Podcasts about toastmasters district

This morning on The Greg and Dan Show, Gary Vaughn came in to visit us.   Gary Vaughn is the District Director for the Central and Northern Illinois of the Toastmasters District 54. Toastmasters is an organization dedicated to teaching its members about public speaking and leadership, and the organization is celebrating their centennial this year. In this interview, Gary tells us about his story in Toastmasters, the local ties that the Toastmasters have with Central Illinois, how to join, and much more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monnica Rose is International Director of Toastmasters International, a non-profit organization that has been helping people surmount their fears of public speaking for nearly a century. Ms. Rose will be the keynote speaker for the spring conference of Toastmasters District 35 that will take place at The Abbey in Lake Geneva on May 5th and 6th.

This episode of the Transformational Pathways podcast features three incoming officers of Toastmasters District 46 for the year 2022-2023, Dora Maria Abreu, Evelyn Marrero, and George J. Rivera. They talk about some of the best moments they've had in Toastmasters and encourage everyone to explore the many opportunities and resources that the Pathways Program will provide.HIGHLIGHTSThe challenges in the transition coming out of lockdownsTheir goals for the year as incoming officersThe Pathways program and how people can find a club of their choiceDora, Evelyn, and George's most memorable momentsQUOTESEvelynn: "There's going to be a lot of 'let's see if this works' but thankfully we have a strong leadership team and Toastmasters International gives us a lot of support towards that. So while it will be challenging I think we'll definitely come out stronger on the other end." Dora: "For me, it was more of just being more confident in speaking publicly. So this was an opportunity to get more confident in that space in a safe environment where you would not have had that opportunity in your work experience."George: "We want all members to feel that Pathways is really there to support their journey. We want to create tools that are time-saving, we want to be a source of resources, we want to be available, and we want to be personable. My approach is to be very personable."Evelynn: "I began to realize that I did have a leader in me. That I did have something to share that others found interesting and that they followed. Through concise communication is how you lead best."Connect with Dora, Evelynn, and George in the links below:LinkedIn (Dora): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmabreu/LinkedIn (Evelynn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-marrero-a9b85b39/LinkedIn (George): https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-j-rivera-msed-dtm-9b689a5/Find out more about Toastmasters, visit https://toastmasters46.org/ and follow District 46 on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/toast-masters-district-46Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TMDistrict46/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/Twitter - https://twitter.com/district46tmPlease rate, review and subscribe!Toastmasters - where leaders are made.

[31:19] Has the pandemic created for you or someone you know an unnerving unexpected and totally unprepared for, life changing moment? In reality, life-changing moments happen all the time. Many however, are not crises but unrealized opportunities. In fact, some of the best ones are often disguised, pass us by and are only noticed in hindsight.  In his opening keynote session, you'll hear from Past District 42 Governor (Director) Greg Gazin, DTM.  You'll hear ways you can recognize life-changing moments and learn tips to harness them to help you catch your second wind and keep you sailing in the right direction.   In this light-hearted session, Greg will share some of his epiphanies, adventures and misadventures of transformation both outside and inside Toastmasters as he meandered some of those moments. You'll also hear how Toastmasters played a role but also mistakes he made and the differences it would have made if Pathways - Toastmasters Educational Program would have come along earlier. Recorded via Zoom as part of Toastmasters District 42 2022 Spring Conference. VIEW AS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ohXygqYKtqA (Note: In one moment inadvertently said "Toastmaster" when I should have said "ToastCaster." "In 2006, I created the ToastCaster Podcast." The Toastmasters Podcast was originally created by Ryan Levesque & Bo Bennett. I became host and producer of the Toastmasters Podcast in 2014.)  

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta is an international traditionally published author, award-winning journalist, and award-winning motivational speaker. Her latest book Be (Extra)Ordinary: 10 Ways to Become Your Own Hero can be found in Barnes & Noble bookstores. She's a self-employed editor, blogger, ghost writer, and speaker. (www.peartreeenterprises.com) Her You Tube channel is dedicated to anti-bullying and being YOUnique: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLq6J9MSvcjd-haQ30ycLWA?view_as=subscriber Maryanne received a medal for “Best Speaker” at Toastmasters International and was awarded Toastmasters Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding performance and valued contribution to Toastmasters District 83 Annual 2019 Conference. Maryanne resides in New Jersey, with her husband, Dennis, and their beloved cats, Nicholas Grey, Sammy Keane Clemens, and Happy Lightfoot Ferrell. Interests include meditation and metaphysics, health and over 50 modeling, and all types of music. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/james-burns5/message

Melinda Lloyd is the Club Growth Director for Toastmasters District 81 (Caribbean). We talk about the benefits of the Toastmasters Education program for individuals, organizations and corporations. Also, Melinda presents to us IMMERSE 2022, a virtual event where you can learn more about Toastmasters. https://www.caribbeantoastmasters.com/ https://fb.me/e/29JjTmVgE 

