The Engagement Room

Title: "The Natural Storyteller" Join McKell Neilson as he declares "We are all natural storytellers!" His presentation provides some guidance on how to be a more effective and engaging storyteller. McKell has travelled with the international performing group "Up with People" from 1995 through 2000, visiting over a dozen countries on 3 continents. He looks back on tho...

Session 21 Extra with McKell Neison

John is a former claim adjuster, 2-Time Distinguished Toastmaster, Mentor, Podcaster, Coach and Host of the "RESOLVE to Live Forward" Podcast

Title: "When Does It Stop Hurting?" Learning to Live Forward while on a journey of deep grief and heartbreak....not a tale of sorrow but intent. John is a former claim adjuster, 2-Time Distinguished Toastmaster, Mentor, Podcaster, Coach and Host of the "RESOLVE to Live Forward" Podcast

Title: "If I Only Had the Words To Tell You" As a lifelong stutterer my presentation will highlight my anecdotal experience with stuttering, what it has taught me about myself and how to live a fulfilling life, what stuttering is/is not and, importantly, an inclusive and engaging discussion with the audience! Dennis Szymanski is a native of Long Island, NY currently living in North Carol...

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Title: "How Photography taught Me about Leadership" Join us listening to our speaker Karina Neill about her career as a professional photographer. She tells our audience how all it takes to succeed helped her become a better leader in business, non-profit organization, and in family matters.

TITLE: Uncover Your Ted Talk Join us in the audience as Charice breaks down the process to uncover all the parts of information needed to create a Ted Talk. Charice L. Manor is an American author, U.S. Army combat veteran, and nonprofit founder of God's Gurl, a faith-based nonprofit ministry dedicated to helping women and girls identify their purpose and reach their potential. She is best know...

Additional conversation with our celebrated Speaker Victoria Trabosh

Title: "Dying Well" Vicky is on what appears to be a final journey with her cancer. She wants to explore how to face this journey as she's faced life: with strength, humor, and faith We often shy away from conversations about the end of life, yet it is the one certainty we all share. Today, we have the privilege of welcoming Victoria Trabosh to guide us through a deeply profound topi...

Join in with our guest Gary Vaughn as we chat about things related to his life and presentation in an extra clip set to a more personal approach.

TITLE: "The Taffer Tactic" As a fan of the hit Paramount show, "Bar Rescue," Gary pulls inspiration from the show's host, Jon Taffer. Jon uses a no non-sense guide to changing the situation and is something that isn't just for bar owners, but can create real change in any situation. Gary will discuss the 3 Tactics that Jon challenges owners and employees with to be succ...

Title: "If I Only Had the Words To Tell You "As a lifelong stutterer, Dennis' presentation will highlight his anecdotal experience with stuttering, what it has taught him about himself and how to live a fulfilling life, what stuttering is/is not and, importantly, an inclusive and engaging discussion with the audience! Dennis Szymanski is a native of Long Island, NY currently living in North Caroli...

Title: "What We Carry Into the Room: How Life Experience Shapes Leadership, Connection, and Communication" In today’s workplaces and communities, people carry invisible experiences that shape how they lead, communicate, and connect — caregiving, loss, transition, and profound life change. Yet these realities rarely have space in professional conversations. This session explores how lived...

Here is the edited version of our Engagement Room Session 11 with Maria Leggett-Gulder, the co-owner of Maria's Spice Company. Being resourceful in and making yourself uncomfortable, dealing with imposter syndrome, and finding the mission as the fuel to your success, not motivation.

Title: "Give your teen the head start you wish you had" At just 17, Malcolm Keith (now 19) launched the Teen Mastermind, a community of 60+ teens focused on leadership, entrepreneurship, and legacy (theteenmastermind.com). In 2025, he has taken it offline with Teen Mastermind Live, a three-day immersive leadership experience for teens and their parents (teenmastermindlive.com). In an era...

Discover how to activate your unique Wildprint™—your personal blueprint for success. In this inspiring 20-minute presentation followed by Q&A, Dr. Charmin Gans, Certified Napoleon Hill Leader Instructor and President of the Jeffco Challengers Toastmasters Club, shares practical tools for mastering time, mindset, and purpose. Combining Napoleon Hill’s success principles with modern insights, sh...

Join us in this post-Valentine’s themed event where Jackie Kam-Blackard tell tells us how she chose her husband. She’s going to tell us how she developed “The List” along with timing and ACTing Jackie is a Business Analyst for Cygna Healthcare and is the 2025-2025 Program Quality Director for Distict 8 Toastmasters in St Louis, Missouri

Terri introduces us to one of the most essential leadership roles in any Toastmasters speech contest, the Chief Judge. This training equips you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to serve as an effective Chief Judge—the person responsible for safeguarding the integrity, fairness, and professionalism of every contest. Participants will learn how to recruit and brief judging teams, manage ba...

Derek brings us a presentation noting Harvard that research shows that people who ask questions are perceived as more intelligent, more interesting, and more attractive. This presentation gives you the exact question types that create memorable conversations -- as well as a way to make curiosity a habit. Derek Zboran founded Triumph With Your Talk to help hesitant experts, silenced creatives, and...

Major (ret) USAF Yolandea Wood presents a riveting story about the famous Tuskeegee Airmen of World War II. As a local expert and archivist for this daring group of men and women, Yolandea weaves both history and stories from the heroes themselves and adds her personal experiences with them as a cadet and graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.

As founder of the nonprofit Lifting Up Dads, Todd brings us a presentation to encourage fathers from being the to STOP being the silent, stone-faced hero our culture demands: discover why hiding your pain is a lethal failure and how vulnerability is actually the single most powerful tool you have to build an unbreakable family. He invites us to hear this speech to learn the proven, daily steps—the...

Join Jamil in a poetic storytelling of fiction, non-fiction and future endeavors. Jamil is a student of Southwest Illinois Community College and is also 2025-2026 term President of the O'Fallon Toastmaster Club of O'Fallon, Illinois. He is an aspiring political leader in the State of Illinois and is an active worker in many philanthropic endeavors in the MetroEast area of Illinois.

The Power of No: Energy, Focus, and Resilient Leadership.... In leadership, every “no” protects a bigger “yes.” This talk explores why great leaders say no—and how it unlocks focus, energy, and clarity. Learn practical strategies to set boundaries, beat burnout, and protect the yeses that matter most. Kevin Harper is a nationally recognized executive leader, strategist, and nonprofit innovator wit...