Sheryl Roush Video – “Market Like A Pro: How to Promote Your Club to Potential Members”
Sheryl Roush – “Market Like A Pro: How to Promote Your Club to Potential Members” Learn tried-and-proven tips. Understand best placement of elements in the layout and why. Be creative while respecting TI branding. Attract guests and new members to your Club. Sheryl Roush, DTM, PDD, Accredited Speaker, shares her 45+ years in graphic design, marketing, and advertising. She has owned 5 graphic design studios, received 4 Toastmasters Top Ten global awards for newsletters, and published 5 books on this topic. Her 17 books include Solid Gold Newsletter Design, created for Toastmasters VP-M, VP-PR, PROs and PRMs, became a course book at the University of Ottawa. Click here to see “Market Like A Pro” video Click here for Sheryl’s Workshop Handout
2019 Sacramento County Academic Decathlon Competition
Sacramento County Academic Decathlon The Sacramento County Academic Decathlon, held the first Saturday in February of each year, is an academic competition open to high school students from all school districts in Sacramento County. On February 2, 2019, hundreds of high school students, teachers, and community volunteers will gather at Folsom High School [map] for the 39th Annual Sacramento County Academic Decathlon. This year’s theme: The 1960’s: A Transformational Decade This premier academic competition for high school students will not be possible without the involvement of many community members like you who serve as proctors, judges, and in various other roles. We would love to have you volunteer at this year’s competition! Please take a minute to complete an online Volunteer RSVP by going to our Decathlon Volunteers Web page and selecting the “Register to Volunteer” link. On this site you can also let us know if you will not be able to make it but want to be kept on the list for the future. https://www.scoe.net/ad/Pages/default.aspx Herb Long DTM, PDG is looking for 65 volunteers. If you have a friend, family member, or colleague who might be interested in being a part of this exciting event, we’d love to hear from them as well. Thank you for your help and support of students by being involved in the Academic Decathlon! Contact Herb Long DTM, PDG if you have any questions – hlong@surewest.net
Meet District 39’s First Accredited Speaker Donny Crandell
Meet District 39’s First Accredited Speaker Donny Crandell By Kristi Beres On August 26, 2017, at the Toastmasters International Conference in Vancouver, Canada, Donny Crandell became the first speaker from District 39 and one of only 75 Toastmasters to achieve the Accredited Speaker award. Crandell, a 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking finalist shares his thoughts about his journey on becoming an Accredited Speaker. When did you join Toastmasters? I joined five years ago. My first Club was Placer’s Gold in Auburn, California. What is the Accredited Speakers Award? Toastmasters recognizes professional speakers with a rare, prestigious designation called, “Accredited Speaker.” Through a rigorous application process and video submission, the candidate must pass level 1. After that, it’s off to level two, speaking at the International Conference Accredited Speaker forum. What is the screening process like? It’s an arduous journey but well worth it. The level one video is judged by five judges and you must receive a 70 % scoring on average. You also have to complete 25 speaking engagements within a three year period. Fifteen of those 25 speeches must include audiences of 20 or more who paid to hear you speak. You also must have five endorsement letters from those fifteen paid engagements. A record of the location and the amount of pay received was submitted with the application. How did you find out about the Accredited Speakers program? I first heard about it through Emma Santa from our district, and later from [AS] Sheryl Roush when she presented a seminar on the subject at a district conference in Stockton. Who helped you refine your Accredited Speakers presentation? I received the best feedback from Jeffrey Purtee and other Toastmasters in the Reno area. How was preparing for the Accredited Speakers finals similar or different than preparing for the semifinals of the World Champion of Public Speaking? The biggest difference for me was that I didn’t have to memorize this presentation, but I did memorize my International speech. There is far less pressure with the Accredited Speaker’s accreditation because I was not competing against anyone but myself and the judges. And most importantly, you’re not disqualified for going over time. When did you find out you were a finalist? I found out that I passed level 1 on May 19, 2017. The night before I competed in the District 39 International contest in Anderson, California. Who are the judges who judge you and the other Accredited Speakers finalists? There are five anonymous judges at both levels; the video presentation and for the live presentation at the International Conference. What were the highlights of the Toastmasters International convention? Speaking at the Accredited Speaker program and earning the designation. I also enjoyed a bike ride around Stanley Park and having a late night visit with friends from Sacramento and Reno at the Marriot Pinnacle restaurant. Now that you are an Accredited Speaker- what do you hope to do next? I want to continue working as a professional speaker, but not yet ready to quit my day jobs. I also plan on competing to be the World Champion of Public Speaking. I will continue speaking as much as possible, in as many venues as possible, to be the best speaker I can possibly be. I still have plenty to learn to be a professional speaker. Authored by: Kristi Beres, DTM Public Relation Manager District 39, Toastmasters International kristi.beres@district39.org
