The Toastmasters Podcast

[26:18] Which communication skills are vital for those looking to launch or run an entrepreneurial venture or small business? Lynne Beverly Strang, DTM joins the show today to answer that question. Lynne is a freelance writer who helps business owners meet their marketing and communications goals. Lynne is the author of Late-Blooming Entrepreneurs: Eight Principles for Starting a Business After Ag...

[28:53] In anticipation of the International Convention in Paris last summer, Carol Bausor's article " Brush Up Your French! How to (re)gain fluency in time for Paris 2020 ," appeared in the Toastmaster magazine in February 2020. Like most in-person events, the Convention moved online due to the pandemic. On the bright side, the shift to virtual club meetings has opened new cross-cultural opportun...

[28:47] Virtual speaking has taken on a whole new dynamic, moving simply from presenting on-line to becoming an art all of its own. In this episode, hosts Greg and Ryan speak with Lindy MacLaine, second runner-up at the first ever Toastmasters International Virtual World Championship of Public Speaking. MacLaine has strived to become an “A.C.E.” at virtual speaking and shares a number of tips and...

[26:56]  You never know what direction your life will take you when you step up to the lectern at a Toastmasters club, especially at 7 A.M. For Banker Stephan Dyer the unexpected laughter from the audience during his first 10 speeches would eventually turn his career in finance 180 degrees into that of a comedy global comedian, TEDx Speaker and speaking coach. In this episode, Greg speaks wit...

[28:34] In this episode we speak with Mohamed Ali Shukri from Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. He is Toastmasters International's newest Accredited Speaker, and the first to earn the designation virtually. This past August at the 2020 Toastmasters International virtual convention, Shukri was awarded the prestigious Accredited Speaker (AS) designation, as only the 88th recipient. Shukri shares a little...

Podcasting experienced significant growth in 2020, perhaps due in part to time spent at home and in quarantine. For Toastmasters, the Level 4 elective in Pathways - Create a Podcast, may have sparked interest or curiosity as well. Some Toastmasters have started their own podcasts; others might be a little hesitant. Instead of simply offering tips and tricks gathered over nearly three decades of co...

[21:26] Are you working from home? If so, are you as productive as possible?   Today's show can really help you improve. Greg and Ryan speak with writer, author, and speaker Laura Vanderkam, who has published several popular time management and productivity books. Laura's recent book, The New Corner Office explores how the most successful people work from home. Laura sheds light on the growth of t...

[29:58] In this episode, Greg and Ryan speak with Victoria Salem from Paris, France about the tangible benefits of networking online and how to truly build valuable and meaningful relationships through Social Media. Salem outlines practical how-to's discussed in her article, "The Benefits of Networking Online: How to build valuable relationships through social media" featured in the October 2020 i...

[28:58] Deborah McAlexander is a blind para dressage equestrian who "rides by faith, not by sight." At age 24, with a bright future ahead, Deborah received a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa, and was expected to go completely blind. Today, she is totally blind in her left eye and has a tiny amount of central vision in her right eye. Those challenges did not stop her from going on to earn a Master...

In addition to preparing to complete in the Miss USA 2020 pageant on November 9, 2020, Samantha continues to grow through Toastmasters. She currently serves as the 2020-2021 Club President for Ala Moana Toastmasters of Honolulu, Hawaii, and B4 Area Director for District 1 in California. She also remains an active member of the West Hollywood Toastmasters.  Ms. Neyland's inspiring platform for Miss...

President Peck updates us on the current state of Toastmasters amidst COVID-19, including the evolution of on-line and hybrid clubs and the opportunities they offer at this unique point in time. Finally, the President reflects on the first virtual International Convention, and offers insights for the year ahead. You'll can learn more about our International President in his profile, " Meet Richard...

In this episode, hosts Greg and Ryan speak with Mike about his surreal experience and how preparing to speak from a virtual platform necessitated a change in plan for his final speech.  Mike also shares some of his wisdom he's learned along the way and pulls back the curtain on how the competition, judging etc., actually took place from the club to the world stage. Mike is also featured in the Oct...

John provides insight into the history of public speaking, including the role of Aristotle's seminal work, Ars Rhetorica . John also shares his personal story of a lifetime of disappointment with his own spoken communication skills. His study of rhetoric combined with the skills he learned at Toastmasters made him not just a better communicator, but a better person.  Today's conversation will not...