HIGHLIGHTS02:19 Seth's career: An engineer by trade, an artist and designer by heart06:02 A natural introvert, Seth's desire to get out of his head led him to Toastmasters11:08 Listening: At the core of being present and the other half of communication14:15 Use both sides of your brain: Get comfortable saying "I don't know"17:47 Building connection: Let go of ego and go from "mego" to "wego"19:50 To be authentic, you have to know yourself 22:35 Who is Sherpa Seth and the secrets of a Creative Warrior 33:21 Seth's presentation to Toastmasters District 4635:03 Mark Twain: It takes 3 weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech36:53 Connect with SethQUOTES08:25 "Toastmasters is to key to get out of your head. It's all about speaking in public, having confidence to speak in public. We're all about leaders who can speak, who can prepare a speech, who can speak on the cuff."09:10 "To understand communication, you have to first listen and then speak. And that's what Toastmasters actually has taught me because, in terms of evaluation, evaluating someone's speech, you got to listen, you got to quiet the thoughts in your head in order to do that."12:51 "That's what is communication is all about, A plus B equals C, right? Accept plus Build equals Collaboration and Communication."18:30 "If you are run by the ego, you're never going to let others in. What I like to tell my students is that you have to go from 'mego' to 'wego.' It's called a Build It Together Mindset, a B.I.T. mindset. Go from me to we, and how do you do that? You let go of your ego."Connect with Seth in the links below:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbgreenwald/Website - https://creativewarriorsecrets.com/Email - seth@creativewarriorsecrets.comYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqXYyYjgsKWRKuvgpzElQDQFind out more about Toastmasters, visit https://toastmasters46.org/ and follow District 46 on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/toast-masters-district-46Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TMDistrict46/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/Twitter - https://twitter.com/district46tmPlease rate, review and subscribe!Toastmasters - where leaders are made.

This bonus episode features Toastmasters District 66 Division F Director Venus Wilmer, DTM conducting a workshop during the Summer Leadership Institute called the Cathartic Coach.   For more information about District 66 Clubs and Events, please visit the District 66 website.  For information about the District 66 Leadership Institute, click here.

Looking at the last year and a half, we see how the pandemic has affected businesses and teams.  Remote work has been the norm for many, and we are reaching the point where some will be returning to the office. How did leaders fare while their teams were working remotely? How can we make that transition easier for those who are used to working from home?  On this episode of Authentic Living with Roxanne, we are thrilled to welcome back Human Resources Expert, Dr. David Miles to share his thoughts on how to help leaders create connection to increase productivity and enhance engagement throughout their teams.  He gave us so much great information that we are splitting this into two episodes, so happy you tuned back in for Part II.  If you missed Part I, CLICK HERE to listen. David is a leadership author, experienced trainer, and professional speaker who is passionate about developing people at all levels of an organization from executives and management to professionals and staff.  Dr. Dave holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Human Resource Development.  His research compared the learning style of adult learners to their effectiveness as leaders.   Authentic Touch Points: Channels of communication are essential.  2:30       Integrating teams back to the office.  5:00 Keeping the lines of communication open.  13:00 How your stress can affect the team.  19:15 The boundaries between work and home are blurred.  23:00 Finding your work/life balance.  25:15 David has conducted training and presented professionally across the United States at numerous different venues, events, and conferences and has had the privilege of speaking by invitation on the topics of leadership and human resource development in both Oxford, UK on multiple occasions and in Singapore.  He is also a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association (NSA), a Board member of the local NSA-DC chapter; a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer; a Certified Stakeholder-Centered Executive Coach through Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, and certified in multiple behavioural assessment suites through TTI Success Insights.  Dave is the President of the Winchester Toastmasters Club, former Area Director for Toastmasters District 18, and is President of the Winchester Area chapter of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). With many of us working from home and feeling the pressure of the pandemic, I encourage you to reach out with thoughts or questions about your own self-awareness and creating a healthier mindset through connection.  I have created a new live coaching program to help you Create Healthier and More Authentic Relationships in your life and get more connected to your authentic self.  Click here to contact me at your convenience or click here to book a complimentary call with me.   Stay Authentic,          Roxanne Links: David's website: https://drdavemiles.com/ Visit David's website for your FREE Reboarding Guide Roxanne's email: roxanne@roxannederhodge.com Book a complementary Call with Roxanne Roxanne's previous podcasts

Welcome to the Toastmaster Leader Podcast.  On this episode, Jim and John discuss the Toastmaster experience, the origins of Toastmasters, and provide a summary of what we expect to discuss in future episodes.  For more information on Toastmasters District 66, go to the District website tmdistrict66.org.