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Laurent Frazier
This interview is the 5th in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. Do you agree with Laurent’s perspective on how to recruit and retain younger members? Q: Laurent, how long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and why did you join? A: In November of 2015, I was approached by a co-worker who thought it would enhance my communications skills and business productivity as a sales consultant. I found that first meeting to be full of intense fun, and I loved the way everyone supported each other and participated in all aspects of the meeting. I joined immediately as a charter member of Power Talkers, and have been attending ever since. Q: How do you remember your first few meeting experiences? Why did you keep coming back? A: I remember my first few meetings as being first and foremost a lot of fun! I had a great time at each meeting and started inviting friends and co-workers right away. I kept coming back because I noticed that as I was having fun, my communication skills kept improving. I was shaky during my Ice Breaker speech, but after all the wonderful feedback, I found myself speaking more clearly and concisely at meetings, home, and work. The things I learned at Toast Masters began to subtly work their way into my everyday speech patterns and improve my ability to express myself and share information. I found this to be very encouraging and it intensified my desire to keep attending. Q: What are the key lessons you have learned in Toastmasters? A: One of the key lessons I learned is the power of constructive feedback. Every speech is followed by loving and considerate evaluations. Hearing what one can improve upon can sometimes be intimidating, but the intention of Toastmasters feedback is always to help the person being evaluated, and that intention can be felt. This has also taught me to give feedback to people in other life scenarios from a place that is intended only to help them improve, rather than to be right or get them to buy into my own opinions. Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? And what would you like to accomplish in the future? A: One of my proudest achievements in Toastmasters was my Icebreaker speech. I got amazing feedback and I learned from my evaluations where I could improve. I am proud to say that I took the suggestions presented and was able to see progress by the time I participated in my first table topics speech the following week. I used to have a tough time accepting feedback, but I am happy to report that I now look forward to it. Another one of my top successes was being voted as the inaugural club President of Power Talkers. Based upon my previous speeches and lessons learned from my Ice Breaker and Table Topics speeches, I delivered a speech from the heart when presenting myself for office. I am proud that my words were able to reach so many people’s hearts and that I have the chance to now serve our club members and aid others in the development of their leadership and communications skills. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to recruit and retain more Millennial members? A: Ah Millennials… We can be a tough bunch to satisfy. I think that the reason our club appeals to Millennial participation is that we understand what they want. As millennials we grew up in a high tech society, but our technology has created a problem, an occasional low touch disconnect from the people around us and the physical world. It’s easy to write a letter when spell check corrects everything, but it’s more difficult to express those same thoughts in spoken words when our devices can’t do anything to assist us. Therefore, when recruiting Millennials I focus on speaking about the accessibility Toastmasters give us, and how it turns our high tech world view into a high touch world view. I speak to potential Millennial members about how Toast Masters helps us achieve the things WE are interested in. I speak to my young co-workers about how it can help enhance their sales by making it easier to communicate products to customers. I tell my friends it can enhance our ability to speak to that guy or girl that we may be too shy to ask out on a date; how it can help us negotiate a raise at work; or negotiate a higher salary when applying for a new job. As Millennials we tend to gravitate towards things that give us a greater ability to get the things we want in life. I also highlight how FUN it is! Keeping our club consistently fun helps us maintain our Millennial membership base. And once Millennials are engaged in something we find both fun and useful, we are more than eager to share it with our friends and family. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? What mistakes should they avoid? A: I would advise younger members to create goals for themselves, and that they view Toast Masters as a way to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be. I also recommend that they attend with a friend. Having someone you know there makes things more fun, and you can witness and support each other’s progress better since you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Regarding potential pitfalls to avoid, I think a common problem can be a fear of commitment and a tendency to stop coming to meetings. I completely understand that life gets busy, especially for younger people who are learning how to navigate adult hood. Just remember that when you feel the inclination to skip out on a meeting, you are developing skills that will open gateways to the things you want in life. Toastmasters will help you become the best version of yourself you can be,
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Ia Her
