashi:emails and connecting with the person and reaching out and
Annette Mashi:building those relationships, DMS on LinkedIn, whatever it is,
Annette Mashi:just to say, hey, thinking about you, those are the things that
Annette Mashi:build the relationships. Those are the things that build
Annette Mashi:connections. Those are the things that build the trust, and
Annette Mashi:those are the things that we want to continue because we want
Annette Mashi:we need that. We need that connection and the
Annette Mashi:relationships, and you're
Janice Porter:very good at that. And actually that leads
Janice Porter:right into my next question. Because my question is about, I
Janice Porter:know you do email marketing as well as you know content on on
Janice Porter:social and content for all sorts of things. How? How does email
Janice Porter:marketing play into relationship building, and what makes a
Janice Porter:marketing email feel personal rather than salesy? So the
Janice Porter:examples you gave were just about, you know, the the
Janice Porter:conversation building emails, but now you do email marketing
Janice Porter:like strategy for what an like a follow up to lead magnets, or
Janice Porter:getting somebody on your list and that kind of thing. So what?
Janice Porter:How does that play into relationship building? Because I
Janice Porter:can't do that. I need someone to do that for me, because I know
Janice Porter:have a follow up something,
Annette Mashi:and that's okay. That's okay. I look at it as,
Annette Mashi:like a first date, right? Okay, you you right. You're going to
Annette Mashi:go on a first date. And when you go on the first date, it's like,
Annette Mashi:hi, nice to meet you. And the next question out of your mouth
Annette Mashi:is, will you marry me? I mean, that's like, a disconnect,
Annette Mashi:right? Yeah, it's so funny. So you want to start, I always tell
Annette Mashi:people you want to start with, like, having a landing page. So
Annette Mashi:someplace you want to direct people to some location, right?
Annette Mashi:You're sending them to the restaurant. Go to this
Annette Mashi:restaurant at such and such a time, so you're sending them to
Annette Mashi:your landing page. Once they go to the landing page, then you
Annette Mashi:give them something for free. Hey, this is me. It's nice to
Annette Mashi:meet you. Here's something of value that's your free being a
Annette Mashi:lead magnet. And then after that, you want to send them a
Annette Mashi:series of mail so that they get to know more about you. Thanks
Annette Mashi:for downloading the information. Here's more valuable information
Annette Mashi:in the next mail. Here, I understand your pain points.
Annette Mashi:Let's talk about them. And each step along the way in this
Annette Mashi:welcome sequence, you're welcoming somebody into your
Annette Mashi:world, getting them to know a little bit more about you.
Annette Mashi:Follow me on social media. Small asks, Hey, this is an article
Annette Mashi:that might interest you or a video that you might want to
Annette Mashi:tell a story. Sometimes, in that I do, I tell a story of how I
Annette Mashi:helped somebody else with things that they're right, how a
Annette Mashi:success story or client story, so that the person reading the
Annette Mashi:mail can see how you help somebody else and identify and
Annette Mashi:say, if they got the results for one person, they can get the
Annette Mashi:results for the other person. Okay? And all of that is leading
Annette Mashi:them to join, you know, to be part of your email list on a
Annette Mashi:regular basis, where you can consistently nurture them.
Janice Porter:Yes, okay, okay, and how many emails are sort of
Janice Porter:the right number for a welcome sequence, and over what kind of
Janice Porter:time?
Annette Mashi:Yeah, I tried to do it like day by day by day. So
Annette Mashi:this does the first the welcome sequence. I do day by day by
Annette Mashi:day, because the idea is, you want to get somebody used to
Annette Mashi:seeing your name in their inbox. Okay, you want to make sure that
Annette Mashi:they're reading the mails that they're looking forward to. And
Annette Mashi:I give a teaser at the end of the mail. Okay, look for
Annette Mashi:tomorrow, when we're going to do the next one and things like
Annette Mashi:that. Okay, it also gets them to move. You want to try to get
Annette Mashi:them to move your mail from the promotions. You know, sometimes
Annette Mashi:they go to tabs and they get lost. You know, look for it.
Annette Mashi:Move it from spam to my regular inbox, the primary inbox, and
Annette Mashi:things like that. So you're kind of conditioning somebody to see
Annette Mashi:your name in their inbox and in and email marketing. Just, I
Annette Mashi:have my stats here. The email marketing is 40 times more
Annette Mashi:effective than social media, 40 times.
