Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our organization has more than 332,000 memberships. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 15,400 clubs in 135 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations.
Every Toastmasters journey begins with a single speech. During their journey, they learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give feedback—and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.
I joined Toastmasters for the friendships I wanted to develop. I quickly learned that through Toastmasters I could learn to be a leader. As someone who is an extrovert working retail, the speaking didn’t seem to be as crucial. However, no matter how much an extrovert I was, I was not a leader. Now I am!
District 19 Toastmasters is a family. We support fellow members, cheer with our accomplishments, give encouragement when our endeavors are less than desired. There is camaraderie and mentoring that is not found in other organizations. Without Toastmasters I doubt I could have accomplished many of the things I have tried and succeeded.
I love Toastmasters because it fosters an inclusive environment with opportunities for each member to grow both personally and professionally. Toastmasters self-paced programs are designed to meet each member where they are, regardless of the level of skill or experience. The programs cater to member needs whether the goal is to develop your own skills – or utilize them to inspire others.
I have been with Toastmasters for just over a year now. Since I have been involved, I have learned some extremely useful skills in leadership and communication that I use in my day to day position as a Quality Manager with Wells Fargo. In my role I have to be able to effectively communicate to a wide range of individuals and Toastmasters has helped to further develop this skill.
The work I do is expanding rapidly. It involves meeting with ever larger groups on a biweekly basis with attendees looking to me as the subject matter expert. Going to toastmasters has helped me tremendously in being more comfortable talking to a large crowd. Toastmasters have helped me grow the confidence to lead presentations and discussions in large group settings that previously scared the heck out of me.
*Note: Members pay Toastmasters International dues of US $60 every six months. (Some clubs may charge additional fees.) All new members also pay a one-time US $20 fee.