This interview is the third in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. How is your club cultivating its next generation of speakers and leaders? Q: Before we talk about Toastmasters, help us get to know Ia. Can you share a few interesting facts about yourself? A: I am the third child of a big family of five sons and five daughters. I lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for 8 years before migrating to the U.S. in September of 1992. I actually wrote a story about my childhood experience in this refugee camp, “My Home on No Name Street.” I can speak, read and write fluently in my native language Hmong, and I have also taught others the language. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2006 with a double major in Political Science and Legal Studies. Currently, I work as a Senior Legal Analyst at a risk management firm called Bickmore in Sacramento. I like to sing for fun and enjoy planning gatherings for my BIG family. Q: How long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and what was the original catalyst that prompted you to join? A: I joined Pop-Up Toastmasters in July 2013. Although I consider myself a vocal and talkative person at home, other people (especially at work) always view me as a shy person. My managers have recommended that I speak up more at client meetings. Therefore, I decided to join Toastmasters to improve my confidence and speaking skills. Q: How do you remember your first meeting experience? Was there anyone in particular who had a positive impact on you? A: Everyone in the club was very nice and welcoming. After my first visit, some of the club members offered to help me with my membership application. I quickly decided to join. A mentor was assigned to me and I began my CC Manual journey. My mentor Jayne Nielsen is awesome! She offers to read my speech before I give it and she always gives me feedback after each speech. I know that sometimes we feel hesitant to ask for help because we don’t feel like bugging busy people, but it’s always better to ask then not. A small tip here and there really adds up in the end, so I take advantage of my mentor’s knowledge as well as that of the other more experienced members in my club. I could not have excelled in the speech contests without the support of this team. I’m thankful for all of their encouragement and time. Because of the difference it made for me, I’ve decided to become a mentor myself and hopefully I can make the same positive impact on newer members Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? A: My participation in the Spring 2015 International Speech Contest. At first, I only wanted to put my skills to use by testing how good I’ve become since I joined Toastmasters, but then I placed first place at the Area Contest and went all the way to the District level. I realized that I was better and had more confidence than I thought. Additionally, I’m also proud that I held officer roles within my club. I was the VP of Education for six months and Treasurer for a year. I learned a lot from the other officers in the club through this participation. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: I recommend doing an Open House and having the more experienced or seasoned members give a speech. That was one thing that attracted me in the beginning… when I saw someone give a flawless and engaging speech, it made me want to be like that person. I’m sure other newcomers will feel the same way. Q: What are the top personal benefits you’ve received from Toastmasters? A: Confidence. Two years ago, I ended a long-term, but unhealthy, relationship and I wanted to look for ways to gain back my “self”…someone who’s known to be confident, independent and goal-oriented. I even made a goal to be “competitive” again in 2015. Fortunately, I gained all of that confidence back with the support of my club members as well as Toastmasters I met at conferences and contests. And good news on the relationship front… I not only achieved my personal goal of becoming competitive again, but I also attracted someone who sees this confidence in me. I’m now enjoying a new and healthier relationship with him. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: Attend the meetings regularly and learn from others in the club. Members share their stories through their speeches and everyone’s story is unique. Also be willing to share your story with them. Nobody will judge you. The more you share through your speeches, the more the members will get to know you. I think that’s what I like the most about Toastmasters. It gives me an avenue to share my story. And the best is yet to come! Connect with Ia Her on Facebook Email Ia at iabasicy@hotmail.com for her Refugee Camp story Learn more about Pop-Up Toastmasters in Division D, District 39. (Meets every Wednesday from 12:05 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) ***
D39 Member Spotlight: Rasheed Bustamam
This interview is the second in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. Do your club’s younger members feel the same way? How are you cultivating your next generation of speakers and leaders this year? Q: Hello Rasheed. Which Toastmasters club do you attend and how long you have been a member? A: I belong to Speaking Machine in Elk Grove, and I’ve been a member for around 3.5 years. Q: What was the original catalyst that prompted you to visit the club? A: I realized that I struggled with public speaking (and social interaction in general), so I needed to get out of my comfort zone and become a boss at the aforementioned things. I was influenced by a Brian Tracy book called “Eat That Frog,” whose premise was basically “If the first thing you do in a day is eat a frog, you can be rest assured that it is the hardest thing you’ll have done that day.” Brian mentioned Toastmasters as a way for people to get out of their comfort zones. If they could overcome the fear of public speaking, little by little, they could overcome almost anything. I wanted to be able to overcome almost anything, as I was going through a difficult time in my life and filled with self-doubt. So this was something I knew I had to do. Q: What was it about the first meeting experience that made you want to come back? A: It was the encouraging environment. The VPE Darlene Crockett asked me to volunteer for a Table Topic on my first night, and even though I know I bombed it, everyone was so encouraging. They told me I did well and that I’d be a welcome addition to the team, so I would have felt bad if I never came back. Q: What are your 3 proudest achievements in the club? A: I have a lot, but here are three biggies: 1) Becoming the youngest president in the club’s 27 year history, and carrying the torch of President’s Distinguished Club for one more year. 2) Ascending to Area Director. 