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! 

I love Toastmasters because it gives me a safe and welcoming environment to grow my skills and network. 

I am a recent immigrant from Jamaica to the USA. I found that Americans had difficulty understanding my accent. Toastmaster challenges me to listen to American presenters and develop and make concise presentations. The feedback that I receive from club members has had significant impact on building my confidence as a presenter and leader. This is why I love Toastmasters.

My goal in joining Toastmasters was to become more comfortable speaking in front of a group of individuals – whether it was at a department meeting or giving a toast at a friends’ birthday party.  I was not familiar with the speaking options for Toastmasters, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn I did not have to give a speech every week and that I was able to customize my journey to fit my personal and professional goals.  One of the unintended side benefits that I have had with joining Toastmasters is the ability to network with various people across the company and other Toastmaster clubs.  This group is very supportive and wants to help you reach your goals. 

The reason why I like Toastmasters is because it helps you to be more mindful of your speaking allowing you to become more aware of what is and what is not proper when engaged in a conversation.  But most importantly, you develop new relationships.