The Toastmasters Podcast

[27:25] Improvisation—or improv—the art of saying or doing something relevant to the moment, yet completely unplanned, is a great way to get people laughing and flexing their spontaneous speaking skills. In this episode, we speak with Karen Rae Hannah,  a 16-year Toastmaster who belongs to five clubs, two of which are dedicated to humor and improv and one of which she is the President. In this lighthearted episode, Karen Rae gives us her take on what improv is, some of the forms it takes. She also enlightens us as to how it’s integrated and used within her club meetings and how it can be used in any meeting. She also shares how she feels it differs from impromptu speaking or Table Topics and also learn what skills improv can improve and how improv can help one improve both their speaking and leadership skills and more.Karen Rae Hannah was one of a number of individuals interviewed for the article, “Improv-ing Club Meetings: How 3 clubs are getting laughs and flexing their spontaneous speaking skills,” by Stephanie Darling from the February 2024 issue of the Toastmaster Magazine.Karen Rae Hannah lives in Woodbury, MN, USA. She is the President of Improv and Humor,  an on-line club based in Torrance, CA. She's also a retired businesswoman and single mother who ran an adoption agency. She has five adult children and six grandchildren, several with special needs who inspire her daily and are often a source of humor for her.Improv Clubs mentioned in this episode:Improv and Humor Club, on online club based in Torrence, CA.International Improv Toastmasters Club, a Chinese-English speaking club based in Beijing, China. (In-person)Improv Toastmasters, an online club based in North Hollywood, California.

[29:39] A Roast is something you can bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes per pound but it’s also a humorous way to honor or recognize an individual by poking fun at them in a good-natured way.  (Remember the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts?)  On today’s episode, our guest, Chris Arning demystifies and enlightens us on this time-honored topic - also in a good-natured way. Chris helps us understand what a roast is and what it isn’t and why he feels that being roasted is a right of passage. He shares his thoughts and his recipe for what a good roast is and how roasts can be used within Toastmasters and the outside world - even for those who may shy away from the idea. Chris shares a number of stories about being the roastee and also the roaster and a very personal story about how he honored his Father and more.Chris was one of the individuals interviewed about roasting club officers/members and for the article Fire Up the Lectern!  How to honor your officers and noteworthy members with a roast, by Kate McClare, in the February 2024 issue of the Toastmaster Magazine. Chris also provided the sidebar “Grilling” tips also appearing in the issue.Chris Arning is the CEO of Creative Semiotics Ltd. He is a creative strategist specializing in semiotics and cultural insight, with over 15 years of international experience as a planner, qualitative researcher and semiotician.A Toastmaster since 2017 Chris is Past President of Berkeley Square Toastmasters Club in Central London. Chris lives in London, England and can be reached at CreativeSemiotics.co.uk as well as on LInkedIn.

The Accredited Speaker (AS) Program recognizes some of the most exceptional professional speakers in Toastmasters. It is designed for sought-after presenters who combine expert knowledge in a particular subject with mastery of the spoken word. This AS awardmrequires applicants to pass two levels of judging, is the highest-earned designation recognized by Toastmasters International.In this episode, host Greg Gazin speaks with Stephanie and Verity Price and my co-host Ryan speaks with Dale Rees Bevan. You'll hear inspiring and interesting stories about their AS, Toastmasters and personal journeys, their presentations and you might just pick top some valuable tips along the way.You can also read the article Three New Accredited Speakers Emerge: Professional speakers earn prestigious designation from Toastmasters International in the January 2024 issue of the Toastmaster Magazine. Contact the AS:Stephanie Angelo can be reached at: StephanieAngelo.com or via eMail and watch her entire 2023 AS Presentation on YouTube.Verity Price can be reached at: VerityPrice.com, on various Social Media  @VerityPriceSpeaks and watch her entire 2023 AS Presentation on YouTube.Dale Rees-Bevan can be reached at: Dale ReesBevan.com, on LInkedIn and and watch her entire 2023 AS Presentation on YouTube.You can also watch the Interview with the three winners hosted by 1st VP Aletta Rochat, DTM.

[34:07] Even when you've thoroughly prepared for a presentation, things can go awry that you could never possibly anticipate. Today's guest, Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE has faced the impossibly unpredictable countless times. He joins us to share his stories, strategies, and mindset for dealing with the unexpected with grace. Jim is a professional speaker who has delivered more than 3,500 convention speeches around the world. He is the author of 25 books including his latest, What To Do When You’re The Speaker. Jim is the past National President of the National Speakers Association and is one of the top 5 most award-winning speakers in the world. He has a TEDx with 2.7 million views.  In 2001, Toastmasters International awarded Jim Cathcart the Golden Gavel. He was also invited to be the keynote speaker for both the 1995 and 2022 Toastmasters International Conventions. Jim wrote an article appearing in the December 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine called "Expect the Unexpected: Anything can happen when you’re presenting; learn to focus on solutions."Link to Jim's article: https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2023/dec/expect-the-unexpectedWatch Jim's TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ki9-oaPwHsGet a free digital copy of Jim's book, What To Do When You’re The Speaker: https://free.cathcart.com 

