The Toastmasters Podcast

[24:35] As a teenager, Diana Robertson was crushed when her Father told her she didn't have what it takes to be an entrepreneur. She set out to show him otherwise.  In this episode, Greg speaks with Diana about how this once shy introverted young woman overcame challenges through a mix of determination and help from Toastmasters in both Russia and the U.K. Diana's journey included participating in speech competitions, taking on leadership roles within her Club and District, and even chairing a District conference in 2020. You'll also hear about the important role of positive feedback played a part in her transformation, how her Toastmasters experience differed in Russia versus the U.K, and more. Diana is featured in the February 2023 Issue of the Toastmaster magazine, in a Member Moment by Paul Sterman entitled, A Daughter Defies Expectations:  Leadership lessons help U.K. member prosper.Diana Robertson is an award-winning speaker, communication skills trainer, TEDx speaker & coach, and founder of Skillsme Academy, one of UK’s top virtual schools for developing soft skills. Having been a shy introvert herself, she has devoted her life to helping people unleash their potential with the power of communication skills.You can also listen to her presentation, “How to Learn Communication Skills,” from the London TEDxYouth event in late 2022.You can reach Diana Robertson on LinkedIn or at https://skillsme.co.uk/ 

To help listeners with their vocals, Jillian offers 5 Exercises to Vocal Tone.Jillian Mitchell is a vocal coach, recording artist, vodcast host, writer, and all-around voice advocate. She is the founder of Voxsana, an online platform dedicated to voice empowerment. Jillian lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two children. Jillian penned an article published in the April 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine called "Tone It Up! How to use your voice for powerful effect." Visit Jillian's website: https://voxsana.co/Follow Voxsana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voxsana.co/ 

[27:54] In the latest episode, co-hosts Greg Gazin & Ryan Levesque offer insight as a follow-up to the March 2023 article in the Toastmaster magazine: Tune In to The Toastmasters Podcast: Learn about the organization’s official podcast series and its hosts, written by Shannon Dewey. The hosts share their experiences, starting with how the podcast began, the partnership with the Toastmaster magazine, the show's raison d'être, and more.   You also hear Greg & Ryan reminisce about lessons learned, memorable episodes, miscues, and more. They also share resources to help you begin your own podcasting journey or possibly be featured as a guest.  Selected Podcasts and Resources mentioned in the episode:• Creating Interesting Podcast Content – Part 1 (#157) and Part 2 (#158)• Surviving Everest & the Nepal Earthquake – Sara Safari (#104)• Confessions of a Podcast Host - Greg Gazin & Ryan Levesque (#172)• Don't Let Fear Hold You Back – Robert A. Navarez (#208)• Enhance Any Presentation with Clown Presence – Don Colliver (#222)• ToastCaster Communication Leadership and Learning Lab - PodcastArticle from the January 2021 Toastmaster magazine, “Is There a Podcast in Your Future?”Podcasting Level 4 Elective in Pathways.Toastmaster Magazine Submissions:  Everything that you need to do to submit to the magazine, including helpful do’s and don’ts.Toastmasters Podcast Twitter: @theTMPodcast.  

[29:55] Many in their retirement years may not know what to do with themselves. Some may feel a loss of purpose because some define themselves by their jobs or feel they are too old to do new things. Our guest today is Jean Small. At 88, she seems unstoppable and today she'll  illustrate with a glimpse into her ongoing incredible journey that anything is possible. Jean retired in 2003 at the age of 68, and then joined a Toastmasters club in Jamaica. In 2021, she joined a club in Haiti to continue practicing her French by giving speeches. At 88 years old, Jean is one of the Toastmasters highlighted in an article of the March 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine called, “5 Ways to Reinvigorate Yourself After Retirement.”Jean was born in the South American country of Guyana, Jean has taught French in multiple locations, including Nigeria, Australia, Jamaica, and Guyana. As a French teacher, Jean received multiple prestigious awards from the government of France for her contributions, including being named a Knight in the order of the Academic Palms. In 2011 she completed her Doctorate which promotes the application of theater techniques as the best tool for learning the French language.Jean Small lives in Jamaica and can be reached on LinkedIn.

Dave is a member of Bromley Speakers based in Kent, England.His article, “5 Basic Tips for Effective Slide Presentations,” can be found in the February 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine. Read Dave's article: https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2023/feb/effective-slide-presentationsVisit Dave's website: https://www.theslidepresentationman.co.uk/View Dave's PowerPoint animation webinar: https://youtu.be/QE3SEe_Ngd0Watch Dave speak about the effects of bad slide presentations: https://www.theslidepresentationman.co.uk/speaking-slides/Connect with David Henson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidhensonpresents/

You’ll also discover what a public run-through is, how you can use it, the value of vulnerability from his personal experience and a whole lot more.Read more about this topic in Don’s article in the January 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine entitled: “Clowning Around: Discover three easy techniques for adding some good-natured fun to your presentation.” Some of our discussion also includes material from Don’s book  Wink: Transforming Public Speaking with Clown Presence.Don Colliver is a trainer and professional speaker living in the San Francisco Bay area in California. You can reach him on LinkedIn or at www.winkpublicspeaking.com. 

