GAIN YOUR SPEAKING VOICE AT TOASTMASTERS

By Damita Miller-Shanklin

Toastmasters is a network of people that meet and learn how to speak to let go of the fear of speaking in public. I had a chance to speak with Jamaul Finley, who is President of a Toastmasters group. This is our conversation.

Ujima: What is Toastmasters and why is it important?

Finley: To be honest, there's not a lot of Toastmaster people of color and minorities that are President of a Toastmasters club. So to me, it's definitely a big deal for us and for me, so I don't take it too lightly. But on top of that, it's just a really good organization. Toastmasters is an organization aimed at professionals and everyday people to help them get over the fear of public speaking. And most people who come to toastmasters come for a specific life event, hence the name Toastmasters.. But it's grown into more of a professional development tool for people in management, executives, and anyone who really wants to hone the craft of speaking. It's been a really great hub of resources, training, community and network. As well as existing speakers, aspiring speakers, or just people who want to be able to effectively communicate better.

Ujima: If I was to attend a Toastmasters meeting, what would that look like?

Finley: Toastmaster meetings, they all follow a very specific format so that if you do go to different groups or times, you're very familiar with how things work. Our initial meeting starts with just an opening, we greet any new guests, and go over a little bit of club business. And then every meeting we have two speakers that speak. They will give a five to seven minute speech on a topic of their choice. And there's some guidelines they can use for topic ideas and different types of speeches that help really hone in on special skills. But a typical meeting is fun, you're on your feet, and a lot of laughing.

Ujima: Why did you join Toastmasters?

Finley: I have a goal to speak as a Minister and/or Pastor. Toastmasters is going to give me an opportunity to capture people's attention every single week for at least five to 10 minutes, and get that feedback. What's kept me there is the people , the opportunities for growth, and leadership not only within the organization, but within the community. Toastmasters is connected to a lot of top level organizations in Austin, who send executives there for training. We also have National Championships where people can speak.