Toastcaster Communication Leadership Learning Lab

[11:59] It’s Halloween time. Let me share with you something that’s perhaps a little scary and that’s email.  Boo! Before you chuckle, I want you to think about this... You’re trying to lead your team, get your projects done and get ready for that next meeting. You’re obviously multitasking and in so much of a hurry, you don’t realize that opening just that one email could not only put you behind time, it could potentially create your worst possible nightmare - a phishing email which you've been oblivious to. Don't be afraid! Listen on.   You can also read my previous article on the topic at Gadgetgreg.com.

[06:31] Greg Gazin is interviewed on CHQR Radio about his Troy Media article Try Nightbuds Earbuds for a good night’s sleep. For anyone who offers a product or service, or in my case writes about one, it's always important to be ready and always have a few talking points and a story or two in your back pocket in case the media literally comes calling. It's great PR for you and for the product or service you're talking about. This is also where your Toastmasters International Table Topics impromptu skills come in really handy.   

[23:52] Ever wonder how to fill the gaps when business is slow? There are a number of productive things we can do - some we already know but are often forgotten. But what about when things are so slow and choices are so limited that you have to totally reinvent yourself? Our guest today is an expert in both those areas. Stephanie Northcott, a former corporate project administrator from Calgary, Canada in the construction and electrical utility industries found herself in a position of having no position that fit her skills due to a corporate.  With a decade of extensive experience under her belt, Stephanie decided to take matters into her own hands. She put her administrative skills and strengths to work becoming an entrepreneur specializing in helping sole proprietors and online entrepreneurs as a virtual assistant, relocating her family and now working from the paradise of Guanajuato, Mexico. In this episode, Stephanie shares a little about her journey, what a virtual assistant does and shares a number of

[25:23] What can you learn from your first professional speech (outside Toastmasters)? In this episode Greg speaks with copywriter Kate McClare who pulls back the curtain and shares five powerful lessons and more from her recent live presentation to a group of CPAs. These lessons are basic fundamentals but important reminders that every speaker should remember if they want to make an impact on their audience and of course the organization who engaged them. You can also hear Kate in her interview with Greg Gazin & Ryan Levesque on the Toastmasters Podcast, episode #201, Powerful Collaboration between Toastmasters International and Rotary International. Kate McClare  runs a company called Kate’s Copy, a writing and editing service. Specializing in Digital, Video and Print content for Marketing and PR professionals, Web Designers and Entrepreneurs. Kate is passionate about Language and prides herself with her ability to harness the power of the written word for better storytelling.  She’s is also a Disting

[31:19] Has the pandemic created for you or someone you know an unnerving unexpected and totally unprepared for, life changing moment? In reality, life-changing moments happen all the time. Many however, are not crises but unrealized opportunities. In fact, some of the best ones are often disguised, pass us by and are only noticed in hindsight.  In his opening keynote session, you’ll hear from Past District 42 Governor (Director) Greg Gazin, DTM.  You’ll hear ways you can recognize life-changing moments and learn tips to harness them to help you catch your second wind and keep you sailing in the right direction.   In this light-hearted session, Greg will share some of his epiphanies, adventures and misadventures of transformation both outside and inside Toastmasters as he meandered some of those moments. You’ll also hear how Toastmasters played a role but also mistakes he made and the differences it would have made if Pathways - Toastmasters Educational Program would have come along earlier. Recorded via Zoo

[29:23] Writing and delivering a good Toast might seem to be something you can just stand up and deliver off the cuff but many YouTube #fails say otherwise. A great toast that makes an impact needs to be well thought out, well written and delivered properly. In today’s episode we speak with professional speechwriter and newly published author Eddie Rice. Eddie shares with us some valuable tips and advice on preparing, delivering and mastering this ceremonial speech. He highlights his 7-step process and offers up some do’s and don’t when it’s time to raise a glass. You’ll also learn about what the true purpose of a toast is and some of the different occasions a toast can be written for. A lot of what Eddie shares is from his just released new book, TOAST: Short Speeches, Big Impact, available on Amazon.  We also learn a little about Eddie, how he transformed his career 180 degrees from being a Science Teacher to a Speechwriter and how Toastmasters helped him and continues to help him through that process. He

[37:21] Wonder how did a shy, socially awkward introvert turn into a successful serial entrepreneur and master relationship builder? Just ask Monica Parkin, who on today’s show will give us an insight into the answer to that question and more by telling us about her recent book, part memoir, part instruction guide, Overcoming Awkward: The Introvert's Guide to Networking, Marketing, and Sales. You don’t have to be an introvert to benefit from Monica’s wisdom. In this fun and lighthearted episode, you’ll hear honest stories (many from the book) of her often sometimes challenging but fruitful transformation and overcoming her obstacles. You’ll hear about a number of lessons she’s learned and how these can be applied in many areas of one’s personal, professional, business life and even through social media. You’ll hear how things blossomed for “Mortgage Monica” as she revealed her authentic self and how her moniker as a “crazy goat lady” who lives on a small farm with an assortment of furry creatures actually co

