The Toastmasters Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

#250: 500 Lunches with Strangers: Breaking Bread for Personal Growth – Nick Bendel Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

[28:56] Step out of your comfort zone and imagine having lunch with 500 strangers to enhance your social skills, fortify your mindset, expand your network, and unlock new opportunities. In this, our 250th episode, we delve into his journey and speak with Nick Bendel, a dedicated Toastmaster whose lunch tally currently sits at 376.

Nick pulls back the curtain and sheds light on the motivations behind his ambitious endeavour and shares insights into his selection process for lunch companions and the logistics of organizing these dining opportunities and the topics that fuel engaging discussions over meals. You'll hear stories and learn about the evolution of Nick's journey and some of the memorable lessons and unexpected moments bolstered by the invaluable support of Toastmasters along the way.

This is no small feat for Nick who self-describes as an anti-social introvert.

Nick's inspiring story is featured in Laura Mishkind's article, "500 Lunches With Strangers: How one Toastmaster’s personal growth project changed his life," published in the April 2024 issue of Toastmaster Magazine.

And for those curious about the logistics, Nick shared after we recorded that the costs of these meals are often split among participants.

Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Nick Bendel is the owner of Hunter & Scribe, a copywriting agency specializing in content creation for property and finance industries. A Toastmasters member since 2016, Nick is an active participant at the Dynamic North Shore TM Club.

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn to learn more about his journey and insights and perhaps to arrange lunch.

**#249: Group Wisdom: Reading The Toastmaster Aloud – Dorothy Chanakira & Viola Dondo** Mar 15, 2024
Show notes

[29:52] The **Toastmaster Magazine** serves as a rich source of monthly inspiration for our guests, **Dorothy Chanakira DTM** and **Viola Dondo DTM**, both from Zimbabwe. They’ve taken the lead in combining their passion for Toastmasters, learning, and reading. Their creative approach involves establishing an online group **TOAST & READ Along with Coach,** where participants give a toast to Toastmasters each month. Following the toast, they engage in in-depth discussions by reading aloud articles from the Toastmaster Magazine. Through this unique endeavour, they aim to enhance knowledge and foster meaningful conversations.

*Toast and Read Along with Coach is not a club but more like a book club focusing on the Toastmasters magazine.* In this episode few hear how the group came about and dive into its monthly activities. Our guests share personal examples of some of the memorable articles and what they took away from reading them. We also hear about some of the unexpected benefits gained by participants and guests... and more.

**Dorothy Chanakira** (right - below) is a Personal Development coach and three time Distinguished Toastmaster( DTM). **Viola Dondo, DTM** (left - below) is an IT enthusiast and has also been a Rotarian since 2015. Both have been Toastmasters since 2015, are members of several clubs including three they share in common: Sunday Sundowners - Australia, Zenith Advanced - Zimbabwe and Sell the Sizzle - Southern Africa.

This dynamic duo is featured in the Jan 2023 Member Moment entitled: **Reading the Toastmaster Together:** **Zimbabwe group inspires others to gain knowledge from the monthly magazine** by Laura Amann.

Dorothy and Viola can be reached on Facebook and LinkedIn.

*Toast and Read Along with Coach, meet on-line on the 15th of each month at 2:00 P.M. Central African Time - GMT+2.( 12:00 noon London U.K. or 6:00 A.M. at Toastmasters HQ in Denver, CO. USA). Use* *Date Converter here* to find the meeting time for your location.

**NOTE:**

**If you are listening to this podcast before the end of March 2024**, we encourage you to also check out the Toastmaster Magazine - Reading Challenge.

**#249: Group Wisdom: Reading The Toastmaster Aloud – Dorothy Chanakira & Viola Dondo** Mar 15, 2024
Show notes

[29:52] The **Toastmaster Magazine** serves as a rich source of monthly inspiration for our guests, **Dorothy Chanakira DTM** and **Viola Dondo DTM**, both from Zimbabwe. They’ve taken the lead in combining their passion for Toastmasters, learning, and reading. Their creative approach involves establishing an online group **TOAST & READ Along with Coach,** where participants give a toast to Toastmasters each month. Following the toast, they engage in in-depth discussions by reading aloud articles from the Toastmaster Magazine. Through this unique endeavour, they aim to enhance knowledge and foster meaningful conversations.

