Reconnecting With Your Toastmasters "Why"
At last month's hybrid Heart2Heart Toastmasters open house, guest speaker Bett Bollhoefer inspired us all with her Toastmasters journey and the invaluable leadership lessons she's picked up along the way.
Watch her speech on the Heart2Heart YouTube channel. Here are some highlights from Bett's speech:
Why Did You Join Toastmasters? Bett began by inviting everyone to reconnect with their original “why.” Whether you started 20 years ago or last week, remembering your motivation is key to getting the most value from your Toastmasters experience. (Pro tip: Take a moment to jot it down!)
How Toastmasters Builds Real-World Skills Bett walked us through her own growth, from shy software engineer to someone who confidently runs meetings, workshops, and conferences. Many of us can relate to being nudged outside our comfort zones—Bett’s old manager Frank certainly did! She credits Toastmasters with helping her master everything from meeting agendas to facilitating effective workshops, both in-person and on Zoom.
Unlocking Leadership (For Free!) Leadership roles in Toastmasters—club officer, area or division director—might sound intimidating, but Bett’s message was clear: Every new responsibility is an opportunity to practice and develop your leadership muscle, all at no extra cost. Bett humorously recounted her early leadership missteps (assigning book reports to busy teammates? Oops!) and how Toastmasters offered her a “safe, friendly place” to learn and grow.
It’s All About Intentionality From giving feedback to managing time and overseeing events, every Toastmasters role offers practice for your life beyond the club. Bett encouraged us to bring intention to every task—“milk Toastmasters to get your mission onto this planet.”
Your Turn: Why Are You Still Here? Maybe you joined for public speaking skills but stayed for the friendships, confidence, or professional growth. Take a moment to ask yourself: Why do I come back to Toastmasters week after week? Your answer might surprise you!
Final Takeaway Wherever you are in your Toastmasters journey, dig deep, step up, and savor every chance to learn and lead. The ROI—Return on Intention—is priceless.
Join us for our next meeting Thursday 5/22 at 6:30 PT on Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/H2HThursday
Whether you are new to Toastmasters or a seasoned Toastmaster, you are always welcome as our guest at Heart2Heart Toastmasters Meetings. Our club meetings are the fourth Thursday of every month on Zoom from 6:30-7:30 pm PT and the first Saturday of the month is our Hybrid Meeting on Zoom and in person at Elegance at 2100 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, California from 3:30 PM to 6 PM PT.
Register here for the Saturday meeting https://bit.ly/H2HSaturdayMeeting
Register here for the Thursday meeting: https://bit.ly/H2HThursday
You are always welcome as our guest! We hope to see you soon!