The Apex Toastmasters Podcast

E10: Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531834/fan_mail/new] Shy teens don’t magically become confident speakers. They become confident by practicing, getting feedback, and realizing they can survive the moment when all eyes are on them. That’s why we sat down with Shelly and Simone to unpack what really happens inside the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program, an eight-week workshop that trains teens to run meetings, deliver prepared speeches, and speak on the spot through table topics. We walk through the nuts and bolts that most people never see: how hard it can be to find a host site, why recruiting often works best through community networks, and what a typical session looks like when students take officer roles and learn timekeeping, agenda flow, and evaluation basics. Then we get to the good part, the transformation. Students who start out reading word for word often end the program speaking with presence, clearer structure, and far less reliance on notes, especially when the showcase event creates a real deadline and a real audience. One of the most memorable moments is the student-led showcase debate on whether AI is good or bad. The teens plan teams, research points, listen to counterarguments, and respond in real time, proving that leadership and communication skills grow fastest when students own the work. We also talk candidly about program improvements like making materials more modern, adding more conversation drills, and creating clearer next steps for families who ask, “How can my child keep going after this?” Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

E9: Inside The Apex Toastmasters Speech Contest

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531834/fan_mail/new] Johnathan Buckner, Don Dickinson DTM, Ashley Seiman and George Caspar DTM break down how our club planned, staffed, and ran the International Speech Contest, from recruiting nervous first-timers to solving hybrid hurdles. Along the way we share why live energy matters, how interviews can shine, and how creativity on stage can still fit the rules. • roles of contest chair, contest master, and chief judge • recruiting eligible speakers and volunteers early • mapping eligibility with VP Education • practical use of the rulebook and training • day-of checklists, briefings, and timing flow • hybrid facilitation versus in-person engagement • post-event community building with snacks • DIY trophies and club tradition • value of contestant interviews • why contests accelerate growth and focus • encouraging creativity within the rules Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast. Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

E8: Don Dickinson, DTM "You Learn By Doing"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531834/fan_mail/new] We trace Apex Toastmasters from a cozy sunroom club to a packed, high‑energy room, then through COVID disruptions into a pragmatic hybrid model. Don Dickinson DTM shares lessons on leadership, Pathways, and how to keep growth healthy without losing the club’s soul. • Apex origin story and early culture • Leadership continuity as the growth engine • Room changes and meeting design shaping energy • COVID shock, hybrid return and energy trade‑offs • Virtual vs hybrid vs in‑person effectiveness • Pathways strengths, gaps and recent fixes • The role of repetition and tougher evaluations • What makes a compelling speaker and communicator • Why the classic meeting format still works • Life after DTM, mentorship and service • The social glue of shared self‑improvement Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

E7: Peter Rau "Face-To-Face Matters; Get Up and Fail"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531834/fan_mail/new] We talk with Peter Rau about how practice, presence, and a strong club culture turn anxiety into real growth. From officiating weddings to participating in speaking contests, we weigh the limits of online formats and the power of in-person connection, improv, and well-run meetings. • early experiences in speech and debate • officiating weddings and preparing with intention • safe practice vs high-stakes speaking environments • in-person presence, movement, and eye contact • drawbacks of online contests and virtual delivery • balancing demand for remote skills with live mastery • crafting speeches, rehearsal depth, and flexibility • what makes a club exceptional and reliable • podcast ideas for live speeches and feedback • navigating Pathways, icebreakers, and creativity • improv as resilience training and fear reduction Also mentioned: Vinh Giang [https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vinh+giang] expert public speaker. Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.

E6: Kathy Boerner "Starting and Growing a Club and Accidentally Saving a Marriage Along the Way"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2531834/fan_mail/new] In this episode Kathy Berner describes her path from tentative guest to club builder, explore how welcoming habits create durable communities, and discuss why in-person energy still trains the best speakers. Vulnerability, humor, and small nudges become the tools that fuel the transformative power of public speaking. • early Apex culture of warmth and mentoring • table topics anxiety, hacks, and exposure therapy • founding Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters: early meeting venues, spotty attendance, persistence • growth via hospitality, diversity through welcomeness • Compelling Speaking includes authenticity over polish; humor for cognitive resets • multiple icebreakers as layered self-knowledge • hybrid vs in-person and the “energy leak” • mentoring beyond Pathways; work presentations and life impact • retention through texts, invitations, and shared setup • discipline, ownership, and scheduling reps Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters meets Monday nights at 7:00 pm at Ransdell Fellowship Hall building: 309 N. Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 [https://www.google.com/maps/place/309+N+Ennis+St,+Fuquay-Varina,+NC+27526/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89ac8fa008e2ab97:0xa1e2c10cf23260c9?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwin-Nrqn6X9AhX7GlkFHQu4DUkQ8gF6BAgIEAI] Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters Club Website: https://fuquayvarina.toastmastersclubs.org/ [https://fuquayvarina.toastmastersclubs.org/] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA. We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details. Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/ [https://www.apextoastmasters.org/] Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters [https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters] If you enjoyed what you heard, please take a moment to like, share, rate, or review this podcast.