What do you do at the end of your speech? When judging speech contests, it's a recognized phenomenon that the first and last speakers are the ones that get the most brain space in the judge's mind.  It's the same with our speeches.  People remember the opening and the conclusion.  We hope they will remember our call to action.  This is why it is critical to put effort into the end of your speech. This is my worst skill.  I struggle over conclusions.  Despite my insistence on this podcast to write your ending first, I still fail to nail the landing more than I succeed. Today on the podcast, we'll talk about the end of a speech:  how to build to a great conclusion – as soon as you know what that is. INTRO Are you looking for a way to change the world?  To make an impact on the people and situations around you?  Then you need public speaking and leadership skills.  That means you need Toastmasters.  Every week, you can spend an hour learning the techniques and finding your voice and have fun while you do it.  This is Toastmasters 101 and I'm your host, Kim Krajci. The End of My Speech:  Crash and Burn? Last week, I gave a speech from the Visionary Communications path from Level 5:  Develop Your Vision. The irony dripped from this speech.  The purpose of that project is to develop a vision and long-term goals to achieve a specific change in your life or your business or organization. I have issues with this idea.  Frankly, I think we spend a lot of time spinning our wheels talking about vision statements and mission statements and goal setting – and wear ourselves out, drowning whatever motivation we had in the swamp of building expectations and plans.  Ok, so that's my take.  I know that I'm not in agreement with the rest of the world, but hey, I do me. If you have a problem with a speech project, it's hard to do it.  And this is why this project sat on my to-do list for so long.  It's been 5 months since I finished all the other projects for this path. Irony in My Speech And frankly, although I say I don't like visions, missions, and goals, essentially, that was what the whole “create a storytelling path” was.  As I said, lots of irony here. I created a presentation to go along with my speech – I had the perfect graphics, including pictures of the references I used to put this path together. But when I started the presentation – all of the graphics disappeared.  They were there before and they're back – but for the 10 minutes of this presentation, they were not to be seen.  Which means I skipped to slide 4 where my text was visible. That noise you hear?  That's me banging my head on my desktop.  I didn't want to take time to reboot or reload, so I went with it.  I had the notes under the black slides, so I did the best I could to remember what the images were supposed to prompt me to talk about. Then we got to the end of the speech.  Another blank slide. The End of My Speech Slide Deck is Blank! I took a deep breath and completely forgot what it was that I wanted to say as a conclusion to this speech.  I'm sure that it was something witty about the irony of giving a speech about how I fail to appreciate the power of developing visions and missions and goals when that was I had just spent the last year doing. Instead, I said something else about how we need to take the Toastmasters Pathways projects and make them work for us, regardless of the project's goals.  I've got 3 Distinguished Toastmasters awards, including one in Pathways.  No other path interested me, but storytelling does, so creating a path that meets my needs and challenges me is a lot more important than filling the letter of the law. Then I remember we have a guest:  Marta.  Marta is brand-new to Toastmasters and is preparing her first ice breaker speech and here I am, telling her to ignore it if it doesn't work for her. Oops. I thought I was droning on and I was a bit worried.  But I wrapped it up, finally, and waited for Mo, my evaluator, to nail me on rambling on my conclusion. Evaluation at the end of the speech? Instead, I got compliments on it. My take-aways from this: I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take away that if I feel like I'm rambling at the end of the speech that I am doing better. I have learned my lesson that I need to check a third time to be sure my presentation is going to play properly before the meeting starts. The call to action needs to be specific, personal to the members of the audience (not general) and put some persuasion – logos, pathos, and ethos – into it. With all this in mind, let's take a look at your conclusions. Your call to action must be crafted, not thrown on at the end of your speech. I have said many times that you need to know where you're going in a speech to make sure you get there.  That's why you start at the end, and after you write the rest of the speech, you come back and refine it. Let's get specific:  use the persuasive techniques at the end of your speech in that call to action to move your audience into action.  Appeal to their character, whether it's their competitive spirit or their inner call to excellence.  Lay out the rationale for why this action needs to be done and when.  Capture their hearts with emotional benefits of doing what you ask. It works.  But you work to do it.  I don't believe this trio comes naturally to most people.  We have to think about it. Consice or rambling at the end of your speech? That's why I felt like I was rambling.  I didn't have it as concise as I normally do.  I spelled out my call to action in my appeal to my audience's self-interest.  I downplayed the structure of the path in exchange for their goals and reason for joining Toastmasters.  I said that this method of using the Pathways program will be the best way for them to grow.  I offered to help. Ethos.  Logos.  Pathos.  Accidentally, I hit all three. Often, I put those in the middle of my speech, not at the end. Put the middle in the middle. In scriptwriting, it's called laying the track or laying the pipe.  It's prepping the audience before the ending that what ultimately happens is reasonable, fair, and appeals to us emotionally.  We want the villain to fail, we want the hero to succeed. You have to know what that ending is first.  By identifying your call to action, your middle is built to support that. In my speech, I spent some time talking about the way that I changed up the elective in Level 5 for this path to be more about storytelling.  There were several project choices in Level 5, but none that I felt truly fit in with storytelling. So I merged “Ethical Leadership” and “Moderate a Panel Discussion” into a story slam.  Story slams are contests between storytellers.  Our club had its January open house turned into a story slam.  Each story told by the speaker was about an ethical question they faced in their lives. The members loved this meeting.  We had a few guests – we need better marketing – but every time it comes up in conversation, the people who attended say how much they enjoyed it. I could have ended the speech with that.  “We had fun, let's do it again sometime.” Nope.  That belongs in the middle of the speech because it lays the pipe for the final conclusion:  change the path to suit your needs.  Call it foreshadowing.  Call it warming up the audience for the big finale.  Call it whatever you want, but put it in the middle. Sum It Up? Should the end of your speech just sum it all up? The school of thought of “Tell them what you're going to tell them, Tell them what you're telling them, and tell them what you told them” means that in your conclusion, you're telling your audience the same thing three times. Do you like being told the same thing three times? I don't love that. Then there's the summation. How is this not repetition? It's not a repeat if, at the end of your speech,  you help your audience draw conclusions that lead into the call to action. For example: We've examined the need for better dandelion breeding and our commitment to developing this undervalued plant as a food source.  You may never have considered what you do to dandelions and how it has an impact on your lawn.  Now is the time to reconsider your use of pesticides as a way to control these valuable plants – not weeds – to improve your gardens.  The next time you look at a dandelion, remember the good that this singular plant has and instead of ripping it out of the ground, give it a little loving pat and an encouraging word.  Let that yellow flower bloom and grow! End your speech with actions that result from the information you gave in the middle of your speech. End of Your Speech Podcast Ending? I'm at the end of my podcast now.  I guess I should say something really insightful and witty, right? Don't signal to your audience that you're about to wrap up.  They'll figure it out.  That's why “in conclusion” isn't worth the breath to say it.  Just get to your final words – which is why although my podcast show notes almost always say “Wrap it up, Kim” I never say that. When you end your speech with a challenge, with an emotional kick that motivates people to action, you've nailed your conclusion. That doesn't happen by accident.  I encourage you to write your conclusion first, then the body, and then the intro, but don't forget to come back around to make sure you've got the right conclusion to your speech.  You may need to edit and make changes to bring it home with strength and verve.  It's worth the effort and time to make your speech as powerful as you need it to be.   Wrap it up, Kim Toastmasters 101 is a podcast production of Toastmasters District 10 Our music is from incompetech.filmmusic.io When you write your speech, how do you do it?  I'd love to know if you agree with me or if you start at the beginning?  Let me know by going to the Toastmasters 101 podcast Facebook page and answering my poll.  The link is in the show notes, or you can search Facebook for Toastmasters 101 PODCAST.  There's a Toastmasters District 101 and they have a podcast, too! We'll talk again next time on Toastmasters 101.       The post The End of Your Speech appeared first on Toastmasters 101.

