Speak Arizona

Barbara Chandler Schumacher was invited to speak on radio station KRIM in Payson, Arizona. Listen in as radio host Randy Roberson and Barbara talk about Toastmasters opportunities in the Payson area. (Recorded January 3, 2022)

Meet Angel Larena, a relatively new member who has quickly learned many ways the Toastmasters program can help her. She’s a member of multiple clubs, an active participant in the District 3 Speakers Bureau, and currently serves as an Area Director. Angel learns something from each of her clubs and from each new volunteer role. More importantly, however, she is rapidly discovering her potential to lead and influence people. (Recorded December 28, 2021)

The podcast caught up to Sara Mayer, the District 3 Chief Judge for 2021-2022. In addition to explaining the process, roles, and responsibilities of judging a contest, Sara discusses the ways judges can garner valuable leadership experience. The next time you are given the chance to go beyond your club and be a judge, say “Yes.” (Recorded January 6, 2022)

If you have ever wondered whether to say ‘yes’ when it’s time for contest season, this podcast is for you. A twenty-year Toastmasters veteran who’s competed in over eighty speech contests, Michael Desiderio knows what it takes to win. Indeed, he’s taken home many trophies, but more importantly, Michael understands the long-lasting benefits and advantages of being a Toastmasters competitor. (Recorded January 12, 2022)

Lisa Raymond joined Toastmasters seven years ago and has been actively involved in District 3 leadership service for six of those years! Lisa’s first district activity was attending Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) and she’s now come full circle in her present role as this year’s TLI chair. Listen as Lisa talks about learning, leadership, and personal development in Toastmasters and offers some great advice to new members. (Recorded October 16, 2021) Speakers Bureau: speakers@aztoastmasters.org Toastmasters Leadership institute: tli@aztoastmasters.org

Sara Mayer is a charter member of Junior League of Phoenix Toastmasters and a goal setting and time management expert. Active in Toastmasters leadership, Sara is the 2021-2022 Contest Chair and member of the District 3 Speakers Bureau. In this episode Sara shares her passion for Junior League, Toastmasters, and helping people and organizations become more productive. To contact Sara, visit saramayer.com (Recorded October 7, 2021)

Our guest is Distinguished Toastmaster and Past District Director, Peter Salazar. During his stint in the United States Marine Corps, Peter learned that his communications skills needed work and was told he should join Toastmasters. Years later, Peter acted on that advice and joined Tempe Toastmasters. Listen as Peter outlines his Toastmasters journey and his enthusiastic involvement in district leadership, contests, and the Speakers Bureau. (Recorded October 5, 2021)

Originally from Korea, Su Fong is an experienced educator who joined Airpark Toastmasters to improve her adopted second language - English. In just a few years at Airpark, Su has became a confident speaker and inspiring leader within her club and a member of the District 3 Speakers Bureau. She wants everyone to know that Toastmasters is the best professional development she's ever had! (Recorded September 24, 2021)

Serban Mare joined Toastmasters because he was afraid to speak in public. However, after just one speech, he quit, unable to conquer his fear. Fortunately for all of us, Serban gave Toastmasters another chance, this time with a new attitude and a determination to succeed. And succeed he did! (Recorded September 18, 2021)

Dr. Steve Broe has been active in Toastmasters for thirty-one years and is an author, college instructor, and amateur musician. In this episode Steve shares his philosophy of learning and explains why he's stayed in Toastmasters for over three decades. (Recorded September 10, 2021)

Antonio Valles shares lessons from his twenty-six years as a Toastmaster member, including his love of speech contests, his role as a speech coach, and his current involvement in the District 3 Speakers Bureau. Tony’s advice to beginners and veterans alike? Be proactive! (Recorded September 1, 2021)

Meet Lauren Riley, member of Old Town Toastmasters in Scottsdale, Arizona, District 3 Area Director, and member of the District Speakers Bureau. Lauren joined Toastmasters to gain the skills necessary to deliver an important message about perseverance in the face of obstacles. Lauren works everyday to overcome the effects of cerebral palsy and strives to become a professional speaker, encouraging people to reach for their goals and not take “no” for an answer! (Recorded August 19, 2021)

Grand Canyon Echoes welcomes Karen Hewitt, DTM, the 2021-2022 District 3 Program Quality Director. In this episode, Karen explains her current role in the district, her involvement with the District Speakers Bureau, and the reasons she joined Walkie Talkies and S.L.E.E.K Toastmasters. Karen is passionate about mentoring and leverages her Toastmasters skills to reach audiences with her compelling story of adversity and triumph. [Recorded August 17, 2021]

