The Toastmaster's Experience

Frankie joined Toastmasters out of love—curious about her then-boyfriend’s eloquence and weekly meetings. Her first impression of Parramatta Breakfast Toastmasters was all the clapping, but she quickly saw the confidence it instilled. Though her early Toastmasters journey paused due to work, she rejoined in 2019 at Dural Toastmasters and has now been an active member for six years. Her involvement...

In this inspiring episode, Ramona Moodley shares her journey from shy child to confident communicator, blending personal transformation with professional growth. Ramona joined Toastmasters in August 2024 , seeking to move from knowing what makes a good speaker to truly embodying it. She calls Toastmasters her “bicycle” — a place to practice, fall, and improve through doing. She's now a member...

In this inspiring episode of The Toastmasters Experience , I interview 2021 World Champion of Public Speaking, Verity Price.    Verity shares her Toastmasters journey, beginning in 2011 when she joined out of curiosity after seeing the impact it had on her sister. Despite being a professional speaker, she discovered profound growth through Toastmasters, particularly in leadership.    She recounts...

This special episode of The Toastmasters Experience compiles powerful advice from 10 seasoned Toastmasters, including award-winning speakers, coaches, and leaders with over 100 years of combined experience. Each offers heartfelt encouragement for those considering joining Toastmasters.  Their key messages? Just take the first step. Don’t let fear or perfectionism stop you—growth happens through co...

To connect with Jody –  https://www.jodydontje.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jodydontjecoaching/?hl=en   In this vibrant and heartfelt interview, Jody Dontje shares her inspiring journey as a speaker, coach, and changemaker. 🎙️   She reflects on how Toastmasters shaped her identity as a public speaker after years of speaking for charity in Nepal and for women's empowerment in London. Joining...

Roger Caesar shares his inspiring journey in Toastmasters, joining in 2011 to gain confidence in business meetings. He co-founded Raising Champions Advanced Toastmasters and quickly developed a passion for public speaking.  Competing in multiple contests, he reached the World Championship of Public Speaking four times, placing third in 2021. His journey was marked by challenges, including an emoti...

Greg North, a seasoned Toastmaster and award-winning bush poet, shares his journey through public speaking and poetry in this engaging interview. His Toastmasters adventure began in the 1990s in Parramatta, inspired by a desire for personal growth. After a hiatus due to work commitments, he joined Springwood Toastmasters, where he has been a member for over 22 years. He attributes his long-standin...

  Nelu shares her inspiring Toastmasters journey. She is currently a member of Stage Time and Revesby Toastmasters, part of District 70, Sydney, Australia. Toastmasters became a therapeutic space where she could share her personal story and help others. Facing society’s stigma around depression, she used public speaking to challenge misconceptions and encourage dialogue. She also reflects on her d...

  I had the pleasure of interviewing the fabulous Fursey Gotuaco. Fursey joined Toastmasters in 2017 by accident after being invited to a meeting while in Shanghai, China. Since then, it has been a transformative experience for him. He is currently a member of two online advanced clubs and is dedicated to supporting Toastmasters clubs worldwide. Toastmasters has provided Fursey with a global commu...

In today’s podcast, I interview, Matt, an experienced Toastmaster, currently living in Iowa. He joined Toastmasters in December 2003 to improve his presentation skills. Matt belongs to two clubs: Shibboleth , focusing on leadership and communication, and Positive Achievers , an advanced club for professional speakers. He explains the biblical origin of "Shibboleth," emphasizing its conne...

Nicole, a tennis coach and former professional tennis player, joined Toastmasters to challenge herself in new ways beyond the tennis court. Through Toastmasters, Nicole has learned techniques such as better voice control, humor, eye contact, and audience engagement, which have also made her a more effective and dynamic coach. Her introduction to Toastmasters dates back to her childhood when her fa...

🎙️ Monica shares her transformative journey with Toastmasters, which began when a friend's experience inspired her to join. She quickly grew fond of the supportive environment, becoming a member of multiple clubs, including City Tattersalls, National, and Stage Time Toastmasters.  ⭐️ Monica’s experience as an area director has been eye-opening, offering her insight into managing diverse club...