Evelyn Marrero is Principal Financial Investigator at the New York County District Attorney's Office. She is involved in cases in the areas of White Collar Crimes - Money Laundering and Tax Crimes.Evelyn seats as the Growth Director of all Toastmasters District 46 but will eventually take on a new role as a Program Quality Director for the entire District 46 by July 2021.Please rate, review and subscribe!Find out more about Toastmasters, visit https://toastmasters46.org/ and follow District 46 on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/toast-masters-district-46Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TMDistrict46/Toastmasters - where leaders are made.

(T.I.A. Ep 38). Christina Kruis, Toastmasters District 42 Director, explains her journey of growth within Toastmasters; the value that mentoring provides club members; and what's involved with leadership roles like a club officer, or an Area or Division Director. Christina provides ample details about the path to attain the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award; the benefits of a Speechcraft and Youth Leadership program; as well as solid recommendations on how to become an active Toastmaster member. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgAq3z_UZmg Christina Kruis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-kruis-61878a11/ Sponsored by The Lewis Institute: Website - https://lewisinstituteinc.com/; Project Leader Courses (60% discount) - https://lewisinstitute.kartra.com/page/Wif255 Business Agility Institute: Emergence Journal - https://businessagility.institute/emergence; promo code "analyst" (for 10% discount on annual subscription)

Toastmasters District 71 is going to use the Whova conferencing app to deliver the District Conference and the is already a huge amount of information up on the app. Paul takes a look at what it contains. ______________________________________________________________________ This is part 3 from Programme 41 of 2020/21 season - published on May 9th with Ted Mellamphy & Paul O’Mahony, produced by Moira O’Brien. The show is in four parts and usually has this format: (1) Introducing a “Thought for the Week” and a “Word of the Week” together with general conversation arising out of these two topics. Published at 4pm on Fridays. (2) Either an Interview, the recording of a speech or external media. Published at 4pm on Saturdays. (3) Discussion on a topic usually led by Paul. Published at 4pm on Sundays. (4) Discussion on a topic usually led by Paul. Published at 4pm on Mondays We also live stream the recording of these shows on YouTube. You can watch on most Thursdays at 3pm Irish Time here https://youtube.com/c/moiraobrien/live Contact us : email: info@irishtalkers.com Website: www.irishtalkers.com Facebook: The Talk Show for Talkers Magazine: "Public Speaking Weekly" on www.irishtalkers.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/irish-talkers/message

Patricia Kidwingira is the District 26 Director of Toastmasters District 46 Greater New York City who doubles as an International Auditor at UNICEF, the United Nation Children's Fund. Patricia firmly believes in the power of education because of the way it has changed and shaped her life and gave her the privilege to visit around a hundred countries on five continents. Having grown up in Burundi, Africa, to a big family with 7 siblings, Patricia's parents placed great value in her education, which she pursued at an intercontinental level from Africa, Europe, and the United States as she's earned her Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) – Belgium. She Acquired her MBA in International Business from American Intercontinental University. Fast forward to today, Patricia has over 25 years of audit experience and working in almost 100 countries for both external and internal functions in the private sector and the United Nations. She's a part-time lecturer at the University of Burundi and Rwanda for Econometrics and Local Planning. She holds multiple international certifications such as Leading Professional in Ethics & Compliance (LPEC) Certification - Ethics and Compliance Institute (ECI), COSO Certification, Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) - the Institute of Internal Auditor (IIA), Leadership online course with Harvard Business Corporate Learning (Harvard Manage mentor), Executive Leadership Certificate - eCornell, and Certification in control self-assessment (CCSA) - IIA. She's also the recipient of many awards in her years of experience, including the World Voices President Distinguished Award in 2016 and being the Most Distinguished Toastmaster in 2019. Please rate, review and subscribe!Find out more about Toastmasters, visit https://toastmasters46.org/ and follow District 46 on: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters46/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/toast-masters-district-46Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TMDistrict46/Toastmasters - where leaders are made.

