Welcome to Toastmasters and to Bloomsbury Speakers. I am Yamina Bakiri, and I am the president of Bloomsbury Speakers Toastmasters year 2020/21.
As you probably know, Toastmasters is a worldwide organisation dedicated to public speaking with hundred thousands members sharing the same goal: become a better speaker and leader. To succeed, there is only one golden rule: go on the stage – at the moment, a virtual stage – and start speaking and repeat it again and again. As Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
The rule of 3, figures of speech, pauses, strong eye contact, hand gestures, voice modulation – you will be taught all this and more during your Toastmasters journey through specific educational programs. At Bloomsbury Speakers, we are very proud of our mentorship program tailored to members’ needs, where our most experienced members guide the newer ones through their journey and help them achieve their educational goals.
To me, Toastmasters is much more than public speaking. Ultimately, it is a place to learn how to communicate well. In any setting professional or personal, communication is one of the essential skills to master in life. Communication is a 2-way exchange: speaking and listening. From the speaker’s view, communication is the ability to share a story. Importantly, from the listener’s view, communication is the opportunity to learn something new.
As an audience member, during the same evening, you may learn about ant colonies and climbing Kilimanjaro as well uncovering the tips and tricks of speaking well and confidently. Ultimately, Toastmasters will teach you how to share a story best and adapt its delivery to what you want to achieve (what is your main message, how do you want the audience to feel?).
At Bloomsbury Speakers, we want to help you to find your voice and tell your OWN story.
Let me share about Bloomsbury Speakers and why I am so passionate about the club –
I am proud of the community we have built together. Our club is highly diverse – while we all joined for different reasons and are from all walks of life, our commitment to self-improvement and learning is unanimous. We have experienced members with masterclass like speeches and most candid ones who often share the most inspiring stories. Importantly we have fun together; often after our face to face meetings (in a non Covid19 world), we stay around for drinks and pizzas. But our virtual socials are no less, and we make a point to keep in touch with our members during this very different time.
Now let me share my own experience –
When I joined a few years ago, I wasn’t scared to be on stage, but I wasn’t comfortable either. Public speaking is no picnic, especially for a non-English native introvert-extrovert who tends to speak too fast. At the beginning of my Toastmasters journey, I was quite cautious about my time on stage, I wanted it to be as short as possible and only allowed myself a few stage appearances to present well-prepared and rehearsed speeches. I eventually realised that I was missing out as the stage is the best place to experiment, find your voice and progress.
To this day, I still have this sweet adrenaline rush before going to the stage, and I love it. I love the feeling, of course, as well as what comes next, and when on stage, I no longer want it to end.
So I invite you all to join us and start your Toastmaster journey to become a better speaker and leader! Come to our meetings, as a guest or member, get onto the stage and tell us your story.