[18:33] Milestones are achieved and celebrated every day and recognized in a variety of different ways. Celebrations are also often backward looking going back to where one once was to where they are now. But what if you commemorated by celebrating forward? Using the milestone as a way of encouraging a future activity. In this episode we look at the milestone of 200th episode of the Toastmasters Podcast and how instead of looking back at the first 200 episodes as many do, the hosts Greg Gazin and Ryan Levesque decided to create a contest - a Pitch Us Your Podcast Idea! contest.  The idea would be to create more buzz around podcasting and encourage members to give it a try. Members could submit their most creative idea - a pitch and an audio sample and they did not have to have an existing podcast.  The winner would be announced and  be a guest on Episode #200 where they could introduce themselves to the world and pitch their idea to Greg and Ryan.  When the dust settled, the winner was Rashmi Ketha from

[25:28] Resolutions for many just don't seem to work but our guest today, Dave Fuller uses "Naming Your Year" as a method to accomplish what resolutions are meant to do. In this episode Dave shares how he stumbled upon this method; what it does and how it works. You'll hear how puts it into practice at home, at the office for both himself, his team and his clients and learn how you can implement it for yourself.  You'll also hear about how Naming can also help achieve goals and how Dave uses this to help focus on a 12-week planning method. David (Dave) Fuller MBA, is an award-winning business coach and a partner in Pivotleader Inc. and the Author of Profit Yourself Healthy.  You can also read Dave's article at Troy Media, New Year's Resolutions are out, naming the year us in, at Troy Media.  Email him at Dave AT Pivotleader.com. Dave would love to hear what you named your year.  

[26:00] As we reflect back on this year, caregiving can mean many things to many people. Some people are caregivers in the traditional sense, others give care in many forms to others. In this episode we bring back author and former co-caregiver Rick Lauber. The idea of his return was prompted by a recent insightful tweet he made.  “As a #caregiver, please don't ever question the difference you make in someone's life. Thank you so much to all caregivers for everything they do.” This episode is for  those who give care, receive care or know someone who is either. In this episode Rick enlightens us with what prompted him to share that wisdom. He reflects upon his own personal experiences sharing some of his thoughts and feelings, even those of guilt, which are also likely felt by many others - particularly during the holiday season and this past year. Listeners are also in for a learning experience as Rick also reflects back with respect to what he’s learned, how he’s coped, some of the actions and steps h

[06:05] Hearing things being repeated can often drive you absolutely crazy. In this brief episode you'll learn that if used effectively, repetition in presentations, conversations and even recordings can truly be an effective tool in getting your message across. The original article can be found at GadgetGreg.com

[37:43] With Livestreaming, you are both a producer and performer. These are words from our guest today,  Markus Seppälä, who adds that it’s also public and live and lonely and dependent on tech which can certainly make it a challenge. It’s with his comedic side that he jokingly takes on a sarcastic view of Livestreaming.  For Markus however, it’s rewarding. He loves every minute of it and is with us to share his expertise and some of the things he’s learned along the way. He enlightens us on how using live-streaming tools, learning from those tools and leveraging the communication skills and other disciplines you’ve already mastered you can super-charge those skills to a whole new level just as our guest today has done - and he shares with us some of the specifics he has accomplished. You’ll hear how livestreaming is a mode of communication and how it differs from platforms like Zoom and Netflix. Plus, you’ll discover how you can “level-up your tech” with free tools like OBS and Melon that also integra

[29:55] Many people avoid meetings at all costs - they feel they’re unproductive, a waste of time and simply a bandaid for bad communication in an organization. In this episode Greg speaks with return guest Matt Abrahams, educator and coach whose extensive exploration, research and experience has led him to discover a collaborative approach to keep meetings fun and exciting. More importantly they be can productive in achieving the goals of the organization and add value to the teams. And you might even be thanked for running a meeting. You’ll learn about the importance of planning, executing and setting expectations up front - and even determining whether there is an alternative to holding a meeting.  You’ll hear how to invoke emotion by leveraging meeting invites and making agendas valuable and how the information, emotion and actions are the three important key elements of any communication.   This includes the importance of paraphrasing and how that leads to better communication and boost engagement du