3) Making it to Division level in the International Speech Contest, and winning 3rd place against much more seasoned speakers. This was a big deal for someone who could barely read a speech 3 years ago. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: Millennials love free food (just saying.) Seriously, Toastmasters meetings I attend primarily consist of people over 40. So, an older person calls the meeting to order and leads the meeting. When I go to contests, it’s usually older people who are competing, and chairing the contests. There are some cultural differences between millennials and baby boomers. Many millennials are against outdated notions of what it means to be professional. It is more than just wearing a super expensive suit… any snake-oil salesperson can do that. We will only wear a suit when we absolutely need to, and even avoid situations that require us to wear them. Millennials believe our professionalism lays in our work ethic and how we treat others. If we are to recruit and maintain millennials in our Toastmasters clubs, we need to discourage judgment based on how people are dressed and focus more on acting professional, which includes tolerance and respect. Q: Any other examples of the differences besides the way you dress? What should older members do and NOT do to recruit and retain younger members. Unfortunately, many times, older members can be a bit patronizing or even condescending to younger members. It is important for young people to be given an opportunity to grow. I am fortunate in that Darlene Crockett saw potential in me as a young leader, and nominated me for an officer position. Since I did not see my own potential, it was a pivotal moment in my Toastmasters career. I would have never thought I’d be ready for an officer position without her nudging me. Young people–no, any person– will make mistakes. These mistakes should never, ever, be chalked up to a person’s age. That is probably the fastest way to lose a millennial. Everyone makes mistakes and it helps us grow as leaders. Millennials don’t want to be involved in a group that believes we are incompetent simply because of our age. We need to be given the opportunity to make mistakes, the opportunity to fail, and like everyone else, we sometimes need a hand to lift us out of our pit. Q: What is the top personal benefit you’ve received from Toastmasters? A: The biggest personal benefit would be self-esteem. As I mentioned before, when I joined Toastmasters, I was going through thoughts of self-doubt, wondering if I’d ever amount to anything. Toastmasters gave me a sense of belonging. Even though I hadn’t yet accomplished anything, I still felt better about myself because I felt like I belonged to something big. When I became active within the club, and heard about how a meeting fell apart in my absence, it made me feel like my presence was definitely needed. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: The more you give, the more you get. Jump at every volunteer opportunity you can get, meet new people and get to know the “go-to” people when you need something done. Just be all-around helpful. When you rise in leadership, it is those people you helped that will save your butt when others start bailing at the last minute (it happens more often than you’d think, unfortunately). And, last, but not least, give credit where credit is due. People love being recognized and honored, even if they are recognized and honored ten times a day because they are always helping people. Express your appreciation to people as much as you can–you can never do too much of that. The fastest way to get someone to never want to
District 39 Member Spotlight: Stephanie Maynard
This interview series will reveal insights about what motivates members to join and succeed in Toastmasters. Q: Stephanie, what was the original catalyst that prompted you to visit Toastmasters? A: I was unemployed in a bad post-college market, looking for anything to give me a leg up. While job shadowing a reporter (my degree is in Journalism,) he mentioned Toastmasters could be beneficial for me as a way to not only improve my public speaking (because no matter how good you are there’s always room for improvement) and network with business professionals. So I looked online, found Lodi Toastmasters was the closest with the best time and everything is history from there. Q: How long you have been a member? A: I first joined 2-3 years ago. There was a time when I had to stop being a paying member due to financial reasons, but I kept coming when I could and this last quarter was able to reinstate myself as a Toastmasters member. Q: What was it about the first meeting experience that made you want to come back? A: To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of specifics about the first meeting. I remember winning Table Topics my very first time. I’ve noticed with open-ended Table Topics and new people there’s a lot of real raw honesty that can go into a first-time guest’s table topic, which is what