Redmond Toastmasters helps public speakers find their voice

Published 8:15 am Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Nervous energy radiated through a room Nov. 29 at the Church of Christ in Redmond. Feet tapped, heartbeats raced and fingers flexed as members of the local Toastmasters club prepared for the opportunity — however excruciating it may be — to speak.

Alayna Weimer’s knee bounced as she waited to stand in front of the 10 people scattered around the room. She stood up, smiled, walked to the podium and began to speak in a clear, smooth voice.

“Thank you, madam president, fellow Toastmasters and guests …” she began.

Weimer is a member of the Redmond Toastmasters club, a nonprofit focused on improving public speaking and leadership skills for members. It is a nerve-wracking weekly event that is both an opportunity to bond with others and a fierce example of bravery.

Gary Einhorn, an 80-year-old business consultant who has been involved with Toastmasters for about 14 years, was so nervous his first time at a club meeting that he knocked the podium over.

“It was just total anxiety and panic,” said Einhorn.

He said it can take time to get comfortable with public speaking, but there are lasting, positive effects for those who do. Einhorn said he saw an interest increase of about 30 to 40 percent after Toastmasters gave him the confidence to present and promote his business.

“After a period of time doing it, my life changed positively,” he said.

The one-hour weekly meetings are heavily structured. They include roles including president, toastmaster, grammarian, timer, humorist and speaker. Attendees have timed slots to give “toasts” and the humorist makes jokes for a few minutes. The speaker has to give a five-to-seven minute presentation to the entire group.

Evaluators give constructive feedback at the end of the meeting. Throughout it, members have multiple opportunities to chime in as well. It’s feedback, and tips for improvement, that most speakers yearn for.

“Most of us are here because we want to learn to communicate better,” said Cheri Redgrave, owner of non-dairy milk substitute company Cheri’s Hazel Cream. “Whether it’s with our families, whether or not it’s with our colleagues, our nonprofits, the people that we work with every day — we need to be able to speak with them clearly and concisely.”

Redgrave said members improve by watching and learning from each other, and from positive reinforcement.

“The thing that’s so interesting about Toastmasters is we don’t have a teacher,” Redgrave said. “Nobody stands up here and tells us how to be better speaker. We’re all teachers.”

Eric Rogers, a private investigator, started with the club about two months ago. He joined in part to prepare for future public speaking opportunities. As people become more skilled in their careers, they are often asked to speak in front of others. Joining Toastmasters, he said, was a way to get prepared for those moments.

“I still get nervous,” he said. “But now it’s at a much more manageable level.”

Rogers said Toastmasters is a supportive environment that can help people at every level of public speaking. Some beginners just need help getting over the fear of standing in front of a crowd, while experienced speakers can work on eye contact, body language and voice inflection.

“I wish I would’ve joined this much sooner,” Rogers said.

For many, there’s more to Toastmasters than just finding ways to get over the nerves or improving skills. The community, they said, lets them fail forward without pressure.

“Our diversity is our strength,” Redgrave said. “We bring together people from all different backgrounds, all jobs, all different ages. And we’re all together on a level playing field.”

According to Teresa Schweitzer, the owner of herbal product company T’s Tonics, Toastmasters gives them permission to be vulnerable in a safe space and learn through trial and error.

“One of the things that’s so wonderful about Toastmasters is it helps us feel confident in getting good appropriate feedback when we’re speaking,” said Weimer, who owns Herringbone Bookstore with her husband. “That’s one of the things that Toastmasters creates is a calm, safe environment for anyone to get up. If we’re going to fail, fail in front of friends so you can pick yourself up and move on.”

For Karen Bond, president of the Redmond club, Toastmasters is a well of support and something to fall back on in times of difficulty.

“This group has helped me keep my sanity,” Bond said.

The Redmond Toastmasters club meets every Tuesday for an hour at the Church of Christ at 925 NW 7th St. in Redmond at 12 p.m.

Those interested can sit in on a meeting to watch and learn more about the club. They will also be hosting an open house on Jan. 10 from 12-1 p.m. at the Church of Christ.

Full membership costs $60 for six months and includes four hours of practice per month.

Additionally, Toastmasters International includes a resource library, podcasts, videos, 300 skillset competencies, 11 specialized learning paths, an international convention and — for ambitious individuals — the annual World Championship of Public Speaking.