I posted a second place finish in a local Grand Rapids Toastmaster’s Contest and winning a spot to compete in the area Table Topics contest on September 22, 2016.
What is Table Topics you ask? Imagine being invited up to the front of a crowd and asked to talk on a subject for two minutes, unscripted, unrehearsed. Not everyone can do it. Fear is usually staring at you from the front row. “The trick is to get behind your imagination and push forward. The rest will is up to the audience.”
The question this time around was “If you could spend the whole day with one person, who would it be?” My answer? Sir Richard Branson. Besides being a business magnate/sage/philanthropist, I think he must be the happiest man on the planet. He’s accomplished so much in his life. He has the opportunity to share masterminding events with the world’s most interesting people on his own private island. One of my favorite stories was when a number of new, eager entrepreneurs were invited to Sir Richard’s private island. And they were all asking him a thousand questions about business. How did he turn so many profitable companies! Sir Branson took a moment to respond. Then he reached out for the hand of a gorgeous woman. Pulled her up on the dining table and invited her to dance. Wine glasses and silverware be damned.
Toastmasters is a non-profit organization to help develop public speaking and leaderships skills. Accreditation is awarded for completing a certain number of speeches, exercising valuable presentation skills, and leadership responsibilities.
I am Vice President of Public Relations for Toastmaster’s Lunch Bunch, club number 6178.