Our guest is Randy Casarez, an eleven-year Toastmaster from Tucson. Randy is an active member in multiple clubs and organizer of the upcoming district-sponsored Impact Events. He likes participating in speech contests and recently joined the District 3 Speakers Bureau to receive expert advice and tips that enhance his presentations. Randy advises all members to keep speaking, keep learning, and keep improving your skill set [Recorded August 15, 2021]

Stephanie Angelo is an actress, Toastmaster, and professional speaker specializing in helping organizations create a great company culture. In this interview, we learn how Stephanie got started as a professional speaker, how Toastmasters helps her in her work, and some fun stories about her acting career! [Recorded September 2, 2021] Website: https://stephanieangelo.com/ Email:      stephanie@stephanieangelo.com

Our podcast guest is Travis Hardin, a Toastmaster and member of the District 3 Speakers Bureau. Travis was a professional speaker before joining Toastmasters but admits that he’s learned from his time as a member and especially from his association with the Speakers Bureau. In his professional speaking, Travis’s target audience is anyone in need of hope, encouragement, and love! (Recorded August 9. 2021) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishardin/   Email: travishardin@hotmail.com

Eza Israel is a member of Elite Toastmasters and presents on leadership, financial planning, marketing, and motivation. In this episode, Eza discusses how he got started in Toastmasters and the benefits of being a member. He also shares his experiences as a member of the District 3 Speakers Bureau. Contact Eza at ezaisrael1@gmail.com or by phone at (347) 543-5333. (Recorded August 13, 2021)

Today's guest is Steve Feld, Distinguished Toastmaster and manager of the 2021-2022 District 3 Speakers Bureau. In addition to explaining the new and improved Speakers Bureau, Steve shares how Toastmasters helped him develop the confidence and self assurance needed to be successful in his career as a business coach and professional speaker. We also learn great tips to help clubs transform visitors into members. (Recorded August 14, 2021) www.bizcoachsteve.com https://aztoastmasters.org/speakers-bureau/

In this episode we chat with District Director David Hopper, DTM, Program Quality Director KAren Hewitt, DTM, and Club Growth Director, DJ Reed, DTM. Let's learn about their Toastmasters beginnings and get a glimpse into what's happening now and in the near future for District 3. (Recorded July 11, 2021)

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG — Episode 5 of 5 Part of my role as Pathways Chair was to manage the D3 Pathways Facebook page and user group.  The thought of posting on social media made my stomach turn; it just makes me uncomfortable.  So I knew my only solution was to venture into that digital space under an alter-ego using an email address of btwells.  Little did I realize the ripple effect I’d now have to live with! Still, the risk will be worth it if my final steps to The Lazy Members’ Approach help other members enjoy their Pathways experience – Thank you for listening!

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG — Episode 4 of 5 My personal standard has long been that I will not ask someone to do something that I’m not willing to do myself.  Each time I’ve prepared a Pathways presentation, it was based on things I’d experienced myself as I explored Pathways.  I wanted to have personally tested anything I was going to suggest people do themselves. I thought it might be interesting to take a peek into how I learn.

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG — Episode 3 of 5 Well into my third and fourth Paths now, I was struggling to sustain my speaking pace. Leadership Paths are great for leadership skills, but not so great for speaking more frequently on the meeting schedule. That’s when it hit me…I was missing my old Competent Communicator manual.  Good thing I’d already rediscovered how to recreate that experience in Pathways!

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG — Episode 2 of 5 Okay….I’m 100% onboard, but how do I make this work for me without a physical manual? It really came down to rekindling a great idea I’d put in place years ago, and getting one new thing in place that has made all the difference.

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG. Episode 1 of 5 The term “new normal” may well describe 2020 but even before the pandemic, I’d heard that term frequently used in a post-retirement sense.  After supporting the district Pathways deployment for over three years, it was time to move on to my next step. But also having officially reached the “senior age bracket,” what would that “new normal” become in my Toastmasters journey? Four basic conclusions would help me define just that.

[@btwells] A podcast from Trish Blackwelder, DTM, PDG — Introduction With the Pathways deployment now complete, Past District 3 Pathways Chair Trish Blackwelder returned her energies to her own Pathways journey, taking on the Level 4 elective “Create a Podcast.”  After previewing an episode with her club to complete the speech requirement, she was encouraged to offer the full 62-minutes of material to Grand Canyon Echoes Podcast for final publication in order to finish the project requirement.  This audio ‘diary’ reflects not only her personal Toastmasters journey, but also how the impact of reaching the “senior age bracket” is influencing how she continues that journey.  That exploration became this five-episode series entitled “The Lazy Members’ Approach to Pathways.”  Because her Pathways contributions have taken her beyond the borders of District 3, Trish adopted the pseudonym of “btwells” for use in social media circles.  Given the Grand Canyon Echoes Podcast broader audience, it was decided to publish this series using her social media pseudonym instead.

