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Introducing EA Talkmasters
What is it?
A way to practice public speaking in a friendly and supportive group of peers.
Who is it for?
Anyone who wants to gain experience and develop more comfort and confidence in public speaking, regardless of your background.
I get stagefright or panic attacks when I speak - could this help?
Likely yes.
As a friendly low stakes environment it's a good way to gain repeated exposure and practice, and can complement other methods (eg CBT).
Where does it take place?
We'll be meeting regularly on zoom.
What's the cost?
It's all free and volunteer based. We'll be rotating roles.
How does it work?
The agenda for the meetings is loosely based on the Toastmasters structure, which is good mix of prepared and adhoc, speaking and evaluation - with plenty of ways to participate.
Can I join as a guest?
Yes. You can join any of the meetings as a guest to get a feel for how it works.
When is the next meeting?
The first meeting is this weekend (as of time of writing) on zoom:
Melbourne, Australia Sun, 24 Sep 2023 at 6:00 am AEST
London, United Kingdom Sat, 23 Sep 2023 at 9:00 pm BST
Los Angeles, USA Sat, 23 Sep 2023 at 1:00 pm PDT
New York, USA Sat, 23 Sep 2023 at 4:00 pm EDT
We'll be treating the first few meetings as a chance to debug and finetune the structure. Expect rough edges as it's the first time we're doing it.
How do I join?
Fill out the form here
Add the event to your calendar here
View the meeting agenda here
We confirm roles before the meeting so do sign up as soon as possible if would like to join. To make it useful there are attendance limits for participation.
Apart from joining, how else can I get involved?
Looking for some other folks to help form the core organizers on an ongoing basis. If you have experience with Toastmasters or are keen to help out, do get in touch
This is a great idea! I participated in Toastmasters for a few years in my career and got a lot out of it. Public speaking is hard and getting practice in a low stakes setting was hugely beneficial for me. This allow you to get great feedback from other experienced presenters, and also helps desensitize yourself to the potential feelings of anxiety that can come from public speaking. I plan to be joining a few sessions and giving a talk myself!
When is the next event and how do I sign up?
One of the biggest obstacles is simply learning to perform comfortably in front of others without fear of being judged. Groups like this are ideal for this because they create a safe space where everyone learns together.If you are one of those who is often nervous, being able to speak regularly and receive feedback can make a big difference. For public speaking, you may need not only high-quality training, but also the ability to stay in public. These are skills that can be acquired, so take action!
Thanks and likewise, got and continue to get a lot out of Toastmasters, and trying to extend that benefit to EA community, especially those who can't get to a local club in person. Please use the same form, organizing the next event shortly and will reach out to all the emails via the form to call for roles etc. Thanks