[15:26] In this episode Greg speaks about two incredible individuals whom we can call unexpected leaders. These are people who positively impact others not really with any intention but simply by doing what they do. In fact they may not even be aware of the impact that they are having on others and the long lasting impression they leave. You’ll hear about, Reverend Kevin Fast (left) from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada is best described as a modern day Popeye and Brittany Walsh, a.k.a  AcroBritt (RIGHT) from Portland, Oregon, U.S.A a dancer, a gymnast, former circus performer and  acrobatic archer who both happen to be individuals featured in the 2020 Guinness Book of World Records. Greg shares a little about each of their stories and 3 leadership lessons he’s taken away by speaking with them Related Materials If you'd like to read the related article Leadership tips from the Book of Guinness World Records you can find it at Troymedia.com. To hear the full interview podcast with these two inspiring Guinness w

[31:31] Conversations are fundamental to everyday life – at work or at home, yet little emphasis is ever put on improving it as a skill, particularly in getting one started and keeping them a succinct as possible. In this episode, Greg speaks with Chris Fenning - subject matter expert and author of the new book, The 1st Minute: How to Start Conversations that gets Results. Chris will share his expertise and insight with lessons taken for the book that you can apply in many communications situations, like job interviews, conversations with the boss, presentations and even written communications. You’ll discover some of the most common mistakes made in that first minute and some of the misconceptions that surround it. You also learn about when that first minute really starts. You’ll takeaway two methods you can out to use right away: 1) Framing, a simple 3-part process that in 15 seconds helps you provides context, clarifies your intentions, and makes your message clear: and 2) Structured Summary: How ev

[32:53] Imagine the hardest speech you'll ever have to give. In this episode you'll hear about that speech, the process that went into creating it and the speech itself and how on that day, I felt a rollercoaster of emotions the likes of which I’d never experienced in my life. That day I was surrounded by loving friends and family as I said a final farewell to Elaine Baram, my best friend, my love, my wife, the sunshine of my life who I will miss forever .  It will also explain why there were no episodes over the past months.     

[27:39] This episode, Part 2 is the final part of our conversation with Noel Bentley on how to host a TEDx event where he continues to share his expertise on being the best host you can be. Noel also talks about getting help by borrowing - not copying but rather be inspired by others and other TED or TEDx events but at the same time being you own person and letting your own personality shine through. Noel also shares additional best practices along with a few do’s and don’ts  and how you can prepare yourself even for impromptu situations and the unexpected. You’ll also learn about some of the differences between live and virtual presentations and what you can do to make the latter seem more natural. He also shares some of the special considerations they had to make given the current global climate and environment which they knew could change without notice. He used real examples from TEDx BearCreekPark 2021  that took place just one month ago. Noel Bentley is a speaker, humorist, storytelling coach, emc

[27:28] There’s a plethora of resources spotlighting do a TED Talk or speaking on the TEDx stage, but few realize that a great host or emcee can make or break that event. In this episode Greg speaks with Noel Bentley, a three-time TEDx host who’s hosted both live and virtual events at TEDx Bear Creek Park in Surrey BC, Canada. In Part 1 of this 2 part series, Noel inspires us with his own story, what it means to be a TEDx host, what the role entails and the excitement and opportunities it presents for speakers and individuals. You’ll as be introduced to TEDx BearCreekPark and a glimpse as to what goes on behind the scenes of a TEDx.  Noel enlightens us with his experience in his role as a TEDx host - how he got there, what he learned, how he (over) prepares mentally and physically and about the help he got along the way. You’ll also learn about other key players like the curator, speaker coach, program coordinator and of course the speakers and how the host interacts with them. You’ll also find out what s

[22:13] Kevin Achtzener, DTM is in the process of doing his practicum at a Spanish bilingual school to earn an after degree in Education. He had the idea to teach his students new material as part of a Spanish Language Arts curriculum by getting them to create their own podcasts. In this episode, Kevin, a regular on ToastCaster, shared his experience as to why he chose podcasting as a teaching medium, what he was trying to accomplish, how the class took to it and how the podcasts turned out. He talks a little about the methods he used, the subjects he selected as well as what both he and his students learned from the process. He also tells how he got our Podcast Host Greg Gazin involved by interviewing him as both a sample podcast  and as a way to share his knowledge with the students through a podcast which was to be played in the classroom. Kevin Achtzener is from Edmonton, Canada and can be reached at VisualProductivity.net.  

[29:38] Everyone is trying to be better informed and protect themselves and others and reduce exposure  to the Covid-19 virus. They’re social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands, but how many of us think about our smartphone as a major source of a threat to our health? Or how many of us are missing key pieces of information that can help us and our loved ones stay safe? In this episode Greg speaks with June Lai, founder and CEO of Catalyst, a high tech accessories maker but first and foremost a scientist. June offers an authoritative insight on PPE and on helping us all stay safe.  By the end of this podcast, you’ll better understand the difference between bacteria and a virus, what terms like anti-microbial really means.  You’ll also learn how to properly disinfect your phone, what to use, what not to use and what to watch out for and suggestions on proper Covid phone safety etiquette. You’ll also discover how waterproof cases, like those from Catalyst can not only protect your valuable sm