---
title: Humanizer analysis — Alison M. Cheperdak bios and website copy
date: 2026-04-13
status: research findings (no edits made to source copy)
---

# Humanizer findings: Alison M. Cheperdak copy

This document flags AI-writing patterns across every section of the copy file and offers concrete suggestions. The source copy has not been altered.

---

## Executive summary

The copy is well-structured and clearly written by someone who knows the subject. The voice in the **Substack bio** is genuinely warm and personal — it reads like a real person telling her story. The **LinkedIn** and **platform bios** are professional and appropriate. The biggest concerns live in the **website pages** (Homepage, Coaching, Speaking, Book), where the writing leans heavily on patterns that read as AI-generated or AI-polished. Fixing these sections would make the whole body of copy feel more consistent with the authentic Substack voice.

---

## Section-by-section findings

### 1. LinkedIn bio (lines 3–21)

**Overall:** Strong. Professional tone is expected here. A few minor flags.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Rule of three | "confidence, clarity, and grace" — used in nearly every bio variant | This phrase appears at least 8 times across the full document. On LinkedIn alone it's fine, but across the whole ecosystem it becomes a tell. Consider varying it on some platforms. |
| Promotional phrasing | "signature daily etiquette content" | "Signature" is a marketing word. "Her daily etiquette content" is cleaner. |
| Missing space | "Ask Alison*column" (line 11) | Typo — needs a space before "column." |

---

### 2. Website About page (lines 23–45)

**Overall:** Good origin story. The opening paragraph is engaging. A few patterns creep in mid-section.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Em dash overuse | Lines 25, 27, 35 — three em dashes in close proximity | Swap one or two for commas or periods. |
| Bolded paragraph | Line 29 — entire credential paragraph is bold | Bold this long makes it harder to read, not easier. Bold just the name or nothing. |
| Copula avoidance | "skills that would later become foundational to her work" | Simpler: "skills she'd later use in her work" or "skills she'd rely on." |
| Inflated significance | "the quiet power of thoughtful behavior" (line 27, repeated line 96) | This phrase appears multiple times across bios. It's a nice line the first time; by the third appearance it reads like a tagline being force-fitted. |
| Rule of three | "confidence, clarity, and grace" (line 29) | Same phrase again. |

---

### 3. Substack bio (lines 47–68)

**Overall:** This is the strongest section. First-person voice, specific details (the oyster fork vs. strawberry fork, the friend Arianne), honest admissions about keeping etiquette private. It reads like a real person wrote it.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Rule of three | "thoughtful, curious, and kind community" (line 66) | Minor. Reads naturally here. |
| Generic positive conclusion | "They're about the small choices that shape how others feel in your presence" (line 68) | This exact line closes almost every bio. It's a good line, but its repetition across every platform dulls the impact. |

**Recommendation:** Use this section's voice and specificity as the benchmark for the rest of the copy.

---

### 4. Goodreads bio (lines 70–84)

**Overall:** Appropriate brevity for the platform. Shares the same boilerplate opening as every other bio.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Identical opening | Same "bestselling author, internationally certified etiquette coach" sentence | On a platform like Goodreads, readers may have already seen this on Amazon or the book jacket. A slightly different lead-in would feel less templated. |

---

### 5. Amazon Author Bio (lines 86–98)

**Overall:** Same boilerplate. Functional for the platform.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Same as above | Same opening paragraph verbatim | Fine for Amazon, but consider whether the "quiet power of thoughtful behavior" closing is doing real work here or just padding. |

---

### 6. Evie Magazine bio (lines 100–106)

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Promotional language | "Drawing on her multifaceted background" | "Multifaceted" is vague. The background has been described concretely already — law, journalism, government. Let those specifics do the work. |
| Rule of three | "gracious and grounded" — at least it's only two here | Fine. |

---

### 7. Social media bios (lines 108–128)

**Overall:** The Instagram bio uses emojis appropriately for the platform. The YouTube bio is solid.

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Promotional CTA | "Subscribe for thoughtful, real-life guidance on modern manners, communication, and social confidence" (line 128) | Reads like an AI-generated YouTube description. A more human version: "New videos on modern etiquette every week." |

