Archive for Toastmasters
At What Cost Leadership
Sarah Palin has become a polarizing national figure. Love her or hate her, this story in the Washington Post depicts what politics in the 21st century has turned into. It’s probably one of the reasons that many of our best and brightest say “no thanks.” I like Sarah Palin for a lot of reasons and [...]
Go Ahead & Laugh Now Available
I am thrilled to be a contributing author to a brand new book on how to help you add humor to every presentation you give. Go Ahead & Laugh: A Serious Guide to Speaking with Humor is now available on this site. Look right at the top of this page and you will find a [...]
News Release from Dan Weedin
Dan Weedin is Featured Presenter for Regional Conference
Local consultant speaks at Toastmasters Conference in Oakland, CA
Poulsbo, WA (June 26, 2009) – Dan Weedin, a local consultant and communications effectiveness coac
h for business leaders, recently gave an educational presentation for the Toastmasters Region 1 Conference in Oakland, CA on June 20.
Over 200 Toastmasters spanning from British [...]
Bye Bye Region Toastmasters - Hello International Conference
There has been much conjecture over the past few months about the upcoming change in Toastmasters regarding the end of the Region conferences. As many of my Toastmasters friends follow my blogs, I thought I’d chime in.
Originally, I was against it. I didn’t see how taking away the Region Conference could be good for the [...]
Congratulations to Brian Banke
Congratulations to my friend Brian Banke for a stellar performance at Toastmasters Region 1 Conference with his International Speech Competition speech, Lost. Brian performed very well under the pressure of the contest and should be very proud of his accomplishments.
Know Your Stage
On Monday I was listening to an intriguing interview with horse racing expert Andy Beyer from the Washington Post. His comments to Mitch Levy from Sportsradio 950 KJR indicate that he believes that jockey Calvin Borel was the reason that Mine That Bird didn’t win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. He feels that Borel was [...]
Dan Weedin quoted in Toastmaster Magazine this month
I am pleased to announce that I’ve been quoted in a featured article in the June, 2009 Toastmaster Magazine. The article is written by Lin Grensing-Prophal and details strategies and tips to networking in “Here’s How to Work a Room.”
Toastmaster Magazine only provides an online web link to current members with a password. If you’re [...]
Controversial Can Make You Memorable
This past week, my daughter Kelli gave a speech at our Toastmasters club. Her objective was to present a persuasive speech. Kelli decided to give a presentation arguing that her generation, Generation Y, was the “best.” She labeled three “myths” or misconceptions about Generation Y (born between 1979-94) and de-bunked them by giving solid examples [...]
So….What?
What’s your favorite filler word?
A filler word is a word you use as a transition, an annoying transition, from one thought to another instead of a pause. The pause is very powerful, yet we seem to have this anxiety about dead air. Because of that we use needless fillers like - uhm, ah, so, you [...]
Word of the Day
Grammar, vocabulary, and the knowledge of how to use them seem to be eroding skills in our business society. After reading the book by Stephanie Horton titled, “Are Bad Manners Driving Your Clients Crazy?” (see recent post review), I realized poor vocabulary and usage also has bad potential. Namely, your message may not get across [...]
