[28:56] Step out of your comfort zone and imagine having lunch with 500 strangers to enhance your social skills, fortify your mindset, expand your network, and unlock new opportunities. In this, our 250th episode, we delve into his journey and speak with Nick Bendel, a dedicated Toastmaster whose lunch tally currently sits at 376.

[29:52] The Toastmaster Magazine serves as a rich source of monthly inspiration for our guests, Dorothy Chanakira DTM and Viola Dondo DTM, both from Zimbabwe. They’ve taken the lead in combining their passion for Toastmasters, learning, and reading. Their creative approach involves establishing an online group TOAST & READ Along with Coach, where participants give a toast to Toastmasters each month. Following the toast, they engage in in-depth discussions by reading aloud articles from the Toastmaster Magazine. Through this unique endeavour, they aim to enhance knowledge and foster meaningful conversations.

[29:52] If you’re feeling emotionally or physically drained or mentally exhausted you may be suffering from burnout -- and you’re not alone. Today’s guest, Olya Amelina, has been there - rebuilding her life from scratch and turning it into a career as a health and performance coach. On Today’s episode, you’ll hear a little about her journey and hear ways how you too can turn it all around.

[27:25] Improvisation—or improv—the art of saying or doing something relevant to the moment, yet completely unplanned, is a great way to get people laughing and flexing their spontaneous speaking skills. In this episode, we speak with Karen Rae Hannah,  a 16-year Toastmaster who belongs to five clubs, two of which are dedicated to humor and improv and one of which she is the President.

[29:39] A Roast is something you can bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes per pound but it’s also a humorous way to honor or recognize an individual by poking fun at them in a good-natured way. (Remember the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts?) On today’s episode, our guest, Chris Arning demystifies and enlightens us on this time-honored topic - also in a good-natured way.

[48:22] Stephanie Angelo from Chandler, AZ, Verity Price from Cape Town, South Africa and Dale Rees-Bevan from Sydney, Australia  completed the last step of the Accredited Speaker application process at the 2023 Toastmasters International convention in Nassau, Bahamas and were subsequently awarded the prestigious Accredited Speaker designation (AS). These three inspiring ladies are three of only 93 individuals to receive accreditation since the program began in 1981.

[34:07] Even when you’ve thoroughly prepared for a presentation, things can go awry that you could never possibly anticipate. Today’s guest, Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE has faced the impossibly unpredictable countless times. He joins us to share his stories, strategies, and mindset for dealing with the unexpected with grace. Jim is a professional speaker who has delivered more than 3,500 convention speeches around the world. He is the author of 25 books including his latest, What To Do When You’re The Speaker. Jim is the past National President of the National Speakers Association and is one of the top 5 most award-winning speakers in the world. He has a TEDx with 2.7 million views.

[29:17] Our guest today Philip Wilkerson III likens his four years of Toastmasters membership to being equivalent to receiving a college degree.  He enlightens us a little about the fruits of his Toastmasters journey and how others can also benefit from the program. He also shares about how his communication and presentation skills continue to blossom and how mentors help guide him and encourage him along the leadership path.

[29:58] People find their voice and purpose in many different ways. Our guest today, Kelly Kaur, found hers, amongst other things, through storytelling, writing, overcoming adversity, and Toastmasters speech competitions.

In this episode, Kelly shares many stories, including how she found herself joining Toastmasters and becaming hooked on speech competitions. We also hear how the simple word "No" has had a powerful impact on her life. Starting out as a self-described "immigrant woman with a different accent, and strange stories," today Kelly demonstrates a grounded confidence.

[32:27] Aman Chopra is a public speaking coach, standup-comedian, and a recent graduate from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering where he explored the intersection of emerging media technologies and live performance. On today’s show, Aman enlightens us with stories of his offbeat grad school experiments, mixing artificial intelligence (AI) with live stand-up comedy. Aman also provides deep insights into the role of learning in supportive communities, what it means to be authentic, and how he’s pursuing stand-up comedy as a gateway to new levels of authenticity.