I was googling my name to find old guest articles to add to my online Press and Media kit, and I came across photos of my inauguration as the new President of the Del Rey Toastmasters Group.

Me becoming President

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Props to Toastmasters

I’d filed this phase of my career away in my memory banks, and these photos were a good reminder of and how important Toastmasters was in helping me overcome my public speaking fears. I used to be a quivering wreak if I had to speak in public, I’d shake, my throat would get tight, and I felt like I need to pee! All in all, not an ideal setting to speak confidently and comfortably. Unfortunately in my corporate role as Executive Director of Global Operations I had to present at meetings and (worse still) at conferences, and I hated it with a vengeance.

I lived in dread for years, until one day I decided I needed to take action and I visited a local Toastmasters Group in Marina Del Rey, California. I just popped in to see if it was the kind of forum I could feel comfortable in, but the current president took me under his wing to encourage me to face my fears head-on and to become his Vice President. (The Toastmasters management team in local clubs changes each 6 months, and a new term was about to start, but nobody was willing to step up to be his second in command.) So I grabbed the bull by the horns and signed up for a 6 month stint as VP, and then 6 months later I signed up to be Club President.

As Club President I was front and center at every Toastmasters meeting. I had a team to help me run the club’s various roles (VP, VP of Education, VP of Pr, etc.) – but when it came to the public speaking part of my role, it was all me! And week after week I faced my public speaker fears and became more comfortable in front of an audience.

Shortly after I took over my President’s role at the club, I had to present at a Global Operations Conference to roll-out an online intranet I’d helped to design and implement. My boss was floored.

There I was – commanding the room (with my Madonna mike on) – talking confidently about the project and drumming up enthusiasm from the audience. He couldn’t believe the change since the last time he’d seen me talk, and neither could I!

But in the spirit of transparency, I was still nervous, and my voice shook a bit at the beginning, but I was so focused on implementing the public speaking tips and techniques I’d learnt at Toastmasters that it helped to quell most of my fears (well enough to make me not need to pee all the way through the presentation – so I’ll take that as a win!)

I’d recommend Toastmasters

I’ve moved on from my corporate job to be a full-time writer, but my public speaking skills have come in handy. I’m co-origanizer at the #IndieAuthorFringe and online conference for authors who self-publish, and part of my role is presenting at the opening and closing ceremony.

To find a Toastmasters International Club near you click here.