[29:17] Our guest today Philip Wilkerson III likens his four years of Toastmasters membership to being equivalent to receiving a college degree.  He enlightens us a little about the fruits of his Toastmasters journey and how others can also benefit from the program. He also shares about how his communication and presentation skills continue to blossom and how mentors help guide him and encourage him along the leadership path. We also hear about how he came up with the idea to charter a virtual club - Alpha Toastmasters 1906 by recruiting members from Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Black fraternity, whose past members include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Owens, Thurgood Marshall and Lionel Ritchie. Philip Wilkerson III is an employer engagement consultant at GMU Career Services. He is the Area 21 Director for District 29 and a member of GMU Toastmasters and Alpha Toastmasters 1906.Phil hosts the podcast Positive Philter, which focuses on well-being and Toastmasters. He lives with his wife and two sons in Fairfax, Virginia. Philip shares his story entitled A Toastmasters Education: My four years of membership has been equivalent to receiving a degree, in My Turn in the December 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine. Phil lives in Fairfax, Virginia, USA. You can reach him on LinkedIn, as well as via his website PositivePhilter.com.If you would like to appear as a guest on the Toastmasters Podcast, listen to the Toastmasters Podcast #225 and read the show notes.

We also hear how her 15 years of Toastmasters speeches helped her realize the dream of becoming a fiction writer, and about her latest novel, 'Letters to Singapore.'Kelly enlightens us on how she said NO to an arranged marriage, and found herself moving to Calgary, Alberta, Canada from Singapore to pursue an education and Master's degree. Her writing is now finding itself on a Lunar Codex project scheduled to begin its journey to the moon in January 2024.Kelly is an educator, published author, and poet. She recently curated an anthology of African art and writing for the International Human Rights Art Festival in New York City. She was nominated for the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards, given by Canadian Immigrant magazine.Her first novel, Letters to Singapore, was published in May 2022, and her children’s book, Howdy, I’m Harnam Singh Hari, about the first Sikh pioneer in Calgary, will be published in spring of 2024.Kelly's profile entitled: Path of Opportunities: Kelly Kaur finds her voice and purpose through Toastmasters’ speech contests can be found in the September 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine.You can reach Kelly on LinkedIn, at KellyKaur.com or through Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada where she teaches English.

About Aman ChopraAman Chopra is a stand-up comedian, podcaster, and public speaking coach based in New York City. He hosts and produces an innovative AI x Comedy show with his team, ComedyBytes, where human comedians collaborate with AI robots in live performances. Alongside his stage endeavors, Aman runs a podcast and offers professional public speaking coaching. His passion lies in authenticity and self-expression. Click here to learn more about Aman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechopster  

On today's episode, Greg and Ryan speak with Jocelyn, a first-time speech contest competitor, about her journey. You'll learn about the additional pressures Jocelyn was facing at the time of the competition, the back story behind her championship-winning speech, and much more. Jocelyn and the other finalists were featured in the November issue of the Toastmaster. Watch Jocelyn's winning speech: https://youtu.be/vEmawDu17AURead the article featuring Jocelyn in the Toastmaster: https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2023/nov/world-champ-winnersConnect with Jocelyn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelynbtyson/      

[22:24] Toastmasters changes lives. In this episode, host Greg Gazin speaks with Jane Osemwegie. In her youth, Jane was bullied and called names, never feeling like she would ever amount to anything. With dedication, determination and Toastmasters,Jane, in her own words says, "(Now) I see a blessed, confident, Black, and gifted woman in me.”   Jane enlightens us, sharing a little about her journey of confidence building, career enhancement and transformation through Toastmasters starting where she grew up in Nigeria and now in Canada where she currently lives. Jane's article: Reaching My Full Potential: Toastmasters helped me find my confidence and enhance my career, appears in the   My Turn section  in the October 2023 issue of The Toastmaster MagazineJane Osemwegie is a passionate and resilient young professional who loves to spread kindness to anyone she comes across. Jane has a decade of experience in Product and Project Management in the Financial services, Energy, and Technology industries.  Jane is currently the Vice President of the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) Nova Scotia Chapter where she volunteers to mentor and coach members on business requirement gathering, communication and understanding customer pain points. A Toastmaster since 2016, she was the charter President of the AWN Toastmasters club in Nigeria, Africa under the Access Bank Women Initiative for one of Africa’s leading financial institutions and was recognized for excellence earning her the Access Bank Brand Ambassador award in 2019. Jane is a Distinguished Toastmaster and the immediate Past Area Director in District 45 and a member of Bedford Basin Toastmasters, a hybrid club based in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada.Jane can be reached on LinkedIn or via e-mail.

[26:35] While most organizations recognize the importance of brand consistency and uniformity, getting everyone on board to follow brand guidelines can sometimes be a challenge. Today we speak with Distinguished Toastmaster Mayuri Assudani who single-handedly took a stand for the brand, cascading brand awareness through her entire district—including through a live competition, no less. Mayuri wrote an article in the September 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine that highlights her efforts to promote brand awareness in her District. The article is called: Turning Compliance into Competition: How one District spread brand awareness.In this episode, Mayuri shares a little about her Toastmasters journey and why she decided to help spur support for Toastmasters brand awareness. She talks about the importance of branding and what it does for any organization and why she created a branding competition. We hear about the origins of the competition, how it unfolded, lessons learned, and more. Links to resources:This is the link to PR CONTEST 1.0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2D8jSR9UFY This is the link to PR CONTEST 2.0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZE58_3IrnQ Mayuri Assudani is from Nagpur, India where she works as a French language Teacher and Trainer and has over 27 years of teaching experience. A Toastmaster since 2017, Mayuri is a member of two community clubs including the Loyal Toastmasters Club in Nagpur. She has served in various leadership roles at both the club and district level and currently serves as Administration Manager for District 126 in India. She can be reached on LinkedIn or via email.