Page 8 - April 2020
P. 8
COVER STORY
about it that in 2015 I began talking with my speech ever! And 24 people signed up to join our
leadership about possibly sponsoring a new Toastmasters Club at the end. We finally were
corporate club. There was a lot going on in our able to charter The Toast of Old Town Club, and
organization, however, so creating a new club I served as the Charter President of the club.
took a back seat for awhile. Because about 40% of our organization
Because the inquiries into speaking skills kept works from remote locations, we knew from the
coming in, in 2016 I started doing informational beginning that we wanted to be a blended club:
interviews with colleagues, including some of half of our members would join our meetings in
the members of the former Toastmasters club, person, and half of our members would connect
to gauge their interest in possibly forming a to the meetings via Zoom. It was a huge learning
new club. I kept plugging away and generating curve for all of us as new Toastmasters, but it’s
enthusiasm for Toastmasters across the been fantastic to get to know and connect with
organization, until the requisite 20 people said colleagues from all over the nation.
they might want to join a club if we formed one.
Once I knew I had enough interested people, What has been your greatest Aha!
I met with then District Director, Leanna Moment in your Toastmasters journey
Lindquist, and we held an Open House in 2017. so far? Why?
During that event, I did my first Toastmasters Since I’ve been singing, acting, and dancing
on one kind of stage or another since
I was 10 years old, I’ve always been a
“performer” —perfecting a rehearsed
performance is part of my DNA. The
a-ha for me in Toastmasters is focusing
less on perfection of execution, but
getting to the genuine kernel of a
topic. Vulnerability, honesty, and an
authentic voice are what I focus on
now, more than presentation.
What do you do outside of
Toastmasters?
My husband, Daniel, and I went
to Eastern Europe on the trip of a
lifetime last October to meet a whole
branch of my family I never knew
existed (and oh yeah, we saw Vienna,
8 ONE COMMUNITY