---

### 8. Google Business Description (lines 130–136)

| Pattern | Instance | Suggestion |
|---------|----------|------------|
| Rule of three | "confidence, clarity, and grace" again | At this point a reader encountering multiple platforms may notice the repetition. |
| Promotional language | "make a lasting impression" | Overused marketing phrase. Consider something more specific to what actually changes for clients. |

---

### 9. Website Homepage (lines 138–268)

This is where AI patterns become most concentrated.

| Pattern | Instance | Lines |
|---------|----------|-------|
| **Emoji section headers** | Every heading uses emoji decoration (fire, sparkle, wave, diamond, envelope, link) | 144, 157, 163, 176, 182, 192, 246, 253, 263 |
| **Title Case in headings** | "FULL HOMEPAGE COPY", "HERO SECTION", etc. | Throughout |
| Em dash overuse | "Modern etiquette isn't about perfection—it's about knowing..." / "from first impressions to high-stakes interactions" / multiple service descriptions use em dashes | 149, 159, 200, 206, 218, 224, 236 |
| Negative parallelism | "This is not about memorizing rules. It's about knowing how to respond..." | 187–188 |
| Negative parallelism | "isn't about perfection—it's about" | 149 |
| Bolded inline headers in lists | Every service card follows the pattern **Bold Title** + description | 198–242 |
| Rule of three | "confidence, clarity, and grace" (again) | 132, 151 |
| Promotional language | "high-touch, personalized coaching" / "transforms good service into a memorable guest experience" | 379, 242 |
| Superficial -ing phrases | "ensuring that users can..." type constructions aren't present, but "knowing what to do, what to say, and how to make others feel at ease" is a triple that reads as AI-polished | 149 |
| Copula avoidance | "The people we remember aren't the loudest in the room. They're the ones who make others feel comfortable, respected, and genuinely seen." | 248–249 — reads like a motivational Instagram post more than website copy |

**Key recommendation for Homepage:** Strip the emoji from all section headers. Reduce em dashes by half. The "Meet Alison" section (lines 165–170) is strong — it has specifics (newsrooms, courtrooms, West Wing) and a clear voice. The services section is formulaic — every card follows the same "Feel/Learn/Give/Navigate/Make/Equip + confidence/ease" template. Vary the sentence structures across service cards.

---

### 10. Website Coaching Page (lines 270–465)

This page has the heaviest concentration of AI-writing patterns in the entire document.

| Pattern | Instance | Lines |
|---------|----------|-------|
| **Everything is bold** | Nearly every line on this page is wrapped in `**bold**` | 274–464 |
| Emoji section headers | Same pattern as homepage | Throughout |
| Negative parallelism (repeated) | "Not because you aren't capable. But because no one ever taught you..." | 280–281 |
| Negative parallelism | "This is not about memorizing rules. It's about developing a presence..." | 291–292 |
| Inline-header vertical lists | Before/After lists, "What coaching looks like" lists, "Areas we cover" lists | 300–303, 333–342, 350–360, 364–371 |
| Excessive hedging | "If you've ever felt capable—but not fully confident in how you come across—this work is designed for you." | 446 |
| Sycophantic phrasing | "You won't feel judged. You'll feel understood—and equipped." | 323–324 |
| Generic positive conclusion | "If this is something you've been thinking about—even quietly—it's worth exploring." | 452 |
| Rule of three | "confidence, clarity, and grace" / "thoughtful and highly personalized, grounded in real-world experience, calm, direct, and supportive" | Multiple |
| Same sentence structures | Almost every bullet begins with a gerund or "How to..." | Throughout |

**Key recommendation for Coaching page:** This page reads like it was generated or heavily polished by an AI. The wall of bold text is the single biggest red flag — no human writer bolds every sentence on a page. Remove bold from body copy entirely (keep it for headings only). The "hero" opening (lines 274–283) tries hard to empathize but lands as formulaic. The Substack bio proves Alison can write in a warm, personal, specific voice — this page should sound more like that.

