From Shower Listener to Radio PR Pro

 

 

Nate Embry

I recently won VP PR of the year for District 25 and it all started with a simple morning shower.  Every morning I turn on the radio and listen to a local DJ bloviate on and on while I lather up. At 8:43 am the local radio station has a “special guest” on the program to talk about what is on their mind.  Most of the time it was something like the Humane Society talking about Jingles the Cat being up for adoption at a special rate. Another time it was a band playing a charity concert down at the park.  One day during my routine shower, the idea struck me that I should ask the radio station if I could come on the air and talk about Toastmasters.  They quickly agreed to give me a shot.  When I hung up the phone I thought, "What have I just gotten myself into?" 

I had just started Toastmasters a mere six months before. Like many of you, I joined because I need to get over the shaky voice and quivering hands when talking in front of a group. In our Toastmasters meeting, I get nervous in front of 10 people. I had just volunteered myself to broadcast my message to 13 thousand people all over Central Texas!

I will never forget sitting in my car in front of the building the morning of my first live 4 minute interview.  My white knuckles would not let go of the steering wheel. I was thinking of any excuse to back out and save face.  Can I fake being sick?  Maybe I can say there was a work emergency that needed attention. Or simply the fact that I spent good money on breakfast and I would like to keep it down would work. I then reminded myself why I was sitting in that parking lot that day, and why I had joined Toastmasters in the first place.  I made my legs move out of the vehicle and go inside the radio station.

I survived that first interview.  After it was over and my heart stopped pounding, I realized I enjoyed it. I fact, I wanted to do it again. That one live radio interview turned into doing two interviews a month for almost a year now. I eventually invited other Toastmasters to do the radio spot in order to pass around the ability of this priceless experience.

There are probably every day activities in your life that you can use to help promote TM. For me, a simple shower led to the radio experience for myself and other Toastmasters, and eventually, winning VP PR of the year for District 25.  

What is around you that you can use to promote TM?

Nathan Embry, CL
Centex Clearly Speaking Club, Waco