Janice Porter:Wow. That's a lot. That is a lot. I understand
Janice Porter:the concept of, you know, social media content being more
Janice Porter:passive, and you never know who's going to see it, because
Janice Porter:right the inconsistencies in people checking their emails or
Janice Porter:sorry, checking their their news, right there and so on,
Janice Porter:yeah and and the algorithms that that show or don't show that
Janice Porter:information To you, but 40 times
Annette Mashi:yes the message, yeah, and it's, it's 40 times
Annette Mashi:more effective in getting new customers and five times more
Annette Mashi:likely to be seen than Facebook. That five times, right? That
Annette Mashi:part, right? Because it's going directly to you. That's the five
Annette Mashi:times before.
Janice Porter:But I get so many emails every day I don't read
Janice Porter:them all. So what's going to make me open it? Who it's
Annette Mashi:from? That's your relationships. That's why the
Annette Mashi:relationships rule, because you have somebody who's going to
Annette Mashi:give you that information on a you. They're they're going to
Annette Mashi:show up. You're going to see value in what they're sending
Annette Mashi:you. You're going to want to read their stories. You're going
Annette Mashi:to want to follow them, you're going to build their trust.
Annette Mashi:You're going to learn about them. They're going to send you
Annette Mashi:information on a regular basis. I send, I send mails weekly. I
Annette Mashi:mean, there are people that send stuff daily. There's people that
Annette Mashi:send stuff three times a week, five times a week. I mean, too
Annette Mashi:much on. It depends on on what you're doing. But I'm sending
Annette Mashi:every week. I send. And something to my to my email list
Annette Mashi:to let them know, Hey, I'm thinking about you, and some
Annette Mashi:story and some antics. And this week, I just sent out about
Annette Mashi:about my daughter's wedding. Yeah, I saw
Janice Porter:it. I haven't read it yet. So there you go.
Annette Mashi:So there you go. But you will, because, yeah,
Annette Mashi:yeah, of course, of course, right.
Janice Porter:So, and then I had a whatever crisis this week,
Janice Porter:because yesterday I was supposed to today, my newsletter was
Janice Porter:supposed to go out, and I had no inspiration yesterday, and I
Janice Porter:haven't written it yet. So I was like, don't beat myself up. So
Janice Porter:it's okay, because people don't even notice if you miss a week.
Janice Porter:But in my head, it was like, you know, I didn't want to do that,
Janice Porter:because I try to be, you know, consistent, but when you but
Janice Porter:when you're not inspired, or you can't think of something that's
Annette Mashi:hard, does that ever happen? Yeah, it does. I
Annette Mashi:mean, that's, you know, why we have AI and chat GPT, and
Annette Mashi:sometimes I'll listen to podcasts, and it'll spark some
Annette Mashi:inspiration that I'll get. It's not, you know, and I don't want
Annette Mashi:to write, and my daughter's got hired, I don't want to write a
Annette Mashi:million mails about my daughter's weddings. I mean,
Annette Mashi:very nice to include some pictures and things, but, you
Annette Mashi:know, we don't always want to do that, and we're, you know,
Annette Mashi:writing emails for work, but a lot of it is, first of all,
Annette Mashi:don't beat yourself up. If you miss a week. You miss a week,
Annette Mashi:it's okay. I mean, like you said, nobody's going to notice
Annette Mashi:if you but try to be consistent. So don't miss and I do, and I do
Annette Mashi:try four weeks, right? But, yeah, I gained inspiration from,
Annette Mashi:from anywhere, from from my dog. I tell people like, I, you know
Annette Mashi:my dog, even I put on my sneakers and and he's like,
Annette Mashi:ready to go. It's his call to action. I call it his call to
Annette Mashi:action for a walk. So inspiration about that. Hey,
Annette Mashi:think about calls to action. Your pets are giving you calls
Annette Mashi:to action. Kids are great inspiration. Stories from the
Annette Mashi:past, anything days of the week can can spark something. So,
Annette Mashi:yeah, there's, there's lots of places that I
Janice Porter:pull true. You just have to stop long enough to
Janice Porter:think about it, right,
Annette Mashi:to let it in list. Well, keep a running list.
Annette Mashi:Sometimes jot something down. Sometimes I'll make a note on my
Annette Mashi:phone. Okay, found the exact I haven't found the method, yeah,
Annette Mashi:and a lot of people do content creation, like they'll sit down
Annette Mashi:one day and they'll write a whole bunch of emails or a whole
Annette Mashi:bunch of posts that they'll batch the work, and then when
Annette Mashi:they need it, then they'll go and they'll do it. Yes,
Janice Porter:if someone is struggling to sound natural in
Janice Porter:their writing, what should they do? Where should they start?
