I do stuff with words

Hi, I’m Anna Pickard. I help people find the right words, and the right voice, and the right tone–to not only help them say what they want to say, but to make sure it’s received in the way they want.

I’ve worked in many different areas. You may know me from my work at Slack and other companies, from playing games that I’ve written, or perhaps you’ve seen talks that I’ve given.

Voice & Tone

I was in charge of the voice and tone at Slack from 2014–2020, seeing the company from sparky young upstart with a few dozen employees through to being a successful public company with thousands of staff. Since then I have worked as a consultant and advisor with many different companies, helping them with their voice and tone, scaling, maintaining consistency, connecting external messaging to internal values, and helping writing teams authentically connect with the people on the other side of the screen.

Speaking

I’ve spoken on tone of voice, content design and styleguides at conferences across the world, from Confab and 99U in the US, to Webstock in Wellington, New Zealand (twice!) and Directions in Sydney, Australia.

Writing

As a feature writer and humourist, I’ve been published in a range of places, including the Times and Independent, as well as in The Guardian, where I had several long-running columns. I also had a blog for about a billion years back when they were uncool the first time, and have one now that they are uncool once more.

Coaching

I work with creative individuals seeking to work through a block in their work, or professionals navigating a shift in career or focus. As a coach-mentor, I’ve worked with companies who’ve hired their first writer, but want someone to help them work out how to navigate the different demands and responsibilities of writing for a fast-growing start-up.

Podcasting

I do not yet have a podcast, but give me a minute.