happened with me. I also remember how nice and open everyone was to talking and I probably stayed around chatting for at least 20 minutes after the meeting had adjourned. I came back because the people were friendly, because I wanted to see if I could get something out of it and because at the time I really didn’t have much to do with having no job. Having a weekly meeting helped give me a sense of focus and purpose, even if it was just one day out of the week. Q: What are your 3 proudest achievements in the club? A: My greatest achievement is undoubtedly when I competed in the 2014 Table Topics Contest. I made it all the way up to the District level and took 2nd place. I had done Speech and Debate in high school but I had never competed on a level like that. I haven’t been able to compete since then, but I’m hoping to soon. I’m proud of finishing my competent communicator manual (and in a fun twist of fate, that achievement was the last needed qualification to make our club eligible for a Distinguished Club that period). The last thing I’m proud of isn’t necessarily an achievement, but I’m listing it anyway. I feel like I’ve become kind of a go-to person in my club for speech evaluations and there are a lot of newer members who ask me for advice on prepared speeches and table topics. I’m proud of that not only because it shows how far I’ve come within Toastmasters but it also makes me feel that I can really give back to a group that gave me so much. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract and retain more members like yourself? A: It’s difficult to say, but I think the best practice is to take the basic benefits and word them to a newer generation of needs. Millenials might not hear ‘public speaking group’ and think they need it. I didn’t at first. I had done 4 years of speech and debate and was completely comfortable speaking in front of a group… so why did I need something like Toastmasters? It was the possibility of professional networking that really caught my ear, but I ended up staying because I could feel my self-confidence improving and not just when I was speaking. Toastmasters is so much more than just speech practice and it’s that valuable ‘everything else’ that I think would catch Millennial attention. Toastmasters is interviewing with authority; it’s leading a team with confidence; it’s daily social interaction skills; it’s professional networking; and it’s preparation for everything from a classroom presentation to a report to your boss to a YouTube channel and everything in between. Q: Anything else you want to add about Toastmasters’ benefits for you? A: There’s a sense of self confidence and speaking with authority that I cannot stress enough. There’s been so many times members of my family have commented about how good they think Toastmasters has been for me and how they have noticed changes because of it. Keep in mind, none of these family members have gone to a meeting or seen me compete (though hopefully one day!) What you learn from Toastmasters doesn’t stay at the meetings or only spring up in the workplace. It sticks with you. I have noticed a change in even my casual conversations with people. I’m more confident, I listen better and I speak better. Q: So how is your job search going? Just recently after a long bumpy road, I finally started my career job and I’m having to do some kind of report or presentation, formal and informal, at least once a week. Toastmasters has been extremely helpful, but I also think that without Toastmasters I may not have gotten this job at all. Over 200 people applied for this position. Of those 200, only 20 were invited to take a test. The top 4 scores of the test were then interviewed. Just this week, my manager told me that the first time she met me in the initial testing phase, she didn’t know who I was or remember what we spoke about, but she remembered how I spoke and acted and her initial impression of the smallest of verbal and nonverbal interactions was that I could be someone she could work with. In the actual interview panel, my manager told me that I had been everyone’s first choice. I don’t know if any of that would have happened without Toastmasters, but I can say with
Toastmasters Join Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce
The Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce honored local Toastmasters International clubs on February 17 at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Marysville. Toastmasters members and officers, Chamber ambassadors, and local dignitaries attended the ceremony at the Caltrans District 3 offices to celebrate the benefits of Toastmasters. Eight Toastmasters, including former Division Governor, Lauren Carly, shared their testimonials, explaining how Toastmasters’ focus on public speaking, communication, and leadership skills has strengthened their careers and improved their self-confidence. “I started my career as a typical, shy, civil engineer,” Carly said. “Joining Toastmasters brought about a complete 180. I started getting picked for conferences, technical presentations, and public meetings. It took my career much higher than I originally thought I would go.” State Assemblyman James Gallagher’s office honored the local Toastmasters clubs with a Certificate of Recognition, to “recognize Toastmasters and their exceptional growth in the area.” The event highlighted six clubs in the Yuba-Sutter area, whose members include professionals, business owners, educators, military personnel, and other community members. Clubs offer a comfortable, supportive environment for members to practice and improve their public speaking and leadership skills. The celebration was publicized by the local newspaper, The Appeal-Democrat. More photos are available on the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.
Congratulations, Fall Conference Winners!