Grand Canyon Echoes met with the 2020-2021 District 3 Toastmasters senior leadership team so that our listeners can get to know them better. The members of the Trio are Club Growth Director, Karen Hewitt, DTM; Program Quality Director, David Hopper, DTM; and District Director, Peter Salazar, DTM. In this episode, each of them shared how they got started in Toastmasters, the challenges they've faced, and the benefits of being active in Toastmasters leadership.  They also shared about an embarrassing Toastmasters moment! This session was recorded Sep. 3, 2020 via Zoom and a video version of the interview is available on the District 3 YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/ToastmastersDistrict3).

(Sedona, Arizona) — Grand Canyon Echoes traveled to Sedona to interview Robert O’Donnell, DTM, PDG. Robert is a 36-year Toastmaster and recipient of a 2019 Presential Citation from Toastmasters International President Lark Doley. Listen to learn about Robert’s rise through the ranks of Toastmasters leadership and his current volunteer work providing statistical data to districts around the world. Robert may be reached by email: rod4id@att.net   (Recorded January 4, 2020)

(Cave Creek, Arizona) — Meet Cindy Brown, a charter member of the Junior League of Phoenix Toastmasters. In the three years since the club started, Cindy has learned communications and leadership skills and applied them to earning an important position within the Junior League of Phoenix organization, and starting a new business. Listen as Cindy explains how joining Toastmasters has made a big difference in her professional life. (Recorded January 2, 2020)

The podcast was honored to interview District 3 Club Growth Director David Hopper and the Region Advisor, Violetta Rios. We learned about the role of Region Advisor and the many ways our leadership team had benefitted from Violetta’s visit from Monterrey, Mexico. (Recorded December 13, 2019)

Bob Myers, winner of the May 2019 District Evaluation Contest, tells how he prepares for contests and mentors his club members to be great evaluators and speakers. (Recorded October 21, 2019)

In this episode, Trish Blackwelder explains the Toastmasters Pathways program philosophy and highlights the latest program improvements. She also discusses her role as the District 3 Pathways Chair. Trish and her team are ready to help with all your questions at pathways@aztoastmasters.org or visit the Pathways page on the District 3 website at aztoastmasters.org. (Recorded October 19, 2019)

When he joined Toastmasters, Steve Enteman just wanted to improve his speaking skills, but he soon learned he had a talent for winning speech contests. Listen as Steve recounts his most recent contest experience and the people in his club who helped get him started. (Recorded October 15, 2019)

Michele and Mark share their experiences with the annual Melrose Toastmasters musical meeting held in June. With musical examples, they demonstrate what Melrose members and guests can look forward to every year. (Recorded October 13, 2019)

When Nancy Starr-Cassidy went to work at Salt River Project in the 90s, she had no idea what was in store for her. Listen as Nancy shares about her start in Toastmasters, the people who believed in her, and some of her many accomplishments along the way. (Recorded October 2, 2019)

In Part I (Episode 7), Tim & Rose Swearingen shared about the early years of their Toastmasters story. In Part II, we continue that conversation to learn about their experiences as up-and-coming leaders in District 3 and the many people who contributed to their successful years as District Governors. (Recorded May 20, 2019)

Brenda Smull, DTM, PRA interviews Don Griffith, the organizer and founder of the District 3 podcast, Grand Canyon Echoes. After this session was recorded, eight additional episodes have been added to the podcast library and more are on the way. To volunteer to be on the podcast or to suggest topics, contact Don Griffith at podcast@aztoastmsters.org. To access all episodes, visit GrandCanyonEchoes.podbean.com or look for us in iTunes, Google Play, and other podcast libraries. (Recorded June 23, 2019)

Don Ratliff is a Distinguished Toastmaster and role model to members in his clubs and beyond. It wasn’t always this way. Don grew up believing he was incapable of speaking well. Then something happened, something that inspired him to change his outlook and take action to improve himself. Listen as Don shares about his early challenges and the many inspirations he’s received since joining Toastmasters. (Recorded Sep 4, 2019)

