Say the thing: The case for more authentic content

You’re showing up. You’re posting smart things.
You’re doing all the right things… but it doesn’t feel like you.
12 likes. 3 polite comments. No real momentum.

Here’s what’s really going on:
You’re hiding your actual perspective.
You’re story is missing.
Your voice is flat.

That’s what keeps content invisible.
People sense vanilla content.
And scroll on past.

Nicole Gottselig helps fix that.

Nicole is a senior content marketer and fellow podcast host who has worked with Olympic teams, SaaS founders, and global brands like Hotjar and Uberall.

Her focus? Helping people write like themselves again.

Sharper. Clearer. More stories. More human.

The proof?

A financial advisor was publishing dry but accurate market updates (you know the type).

Technically fine. Get approved easily. Zero engagement.

Then Nicole discovered he visits African gold mines twice a year.
She had him write about that. The people. The work. The impact.

Result? That post beat every other piece of content he’d ever published.

Why does this matter?

Authenticity doesn’t mean baring your soul or being raw for shock value.

It means knowing your perspective, owning it, and sharing the kind of specific, lived experiences no one else can replicate.

People don’t trust generic takes. They trust the person who’s lived through something and has something real to say about it.

A moment from my own journey

Right after finishing my MBA, I said no to what looked like a dream job: working directly under Terry Guo, the CEO of Foxconn. On paper, it was unbeatable. Foxconn is one of the most powerful companies in Taiwan (where I live as an expat still today), and they're best known for assembling iPhones and other Apple products. I was a fresh grad. The prestige, the paycheck, the name on my resume. It all looked perfect.

But my gut screamed no. The office felt like a prison. Fluorescent lights, silent halls, rows of people too exhausted to look up. I remember walking out of the interview feeling like I couldn’t breathe.

That moment taught me something. When your body says no, listen. Even when the offer looks perfect.

And here’s the thing. How you make decisions in life shows up in how you communicate. If you censor your instincts offline, your content will reflect that, too.

Years later, I know I made the right call. Some I know who took the job burned out. Others quietly quit within months. That decision didn’t just shape my life. It shaped my voice and how I make decisions.

Purpose and authenticity aren’t abstract ideas. They show up in how you speak, what you write, and what you’re willing to say online. When your content reflects your lived values, people don’t just read it. They feel it.

My chat with Nicole

This week on the pod, I talked to Nicole for a deep dive into how — and why — to infuse your content with lived truth, emotional honesty, and personal clarity, especially in a world of algorithm-chasing templates and AI noise.

Hear about how she wrote 300 posts by hand (without AI) and other stories.

Nicole’s 3-point gut check

Before publishing anything, ask:

1. Does this empower someone?

2. Does it teach something?

3. Does it make someone feel something?

If it’s a no on all three? Scrap it.

Frameworks are only useful if they make your voice sharper, not safer.

If you’re tired of sounding smart but forgettable, here’s your next move.

Want to make your writing sound more like you?

I put together a worksheet to help.

Inside:

• How to talk before you type

• How to mine insights from voice notes

• How to build posts with real opinions

• How to create an AI prompt that matches your tone (not overwrites it)

👉 Your Authentic Voice Worksheet (with examples)

Use it to rewrite your next post today.

Say the thing.
Say it simply.
Then hit publish.

Nicole’s picks: Tools for finding and using your voice

• 🎧 Connect with Purpose Podcast
  Nicole’s podcast on voice, purpose, and impact.

•  Mel Robbins x Martha Beck – Finding Purpose
  A powerful talk about embracing fear and designing a purpose-driven life.

• 📖 Illusions by Richard Bach
  The book that pushed Nicole to go all-in on authenticity and global adventure.

Until next time… stay caffeinated,

Christine

🎧 Listen or watch this episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!

🎙️ P.S. Got a guest or topic you want me to cover? Just hit reply and tell me.

➡️ If you felt something when reading this, forward it to someone else who’s writing “right” but not seeing engagement.