The District 39 Fall Conference was held November 7-8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Finalists from all nine divisions competed for the Humorous Speech Contest and the Evaluation Contest titles. In addition, Immediate Past District Governor Joey Waldrop announced the winners of the 2013-2014 Toastmaster of the Year, Division Governor of the Year, and Area Governor of the Year awards. District 39 also awarded California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye with this year’s Communication and Leadership Award. Humorous Speech Contest 1st place – Ruth Schwartz (Empire Toastmasters Club, Grass Valley, CA) 2nd place – Rachel Ringenbach (Amped Toastmasters Club, Reno, NV) 3rd place – Marisa Shadrick (Toast at Noon, Redding, CA) Evaluation Contest 1st place – Alice Pongracz (Kaiser Thrive Talkers, Roseville, CA) 2nd place – Michael Hansen (Skillbuilders Toastmasters, Citrus Heights, CA) 3rd place – Cheryl Weibling (Sunset Speakers, Red Bluff, CA) Toastmaster of the Year – Larry Shields Division Governor of the Year – Pat Knight Area Governor of the Year – Tina Machado District Governor Award – Sue Eisberg Communication and Leadership Award – Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye (Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court and the California judiciary)
Interview with Colin McKechnie
District 39 speech contest winner shares his advice on stress management, travel to Malaysia, and how to maintain healthy Toastmasters clubs. Colin McKechnie will represent District 39 at the International Speech Contest on August 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has been a Toastmaster for more than 20 years and is currently a member of two clubs in District 39: Manteca Smooth Talkers and Manteca Leadership Club. This will be his first time competing outside of the District but his second time visiting Malaysia. Colin runs a training business out of Turlock, CA, where he teaches stress management, communication skills, and team building. I had a chance to catch up with Colin to find out how he is preparing to compete against some of the top speakers in the world. First things first: Why did you join Toastmasters? I wanted to improve my communication skills, especially impromptu speaking — that’s a skill that will benefit you in any business. I joined two clubs and challenged myself to give an impromptu speech every two weeks. I would ask the audience to provide the title, characters, and scenario, then would work them into a speech on the spot. Did it work? Have you seen benefits as a result of your involvement in Toastmasters? Yes. I have gained a few promotions in my career that I would not have achieved without these skills. What can you tell us about your winning speech from this year’s District Contest? The speech is titled, “One Day at a Time.” My message is that you are in charge of your own life. When people are in deep trouble, they can learn how to live one day at a time. That sounds like a very positive message. The speech has some serious elements, including my experience with being diagnosed with cancer. But I allow the audience to rise back up from those serious moments with humor. I’ve heard some sad speeches that leave the audience feeling down. I don’t think that’s what we should focus on as Toastmasters. We should be inspiring people. What was the experience like, to win the District Contest? I had never competed at the District level before. I competed at the Club, Area, and Division level, but just for the fun speeches, like the Humorous Speech Contest and Tall Tales Contest. I happened to take my blood pressure before the contest, and it was through the roof: 213/105. [140/90 is considered high, according to the American Heart Association.] It was much more intense than just giving a regular speech and I could feel the tension in my body. Part of my job is teaching stress management – I realized I needed to start using some of those techniques! Can you share some of your tips for stress management? Here’s a tip: Don’t enter speech contests! No, but seriously, the key is not to focus on yourself. Instead, focus on the good that your message will bring to others. Also, you tend to take shallower breaths when you get nervous. If you can count to 10 and focus on taking deep breaths, it will help calm your nerves. You can also use your nervous energy in a positive way; let that excitement propel you forward as you run up onto the stage. How are you preparing for the next level of competition? One thing I am working on is how to use the entire stage. It is 50 to 70 feet wide, so it takes time to walk from one end to the other. I need to be very conscious of my movement. At the same time, I want to avoid over-rehearsing my speech to the point that my movements and gestures look staged and unnatural. If you can genuinely relive your story every time you tell it, your body creates natural gestures without even thinking about them. Do you have any other tips for your fellow Toastmasters? I am a strong believer that successful clubs have to support their members’ educational objectives, and they also have to be fun. You can’t just achieve objectives and you can’t just have fun. You have to include both elements in order to retain members and attract new ones. When do you leave for Malaysia? I leave on August 17. It will be quite a journey. I’ll be returning to Malaysia for the first time in 48 years. At the time, I was serving in the British military, defending the country from infiltrators. I’ve changed a lot since then, and I’m sure Malaysia has, too. No matter what else happens…at least people won’t be shooting at me this time! Good luck, Colin! You can reach Colin via his website www.colinspeaks.com.