I’ve been a member since October 2016. I have a small business building websites for companies around NZ. This club has helped me face my fear of public speaking, and I love seeing myself and other members growing.

I’m Claire, a PhD researcher studying structural and earthquake engineering. I joined Toastmasters so that I can communicate my research better, especially to non-engineers. Ultimately, I want to be able to talk to people about earthquake engineering without making them fall asleep.

Toastmasters aside, I also like baking, arts and crafts, yoga and meditation.

I first found out about Toastmasters many years ago from a friend who was in the club at university and I attended a few sessions as a guest. While I have always wanted to improve my public speaking skills, the idea of having to speak in front of a large group of strangers was just too daunting. Eventually, I realised the importance of being a good speaker and communicating effectively after entering the workforce, and summoned the courage to join Toast of Broadway.

The first session was nerve-wracking, being in a room of strangers and not really knowing what to expect. However, I soon learnt it was in fact a very welcoming space, nothing like the intimidating scenario I had initially imagined. I now look forward to attending the fortnightly sessions, where I get to participate in different roles, learn from the other members, all while being surrounded by a group of friendly people.

I decided to join Toast of Broadway after a couple of visits as a guest. I found the club to be really supportive and friendly. The members are from diverse backgrounds and they have different styles of communication, which helps to broaden my own perspective.

As I am now a Toastmaster, my goal is to gain confidence in public speaking and to become a competent communicator.

I am a software developer and I enjoy travel, cooking, and learning about Asian/European cuisines.

Before joining Toast of Broadway I would freak out any time I had to do any type of public speaking. I always thought “man, if only they knew what I was trying to say”. My nervousness always held me back…

Fast forward four years later I’m now the Prime Minister of New Zealand!!!! Jokes not quite as good as Aunty Cindy. Seriously though, joining Toastmasters was one of the best decisions I’ve made to gain self confidence and improve my presenting skills, something so important working in HR. Trust me when I say; take the first step, come along, face your fears and stop freaking out like I used to.

Member since May 2019. I see every meeting and role as a great experience to go out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. My purpose is not only to become a more effective communicator, it is also to enjoy the opportunity to share with a great bunch of smart people. Our passion for providing well-structured and vibrant speeches that catch the audience’s attention.

My name is Alla, I was born and raised in Moscow. I now live in Auckland and work as an account manager in a Digital Agency. The main parts of my role are client meetings and presentations. When I just started this career in 2017, I felt insecure about my English speaking skills and especially presenting in front of clients.

A year ago, in 2019 I joined Toastmasters to improve my presentation skills and also find friends. Toast of Broadway helped me with both! Six months after I started going to Toastmasters I had a job offer for a much more senior role. Now I do presentations pitching to massive multinational companies and I feel confident doing it. I often need to come up with good answers for difficult questions on the spot – thanks to toastmasters I can do that 🙂

Hi, I am Sachin Sindhu, one of my friends who has outstanding communication skills and who is a great inspiration for me, recommended I join Toastmaster. He was a member of Toastmasters for several years and he told me how much Toastmaster has helped him in his journey, so I decided to give it a shot.

A major part of my job includes meeting new clients and giving presentations. However, often I do not feel comfortable speaking in front of the public, my goal is to overcome this fear and improve my Public Speaking and Leadership skills.