This episode features Lou Beaton and myself, sharing our journey through the 77-Day Video Challenge, an initiative started by Darren LaCroix to encourage daily live speaking practice. The challenge, inspired by Darren’s preparation for the World Championship of Public Speaking in 2001, helps participants refine their impromptu speaking skills, develop storytelling abilities, and build a habit of s...

Vicki joined Toastmasters in 2015, inspired by her former boss, a public speaking advocate who encouraged her staff to hone their communication skills. Vicki, a high school teacher, recognized the value of public speaking, especially when tasked with delivering a graduation speech for 400 people. She joined Parramatta Club, completing a Speechcraft course, and has remained a member ever since, lat...

Michael shares his remarkable journey in Toastmasters, spanning over two decades, starting in 2000 when he joined after initial reluctance. Encouraged by a friend and a pivotal ask from a club member, Michael learned a valuable lesson: sometimes, people just need to be asked to join. Initially balancing Toastmasters with a demanding work schedule, Michael’s commitment grew as he joined multiple cl...

Lana’s journey with Toastmasters began after a judge at a university oratory competition suggested she join to refine her skills and reduce reliance on notes. Despite her natural talent in public speaking, Lana lacked polish and joined Concord West Toastmasters in December 2017 at age 20. Since then, she has been an active member for seven years, also participating in a second club, Stage Time. He...

https://tinyurl.com/StolenInnocenceBook   Francoise Bowen, a Toastmasters leader and newly published author from the dual island country Antigua and Barbuda located in the Caribbean, shares her inspiring journey of personal growth, healing, and advocacy.  A member of Toastmasters since 2014, Francoise has leveraged the organization to develop her communication, leadership, and cultural adaptabilit...

Listen in on this delightful conversation with past Blue Mountains Toastmaster member Jess Kingsford. Happy Hearts Parenting is a not-for-profit organisation helping parents and carers of young children promote their child's wellbeing by nurturing their moral development. Learn more about our Foundations Program: http://happyheartsparenting.org/moreinfo_sf Visit the Happy Hearts Parenting web...

Glen has been a Toastmaster for nearly 10 years, shares his journey and leadership experiences within the organization.    Glen has held numerous leadership roles, starting as VP of Education six months into his membership and advancing to District Director for District 72. He underscored the personal and professional growth these roles offered, including enhanced confidence, networking, and expos...

Listen in on Lydia’s inspiring journey with Toastmasters.   Lydia joined her first club in White Rock, BC, Canada.  She was motivated by a desire to improve public speaking for a sales career.     Over 30 years, she’s participated in various clubs, including advance and online clubs, and held numerous leadership roles.   Lydia’s Toastmasters journey includes being a district director twice (2017–2...

Listen in on this delightful conversation with Accredited Speaker, and Company Culture Pro – Stephanie Angelo.   Stephanie joined me virtually from Arizona.  She initially joined Toastmasters around 2005 but left due to time constraints, eventually rejoining in 2017, becoming a member of the Rise and Shine club.   Professionally, Stephanie is a company culture consultant focused on creating organi...

Listen in on this delightful conversation with Kory. Kory joined Toastmasters in 2006 to find purpose after a personal life change, attracted by the focus on communication and community. With over 18 years of experience, he currently belongs to four hybrid clubs across different U.S. states.  He values hybrid meetings for the chance to connect globally and experience varied customs and meeting sty...

I first interviewed Nitay Yair Levi in March 2022. , Nitay is the second-place winner in the 2021 World Championship of Public Speaking.   He recounted his journey, which began when his wedding speech performance fell flat, prompting him to seek improvement. Initially hesitant and introverted, Nitay joined City Tattersall's Club in 2019 and took six months to give his first "icebreaker&q...

  In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience , previous guests offers advice to those considering membership, emphasizing the value of confronting fears and stepping out of comfort zones to improve communication skills.    Many express that while joining can be intimidating, Toastmasters provides a supportive and welcoming environment where members are encouraged to practice speaking, listenin...

My next guest,  Charmaine shares her journey of joining Toastmasters, explaining her motivation to enhance her public speaking and speechwriting skills. Despite her extensive teaching experience of over 44 years, Charmaine felt that she needed to refine her skills in engaging audiences beyond the traditional classroom setting.    Toastmasters provided a supportive environment where she could expan...