The Toastmasters Podcast

[24:00] In this episode, you'll meet three incredible speakers scheduled to present education sessions in August at the 2016 Toastmasters International Convention in Washington, D.C. They are: Anne Barab DTM, AS; Sheryl Roush, DTM, AS, PDG and Rochelle Rice CSP, AS, MA. Notice! The Friday morning Accredited Speaker sessions have switched time slots! The Level 2 Judging (5 Candidates showcasing) is now at 8:00am Eastern. "How to Become An Accredited Speaker" Education Session is now at 10:15am. August 19th.

As leaders, our level of success is greatly influenced by our habits. How can we get rid of bad habits that hinder our goals, and build new healthy habits that support our objectives? Pauline Wallin, Ph.D., helps us understand the nature of habits, and offers techniques and strategies to help with healthy habit acquisition. Dr. Wallin sheds light on the role of willpower, and shares a powerful method for dealing with temptations (and procrastination) that she calls "15 Magic Minutes." Dr. Wallin is a psychologist in Central Pennsylvania, and is the author of the self-help book Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide for Transforming Self-defeating Behavior.

Using the leadership and communication skills that he learned in Toastmasters, Jimmy Thai launched an initiative to help build schools for children in Vietnam.

Craig Harrison discusses brainstorming as a powerful strategy for discovering better ideas and solutions.

[31:22] Sara Safari, DTM shares a remarkable journey of tremendous personal growth gained through her Toastmasters experience, and by undertaking a death defying "impossible goal." Having never even been on a camping trip, Sara made a bold decision to climb Mount Everest. After a period of intense training and preparation (and with a newfound purpose of helping Nepali women and children) Sara was halfway up the world’s highest mountain when the Nepali earthquake struck, killing and injuring thousands of people. Sara shares the physical and mental challenges she pushed through during her time in Nepal. Her story will inspire you to face your fears, motivate you to expand the boundaries of your comfort zone and challenge you to reconsider the limits of what is possible.

[22:45] Maureen Zappala, DTM, is a professional speaker, author and former NASA propulsion engineer. She joins the show to discuss goal setting and how it led her to the 2009 World Championship of Public Speaking finale. She’ll also touch on harnessing the power of mentoring and accountability.

 [18:50] Distinguished Toastmaster Harry Yan had the unique opportunity to participate as a cast member in videos produced as part of Toastmasters' revitalized education program (REP). Harry provides a behind-the-scenes look at the video production process. He shares what he enjoyed about the process, what surprised him, and how he believes the REP will benefit members.

[26:58] Ellie Kay, ACS, ALB, is now one of only 67 Accredited Speakers (AS) in the world. Ellie received the prestigious AS designation at Toastmasters’ 2015 International Convention in Las Vegas.Greg and Ryan speak with Ellie about her unique and varied career as a speaker and author, her decision to pursue the AS designation, and about how Toastmasters fits into her life today.

 [23:15] On August 15, 2015, Mohammed Qahtani of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, District 79, became Toastmasters’ 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking with his speech, "The Power of Words," delivered at the Toastmasters International Convention in Las Vegas. In our milestone 100th episode, Qahtani speaks with Greg and Ryan as he shares his struggles with a speech impediment and provides a behind-the-scenes look at his winning speech, its evolution, and even a surprising last-minute change made 30 minutes before he took the stage to compete.

[19:00] Bo and Greg speak with Jim Kokocki, DTM, who is an entrepreneur and business consultant residing in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. As a volunteer, he is a member of the board at L’Arche Saint John, part of a worldwide network of communities for people with intellectual disabilities. He also serves as Director of Business Development for Mudge Engineering Associates. Kokocki previously worked at telecommunications provider Bell Aliant and its related companies for 30 years. He recently completed a master’s degree in business administration at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John. Kokocki has also worked with other volunteer organizations, including the Saint John Board of Trade where he served as co-chair of its Business Education Committee. For other organizations, he delivers presentations on leadership, protecting self-esteem, managing conflict, business modeling, and public relations and marketing.A dedicated Toastmaster for 27 years, Kokocki served on the Board of Directors from 2002 to 2004. In addition to having held a number of high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters, Kokocki also attained the Distinguished Toastmaster designation—the highest level of achievement in the organization."Over the years, I've met many people who tell me that their Toastmasters membership enabled them to hone skills that were important to their success personally and professionally. I look forward to serving and leading the organization's efforts to extend our reach and provide communication and leadership skills to even more people around the world," he says.As International President, Kokocki is a “working ambassador” for the organization. He works with the Board to develop, support and modify the policies and procedures that guide the organization in fulfilling its mission.