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