Welcome to Issue 97 of Clearly YOU. Every second Wednesday, I serve up ideas that help you share the clearest, realest, most unforgettable version of yourself with the world. Not a subscriber? Let's fix that: https://kimscaravelli.com/newsletter/

❄️ It’s January in Nova Scotia.

It’s cold. And cold makes us less inclined to go out and socialize with other humans. That’s what cold does. It gets in the way of connecting.

In real life, cold looks like snowflakes and icy sidewalks. In written communication, it looks like boring business speak that rambles on about “clients and prospects,” “benefits and features,” and “competitive advantages.”

That coldness is often compounded by jargon, word-salad sentences, and an overabundance of adjectives. 🥶 Brrrr.

So how do you warm things up? Honestly, it’s easier than you think.

You don’t need AI help for this. In fact, you’re better off doing it yourself, because the more you practise being warm in your writing, the easier it becomes to make warmth your default setting.

Want to see an example of warm writing? Look back at the paragraphs you just read.

I’ve already used a few simple warm-up tactics. And once you notice them, you can’t un-see them:

I stick to present tense whenever possible, because present tense is warm. It’s happening NOW. The past and the future create distance, and distance cools things down.
I write to one person. You. And I use words like you, me, and us because those are conversational words. They’re the words folks use when they’re actually talking to each other.
I also drop in something real and relatable. In this case, winter in Nova Scotia. Nothing fancy. Just real life. And real is warm.
Most important of all, I make it about you, the reader. Most professional communication isn’t written just to promote the brilliance of the writer, their product, or their organization. It’s written to inform, persuade, and sometimes inspire action. Which means I don’t need to ramble on about my expertise. I need to get straight to how your life, your work, or even the next hour of your day gets better because of what I’m telling you.

Cool Quote

"Don’t write to impress. Write to connect."
Seth Godin

A Fast Fix For Cold Writing

Storytelling, popping real-life scenarios into your professional communication, and even staying in present tense, are skills that take a bit of time and effort to master. They’re absolutely worth learning (it’s not rocket science), but there is a learning curve. I get it.

That said, there’s one fast fix that will make almost any website page, promotional piece, or email instantly warmer. And it’s easy peasy. Switch to you and I language.

Simple example:

🌧️"Our clients appreciate our commitment to fast replies and timely communication."

☀️"You'll appreciate our commitment to fast replies and timely communication."

☀️☀️"I get back to you quickly because I value you and your time."

Homework assignment: Try this on just one paragraph today and see what happens. It’s a small tweak with a big payoff.

Stuff Worth Sharing

Winter is all about fewer plans, longer evenings, and more time to curl up with a book. And if one of your goals this year is to improve your professional communication, reading fiction isn’t a luxury; it’s part of the practice.

The Canada Reads 2026 longlist is packed with Canadian fiction that does exactly what powerful writing should do. These are books written by people who know how to pull you in, create momentum, and make you feel something without spelling everything out.

Aim to read at least two or three books from this list over the winter. And while you’re curled up on the sofa, pay a little extra attention to pacing, voice, and how a few concrete details can replace an entire paragraph of explanation.

That’s warmth on those pages and it’s contagious.

Full longlist here:
https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/canada-reads-2026-longlist-9.7029177

For the Word Nerds

Vinterro is a Norwegian word that roughly translates to winter calm. It describes that quieter mental state that tends to show up in the colder months.

Vinterro isn’t about hibernating, or checking out, or binge-watching Heated Rivalry again. (Although I highly recommend both the series and the book, which happens to be on the Canada Reads list.)

It’s about being in a mental space where you naturally notice things that might pass you by during the hotter, louder, months.

Vinterro is a great state for learning. When the noise drops, we’re more likely to learn by watching, reading, and paying attention to how things are done well. This is the season where good ideas and interesting thoughts melt into your brain softly, without much resistance.

If summer is for output, vinterro is for integration. This makes winter the perfect time to quietly, almost accidentally, warm up your words.