Why You Should Look at Toastmasters Debate Clubs We've all been there.  That discussion that you want to have, that we need to have.  Whether it's politics, society norms, or the intrinsic value of moosetracks ice cream – you want to discuss it.  You want to explore it with friends, family, or the person in front of you at the ice cream stand.  You want a debate – an honest-to-goodness discussion with facts, explanations of why these facts are important and the impact of the topic on the world – ok, your ice cream choice.  You want a debate. Debate often has a bad smell to it.  In the US, we have these abominations called “presidential debates” which are nothing more than people slinging sound bites at each other for the media.  Then we have the current “social media” debate, which appears to focus on insults and accusations. Whatever happened to civil discussions?  Have we lost the ability to have them? Today on Toastmasters 101, we're going to talk about an increasing need for the ability to communicate with discussions where people don't agree, and a terrific rise in the Toastmasters grassroots community to discover the power of debate. INTRO Do you want to find your voice and change the world?  Then Toastmasters is for you.  In one hour a week, we can teach you how to develop your public speaking skills and your leadership skills to have an impact on the world.  This is Toastmasters 101, and I'm your host, Kim Krajci. Debate vs. Discussion Let's start out by saying:  moosetracks is a flavor of ice cream in our area.  I have no idea if you're familiar with it.  Locally, it has fudge swirled into vanilla ice cream with peanut butter and chocolate candies mixed in.  For me, that's one too many ingredients.  I don't disapprove of people eating it, I'm just kinda… not sure why people like it. It's not a very debatable topic.  Discuss, yes, and certainly we can agree to disagree. People can disagree.  Will disagree.  It's the nature of human nature and free will.  People can disagree about almost everything, not just about taste.  I may believe a certain policy will achieve a goal.  That doesn't mean I get to assume that the person who disagrees with that policy I prefer is a person who is evil or bad or doesn't deserve respect. Let's define our terms.  (That's a debate joke – you'll get it in a minute) I like the Heritage Dictionary's definition:   Consideration of a subject by a group; an earnest conversation.  I think that a discussion allows each participant to free-range around a topic:  to look at the topic from several perspectives and to concede the other's points as we come to an agreement.  That doesn't mean that a discussion is going to end on agreements. I want to make it clear:  I don't see disagreement as a bad thing.  I see it as a human thing.  It's how we treat each other in the discussions that can make a disagreement offensive or hurtful.  I believe that people of good will can look at a topic and have few or no points of agreement and both be good people who want a good solution for a problem. Debating Holes in the Ground For example, last week my son and daughter-in-law were removing the deck from the back of their home that they just purchased last fall.  As we dug out the supporting posts and concrete foundation block, we left 30 big holes in the ground.  One person wanted to go get fill dirt right away to protect people from breaking legs or ankles by stepping in them.  Another person pointed out that they intend to build a patio and they'll have to remove significant amounts of dirt, so buying dirt seems unnecessary.  I personally liked the idea of throwing buckets over the holes for now – they'll be very visible.  Another suggestion was to put sticks with flags on them to help people know where the dangers lie. Were any of us wrong?  No, none of us were.  Our discussion ended with a decision that the homeowners were happy with – they dug up dirt from where they'll be laying the patio and filled the holes the next day. Debate is something different from a discussion.  According to  the American Heritage Dictionary.com, debate means To engage in argument by discussing opposing points. To engage in a formal discussion or argument. Debate can have a negative connotation to it.  I get that, because in a true, formal debate, each side must defend their stand absolutely without any concession to the other side.  It can look acrimonious.  It can look defensive and ugly.  A debate can be vicious and attacking.  It can look personal and soul-crushing. It can also be an incredibly valuable tool to help us understand critical issues. We need to take technical look at a debate. First of all, it's a formal engagement. I don't think we often have true debates randomly.  We may have arguments, but a debate isn't usually the thing we see on the street.  I'll agree that sometimes, there are spontaneous debates in situations, but the word can be abused.  Like presidential debates.  Those aren't debates.  Those are posturing for the media events. Debates start by making clear what the topic is – and what it isn't.  That's why definitions are so important.  Making sure that it's clear what the debate is about establishes the parameters of the debate and keeps it on point.  If you're talking about filing holes, you're not talking about dinner, or about the nature of the universe.  It keeps you focused and on topic. Second, A debate is focused on a resolution. A question.  A choice.  It's persuasive speaking, using logic and facts as the primary material.  This isn't to say that emotion and character aren't parts of the discussion, especially on fraught topics that generate ill-will or fear. The point of focus in a debate is that resolution.  There will be two sides.  One side is called the affirmative.  The other is the negative.  Some debates call it pro and con.  Potato, potato.  But there are two sides. AFF and NEG A discussion can have multiple perspectives presented.  In debate, the affirmative always agrees with the resolution.  The other side takes an opposing view. For example, the backyard holes.  If the resolution is:  “The holes in the backyard require Mom to go to the store and buy fill dirt” then that's what the AFF has to defend – all parts of it, including Mom going to buy dirt. Neg, on the other hand, has the world to draw on to fight against the resolution.  Neg can contend that Dad should go.  They can contend that nothing should be done.  They can contend that filling the holes with pizza is better. That is the key difference between a debate and a discussion.  In one, you're locked into specific roles and you never concede an inch to your opponent.  In the other, as a less formal and hopefully good-natured way, you can change your mind. It's this difference that gives debate a bad name.  That… and bad debaters. When we enter a debate, we have to be able to explain why our position is the best one.  When a debate doesn't do that, it can devolve into name-calling, questioning the ethics of another speaker, or cheating.  Then debate looks ugly and unproductive. Which is horrible, because, done right, Debates are fun. I have a copy of a handbook about Debate from Toastmasters that I bought years ago.  I was working as a debate coach and purchased it thinking I would learn a lot about debate from it.  Unfortunately, it didn't help me very much because it was too general and I was working in a very specific category of high school debate.  But I always wanted to see more Toastmasters debate because sometimes, very rarely, I'd see a table topics challenge that was a debate. The very first Toastmasters meeting I attended, the table topics leader pulled out a tomato and challenged the volunteers to debate whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. This is not the type of debate I was used to, but I was up for the challenge. This is the other common type of debate:  one thing versus another.  For example:  cars vs. bikes.  Houses vs. apartments.  Mountains vs. beaches.  Socialism vs. capitalism. Not a very clear resolution, but often it can be structured into one:  Tomatoes are a fruit. And that's where the debate begins. Toastmasters Debate Clubs Maybe 5 years ago, a club in District 10 decided to try debates.  I attended and thought it was great.  The club… didn't.  The debates took time away from them completing speeches toward their education awards.  The debates were scrapped. A couple of years ago, I heard about a club in the middle east that focused on debate.   I wanted to attend! Then the pandemic hit and every club moved to online meetings.  And I found out that there are Toastmasters who are doing debates.  I didn't know about them because we didn't have any way to find them and attend. With everything now online, I found out about a start-up club in Texas, USA, that wants to focus on debate. Then they told me about two clubs in New York City that have an annual debate between the clubs.  And two more on the western coast of the United States. It looks like debate clubs are springing up all over the place!  And I can attend them! Why should you check out a debate club? Right now, it's hard to have a civil discussion because we're in a volatile position right now.  Communication skills are critical.  If you want to change the world, you have to be able to communicate your vision. At its core, that's what Toastmasters is about.  Communication skills.  Learning how to debate – essentially, how to defend your point effectively. That people are starting Toastmasters clubs that focus on debate – that's a clear indication that I'm not the only one who sees that being able to debate effectively and persuasively is important. That we want to have conversations that don't become shouting matches where there is no communication. Where the end goal isn't to grind your opponent into the ground, but to understand them and help them understand you. I hear there's a path being submitted to Toastmasters International focusing on debate.   I want it.  NOW. The main reason to join a Toastmasters debate club is that you – that we all need to improve our ability to communicate with logic, with emotion, without crushing our opponents with insults and insinuations that they're bad and evil people.  To be able to respectfully discuss and disagree is what everyone needs.  That's why you should check out a Toastmasters debate club.  You'll learn the skills and have fun doing it. Debating isn't easy.  It requires preparation and an understanding of both sides of the topic. That's the superpower of debate. That's how good debaters win – they know what the arguments on the other side will be and prepare for them.  That's how to be persuasive – know the opposition's position.  In sales, it's the ability to show why a reason not to buy isn't valid before it's been brought up.  Inspirational speeches use ethos, logos, and pathos to create a memorable and effective speech.  Debate hones those skills and improves your message.  Debates are work, but they yield results. In the meantime, I invite Toastmasters clubs who are doing debates to send me a note so I can add them to the list in my show notes.  I'll add a link to your Toastmasters.org Find a Club page to help others discover how much fun debate can be, and that everyone can learn how to do it! Wrap it up, Kim Toastmasters 101 is a podcast production of Toastmasters District 10. Our music is from incompetech.filmmusic.io.   You know someone who needs to hear this podcast.  How about you tell them about Toastmasters 101 this week? See you next time on Toastmasters 101. Toastmasters Debate clubs Caltech Debate https://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club/06606328-caltech-debate       The post Toastmasters Debate appeared first on Toastmasters 101.

