Intro:
Broadcasting live from the Business Radio X studios in Detroit, Michigan. It's time for Detroit Business Radio. Now, here's your host.
The Mag
Lee Cantor here, another episode of Detroit Business Radio and this is probably going to be one of the more important ones that we've done so far. Today we have with us LaShawn Bowers and she is with Toastmasters. Welcome, LaShawn.
LaShon Bowers:
Thank you glad to be here.
The Mag
Well, before we get too far into things tell us to tell our listeners about Toastmasters. What is that group about and what's kind of the mission and purpose of the group?
LaShon Bowers:
Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that has been around for about 96 years. And it is an organization that is designed to help you enhance your communication and leadership skills. They have over 16,000 clubs and 145 countries and there are approximately 364,000 members around the world. So it is a global organization.
The Mag
And then the mission is to help people kind of be better communicators, that right.
LaShon Bowers:
As communicators and leaders, their motto right now is Toastmasters is where leaders are made.
The Mag
And then do you know, I know it's been around for almost 100 years now. Do you know what was kind of the genesis of the idea? Like how did it initially get organized? Do you know that?
The Mag
When they first started in 1924, they were started by a gentleman by the name of Ralph Smedley. And he started a small in the basement of a YMCA-only man where they could get the get-together and socialize and learn how to do a toast. Which is why you know, toast at dinners and celebrations which is where the name Toastmasters came from, folks. So eventually they outgrow the YMCA and why Ralph snappily started having the meetings in his basement. And then a couple of the members said, you know, I really would like my own club. So we can do things just a little differently, and grow from there. But for years and years and years, it was only men.
LaShon Bowers:
And it was only men. And it was primarily kind of celebratory toasts. And then at some point, it evolved into, Hey, these are skills that may be business people or salespeople or other kinds of business folks might be interested in and maybe and they connected that to leadership at some point.
The Mag
Exactly. It just ballooned from there. And people came up with more concepts, more ideals, it's evolved so much. Over the years, I've been a member for about 24 years, and I've seen several, several changes. And all of the changes have been to keep up with the way our world is evolving into include, you know, all genders and nationalities and all ages. So they just keep changing it to make it better.
The Mag
Now, what attracted you to the organization?
LaShon Bowers:
Well, I began a job at the government. And I didn't know many people. But I was always a social butterfly, I always had to give for the game. And honestly, I talked so much to anyone I met that they will see me walking down the hall, and it will turn out the way it's like, oh my God, not her again. So when I, when I discovered that there was a group in the building, that you could go to or give speeches, and those people in the room had to sit and listen to you, or I was hooked. I was sold. But then it became more than just a social group. The people there were like my family, and a lot of them are still like my family today. And I didn't realize how much I needed to grow. I didn't realize how bad my communication skills really were until I had a group of people there to help me to evaluate me and helped me to grow.
The Mag
And this is a kind of group that it's not just a social group, there is a component of education and coaching and giving people a chance to actually practice what they preach, right?
LaShon Bowers:
Yes, yes. When I became a Toastmaster, we used manuals, and there were manuals for different types of speeches, special occasion speeches, after-dinner speeches, and numerous speeches. Now we have what's called pathways, and it's entirely online. But there are many pay off Choose from you choose a path based on where you want to start to improve first. For example, if you're in a job, and you need to learn how to be better at presentations, PowerPoint, creating slides, and being able to effectively give their presentation, there's a path for them. If you need to, maybe get a little human, you know, be a little funnier when you speak, there's a universe pay. Now, if you want to be a radio host, there's a path for that. So you pick paths based on the skills that you want to learn to enhance first.
The Mag
Now, for you and your career, it sounds like you got initially into it, because you thought, oh, this will be a great kind of vehicle for me too, you know, talk in front of other people. But it sounds like you really leaned into some of the leadership and then you didn't just say, Okay, I'll be a member and just show up to do that kind of work. But you were really trying to take some leadership responsibility and direct the kind of mission and purpose of the group that you are part of.
LaShon Bowers:
Yes, it has helped me tremendously. When I was younger, much younger, I had a speech impediment, a speech impediment that caused my teachers not to call on me in class, and a speech impediment that calls my classmates to tease me. And actually, when I started working in government, at the government, I had a manager tell me that I needed a nonverbal job. So I put me in the mailroom, thinking that okay, you know, she doesn't have to speak to anyone, but I wasn't going to stay there. So it's helped me tremendously, because, you know, I've moved in several positions from the male role, I am now a lead IT specialist. And when I applied for the job, the hire manager called me and she said that she needed someone who could go into the boardroom and make presentations, and at least sound as if they know what you were talking about. And Toastmasters helped me do that. And she saw that I had the communication skills, and I was selected above all the other applicants, I am so thankful for Toastmasters, and the members of my close, helping me reach that.
The Mag
And I would imagine that if you're a member of Toastmasters, and you have that on your LinkedIn or in your resume, that a lot of folks that are hiring are going to be very happy that you're a part of the team because you have those skills enough to invest in them and kind of do the work that it takes to kind of be part of an organization that that's at the core what they're about communications and then leadership.
