Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Jesse Scinto, Fullbright Scholar, Deputy Director of Strategic Communication at Columbia University, and Founder and CEO of Public Sphere.

Jesse is living proof that it is never too late to pursue your dreams. At the age of 37, he decided that he wanted more out of life. He quit his comfortable job in advertising and decided to try for the academe.

He discovered Toastmasters through his girlfriend and learned through imitation. In his experience, Toastmasters provided him an immediate sense of fulfilment and a boost in his confidence.

These lessons would become formative in his journey to become Deputy Director of Strategic Communication at Columbia University, CEO of his own coaching company, and especially in his eventual successful application as a Fullbright Scholar.

Jesse shares that feeling nerves before public speaking is normal. He invites others to speak their mind because, if not, other people would most definitely make assumptions about who you are and what you are thinking—an especially relevant detail for establishing executive presence.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Christina Pooran, Treasury Analyst for Sanne Group. Arriving in New York after spending her whole life in Guyana was a major shift in Christina’s life.

She had to balance being a full-time student and working too and, after a while, craved the college experience which he simply didn’t have time for. She found a community which welcomed her in the Toastmasters club of her college.

She thrived and enjoyed the fact that she could share her own stories and learn from others’ experiences at the same time. However, Christina also shares the traumatic experience of blanking in front of an audience, walking out of the room, and experiencing a crash in her confidence.

Christina would refrain from public speaking for a couple of years after this. However, like a true Toastmaster who takes challenges head-on, she decided to give public speaking another chance after she graduated. Today she shares her inspiring story of building, losing, and regaining her confidence through Toastmasters.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Radhi Spear, Senior Application Developer at AT&T and Second Vice President of Toastmasters International 2021-2022.

Growing in Nigeria, then India, then finally moving to the United States presented challenges in communication. For much of her life, Radhi was a soft-spoken girl and was often teased about it.

Upon reaching the US, she immediately recognized that speaking confidently could get you ahead in many ways. Thanks for a disastrous toast for her father's birthday, Radhi was thrust into the wonderful world of Toastmasters and hasn't looked back since.

She found her voice and quickly rose up the ranks until finally making it to the top as the Second Vice President of Toastmasters International. Radhi shares the lessons she learned along the way and the way Toastmasters is really an investment you can make for yourself.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Kira Seale, On Air Scheduling Specialist at NBCUniversal Media, LLC and host of her own podcast, WordsbyKira. Toastmasters provides a safe space for anyone to practice their public speaking.

Not only does Toastmasters help become a better communicator, it also helps you find a community that nurtures your talents and celebrates who you are. Kira shares how she found great mentors who did not make her feel like she was any less.

As a matter of fact, her mentors view her as an equal who has her own contributions to bring to the table. Kira also shares how Toastmasters helped her discover her desire to create which eventually led to her YouTube podcast, WordsbyKira.

Her podcast champions self-love, an important aspect of living a truly happy life. Kira lives by the words, “trust your heart and success will come to you” and her own experiences are living proof that this indeed is true.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Loujaina Abdelwahed, Assistant Professor of Economics at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.

Economics is much more than just talking about numbers and money. Economics is a framework that helps you make decisions. Loujaina shares how she applies the principles of economics in everyday life and in Toastmasters too.

She also gives a peek into life in Cairo and how she ended up in the United States. Loujaina explored many different Toastmasters clubs to practice her public speaking and experience the different cultures of each club.

Finally, she advises up and coming professionals to check out any Toastmasters club and find the same community and mentorship that had been vital to her own growth as a person and public speaker.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Maim Hoque, Research and Development Program Associate at NYC Department of Education. As a competitive debater, Maim harnessed his skills in public speaking and further developed his voice with Toastmasters.

Maim would eventually coach in the American Debate League and he would learn that teaching is not merely transactional. To effectively use your voice in impacting the lives of others, you must create a genuine connection.

He shares the importance of mentorship and how these connections help you navigate both career and life. Toastmasters Clubs can be found all over the world and are great places to meet great people and engage in constructive dialogue.

Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Brenee Robinson, CPA and Acquisitions Expert at Institutional Advisory Group. Brenee is a long-time Toastmasters member. Although she was a passive member of Toastmasters in college, witnessing her brother deliver an impromptu speech inspired her to rediscover Toastmasters.

The decision to become an active member taught her valuable communication skills. With her confidence in public speaking growing, Brenee eventually became the president of the Harlem Toastmasters Chapter. This experience really allowed her to come out of her shell and embrace leadership opportunities at work and even in other community-building clubs like Rotary.

Joining Scott Mason in this episode of the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Genein Letford. Let’s hear from Genein as she shares what thrives best in an inclusive environment and why getting people to be better in intercultural creativity can automatically get them better in other areas.

Scott Mason talks with Johana Jiang in this episode of the Transformational Pathways podcast. Let’s hear from Johana as she shares her background on how she moved from China to New York and what the experience was like. In just a short period, Johana delves into how she became the President of the Toastmasters Fordham Lincoln Center and her plans for the Toastmasters.

Matt Kinsey joins Scott Mason in this episode of the Transformational Pathways Podcast. Let’s hear from Matt as he tells us what it means and how excited he is to take part in a new role come August as an International President for the Toastmasters.