Jim Sultan, DTM, PID is new to Arizona but not new to Toastmasters. Already an experienced speaker in 2002, he joined Toastmasters on the ‘strong’ recommendation of his boss and quickly realized he had a lot to learn. Listen as Jim shares his experiences on the International Board of Directors and outlines the many leadership opportunities available to Toastmaster members. (Recorded August 30, 2019)

The podcast traveled south to the "Old Pueblo” to meet Kathleen Pickrel, an eight-year Toastmaster and former fearful speaker. Kathleen shares how she mustered the courage to join Toastmasters and how she can look back now and say, “I don’t even recognize the person I was when I started.” To help others reach their goals, Kathleen has authored a book, “It is What it is...Now What: A Guide to Get You From Where You Are to WHO You Want to Be,” set to be published this Fall. To learn more about Kathleen, visit her website http://choosecongruency.com/ (Recorded July 29, 2019)

Shelley is an active and enthusiastic Toastmaster in District 3. Listen as Shelley shares about her Toastmasters experiences and the skills she's attained over the last eight years. We hope Shelley's story will encourage you to Join Toastmasters, and if you are already a member, we hope her story inspires you to move up to your next leadership opportunity. (Recorded July 26, 2019)

This episode is dedicated to our non-Toastmasters listeners and current members who might be thinking about leaving. Tudor's introduction to Toastmasters was unusual and it took a while for him to appreciate the value of being a member, but today he's glad he joined. We hope his story will encourage you to join and stay in Toastmasters. (Recorded July 31, 2019)

Brenda Smull, DTM, PRA, discusses her involvement with Better Angels, "a citizens’ organization uniting red and blue Americans in a working alliance to depolarize America." Benda explains her recent Better Angels seminar and the Toastmasters skills that helped make the event a success. For more information about Better Angels, visit https://www.better-angels.org/.  (Recorded July 23, 2019)

(Recorded July 29, 2019) Meet Holland Nance, Arizona author, speaker, coach, and Toastmaster. Holland explains the benefits that she’s received from joining Toastmasters and has great advice for non-Toastmaster listeners who might have reservations about giving Toastmasters a try. To discover more about Holland, visit her website at https://www.hollandnance.com/.

On July 24, 2019, we recorded an interview with Harry Wolfe, a long-time Toastmasters who is chartering Audible Talkers, the nation's first Toastmasters club for the hard of hearing. In the interview, Harry explains how he came up with the idea for the club, some of the up-front organization steps required to get this specialized club going, and his current efforts to new recruit new members. In June 2019, Harry was interviewed by Channel 12, which featured the specialized audio technology used by the club. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxbM68BjPi0). For more information, contact Harry at hwolfeaz@gmail.com.

(Recorded July 13, 2019) This episode features District 3's newly elected senior officers: Jim Eng, DTM, District Director; Peter Salazar, DTM, Program Quality Director; and David Hopper, DTM, Club Growth Director. We met following the District Executive Committee meeting to discuss the role of the "Trio" and what we can look forward to in District 3 in the coming year.

This is the first of several interesting conversations with Past International Director Tim Swearingen, DTM and Past Region Advisor Rose Swearingen, DTM. In Part I, Tim and Rose talk about how they got started in Toastmasters and began to develop as leaders in District 3.

Brenda Smull, DTM, PRA shares her insights as a longtime Toastmaster with Karen Nowicki of Phoenix Business Radio. Recorded in Phoenix at the 2018 Spring Conference

While attending the 2018 District 3 Toastmasters spring Conference, Phoenix Business Radio's Karen Nowicki spoke with Robert Bush, ACB, ALB, Agave Area A4 Director, and Agave Division Director Elect.

At the 2018 District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference, Phoenix Business Radio's Karen Nowicki caught up with “The Fundamentals of Adult Learning” speaker Wanda Ganjehsani, CC.

Karen Nowicki from Phoenix Business Radio was on hand at the 2018 District 3 Toastmasters Spring Conference in Phoenix, Arizona and took time to interview THE Presentation Skills Expert, Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE. Patricia was the featured keynote speaker at the 2018 conference. www.fripp.com

Karen Nowicki of Phoenix  Business radio was at the 2018 District 3 Spring Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode, she interviews the dynamic father and son Toastmaster team of Randy Tudor, ACB, ALB, Navajo Area 5 Director, and Navajo Division Director Elect, and Kevin Tudor, CC, ALB, Verde Area 5 Director and Verde Division Director Elect.

In May 2018, Karen Nowicki of Phoenix Business Radio recorded live interviews with Toastmasters attending the annual Spring Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. This interview with Past International Director Don Griffith was the first of several recorded at the conference.