VIP Online Toastmasters
saying it like it is...
Gaining Confidence
Ted Shelly, Clearwater, Florida
I would recommend Toastmasters to anyone interested in improving their communication skills and gaining increased self-confidence.
I had just lost my job and needed to find new employment. It occurred to me that I should find a way to improve my ability to present myself.
I'd heard there was a Toastmasters club near me and decided to investigate
The Toastmasters program gave me the opportunity to practice presentation skills and get positive feedback and suggestions from fellow club members. I gained confidence that I could do a presentation that would be professional, informative and interesting.
My thinking was that with good presentation skills, I could present at conferences in my field, allowing me to get my name out there and to effectively network. With the help of the skills learned in Toastmasters, I was able to accomplish this. I presented at two conferences and soon afterward was offered an excellent contracting opportunity.
Since that time, I've continued to hone my skills as a speaker and as a leader by actively participating in the Toastmasters educational program. Plus I've dedicated myself to helping others be successful by promoting the proven methods of Toastmasters.
In Toastmasters there's no rush, no pressure... just progress towards your personal goals
Brenda Mosby, Denver, Colorado
Co-Chair of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
"You are CAPABLE"
Brenda has been honored with the:
- Martin Luther King Peace Award from Metropolitan State University;
- Woman of the Year from the Institute for Women’s Studies and Services; and
- Giraffe Award (for sticking her neck out for others) from Metropolitan State University.
She has served as the chair of the State Rehabilitation Council appointed by the Governor of Colorado and has also served as the commissioner on the Commission for People with Disabilities for the City of Denver.
In 1994, Brenda Mosby lost her eyesight to a virus. Her first reaction was to think her life was over. However, that same moment opened the door to a world of possibility and a new, wonderful life’s journey began. Brenda believes her most important job is helping people with disabilities realize their true values. She says, “people who know their values go on to find employment opportunities that fulfill their lives.”
Brenda’s involvement in Toastmasters is a commitment of helping herself and others realize their potential. Of all the life skills available to us, communication is perhaps the most empowering.
She understands that within the supportive Toastmasters club environment members can safely
practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, and clarity that creates a lasting, positive impression with others.
Brenda will tell anyone that people don’t grow by accident, they grow by design. She recommends Toastmasters to help design yourself, design your future. Success never just happens.
Blind Toastmaster Uses Words to Help Others See
Walter Blackmon, Orlando, Florida
By Nada Hassanein, Tallahassee Democrat
Read the full article at the
Tallahassee Democrat
"If you are facing [a difficulty], either it’s some type of fear, some type of transition in your life that was unexpected and unwanted, are you going to allow it to stop you from fulfilling your dreams, or at least from trying? Because that’s what’s really important: It’s not always that we actually fulfill that dream, but that we don’t stop trying if it’s really what we want to do."
When glaucoma stole Walter Blackmon's eyesight at 5 years old, it also stole some of his dreams.
"I want to help the world, people, to see better," - Walter Blackmon
He's aspiring to do that through public speaking. Blackmon recently won first place in a Toastmaster competition in Orlando... He dreams of being a full-time motivational speaker...
Through public speaking, Blackmon wants to inspire others to see their inner strength and pick themselves up, too. His first-place speech at the Orlando competition was about his story overcoming blindness — and how people with perfect sight can overcome their own barriers too...
But he's made it a mission, through his speeches, to motivate people to see beyond what he says are physical distractions, such as a person's skin color.
Blind Tallahassee runner seeks to help others see 'power of positive thinking'
Randall Crosby, Orlando, Florida
By Nada Hassanein, Tallahassee Democrat
Read the full article at the
Tallahassee Democrat
"People do races because they want to challenge themselves ... when you push yourself, you learn about yourself,"
- Gabrielle Gabrielli, Randall's Running Guide speaking about Randall
When Randall Crosby became legally blind at age 27 due to a rare, inherited disorder called retinitis pigmentosa, RP. When it happened, he was forced to quit his hotel supervisor job...
Despite that, he hasn't let his condition deter him from anything, whether running a trail or running a business.
Randall's running guide is Gabrielle Gabrielli
"He’s so cool about sharing his story," she said. "They’ll ask him questions, and they’ve never met a blind person before."
Through that openness, interpersonal relationships, motivational speaking and the occasional stand-up comedy show, he hopes to break down stigmas about blind people.
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