Join host Judith W. Umlas as she recounts how she accepted this prestigious award in a 7 minute speech crystalizing Grateful Leadership & The Power of Acknowledgment initiative. She expresses her great appreciation of Kathryn R. Kest, then District 56 Leader and also a certified Grateful Leadership Instructor, who nominated Judith for this award.

I find myself doing less and less in front of the computer right now.  Maybe I don’t have the mental space? Maybe I’m too stressed?  Whatever it is, I’m struggling with the idea of spending a day online for the upcoming Toastmasters District  Conference. Why should I? Why should you? INTRO Are you interested in building … Continue reading "Attend Your Toastmasters District Conference" The post Attend Your Toastmasters District Conference appeared first on Toastmasters 101.

Radio TMI, Where leaders talk! In this 5th episode of Coffee With Toastmasters, Wendy Khumalo discusses diversity with Lucinda Harman. Lucinda is highly passionate about diversity and is always striving to be the greatest version of herself. She guides others to self-mastery with the very tools and skills she discovered on her own healing journey. She is a proud Toastmaster, a mentor to a new Toastmasters Club, a coach to PWC Toastmasters and she is the South African Toastmasters district’s social media coordinator. With her love for speaking and coaching she aims to take her skills to the professional space. In this episode, she opens up about her journey and transformation through Toastmasters. Talks about the meaning of diversity, how she identifies with the concept, what she grew up to believe about diversity and her fight against discrimination. If you thought discrimination and racism is only a fight for people of color, then tune into this episode and explore a different perspective. To find a Toastmasters club near you visit: https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club Music : Myk Nich | https://soundcloud.com/myknich Engage with us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RadioTMI/ When you're ready to produce your own podcast, contact the podcast experts at