LaShon Bowers:
And leadership is taught me teamwork, as I said, we are a group but we became a family and it is one of the most supportive organizations. I know a lot of people join with the same type of goal not necessarily the same goal, but the same type of goal to enhance their communication and leadership skills and we support each other every step of the way.
The Mag
Now, how does kind of is it possible for a business to join as a business to encourage their employees to become part of this group, or is this where every individual just joins as an individual?
LaShon Bowers:
They can join as an individual as I say we have several clubs This is the district of 28 Toastmasters and in district 28 Toastmasters right now we have 93 clubs and we have approximately 1500 members. However, we are always looking to support new clubs and help them achieve excellence. So any business can start a Toastmasters Club, they just need 20 people that are willing to get started. There is a fee for charter in a club, which is normally $125. And then you have to pay $20 per member plus the $45 minimum membership dues. However, Toastmasters International recognizes that we are living in unprecedented times and they are trying to help move the clubs along because of course because of the pandemic, we lost some. So they are eliminating the new charter fee of $125 and the $20 per member, which is a savings of at least $325 to the charter club, and that's going on only through January of next year.
The Mag
Wow. So if you are considering doing this, this is a great time to take the plunge. Right?
LaShon Bowers:
This was a great time, not only that, but my district 28 will also give new clothes, a club banner, which costs about $100, and a stand. So that's another $220 savings as $545. They wish they were saved if they were to charter the club by the end of January 2021.
The Mag
And then if somebody starting a club from scratch like that in their organization, is there kind of a manual on how to do that? Or do you coach them up on okay, this is the best way to get engagement for the employees? I would you know, talk about this kind of thing here. I would talk about the leadership here and then the responsibilities do you kind of help them along to launch a new Toastmasters?
LaShon Bowers:
Yes, that is an excellent question. And what we would do is we will have a team of people go out to the location. And we want the organization of business to have as many people there as necessary. But we will have a team of Toastmasters, go to the organization and we are going to put on a kickoff meeting. And what that is is a Toastmasters meeting, but it's short. It's it will last maybe 45 minutes, and afterward, we will answer any kind of questions they have about Toastmasters. So they can see how a meeting is run. And then afterward, the club wants a charter and they send in that paperwork and their money, they will be assigned to sponsors that will stay with them for at least until they charter, and then after that, they will be assigned to mentors that will stay with them. At least six months of though many mentors actually become members of the club and stay with the club. So that they're not alone out there. Like I said, we're very supportive.
The Mag
Now does this or do certain industries embraces it more than others? Like if you're in an industry where public speaking is really critical? Or if you have a lot of salespeople? Is that a good organization? Like does it work better in certain industries and others? Or is it kind of industry-agnostic?
LaShon Bowers:
We have corporate clubs and all types of businesses, all types of industries, we have to add the car to car plants like Chrysler, GM, Cooper tires, Bosch, we have corporate clothes everywhere. So as long as like 30 or 20 people that are willing to join and pay that initial theme. You can have a club there, there are no clubs that are different. There are basics that you should do at each meeting like you should have Table Topics, you should give speeches from the Pathways Program, and then have someone evaluate those speeches. But clubs are different. So I tell people go to a club if that's not the right fit for you go to another club because there's one that will fit you somewhere.
The Mag
Now, you mentioned that I guess the meetings have a certain rhythm to them. Can you explain to a person who's never been there? What they can kind of expect in general terms?
LaShon Bowers:
Sure, sure. Of course, most of our meetings are on zone right now. Because we're not physically meeting there are a few clubs that are having hybrid meetings. So they have people in the room and they also need the zoom or whatever virtual platform they decide to use. But a meeting will begin and you have the president, there are seven officers in the club. You have the president who sets the tone for the meeting, and they're probably going to have a business meeting. And then there's agenda on the agenda. There are many roles and some of those roles are you have Table Topics. Table Topics is impromptu speaking, and everyone is encouraged to participate in Table Topics. You do not have to be a member. So the table topic master will give you a topic and you'll know what it is until it's time for you to answer. And then you have one to two minutes to speak on that topic. We have speeches and speeches like I say they come from the Pathways Program.
And for each project each speech in the Pathways Program. There is an evaluation based on certain objectives. So you haven't evaluated or who will give you their pity bag. And they will let you know what they thought you did really well during your presentation. And also give you some suggestions for improvement. And that's their insight. We also have roles like the app counter, and our caller is going to take note of how many times each person used to fill the words, because a lot of times we don't realize we're saying, Ah, you know, are repeating things until someone tells us okay, well, Shawn, you're saying 10 times during the meetings, and we do that a lot. Because we're searching for our next word. We have a group Marian, someone who presents a word of the day, and then someone who at the end of the meeting will tell you what they thought people said exceptionally well and point out any glaring errors in the English language, things like that. So it's all designed to help you with your communication skills. A lot of times we don't realize what we sound like. So we need someone else to support us by letting us know and also giving us suggestions for improvement.
