It was a spectacular Fall when host Tony Sparks called my name at the Alameda Comedy club..
It was my turn to do my five minute comedy routine that I had been preparing for during the past
month. Seven participants took part in a standup comedy workshop that prepared us for our
five minutes to shine.
What drove me to do this? It was all about the moving target of the comfort zone. The first step
in my Toastmaster journey was a step out of my comfort zone. Joining Island City
Toastmasters in 2008 was a new experience of the unknown. As I gave speeches and filled
other meeting roles, my fellow members quickly became my friends. I needed a challenge of
positive discomfort as I jumped further out of my comfort zone. That challenge came in the form
of three experiences.
First, was when I said yes to district leadership positions which encouraged me to speak at
other clubs, district events, and promote Toastmasters throughout the community.
Second, following my district leadership experience, I was inspired by Matthew Dicks, author of
“Storyworthy” where Matthew described “Moth Story Slams,” https://themoth.org/ At Moth
events, everyday people put their names into the hat, if they’re name is picked out of the hat,
they go up onto a stage and present their story to a crowd or 2 or 300 people. Moth events are
all over the world, I’ve attended events in Berkeley and Los Angeles. While I’ve never been
picked to speak at a Moth event, I’ve told stories at other story slams. Now I’m hooked!
Third, I’m currently a proud member of the District 57 Speakers Bureau, a District 57 resource
that has a diverse membership of District 57 Toastmasters who make ourselves available to be
guest speakers for clubs inside and outside our District and organizations outside of
Toastmasters. We specialize in speaking at open houses, serving as target speakers at
evaluation contests, and visiting clubs as guest speakers when a club is short on speakers for a
particular meeting. It’s a win-win situation. Our clubs experience exciting and diverse speakers
and Speakers Bureau members get exciting and diverse speaking opportunities.
Do you need a speaker for your open house or regular club meeting? Are you looking for a
target speaker for an evaluation contest? Would you like to be on the short list of speakers
contacted to speak at these events? If you answered yes to any of those questions, the District
57 Speakers Bureau is the resource for you.
Click on “Search Speakers” where you can view available speakers or apply to become a speaker.
I wish you much success,
Steve Taddei, DTM, PDD