Radio TMI - Where Leaders Talk In the launch episode of Creating Culture, Elizabeth Viljoen interviews the man who inspired the podcast channel - Frank Tsuro, Immediate District Director of Toastmasters District 74 (Southern Africa). Frank lead the The Advanced Leadership Program for the Toastmasters Leadership Institute of Southern Africa. He challenged each participant to create a project that will inspire and support fellow Toastmasters. The podcast channel Radio TMI was the brainchild of Elizabeth Viljoen, but soon all twelve participants became inspired by the possibilities. With their teamwork this product was fine-tuned, and launched in February 2020. Thus far Radio TMI launched three programs: * Coffee with Toastmasters by Wendy Khumalo of South Africa (Thursdays) * Cappuccino Catch-ups and Meaningful Mochas by Teresa Huber of Zimbabwe (Mondays) * Creating Culture by Elizabeth Viljoen of Namibia/New Zealand (Tuesdays) Soon to launch: * Let's Talk by Tebogo Majokana of South Africa Radio TMI Logo: Vusi Maupa Frank Tsuro | LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/franktsuro/ Music : Myk Nich | https://soundcloud.com/myknich Engage with us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RadioTMI/ If you're ready to produce your own podcast, contact the podcast experts at

Are you a leader? An aspiring public speaker? Perhaps you are working on building you strategic planning skills, management skills or overall confidence! Toastmasters International offers educational programs and leadership opportunities that build these transferable skills to an extent of creating a podcast show, leading from the forefront or winning an international public speaking contest. Radio TMI is a project created by the participants of the Advanced Future Leaders Program and is an initiative of the Toastmasters Leadership Institute of Toastmasters International District 74. The program was lead by Frank Tsuro, A past District Director of Southern Africa. Radio TMI serves as a host channel for various programs in which each participant produces their own content. If you wish to learn more about Toastmasters, its transferable skills, the people making history in Southern Africa as well as the success stories and insights from various divisions of Toastmasters District 74, this is the channel for you. Music Used : Business Freedom - Storyblocks Audio Engage with us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RadioTMI/ If you're ready to produce your own podcast, contact the podcast experts at

Brandy W. Henry is the social media manager for Toastmasters District 7. Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that focuses on the advancement of communication and public speaking skills. District 7, established in 1940, includes Oregon, a small part of Washington State, and Northern California. Toastmasters International’s goal is to help people from different backgrounds become confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.

If you’re a new member of Toastmasters, you might not understand the organization of the program. How the parts make the whole, as it were. But you probably have heard about the Toastmaster district events where the entire district has been invited, either for education, or for awards, or for both. Every fall, we host … Continue reading "Toastmasters District Events Outside Your District" The post Toastmasters District Events Outside Your District appeared first on Toastmasters 101.

Gaurav is the Program Manager for the Information Technology and Management Program at UT Dallas. He is an alum of the same program. He also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Information Systems Area. He enjoys working with students and works with them across academic and non-academic areas. He has been instrumental in setting up student and corporate engagement programs at UT Dallas. He is one big believer in the concept of Servant Leadership which is the base of most of his initiatives. He is open to new ideas and feels that empowering the students is a great way to serve the school and the university. He also leads the Toastmasters District in North Eastern Texas, which has a strong presence in the School of Management as well. 

For the past four years The Talk Show for Talkers has been recognised by Toastmasters District 71 for it's contribution to the organisation. Special thanks are therefore in order to the past district directors: Luanne Kent Michael Collins Red Skelton Patricia O'Reilly ____________________________________________ This is part 3 from Programme 32 of 2018/19 season - first broadcast on July 7th, presented by Moira O'Brien, Paul O’Mahony & Ted Mellamphy. The show is in four parts and usually has this format: (1) Introducing a “Thought for the Week” and a “Word of the Week” together with general conversation arising out of these two topics. Published at 4pm on Fridays. (2) Either an Interview, the recording of a speech or external media. Published at 4pm on Saturdays. (3) Discussion on a topic usually led by Paul. Published at 4pm on Sundays. (4) Discussion on a topic usually led by Moira. Published at 4pm on Mondays Contact us : email: info@irishtalkers.com Website: www.irishtalkers.com Facebook: The Talk Show for Talkers Magazine: "Public Speaking Weekly" on www.irishtalkers.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/irish-talkers/message

A Clean Sweep Over the weekend of April 13 - 14, 2019 Tommy Lanham's preparation, enthusiasm, and confidence resulted in him winning both the Toastmasters District 40 International Speech Contest and the District 40 Table Topics Contest. In this conversation, we discuss his preparation process and what's next in his journey toward becoming the 2019 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking. Tommy's tagline on his Facebook page is: Coach, Leadership Training Expert, Instructor, Motivator, Believer in Jesus. His contact information is on his website at: www.tommylanham.com  

http://www.twitter.com/vaibhavguptawho - Come say hi! In this episode, I sit down with the District Director of Toastmasters District 93 (i.e. South Korea). We got a few minutes to chat at a conference and I talked to her about her love for swing dancing, teaching, and energy.

I heard Kirk Samuels speak for the first time at a Toastmasters District competition. I could not believe he was on stage being vulnerable with a topic around ography. I began questioning if I could ever be that vulnerable on the areas in which I struggle in life?  The amazing take-a-way was that his solutions were not like anything i have heard before. In fact you might be surprised as some of his answers. He is both pragmatic and practicle.  Today, I interview Kirk and we discuss the outcomes of in a way that invites people to see the struggles in their own life. I took away so many nuggets from this conversation and I am certain you will too.  Kirk has a book launch on February the 10th for, "For Your Eyes Only: The Inside Scoop about Men, , and Marriage," and it will take place in Parker, CO at the Vehicle Vault.  Unlike other book lauches, Kirk has decided to get some of the best speakers in Colorado and allow them to pour in to the lives of the attendees. He is not even promoting the book. If you are Parker, Co, come on out. About the Host John Register is a long jump silver medalist and American record holder at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. His business, Inspired Communications International, LLC, shows business leaders how to "Hurdle Adversity, and create their new normal." Check out his TEDx Talk, "I did Not Overcome Adversity - I Created a New Normal".