A student of the topic, Ryan shares his thoughts and favorite insights from the emerging field of future-self science, citing psychological researchers and other experts. Some of the experts referenced in Ryan's article include, organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy, Ph.D; Dan Gilbert, Ph.D., of Harvard University; Hal Herschrielf, Ph.D. from UCLA; German academic and psychologist, Gabriele Oettingen, Ph.D ; and Austrian psychiatrist and author, the late Victor Frankl, MD, Ph.D.Today's episode offers practical suggestions for applying these concepts and concrete steps we can take today to help us realize our potential.Ryan Levesque, DTM is a freelance writer, transformational public speaking coach, and a Toastmasters for nearly two decades. Based in Massachusetts, Ryan writes for companies in the blockchain, cryptocurrency, and Web3 space. You can find Ryan on LinkedIn or at WordsOnChain.com.

[28:32] Dr. Kevin Snyder completed the last step of the Accredited Speaker application process at the 2022 Toastmasters International hybrid convention and was subsequently awarded the prestigious Accredited Speaker designation (AS). Kevin is one of only 90 individuals to receive accreditation since the program began in 1981.  Kevin has presented to over one million people through over a thousand audiences in all 50 states and around the world. He is the author of several books, with a best-seller titled 'Think Differently to Achieve Success.'Outside of speaking and writing, Kevin’s personal “claim to fame” is that he lived his childhood dream of meeting Bob Barker and winning big on the television game show, The Price is Right. We'll hear about that in the interview along with a taste of his incredible journey.Kevin is profiled in the January 2023 issue of the Toastmaster magazine. Find him at KevinCSnyder.com. You can also find his AS presentation in its entirety on YouTube.Learn more about the Accredited Speaker program. 

[27:25] Take the power of Toastmasters, combine it with the power of podcasting, apply it to Cristóbal Colón and you get one individual whose life has been transformed. In this episode we hear about an incredible journey how Cristóbal took his passion for both and transformed himself from quiet engineer to podcast host. He shares about how and why he started the podcast, and how living through Puerto Rico's Hurricane Maria factored into his decision to finally start his podcast.Cristóbal also enlightens us about how Toastmasters has helped in on this journey and how podcasting has improved his skills and how certain aspects help improve those skills and more.You'd never know by listening that Cristóbal was once a shy introverted man who at one time felt invisible.  Cristóbal Colón, DTM is a member of Elite Advanced Speakers and Puerto Rico Toastmasters Club in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the host of Nos Cambiaron los Muñequitos! a podcast he started in 2018 in Spanish, his native language, amongst others.Cristóbal also earned Honorable Mention in the Pitch Us Your Podcast Idea contest last year. Cristobal wrote an article about his journey that appeared in the November 2022 issue of The Toastmaster entitled: The Power of Podcasting—How I transitioned from a quiet computer engineer to a passionate podcast host.You can reach Cristóbal Colón at his website: CristobalColon.net. You can also reach him on LinkedIn,  Twitter and Facebook. His dedicated sites for his podcasts are at: www.losmunequitos.com and www.lapalabraprecisa.com.  

[25:07] When used effectively, metaphors are magic spells of communication, visual eye candy that cements the connection between you and your audience while doubling as powerful tools of persuasion. In this episode, we speak with speaker and author Oscar Santolalla who enlightens us on how and why we can use metaphors in our presentations. You'll also learn how to create your own metaphors using the four-step method Oscar describes in his article entitled, Metaphorically Speaking: Use visual language to build a bridge between you and your audience in the March 2022 issue of the Toastmaster.Originally from Peru, Oscar Santolalla lives in Helsinki, Finland. He is a speaker, author, coach, and Sales Engineer and Trainer for Ubisecure. His mission is to help people in technology companies present better, inspire others, and sell more.Oscar has authored 2 books:  Rock the Tech Stage (which includes a section on Metaphors) and Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo.  He also hosts Time to Shine, a podcast about public speaking, as well as his company's podcast, “Let’s Talk About Digital Identity.” Oscar is a member of two Toastmasters clubs, Finlandia Toastmasters and Northern Stars. Find Oscar at RockTheTechStage.com or on LinkedIn.