Annette Mashi:Whenever I'm writing, I'm thinking of one
Annette Mashi:specific person that I'm writing to. I'm thinking of the person
Annette Mashi:that's going to be reading the letter, so whoever I'm writing
Annette Mashi:to, like, this morning, when I was writing about the Disney the
Annette Mashi:same way, yeah, yeah. I'm thinking of, I'm thinking of
Annette Mashi:people like the some, somebody specific on my list that's like,
Annette Mashi:going to be reading this and and like, laughing along with me at
Annette Mashi:the antics about that, but yeah, think of your you don't have to
Annette Mashi:write to the masses. You're writing to one specific person
Annette Mashi:about one specific idea and one specific point.
Janice Porter:So what's your favorite or ideal client? What
Janice Porter:do you love to do the best?
Annette Mashi:What do I love to do the best? I definitely like
Annette Mashi:to tell the story. So I prefer, like the emails, writing emails
Annette Mashi:and newsletters and blogs rather than writing website copy.
Annette Mashi:Website copy has to be short, sweet to the point. You have to
Annette Mashi:use the right words. It has to be clear, yeah, don't go for
Annette Mashi:clever. You know, it is clever. People don't always get it,
Annette Mashi:yeah, so it has to be really clear and to the point,
Janice Porter:okay, fair enough. So the writing is
Janice Porter:different in that. Writing's
Annette Mashi:a little different in that sense. So,
Annette Mashi:like, when you're writing, when you're writing a newsletter and
Annette Mashi:things like that. I mean, I want to be careful. I don't want to
Annette Mashi:use millions of words, because nobody wants to read millions of
Annette Mashi:words, but, but I want to try to tell the story. Tell the story
Annette Mashi:as as easily as possible and as succinctly as possible. I'll
Annette Mashi:even use big words and use words normal words don't like, try to
Annette Mashi:sound like you're, you know, an Oxford graduate, or anything
Annette Mashi:like I'm using normal words.
Janice Porter:So, so someone who wasn't big in spelling like
Janice Porter:you meant, like you right, admitted to, do you? Do you
Janice Porter:notice? Because I, for example, I have like, I have a few pet
Janice Porter:peeves around words and words being used incorrectly, and
Janice Porter:words like. You just mentioned you don't have to use big words.
Janice Porter:So I think of and I don't even know if they're the exact same
Janice Porter:meaning or not, but I they're often interchanged, and that is
Janice Porter:the word use versus utilize, and I hate that word utilize, and
Janice Porter:people use that word utilize all the time when why can't they
Janice Porter:just use the smaller word. So I
Annette Mashi:know so like things like that, you're trying,
Annette Mashi:you know, you're writing to people. You're writing to people
Annette Mashi:who don't have to be big, fancy words. People don't want that,
Annette Mashi:and they don't want the jargon you you're writing, right
Annette Mashi:somebody, and you never speak.
Janice Porter:You're speaking my language. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Janice Porter:for
Annette Mashi:sure, we have to communicate at the level that,
Annette Mashi:yeah, with the words that people know. I mean, I was looking at
Annette Mashi:something, they said it was somebody was writing about the
Annette Mashi:house and the possibilities of your home. And I'm thinking, I
Annette Mashi:don't know if anybody, like says, I really want to find out
Annette Mashi:all of the possibilities I have in my home. Like, what is that
Annette Mashi:like? I want, you know, want my home to be and the word, what
Annette Mashi:did she use, the word livable. I want my home to be livable. And
Annette Mashi:I thought, Okay, well, yes, I do want my home to be livable. But
Annette Mashi:that's not really the the picture, the pinning my mind is
Annette Mashi:that, like, it's queen, right? It's livable. That's
Janice Porter:not the same. And I would say, to turn that house
Janice Porter:into a home, I wouldn't call it. It's not a home until you make
Janice Porter:it your home with different right? Yeah, with, with the
Janice Porter:things
Annette Mashi:that you love, and, yeah, the colors and the
Annette Mashi:style and even that is is the same. And that's probably why I
Annette Mashi:like working with creative people, because and the
Annette Mashi:architects and interior designers, because that's
Annette Mashi:they're they're creating the same way I'm writing that's
Annette Mashi:personal for the person. They're creating spaces that are
Annette Mashi:personal for the I would
Janice Porter:think that you would be a good fit for a lot of
Janice Porter:realtors, too, who have to write the copy for the ads that go out
Janice Porter:for their properties. And that's a tiny little piece, I know, but
Janice Porter:it has to be done properly, too. And I remember working with a
Janice Porter:lot of realtors who they struggle with that, you know,
Janice Porter:because they all sound the same. So you've got to make it sound,
Annette Mashi:I don't know, right? But you also have to fit
Annette Mashi:that right. You also have to fit in like, three bedrooms, two
Annette Mashi:bathrooms, yeah, exactly, signs of action. So, yeah, it's not
Annette Mashi:like a lot of creativity. No, no,
Janice Porter:but, but still take some some expertise to do
Janice Porter:it properly, and that's just a little piece for sure. Um, have
Janice Porter:you ever written a book? Or do you have any desire to write a
Janice Porter:book?
