It's that funny transition time, isn't it? We're back to work, back to school, but the brain is still a little hazy from the heat and the memories made during the summer.

I had an incredible family holiday in Italy and took two full weeks off from my business - from posting on social media, from recording my podcast. And it was bliss. Very much needed. Notice I said recording rather than publishing, because I worked hard at the end of July and start of August to batch create my podcast episodes and schedule some posts for August, so that I could genuinely switch off. I'm so grateful for that.

Now, you may be struggling with motivation right now and that is absolutely normal at this time of year - I've felt it many times. So, in this episode I wanted to help with exactly that, and specifically when it comes to speaking, the topic of finding your voice again after you've had a break.

What I Know About Where You Are Right Now

I know you have valuable insights to share and a wealth of experience - true credentials to support why you do what you do. You're likely a couple of years into your business and have dabbled in some speaking opportunities. Perhaps a podcast here and there, maybe a talk for a networking event or within your organisation.

When you reflect on what you've done so far, I want you to ask yourself: did those opportunities help you to scale your authority, your impact, or your revenue?

I believe every speaking opportunity does at least one of these. But there comes a point when you start to understand that you need all three working together to truly scale your business.

Right now, you might have:

• A niggling feeling that it's time to accelerate what you do

• The desire to get your message out to the world on a wider scale

• The fear of judgment rearing its head and overthinking of what to say

You know it's September. You know it's time for big, bold moves as you assess your growth strategy for the autumn and you know that speaking - sharing your voice - needs to feature heavily in that.

My Own Journey With Finding My Voice

I know all of this because I have been there.

When I officially started my business with an introduction video on Instagram, I didn't show my face or let my audience hear my voice again for a very long time. I let consistency fall by the wayside - letting fear and doubt get in the way of being the voice and face of my business. Fresh out of my corporate job, I feared what previous colleagues would think, and let comparison with others further ahead of me stop me from taking action.

I've taken short breaks before, mainly for school holidays and in the early days it would take me days to post on social media again or send an email. I was overthinking what to say, and what I did say had no clear direction. I can see that clearly now.

But because I have laid the foundations and am absolutely clear on my messaging and story, I know exactly what to say now after a break. My first official day back at work this week included an interview for a magazine I'm a headline feature for. I walked straight into it - no hesitation, just complete clarity, confidence, and composure.

It's taken work to get to that point and this is exactly how I help my clients today.

Why Finding Your Voice After a Break Feels Hard

The feeling of needing to find your voice again is completely normal.

You feel it's gone quiet over the summer and now the pressure is on for your audience to hear from you again. The words that came so easily in June and July now feel hard to come by. The rhythm you were in over spring and summer feels like a distant memory.

When you step away from consistently speaking, that muscle gets a little stiff. And the inner chatter - which I talked about at length in my summer series - gets considerably louder.

Who am I to talk about this? Has anyone even missed me? Does what I have to say still matter?

Yes, it does. And here's how to find your voice again.

Step 1: Go Back to Basics

Before you record anything, post anything, or pitch yourself for anything - go back to basics.

And by basics, I mean your messaging and your story. Your why, your who, your what, and your how. The foundation of everything you communicate, all in one place.

This is one of the most important documents you can have in your business and it's what I help every client produce when we work together. A one-stop shop for everything about you that comes in incredibly handy when it comes to speaking opportunities.

If you don't have a master messaging document, now is the perfect time to create one. When you have clarity on your message, finding your voice becomes so much easier. You're not starting from scratch every time you sit down to create content - you have something to continually return to.

It should include:

• Your mission - the why behind what you do

• Your ideal client - who you're speaking to and what they're struggling with right now

• Your key messages - the three to four things you want to be known for, woven into everything you say

• Your unique approach - what makes you different from everyone else in your space

• Your stories - the personal and client examples that bring your expertise to life

If you already have one, go back and read it this week. Remind yourself of who you are, what you stand for, and why you do what you do. After a break, that reminder is often all it takes to feel like yourself again.

Step 2: Look at Your Feedback - It's Gold Dust

There's nothing that gives a quicker confidence boost, when you're feeling a little demotivated, than looking back at previous feedback.

Testimonials, comments, emails and DMs. They instantly show you how you made a difference, how something you said resonated, or what truly landed with someone. They are a goldmine for giving you something to say, or at least for raising your confidence before you say it.

Your inner chatter might be telling you that people have moved on and that you're starting from scratch this September, but this evidence is a reminder that that's simply not true.

So before you do anything else this September - go and read it.

Step 3: Set Yourself a Speaking Challenge

As someone who thrives off deadlines and challenges, I have found there is no better way to find your voice than setting yourself a specific one.

The clients I've worked with over the summer have spoken on podcasts, are setting up their own podcast, and have been given the opportunity to speak on panels. Pick one area in which you'd like to scale your speaking and give yourself a challenge to match it.

If you're starting out, it could be posting a weekly to-camera reel on social media. If you're further along in your journey and want to accelerate your speaking to scale, starting a weekly or monthly video series or podcast could be the goal.

It's a great way to hold yourself accountable and your audience will quickly come to expect to hear from you in this way too.

On a personal note, launching this podcast back in April has genuinely helped me stay consistent with my voice and raise my confidence in what I speak about. Having a break from recording over August and coming back to record this episode - it was so much easier than I expected, because I'd done the groundwork leading up to it.

That's what I want for you too. Speaking that feels second nature - a voice that feels completely yours, every time.

A Word on AI

Once you've done these three things, if you're still overthinking what to say, I'd encourage you to input your master messaging document, any feedback you've received, and even your speaking challenge into an AI tool as an ideas generator.

Just remember - AI cannot replicate your insights, your thoughts, or your perspective. Put your own spin on anything it produces, but for sparking ideas and getting the creative wheels turning, it can be genuinely useful.

And of course, you could also seek out support from a speaking coach. If we're not already connected on Instagram or LinkedIn, come and find me - it's where I share everything about how you can speak to scale your authority, impact, and revenue.

If I leave you with one thing, let it be this.

Your voice didn't go anywhere over the summer - it was purely resting and now it's ready to be fired up again and there are people out there who want to hear from you.

Prefer Audio?

You can also listen to this episode on my podcast: She Speaks to Scale.

Want to find out which Speaker Identity you are?
Take the quiz here

When you're ready, here's how I can support you:

I'm Sarah Collins - Speaking Coach, Media Expert and former Senior Television Producer for ITV & ITN.

If turning your speaking into real authority, leads, and revenue is what's missing right now, my signature programme, She Speaks to Scale, is where we do exactly that. Over the course of 8 weeks, we'll get clear on the message that makes you unmistakable, build your confidence and adaptability across every format - podcasts, panels, social media and stages - and you'll pitch for and deliver opportunities, with me as your cheerleader every step of the way.
October spaces available.
Let's discuss your needs

I also coach and train spokespeople within businesses to communicate with clarity, confidence, and composure on social media, podcasts, panels and in broadcast media too.

Turning representatives into trusted, confident Spokespeople

Photos by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash & Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash