Toast-a-monials

I joined the Toastmasters organization to polish my skills as a Public Affairs Officer and Human Resources Recruiter for the Denver Sheriff's Department. It prepared me with the communication skills and leadership development to become an effective communicator. What I love the most about my Toastmasters experience is the ongoing training to keep my skills sharp. My most notable benefit came when I unexpectedly got laid off from the City of County of Denver after 15 years. As a result of my experience with Toastmasters, it gave me the competitive edge I needed to be hired on with the federal government immediately after my layoff, in the midst of a tough job market.  The most rewarding experience for me as a Toastmaster is mentoring new members, helping them discover their potential and empowering them to emerge as the communicators and leaders the world is calling for today.

“Simply Speaking Toastmasters has helped me become the best version of myself.  That means as a leader, a communicator, and a person who reaches out to others to help them become better.  It's a special experience in a very caring club where we care about learning and having fun together."

I joined Simply Speaking 7 years ago learn how to speak in a professional environment.  What I've learned since has changed my life.

Not only have I learned now to speak effectively, but I've also had opportunities to lead at every level including directing all of Colorado and Wyoming (140 clubs and 2000 members).

Simply Speaking has become my extended family.  I love watching members grow, and learning something new with every speech I hear.  This club is the highlight of my week, and I'm so happy I found it!

Diane Nuss, DTM

I joined Toastmasters because I was tasked with leading the rollout for a new program at my company. I have always disliked public speaking and this project meant that I would be speaking in front of groups of people several times a day for over 2 months. 

Simply Speaking gave me the confidence I needed to not faint when presenting. Fellow club members still tease me about my volume (or lack thereof), but I am no longer petrified to get up in front of people. I highly recommend Toastmasters!

I joined Simply Speaking 10 years ago to become a better speaker and to have more confidence in myself, and it's happened! This club has become my second family.  It's full of friends who I love to grow with and help.  I've really enjoyed the roles I've filled, like club secretary and VP of Membership. That's helped become a better leader at work. I really look forward to being here every Thursday at 7 pm.

After I sold my business five years ago, I joined Simply Speaking.  I finally had time to spend increasing my confidence in talking to people in different situations. I also wanted to be a better leader at home and at church. I push myself to do better each time I speak.  I know I get a lot out of it, and I like to think I'm helping others grow, too.  

I love it when visitors come and ask a lot of questions.  That way they know what we're trying to accomplish.  Our club keeps growing because we make it easy to understand.

The best idea I received from Toastmasters is the "sandwich" method where by using praise first then constructive ideas for improvements and then finishing up with something positive.  It has helped me improve communication with adults as well as kids.  Using this method helps see individuals more holistically. Instead of focusing on what's wrong allows me to paint a bigger picture about what' is right with others.