Back in 2008, I received an email from my company’s HR about a "fun" event. You are welcome to join as guest in a Toastmasters meeting today at 10:55 AM to 11:30 AM, it read. Wondering what Toastmasters really is, I decided to attend the meeting at a rearranged food court to take a break from my cubicle.

A room filled with 100-150 software engineers with 30 more engineers on the stage in a horseshoe-shaped desk were present with badges which read something akin to being a toastmaster. The event started with impromptu speeches and two thought provoking speeches with some fumbles in between. It was enough to keep the audience entertained. I wondered why I would want to be a Toastmaster. Is it to be a Master of Ceremonies? Is it to be a public speaker or to actually be the cool uncle at the dining table narrating and enthralling the family with stories? I was informed that I had to be on a waiting list to join the club and might get a chance or two to provide a prepared speech in a year! Forget it, I thought.

This was way back in India. Cut to Canada, the country which now I call home. The gruelling pandemic started to take a toll on the workplace relationships and team bonding. With hands on my head, I went to my trusted leader to solve this problem within my team in June 2020. "You are great, but your soft skills are just not there". They were right. I used my body language and sense of humor to create good relationships with people. In working from home, I was left with my monotone delivery to inspire and lead a team. I turned to google for help and searched for Toastmasters near me; I joined Schooner Toastmasters Club. Unlike in a competitive place such as India, there was no waiting list and there were so many opportunities provided such as choosing and completing a Path in a little over than a year, participating in speech contests, so on and so forth. The benefits I derived from Toastmasters by honing my virtual presence, public speaking skills and leadership skills were noticed both in my workplace and home alike. Such is the impact Toastmasters has had on my life so far. My goal is to pursue my DTM and help other clubs and my home club succeed and earn President's Distinguished, year after year.