  In this interview we get to know a little more about Ted Allman, he currently serves as a Division C Director in Toastmasters District 84. One of his main missions is to help sponsor new clubs in District 84. … Continue reading →

How you present ideas makes a difference in how others view you and your company. Being able to speak well is a secret weapon in business. For this episode Thom Singer brought his microphone to the Toastmasters District 55 Fall Conference and interviewed participants about how and why presentation skills impact a successful career.

Ryan Avery and the Toastmasters District 2 Governor Jackie Bailey. Join us as we talk about Ryan’s Story of becoming the World Champion of Public Speaking and the opportunities one can receive from being a member of Toastmasters. At the age of 25 Ryan Avery became the youngest World Champion of Public Speaking in history; competing against more than 30,000 people from 116 countries to claim the 2012 World Championship title.Ryan is an Emmy award-winning producer and has worked with global clients including Nike, Toyota, Nissan, Safeway, Bank of America and more. Ryan has been seen and featured on CNBC, FOX, the Epoch Times and more. In 2009, Ryan graduated from Colorado State University with degrees in journalism and anthropology.Ryan, and his wife Chelsea, live their life on four pillars: 1) LIVE a happy and healthy life 2) GIVE 10% to good causes 3) SAVE for tomorrow 4) TRAVEL to see what else is out there. He currently lives in Portland, OR with his wife Chelsea and they have been together for almost six years. He writes, speaks and travels the nation (and most recently the globe) teaching college students and young professionals how to maximize their potential in order to get the most out of their professional and personal life.

Brenna  Smith  is a writer, speaker, and Communications Coach As the CEO and Founder of SheNOW,  she’s created a community of women that believes in pursuing their careers and dreams, having adventures, and living their own lives first! Brenna has been featured on Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Voices, BusinessNewsDaily.com, Western North Carolina Woman, The Best People We Know Show, Amazing Women Rock, The Career Effect, My Girlfriends, Self-Aid Success Stories and many more... With a degree in Business and a Certificate in International Business, Brenna continued her extensive training in networking, sales, negotiations, social media, mentoring and communications.  She speaks professionally on various topics including Women’s Issues and Female Empowerment. When she’s not working with her SheNOW team, or interviewing amazing women for the website, she's out speaking at corporations, colleges/universities, women’s organizations, and women’s conferences.  She’s on the Young Professionals Board with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) working to develop their Dallas Speaker’s Bureau, and she was recently inducted into the Toastmasters’ District 50 Hall of Fame.  

How does someone prepare for a Toastmasters International Speech Contest? In the second part of my podcast interview with Toastmasters District 57 winner Christine Robinson, we discuss the upcoming 2010 Toastmasters International Convention. Very few women have ever won the World Championship, and Christine is only two speeches away from that possibility. Every one of us at Christine's home club, the Speakers Forum in Concord, CA, is doing all we can to help her prepare and practice a new speech for the final round of the contest. To hear how she plans to prepare for the event, click on the podcast icon below.

Chris Molineux, World Renowned Comedian and Public Speaking coach, who worked with talents like Jerry Seinfeld & Ellen DeGeneres will keynote the Toastmasters District 42 Spring Convention in Edmonton Alberta, April 30 - May 2, 2010. In this podcast we get introduced to Chris; He tells us a little about what he does, including his recent yet somewhat unusual participation in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics as well as what we can expect from him during the convention. Chris will also enlighten us today with a few little tips about humor and how to deal with writer's/speaker's block. We hope to see you all at the convention we have quite an extensive program and a lot of great food. We we also be presenting the 2010 Communication and Leadership Award to University of Alberta Chancellor Linda Hughes.   Please visit our District 42 Spring Convention website for more details.

Janet Hebert has been a ranch hand (her parents raised prunes on over 100 acres in the Coyote Valley), an elementary school teacher, a full time single mom for her two children Katie and Jeff, and a caregiver for her own mother. Janet has been speaking for the past 15 years. She has been a frequent competitor in Toastmasters District 4 – progressing to the Division and District contests several times, and all the way to the Regional level in the International Speech Contest in 2000. It was in the process of attending the Toastmasters contests that she met her husband Paul, also a winner at the District level. Janet is a 16-year breast cancer survivor. For the past 15 years she has been speaking to audiences large and small on behalf of the American Cancer Society, helping raise awareness and inspire action for individuals and groups. While listening to Janet, audiences learn about cancer in general, how to detect it early, and what help is available when cancer is discovered. Listeners learn not only the facts - they learn about the compassion and human warmth behind the work of the American Cancer Society. Her engaging style, candor and deep commitment to helping others - as she herself was helped - make her a preferred presenter for ACS. She enjoys the opportunity to share information and her story, believing with each talk that she may be helping to save someone’s life. Pro-Track Profile The 2010 Pro-Track program kicks off on Saturday January 23 at the Burlingame, CA, Hilton Hotel. Janet is excited to be a part of Pro-Track. She is pursuing her dream of becoming a professional speaker and impacting many more lives with both her unique perspectives and heartfelt good will. I talked with Janet on the phone about the origins of her interest professional speaking and what she is looking for in the Pro-Track program. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below. Janet can be reached at (408) 226-8283 or by email at janet@costaclan.com.