Annette Mashi:Oh, I don't know if I want to admit this on No,
Annette Mashi:okay, oh, no, I'll tell you. Um, I actually just, just put
Annette Mashi:something together to be part of an and anthology, yeah,
Annette Mashi:anthology, yeah, I just submitted to be have,
Janice Porter:okay, that's exciting. I've done that,
Annette Mashi:yeah, yeah, that's as far as I did that. So,
Annette Mashi:yeah, it's great, yeah. So I'm looking forward to doing that.
Annette Mashi:It's about resilience, and your a new journey for women
Annette Mashi:entrepreneurs and so, so I'm, I'm very excited, and hopefully
Annette Mashi:the it's supposed to come out in June. So alright, I better put
Annette Mashi:paper to pen or pen to paper, yeah, pen to paper, yeah, or
Annette Mashi:click on the keyboard. I gotta click on the keyboard so that I
Annette Mashi:hit the deadline by Yeah. So
Janice Porter:that's great. All right, I'm gonna digress for the
Janice Porter:last little bit here and ask you my favorite question, because
Janice Porter:I'm very curious, and I want to know what your take on Curiosity
Janice Porter:is, would you say it's a two part question? Number one, okay,
Janice Porter:and I'm sure you've heard this if you've listened to enough of
Janice Porter:my podcast out. Number one, do you think curiosity is innate or
Janice Porter:learned? And number two, what are you most curious about these
Janice Porter:days. Okay, well,
Annette Mashi:I'm gonna hope that it's learned, because I
Annette Mashi:don't ever, I do not think that I was a curious child at all.
Annette Mashi:Oh, I really don't think I was curious about anything. I don't
Annette Mashi:think that I ever asked questions. I don't remember my
Annette Mashi:mother ever saying because I said so, you know, like, yeah,
Annette Mashi:why? Yeah, because I'm the mom, right? So I really don't
Annette Mashi:remember, like, being curious and exploring and or anything
Annette Mashi:like that. I mean, I was like, logical, scientific, step one,
Annette Mashi:two, step three, you know, maybe that's part of the Virgo treats
Annette Mashi:as well. It is, yeah, yes, right? So I don't think that I
Annette Mashi:was curious about anything. You know, I kind of just like, took
Annette Mashi:it for face value and that was it. What am I curious about
Annette Mashi:right now? I guess I'm curious about the way the world is
Annette Mashi:running. I'm curious about what people are thinking and maybe
Annette Mashi:the the opinion. That they have like, sometimes I'll I'll watch
Annette Mashi:the news and say, what are they thinking? I'm curious. I'm
Annette Mashi:curious what's running through their the minds of, yeah, the
Annette Mashi:powers that be to see what is going on, because it doesn't
Annette Mashi:make any sense to me. And I guess that's what a lot of other
Annette Mashi:people is about. Yeah, sure.
Janice Porter:Okay, fair enough, not going there. No,
Janice Porter:we're not going there today. And and would you say, so? Are you
Janice Porter:well, you weren't a reader when you're a kid? Do you read books
Janice Porter:now? Or do you listen to books, or do you watch movies? Or
Janice Porter:what's your favorite form of relaxation content?
Annette Mashi:Yeah, so definitely, well, I'd say I
Annette Mashi:watch Netflix just for like, relaxation and stuff like that.
Annette Mashi:Yeah, what am I watching now? Young Sheldon, oh, really,
Annette Mashi:just to laugh and I've seen it through. Okay, okay, okay, yeah,
Annette Mashi:The Big Bang Theory. I
Janice Porter:mostly go to dramas. So,
Annette Mashi:yeah, oh no, I watched all of suits I just
Annette Mashi:finished. Oh, like,
Janice Porter:yeah, that's over my drama. Don't watch the new
Janice Porter:series. It's terrible, just terrible. The suits are late.