---

### 11. Speaking Page (lines 466–564)

| Pattern | Instance | Lines |
|---------|----------|-------|
| Promotional language | "high-impact guidance" / "rare combination" | 474, 478 |
| Negative parallelism | "Many talks are inspiring in the moment. Few leave people knowing exactly what to do next." | 482–483 |
| Copula avoidance | "Alison meets people where they are—and elevates how they show up" | 494 |
| Rule of three | appears in several bullet lists | Throughout |
| Vague attribution | "Her work resonates with audiences who are already capable and are ready to be perceived that way." | 510 — this says nothing concrete |

---

### 12. Speaking/Press Contact Page (lines 566–671)

| Pattern | Instance | Lines |
|---------|----------|-------|
| Emoji section headers | Same pattern | Throughout |
| Title Case | "SPEAKING INQUIRY (HIGH-CONVERTING)" | 578 — these are internal notes that should be stripped before publishing |
| Collaborative communication artifacts | "Thank you for reaching out" / "We look forward to learning more" | 679, 687 — acceptable in auto-responses, but watch for the polite-but-empty tone |

---

### 13. Book Page (lines 709–778)

| Pattern | Instance | Lines |
|---------|----------|-------|
| **Everything is bold** | Same problem as coaching page | Throughout |
| Negative parallelism | "This is not about rigid rules or outdated expectations. It's about knowing what to say..." | 724–725 |
| Promotional language | "a kind of confidence that feels natural, grounded, and entirely your own" | 729 |
| Generic positive conclusion | "Thank you for being part of this community." | 775 |
| Superficial -ing list | "Navigating meetings, emails, and conversations" / "Handling sensitive situations" / "Feeling confident at the table" | 740, 744, 746 |

---

## Cross-cutting issues (appearing throughout)

### 1. "Confidence, clarity, and grace" — at least 8 occurrences
This phrase appears in the LinkedIn bio, About page, Goodreads, Amazon, Evie, YouTube, Google Business, Homepage, Coaching page, and Speaking page. It has become a tic rather than a tagline. If it's the brand tagline, use it once per page maximum. If it's not, vary it.

### 2. "The small choices that shape how others feel in your presence" — at least 5 occurrences
Same issue. Powerful the first time, invisible by the fifth.

### 3. Wall-of-bold on Coaching and Book pages
Bolding every sentence is one of the most recognizable AI-output patterns. It flattens emphasis — if everything is emphasized, nothing is.

### 4. Emoji section headers on all website pages
Real copywriters and designers don't use emoji as section markers in professional website copy. These read as ChatGPT output formatting. Remove all of them.

### 5. "Not about X, it's about Y" negative parallelism — at least 6 occurrences
- "isn't about perfection—it's about knowing what to do"
- "not about memorizing rules. It's about knowing how to respond"
- "not about rigid rules or outdated expectations. It's about knowing what to say"
- "not about memorizing rules. It's about developing a presence"
- Multiple variations

This construction appears so frequently it becomes a verbal tic. Use it once, at most, per page.

### 6. Em dash density
The website pages average one em dash every 2–3 sentences. Human writing uses them sparingly. Replace 60–70% with commas, periods, or colons.

### 7. Internal notes left in copy
Lines like "FULL HOMEPAGE COPY", "HIGH-CONVERTING", "IMPORTANT—keep this", "this is where you stand out", "optimized" — these are working notes that should be stripped before the copy goes live.

---

## What's working well

1. **The Substack bio** is genuinely excellent. Specific, warm, honest, with real anecdotes (the oyster fork, the friend Arianne, the admission about keeping etiquette private). This is the gold standard for the rest of the copy.

2. **The "Meet Alison" homepage section** (lines 165–170) has real voice — "newsrooms, courtrooms, and the West Wing" is concrete and memorable.

3. **The origin story** (wedding questions at 22) is a strong hook used well across platforms.

4. **The LinkedIn bio** is clean and professional. Minor tweaks only.

5. **The FAQ section** on the Coaching page (lines 434–447) is direct and human-sounding.

---

## Priority recommendations

1. **Strip all emoji from section headers** on website pages. Use plain headings.
2. **Remove bold from body copy** on Coaching and Book pages. Reserve bold for headings and the occasional key phrase.
3. **Vary "confidence, clarity, and grace"** — use it once per page at most. Find 2–3 alternative phrasings.
4. **Reduce "not about X, it's about Y"** to one instance per page maximum.
5. **Cut em dashes by 60%** across website copy. Replace with commas or periods.
6. **Rewrite the Coaching page hero** in Alison's Substack voice — specific, first-person, honest rather than empathy-mirroring.
7. **Vary service description structures** on the Homepage — not every card should follow the same "[Verb] your [noun] with [positive adjective]" template.
8. **Remove all internal working notes** before publishing.
9. **Use the Substack bio as the voice reference** for all rewrites.