The Mag
Now, these skills seem very when you say when you talk about them, they seem very kind of obvious, like everybody should be better at these kinds of skills. Do you see this kind of curriculum trickling down into for younger people like it at elementary school in high school, I would think these are kind of foundational skills where if you get that right early, you're gonna save yourself a lot of heartaches later on when it may be a little trickier to learn these new skills.
LaShon Bowers:
That's true. We do not you have to be 18 years old, to become a member of Toastmasters. But we also have gambling clubs around the world. And gamble clubs are for individuals that are younger than 18. So we have often me and a few other Toastmasters gone into elementary schools, and middle schools and set up gambling clubs, and teach the youth how to conduct your own meetings will attend the meetings, but they select their own officers, they have a president, a vice president, a secretary, whatever they need. So to answer your question, yes, they should trickle down. But then any youth even though they cannot join until you're 18 are welcome to attend any meetings. We also have youth leadership, which are near and dear to my heart. And that's another chance for us to gather you together and teach them these skills with the hopes of them find a Toastmasters club after the youth leadership is over nationally six to eight sessions where we will conduct presentations on interviewing skills, or how to communicate with your boss, real-life skills that they can use once they graduate high school and they're really ready to go into the workforce.
The Mag
Well, LaShon this must be very rewarding work, knowing the impact you're having on so many people and the ripple effects that that effect has on all those people's community. It's just very impressive that you're able to do this and serve and lead these folks because it's so important.
LaShon Bowers:
I love it. I really love your Toastmasters has given me so much like I say when I became a member, I just wanted to socialize and I just wanted to meet some of my fellow co-workers that was 24 years ago, I am now serving as district director of this wonderful District, which means I am the overseer of the entire district of 93 clubs, 1500 members, and this is my second time as a district director. It is a lot of work. But as you say, it is so rewarding. This organization has given me so much and I just want to give back knowing that we can influence our youth and that we can help our youth just makes it that much more rewarding. So I love it. I love it. As I said a member 24 of 24 years at one time I belong to eight clubs. And when you belong to multiple clubs, that means you pay multiple dues. I see and it was well worth the investment. Right now. dues are $45 every six months, well worth the investment. Each club offered something I needed and each club gave me a chance to give back. So I just love it.
The Mag
Now before we wrap up knew Is there a piece of advice for maybe new public speakers or some basic skills that you can share some maybe some easy things that people can incorporate into their speaking that helped give them more clarity and more. Maybe power and persuasion skills? Is there any kind of advice you can share?
LaShon Bowers:
One thing I would say is to always request feedback. You want to know how you're doing and you need, as I said, you need someone else to tell you that, we say that evaluations are the breakfast of champions. So always request feedback. So if you're in a business meeting with someone, maybe contact them later and say, you know, it was wonderful chatting with you. And I just want to make sure we're on the same page, what did you think about what we say it, or if you're in a, a meeting with your team, you know, maybe there's one person there you can go to and say, Actually, tell me what your perception is of what just happened here. Also, there are some wonderful webinars and videos out there presented by Toastmasters International, presented by some of the world champions each year, Toastmasters International has a contest to select the World Champion of Public Speaking. And they all have some really great videos out there with some really great tips. And I will say just do it. attend a meeting. And because now that we're meeting on a virtual platform, it is so easy to do. If you go to the Toastmasters International website toastmasters.org and click on find a club, you can put in a zip code you can put in a day or time in a week that's more convenient for you and find a club and just go.
The Mag
Now, is there a story that you can remember that maybe somebody you met that went through Toastmasters, and really, after going through it were able to take their maybe career or their job or their business to a new level because of the skills I learned?
LaShon Bowers:
Oh, my God, there's so many stories, so many stories. We have a member of Toastmasters, who was having a very hard time selling real estate. And now he is doing so well because he knows now how to connect with his audience how to engage his clients, and how to communicate with them on a level that they will both understand. I honestly consider myself a success story. Like I said, I was teased something awful in school. I fought a lot in school. So I was kicked out a lot because the key is just they teased me. There were so many words that I could not pronounce. So a lot of times I just would not speak until I got to the government and became a member of Toastmasters. Now our MC programs are everywhere. And I just try to encourage people because I know it works.
The Mag
Now if somebody wanted to learn more again, the website for Toastmasters?
LaShon Bowers:
Its toastmasters.org I invite anyone with any questions to reach out to me as I said, I am the district director of district 28 Toastmasters, and one my email address a little low, but it's my name was LaShonBowersD28@gmail.com. I am always, always willing and happy to answer any questions to direct someone to a club to even if they wanted to go to a club and didn't want to go alone. If I if I'm available. I will even go to a club with them because I think is worth the time and is worth the effort.
The Mag
Well, LaShon congratulations on all your success. And thank you so much for the work you're doing it is very important and we appreciate you.
LaShon Bowers:
Thank you for having me. I appreciate you.
The Mag
All right, this is Lee Canter. We will see you all next time on Detroit Business Radio.
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