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Shy teens don’t magically become confident speakers. They become confident by practicing, getting feedback, and realizing they can survive the moment when all eyes are on them. That’s why we sat down with Shelly and Simone to unpack what really happens inside the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, an eight-week workshop that trains teens to run meetings, deliver prepared speeches, and speak on the spot through table topics.

We walk through the nuts and bolts that most people never see: how hard it can be to find a host site, why recruiting often works best through community networks, and what a typical session looks like when students take officer roles and learn timekeeping, agenda flow, and evaluation basics. Then we get to the good part, the transformation. Students who start out reading word for word often end the program speaking with presence, clearer structure, and far less reliance on notes, especially when the showcase event creates a real deadline and a real audience.

One of the most memorable moments is the student-led showcase debate on whether AI is good or bad. The teens plan teams, research points, listen to counterarguments, and respond in real time, proving that leadership and communication skills grow fastest when students own the work. We also talk candidly about program improvements like making materials more modern, adding more conversation drills, and creating clearer next steps for families who ask, “How can my child keep going after this?”

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

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Johnathan Buckner, Don Dickinson DTM, Ashley Seiman and George Caspar DTM break down how our club planned, staffed, and ran the International Speech Contest, from recruiting nervous first-timers to solving hybrid hurdles. Along the way we share why live energy matters, how interviews can shine, and how creativity on stage can still fit the rules.

• roles of contest chair, contest master, and chief judge
• recruiting eligible speakers and volunteers early
• mapping eligibility with VP Education
• practical use of the rulebook and training
• day-of checklists, briefings, and timing flow
• hybrid facilitation versus in-person engagement
• post-event community building with snacks
• DIY trophies and club tradition
• value of contestant interviews
• why contests accelerate growth and focus
• encouraging creativity within the rules

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

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We trace Apex Toastmasters from a cozy sunroom club to a packed, high‑energy room, then through COVID disruptions into a pragmatic hybrid model. Don Dickinson DTM shares lessons on leadership, Pathways, and how to keep growth healthy without losing the club’s soul.

• Apex origin story and early culture
• Leadership continuity as the growth engine
• Room changes and meeting design shaping energy
• COVID shock, hybrid return and energy trade‑offs
• Virtual vs hybrid vs in‑person effectiveness
• Pathways strengths, gaps and recent fixes
• The role of repetition and tougher evaluations
• What makes a compelling speaker and communicator
• Why the classic meeting format still works
• Life after DTM, mentorship and service
• The social glue of shared self‑improvement

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

We talk with Peter Rau about how practice, presence, and a strong club culture turn anxiety into real growth. From officiating weddings to participating in speaking contests, we weigh the limits of online formats and the power of in-person connection, improv, and well-run meetings.

• early experiences in speech and debate
• officiating weddings and preparing with intention
• safe practice vs high-stakes speaking environments
• in-person presence, movement, and eye contact
• drawbacks of online contests and virtual delivery
• balancing demand for remote skills with live mastery
• crafting speeches, rehearsal depth, and flexibility
• what makes a club exceptional and reliable
• podcast ideas for live speeches and feedback
• navigating Pathways, icebreakers, and creativity
• improv as resilience training and fear reduction

Also mentioned: Vinh Giang expert public speaker.

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Kathy Berner describes her path from tentative guest to club builder, explore how welcoming habits create durable communities, and discuss why in-person energy still trains the best speakers. Vulnerability, humor, and small nudges become the tools that fuel the transformative power of public speaking.

• early Apex culture of warmth and mentoring
• table topics anxiety, hacks, and exposure therapy
• founding Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters: early meeting venues, spotty attendance, persistence
• growth via hospitality, diversity through welcomeness
• Compelling Speaking includes authenticity over polish; humor for cognitive resets
• multiple icebreakers as layered self-knowledge
• hybrid vs in-person and the “energy leak”
• mentoring beyond Pathways; work presentations and life impact
• retention through texts, invitations, and shared setup
• discipline, ownership, and scheduling reps

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters meets Monday nights at 7:00 pm at Ransdell Fellowship Hall building: 309 N. Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters Club Website: https://fuquayvarina.toastmastersclubs.org/

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

George Caspar shares his journey from corporate law to criminal defense, revealing how following his authentic interests transformed his career and life satisfaction. He discusses making the leap from a cubicle job that was "robbing him of his soul" to meaningful courtroom work where he can directly impact people's lives.

• Switched careers to find work that directly solves problems for real people instead of being several steps removed from actual impact
• Found that staying in work that didn't interest him prevented advancement despite good performance reviews
• Discovered that Toastmasters provided the confidence to face courtroom challenges by helping him overcome public speaking anxiety
• Values face-to-face interaction and believes the power of Toastmasters lies in in-person connections despite benefits of virtual options
• Emphasizes the importance of being willing to make mistakes to learn and grow professionally
• Credits his "loyalty" quality for maintaining discipline in practices like morning pages (250+ consecutive days)
• Recommends finding what truly interests you rather than following a career path that feels obligatory
• Believes mentorship is crucial but acknowledges that meaningful mentor relationships often develop organically
• Finds purpose in having impact and creating value, which keeps anxiety and depression at bay

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast. Thank you for listening, and we'll see you in the next podcast.

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

Kiran Manjunath is a unique member of Apex Toastmasters in that he was an in person member in 2008 for less than a year and now is a virtual member from his home in Toronto, Canada. In this episode we discuss his culture shock moving from Bangalore, India to Detroit, USA, thoughts on artificial intelligence, his education, early career and experience finding Apex Toastmasters, and a great many other things.

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode I speak with Ashley Sieman the current president of Apex Toastmasters. We talk about her experience with Toastmasters and her plans for her term of office.

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Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.