Annette Mashi:Oh, it hasn't, it hasn't hit me yet. I mean, like
Annette Mashi:it hasn't hit here yet, so I haven't seen but I do. I do
Annette Mashi:read. I do try to read a lot of books, business books and things
Annette Mashi:like that. I do. I'm reading right? What am I reading now?
Annette Mashi:10x is easier than 2x Oh, that's so
Janice Porter:funny that you said that. Are you reading it
Janice Porter:too? No, but you're the third person that's mentioned that
Janice Porter:book, so I have to get it.
Annette Mashi:Well, you have to get it, yeah, and I have, and I
Annette Mashi:look, I got the introverts guide, Oh, I love that book,
Annette Mashi:right? Because you Yeah, because you said Matthew Pollard,
Annette Mashi:really, it's very easy to read, and you'll love it because it's
Annette Mashi:all stories. It's stories, right? It's stories, yeah, yeah.
Annette Mashi:I mean the Donald Miller, the story brand Yes,
Janice Porter:I read half of it. The second half, I think, is
Janice Porter:doing the work. But I've interviewed a girl who's one of
Janice Porter:the was one of the first story brand guides, and she's just
Janice Porter:written a book, and actually she's coming back on my podcast,
Janice Porter:but she mentioned something when I was listening to her podcast.
Janice Porter:That's where I think I got I heard before what you said about
Janice Porter:the bottle, the jar of pickles and being on the inside, she
Janice Porter:talks about that too. She said it's something like being in a
Janice Porter:it's like a bottle. If you're in the neck of the bottle, you
Janice Porter:can't see what's on the outside. A similar analogy that you use,
Janice Porter:so I knew I'd heard it somewhere. Yeah, yeah. So, so
Janice Porter:you like to read. I get books sent to me all the time. I don't
Janice Porter:have time to read them, and I just, I can't keep up, so I like
Janice Porter:to just when I've worked, finished working all day, I just
Janice Porter:like to veg in front of the TV and something that'll grab my
Janice Porter:attention and knit. If I don't knit, I fall asleep, so I have
Janice Porter:to knit. Yeah, all right, yeah. But this has been delightful, so
Janice Porter:I love that that we got to finally do this. And I have one
Janice Porter:last question for you, and the question really is, what's your
Janice Porter:best piece of business advice you'd like to share with the
Janice Porter:audience around what you do and how to make things easier.
Annette Mashi:So I have two pieces of advice. One is just do
Annette Mashi:it step out of your comfort zone, yeah? Nike, yeah. Or Nike,
Annette Mashi:yeah, and, and they didn't get paid by the let by the word
Annette Mashi:right, right, exactly, yeah, yeah. So definitely, just go out
Annette Mashi:there and be brave. Do it? Put yourself out there that that's
Annette Mashi:definitely one piece of advice, and another piece of advice is
Annette Mashi:that Done is better than perfect. Yeah, I love that. That
Annette Mashi:a lot of times we think that has to be perfect with all the i's
Annette Mashi:dotted and T's crossed, but it's better to have something done
Annette Mashi:than to wait around for perfection. And so they're,
Annette Mashi:they're the two pieces of advice that I great
Janice Porter:advice, great advice. And where can my
Janice Porter:audience find you? Annette?
Annette Mashi:And yeah, they can definitely find me on
Annette Mashi:LinkedIn, our one of our favorite platforms, yes, our
Annette Mashi:meeting place on LinkedIn, and there I have a wonderful freebie
Annette Mashi:for anybody that wants to do it. Yeah, three steps to turn
Annette Mashi:prospects into paying clients, and it's it's on your LinkedIn
Annette Mashi:profile. At the top, it's on my LinkedIn file. At the top, they
Annette Mashi:can click on it there. It's a featured thing,
Janice Porter:but and you will give me the
Annette Mashi:link if you don't already have it, yeah, for sure.
Janice Porter:Sounds good. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you
Janice Porter:for being here, and thank you to my audience. This was a great
Janice Porter:conversation and lots to think about. Um. Um, much insight into
Janice Porter:making copy feel real, personal and engaging. So if anyone's
Janice Porter:looking to refine their brand voice and build stronger
Janice Porter:relationships through content, they can find you and have a
Janice Porter:conversation to get started. All right, thank you again, and
Janice Porter:thank you to my audience. Remember, if you like what you
Janice Porter:heard, please let us know by leaving a review and remember to
Janice Porter:stay connected and be remembered. I.
