Hi Reader

I’ve been to some events recently and I’m sure a couple of speakers have gone to ChatGPT the day before and asked them to write them a script.

Then they read it out loud.

If you've done this yourself, I'm not shaming you. When time is tight, AI can seem like the magic bullet - something polished in seconds. But it misses the core ingredient: you.

Yesterday, I was delivering a workshop for the Black Country Chamber of Commerce team and we were speaking about AI.

They were recently recruiting two members of staff and were shocked at the volume of applications that clearly used AI.

The strategy seemed smart: scrape information from the Chamber website, feed it to ChatGPT, get tailored answers.

Except everyone did it.

The applications were generic. They blended into one.

And this isn’t the first time I’ve heard that about recruitment and job applications.

Reader, that’s why your voice is so important - not just how you sound or your accent, but your stories, your experiences, your word choice, your frames of reference.

Stories and experiences give meaning to ideas. It stops you saying what could be done to what you have done and the impact or outcome your actions had. It’s proof that builds trust.

Unless you’ve trained your AI with case studies and examples, it’s not going to be able to do that. (And even if you have, you need to double check what it’s written, It has a tendency to make things up.)

When you have ownership over what’s written, it’s also so much easier to learn and remember.

That’s not to say that AI can’t help you (if you want it to).

I use it to help with editing and if you have voice-enabled ChatGPT, you can use it as a rehearsal partner to give you feedback (see this week's prompt below).

But ultimately, speaking in public is a very human thing. A good idea can spark ideas, connection, and meaningful conversations. That’s why it’s more important than ever to have diverse and different voices, rather than those who just shout the loudest.

Reader, could that be you?

If you want to develop your speaking skills or have a story to share in 2026, I'd love to help.

I offer:

• 1-2-1 presentation coaching
• Group workshops (like the Chamber session)
• A short online course (coming soon - reply if interested!)

Hit reply and let's talk.

Best,

Charlotte

ISSUE #7 - THE HIDDEN CONNECTOR is out next Thursday

PROMPT TO TRY THIS WEEK

Most people edit silently in their heads. But clarity and confidence happen when you speak aloud.

ChatGPT’s voice tool can help you to:

spot where you stumble or lose breath

• hear how your talk actually sounds
• find natural pacing, pauses and emphasis
• practise in a safe, low‑pressure environment
• strengthen your authentic speaking style

How to use it

Open ChatGPT → press the microphone → read a section of your talk.

Prompt: > “Here’s me reading part of my talk. Can you tell me where my rhythm faltered or where I hesitated, and why those moments might be difficult to say aloud?”

What ChatGPT listens for:

• Tricky phrasing
• long sentences that need dividing
• loss of breath or rushed delivery
• where energy naturally drops

Note: This requires ChatGPT Plus for voice mode.

HOW THE COVER WAS CREATED

This week's cover was more straightforward - I wanted film noir meets 90s cinematic realism.

Charlotte Ex Machina at a microphone. Audience in silhouette. Dramatic lighting. The moment of transmission.

But here's what I learned: knowing when to let imperfections slide.

If you look closely at "CharLatte" in the title, the A and R merge. I noticed it and tried to fix it.

The corrected version? The issue number disappeared. Charl Ex M's face looked over-enhanced - she lost character. The text shifted. It just wasn’t right but I didn’t want to waste any more time or energy on regenerating.

So I kept the "imperfect" version.

Because here's the thing: old comics had printing imperfections. Ink bleeds. Letters touching (and that’s why you’d never see the name “Clint” for a comic book character 😜- ink bleed creates… unfortunate outcomes.)

Those "flaws" are now part of their charm. Part of what makes them feel authentic.

Perfect isn't always better. Sometimes good enough - with soul - beats technically flawless. And after all, isn’t ‘perfect’ often subjective?

This is judgment AI can't automate. Knowing when to stop fixing.

When words align, worlds connect. Even if the letters touch.

ENJOYED THIS? HIT REPLY

Even if it's just "read it 👍"

It helps with deliverability, and I love knowing you made it to the end.