*Toast and Read Along with Coach is not a club but more like a book club focusing on the Toastmasters magazine.* In this episode few hear how the group came about and dive into its monthly activities. Our guests share personal examples of some of the memorable articles and what they took away from reading them. We also hear about some of the unexpected benefits gained by participants and guests... and more.

**Dorothy Chanakira** (right - below) is a Personal Development coach and three time Distinguished Toastmaster( DTM). **Viola Dondo, DTM** (left - below) is an IT enthusiast and has also been a Rotarian since 2015. Both have been Toastmasters since 2015, are members of several clubs including three they share in common: Sunday Sundowners - Australia, Zenith Advanced - Zimbabwe and Sell the Sizzle - Southern Africa.

This dynamic duo is featured in the Jan 2023 Member Moment entitled: **Reading the Toastmaster Together:** **Zimbabwe group inspires others to gain knowledge from the monthly magazine** by Laura Amann.

Dorothy and Viola can be reached on Facebook and LinkedIn.

*Toast and Read Along with Coach, meet on-line on the 15th of each month at 2:00 P.M. Central African Time - GMT+2.( 12:00 noon London U.K. or 6:00 A.M. at Toastmasters HQ in Denver, CO. USA). Use* *Date Converter here* to find the meeting time for your location.

**NOTE:**

**If you are listening to this podcast before the end of March 2024**, we encourage you to also check out the Toastmaster Magazine - Reading Challenge.

#248: How One Person Beat Burnout Through Personal Daily Routines – Olya Amelina Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Olya’s article appears in the January 2024 Issue of the Toastmaster Magazine: Finding a Balance to Beat Burnout: Daily routines deliver big benefits when personally tailored to your lifestyle.

In our podcast interview, Olya pulls back the curtain taking us back to how and when the downward spiral began, manifesting to the point where she left a well-paying job in the corporate world. She then took a break and embarked on a journey to rebuild her life from scratch, with the goal of recovering from burnout and finding meaning in life.

Olya shares some of the techniques she used to achieve her goals - like “Slowing down to speed up,” and how she developed routines and embraced structure to enable her to form better habits - including improving her nutrition, getting more quality sleep and in her own words, to truly turn her life around.

We also hear how Toastmasters played a role for Olya in her development.

Olya Amelina, formerly from Istanbul, Turkey, now lives in Dresden, Germany where she now specializes in working with ambitious individuals who prioritize their health, seeking to enhance their performance in sports, business, or daily life while avoiding burnout and enjoying every moment.

You can find Olya on LInkedIn or reach her via her website at Olya at Amelina.Health.

If you would like to hear another podcast episode on burnout, please check out:

#232: Keeping Burnout At Bay: Advice from a Strategic Business Coach — Sara Mayer.

#247: Improv: Laugh While Flexing Your Spontaneous Speaking Skills – Karen Rae Hannah Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

[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.

#246: The Roast: Lightheartedly "Grilling" the Person of Honor – Chris Arning Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

[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.

#245: Meet the Newest Toastmasters International Accredited Speakers 2023 Jan 15, 2024

Show notes

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.

#244: Handling Presentation Misfortunes & Mishaps with Grace – Jim Cathcart Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

[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-unexpected

Watch Jim's TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ki9-oaPwHs

Get a free digital copy of Jim's book, What To Do When You’re The Speaker: https://free.cathcart.com

#243: My Toastmasters Education is like a College Degree – Philip Wilkerson III Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

[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.

#242: Finding Her Voice and Purpose Creates a Path of Opportunities – Kelly Kaur Dec 01, 2023

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.

#241: AI, Authenticity, and…Stand-Up Comedy?—Aman Chopra Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

About Aman Chopra
Aman 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

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