Welcome to Season 2 of Podcast Pioneers titled Engagements: Conversations & Connections. This episode "Seeds Of Inspiration & Motivation" is presented by Dale Blagrove with guest Jacqueline McIntyre. Podcast Pioneers is an advanced Toastmasters club in District 46 devoted to sharing stories with the public and in Season 1,  23 members recorded episodes about effects of Covid 19.

In a lively conversation, Jacqueline tells Dale how yoga, meditation, motivational speakers, and other practices inform her work as a creative person.

Welcome to Season 2 of Podcast Pioneers titled Engagements: Conversations & Connections.  This episode "Journey of A Toastmaster" is presented by Bipin Chandriani with guest Su Brooks.  Podcast Pioneers is an advanced Toastmasters club in District 46 devoted to sharing stories with the public and in Season 1,  23 members recorded episodes about effects of Covid 19.

Su Brooks, DTM3 takes us on her journey as a Toastmaster which began 22 years ago. Su Brooks wanted to learn how to listen and to be able to make effective presentation to senior management and that's why she because a Toastmaster.

Su has completed 8 of 11 paths and is working on completing remaining 3 pathways.  She has received 3 DTM Awards. She has been a member of 6 clubs in 4 districts. She is also an accomplished graphic designer/art director. She was the charter member and Vice President- Membership while also creating graphics for each episode of Podcast Pioneer's Season 1. Su will continue to create graphics for Season 2 episodes as well.

As we begin Season 2 of Podcast Pioneers and Su will be the guest on the first episode.

She has donned multiple hats (trainer, officers, graphic designer, mentor, coach and more).

Her message to Toastmasters members - become an active member, participate as an officer, meetings while taking on different roles to become a productive member.

Overview of Season 1 

You are interviewing a guest. All of a sudden, you find yourself in the midst of awkward silence. Neerja is going to share a few tips if a conversation has become awkward during interviewing a guest/s. 

Hi I am Antoinette Lewis and you are listening to a Podcast on the Impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic on our lives. I am a member of the Podcast Pioneers. The Podcast Pioneers is a toastmasters’ club dedicated to sharing stories and inspirational messages with the public. There are so many lessons, I have learnt during Covid but the most important is, how we adopted and survived. Most of us survived thru the use of this tool called ZOOM and learnt some important lessons that we will never forget.

I remembered the first time I zoomed I was literally ducking for cover, why? I logged on and there I was on camera, I was automatically logged in and saw myself on camera and folks were looking at me and I looking back at them.

I logged on 30 mins early to set up and check zoom before the meeting started, I had no intention of being on camera, but a couple of folks had signed on early and saw me dressed “to the nine”. It was a day I would not forget, as I was dressed in my night clothes and sleeping cap.

First lesson learnt, update your Zoom setting by unchecking “Start with Video” to not have your camera turned on automatically or select ALT +V to toggle the video on and off.

Another lesson, I learnt is to check your mike to ensure your mike is unmuted, if you want to speak, multiple times I have begun speaking and wondered why is everyone staring at me in amazement or waving their hands frantically and then I hear them mouthing our favorite 4 Zoom word , YOU ARE ON MUTE, laughing and apologizing I unmute.

And if you do not want anyone to hear what you are saying or doing, remember to mute your mike. Many times, I have forgotten to unmute during COVID and I am in my refrigerator searching for something to eat or drink or I am washing up my dishes while in the meeting. I called it multi-tasking as I am still in the meeting and getting the work done.  I was surprised when I returned, I hear someone say I know what you where doing, in amazement I look on my mike and it is on. Oh boy again I apologize because I am fully engaged and listening.

It took me some times to get the hang of it but even as a host you can mute and unmute others in a meeting. How many times are you in a meeting and someone begins speaking to another person or their family members. I have had many a laugh at people’s expense including my own.

Don’t mention being the host there are so many feature and function that you control and should remember. I have learnt the hard way as I have closed out many meeting in the earlier days, by leaving the meeting or pressing the wrong button, when I wanted to step away for a brief moment but keep the meeting running. Lessons learnt as the host you can give someone a co host or host privilege before the leaving the meeting or assign someone as a cohost at the beginning of the meeting for the same reason. If you don’t when you leave the meeting it will end. This was early in the pandemic when we all had to come up to speed quickly on the features and function of Zoom

Now look at us now, expert in holding meetings over Zoom, teaching and showing others how to Zoom. It has been a lot of learning and takeaways but I would like to thank the Inventor of Zoom, as they have received the award for keeping us all of sane and connected. We have Birthday parties on Zoom, Weddings on Zoom, Funerals on Zoom, Graduation on Zoom and connected with each other locally and internationally on Zoom. Zoom has truly changed or lives and the way we communicate today. Is there anything we can’t do on Zoom

These are all the lessons, I have learnt during COVID -19, pause. Have you learnt anything?

I would like to give a few folk some credits, thanks to Bipin Chandriani, project manager, Su Brooks, graphic designer and the Neerja Purang, Integration Manger for helping me to put this podcast together , my first and I hope you enjoyed it.

In person interactions trump virtual meetings/events.

Part of Season 1 : Episode 19 by Kimberly Mitchell

Brought to you by Podcast Pioneers Toastmasters Club Project Team & Kimberly Mitchell

Be Ready. Be Grateful. Be Present.

I am sure everyone has a story to narrate based on their experiences during Covid-19

Pandemic. I too have my story with both pleasant and not-so-pleasant experiences which I

am sharing as part of Season 1 of Podcast Pioneers, a Toastmaster Club dedicated to

helping members become podcasters.

I would like to take you back to the month of March of 2020, where everything was going

great with lots of dreams and goals to achieve. I would like to take you through the Ups and

Downs of my life at the onset of the pandemic.

UPS

● As soon as the Pandemic started, I started to work from home, since that was

the new normal. I used to drive 3 hours every day, as my office was 55 miles away

from home. I could save this time and dedicate it partially to work, and spend more

time with family.

● Started online learning and gained a lot of new skills, completed two certifications,

and was also able to complete my MS in Cybersecurity during this time.

● Started daily exercising and walking for an hour, which helped to keep me fit and

healthy during this period.

DOWNS

● Applied for a Permanent Labor application, the processing got delayed by more

than 12 months and got denied due to the strike of the pandemic. Consequently, I

had to start preparing to leave the country by October 2022. I realized that my

countdown had started.

● Shifting from the US to India was a big challenge. It was even more painful for

my kids. They were finding it difficult to leave the school, their best friends and to

get adapted to the changes.

● I had to leave the most passionate project I was working on in the US, due to

my Visa status. I felt terrible leaving my close friends, and of course, will be

missing the in-person toastmaster meetings. I miss you Edison. I miss you my

buddy, my favorite Honda CR-V car.

Back in India, my family was so happy to see us back home. They were overjoyed that now

we would be there for them. Seeing their unconditional love, I started breathing fresh air and

getting new hopes.

Life is a never ending journey, I am sure all these were great learning experiences to me and

I love to thank all my family, friends, colleagues and the Podcast Pioneers team – Bipin

Chandriani, Project Manager, Su Brooks for creating graphics for the podcast and Neerja

Purang for integration and publishing of this episode. See you in the next episode