[24:53] Kristin Arnold makes her second appearance on today's edition of the Toastmasters Podcast. Greg & Ryan first spoke with Kristin about panel discussions on episode #097 (August 2015).  In today's discussion, Greg & Ryan catch up with Kristin on how panels have changed over the past five years, review best practices for panel success, and of course, address what you need to know when your pa...

[28:24] Today's show features two guests, 41 years of age apart, brought together by an initial common athletic interest, and further solidified by a second mutual interest of inspiring others with their wisdom and voices. Meet Madonna Hanna and Marcus Chambers, who are featured on the cover of the June 2020 issue of the Toastmaster magazine. Marcus Chambers, a twenty-five year old Olympic track a...

Judy offers her insights on laughter and humor in the midst of difficulties, and provides gives us practical examples of how to put humor to good use. Insisting that comedy lives in the details of life, Judy also puts your humble co-hosts to task with a challenge from her article on finding the funny in the midst of COVID-19 calamities.   Judy also shares practical tips on effective virtual p...

In the course of the discussion, we learn a little about why President Menon initially joined Toastmasters in 2002 (after expecting to politely decline).  Deepak's home club is Central Delhi Toastmasters. President Menon shares valuable perspectives and suggestions as we move into an uncertain future. He also provides information about the upcoming and first-ever 100% virtual and 100% free To...

In this episode you’ll hear how Johnny reached out Greg and Ryan to enlighten all Toastmasters with a conversation on how we can deal with the current global situation in a positive and effective way.    Johnny shares his experience and gives us his perspective on how we see ourselves, how we see our situation and helps us envision how we can get through it.  He also gives us tips on how we can lo...

[23:56] Aaron Beverly emerged as the winner of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in August 2019, out of more than 30,000 competitors worldwide. Delivering a speech entitled “An Unbelievable Story,” Aaron provided a humorous take on the heavy subject of race and the importance of “acceptance despite difference.”  Aaron joins Greg and Ryan, and provides an inside look at what constitutes...

This second installment of a two episode series focuses on 5 key areas to consider in creating compelling content for your podcast. Greg & Ryan offer up practical tips, examples, applications, and relevant references to previous episodes to help give you some ideas.  Our hosts also disclose an added bonus tip: a "must-do" for every aspiring podcaster who wants to keep the audience engaged and tune...

[26:39] In this two-part episode, Greg and Ryan step away from the typical interview format to talk about podcasting - specifically, how you can create interesting content. With over 900,000 podcasts and 30 million episodes on Apple Podcasts alone, there’s no doubt podcasting has become mainstream. And with the introduction of Pathways, all 11 paths offer a Podcasting elective at Level 4 giv...

In parts of the world, William Hung has become a household name. After his American Idol audition where his song selection was his rendition of Ricky Martin’s, She Bangs , Hung became famous for all the wrong reasons. Since then he’s found incredible success but his life has has a number of twists and turns along that highway. In this episode, Hung shares with Greg and Ryan a little about his jour...

[34:05] On August 24th, 2019 at the 88th Annual Toastmasters International Convention in Denver, Colorado USA, six Toastmasters earned the Accredited Speaker (AS) designation, bringing the total number of designations awarded to-date to 87. In the second part of this two-part series, Greg Gazin speaks with the final three of the six including: Dr.   Yelena Balabanova, DTM,  Seattle, WA,...

[32:43] On August 24th, 2019 at the 88th Annual Toastmasters International Convention in Denver, Colorado USA, six Toastmasters earned the Accredited Speaker (AS) designation, bringing the total number of designations awarded to-date to 87. In the first part of a two-part series, Ryan Levesque speaks with three of the six including: Paul Artale, DTM,  Swartz Creek, MI, USA; Thomas Iland, DTM,...

[21:45] In this episode, Greg and Ryan speak with Dr. Wenjing He, M.D., Ph. D., a member of an elite global team of surgeons and scientists conducting cutting-edge research at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada. Dr. He is also one of several members of the research team who also belong to the College Plaza Toastmasters Club, featured in the December 2019 issue of the Toastmaster magazi...