Member Spotlight: Interview with Keith Thornton

Q&A with Keith Thornton, Electric Utilities Specialist, Sempra Energy; Founder of Nonprofit Organization: Thornton Art Initiative for Women Empowerment; New Member Ambassador for Encinitas Toastmasters

This interview was conducted virtually by Pat Rarus, DTM, also of Encinitas Toastmasters.

Q. Keith, you have only been a member of Encinitas Toastmasters for a few months yet you have been remarkably active and involved. What fuels your passion for our club first, and then, Toastmasters International in general?

A: Hello, Pat! Everything feels so new! I bet you would be amazed to know my one-year anniversary with Encinitas Toastmasters has just recently passed and in that time, I have missed but one meeting. Knowing how much talent is within our group each week fuels my passion. I participate so actively because it’s fun and challenging at the same time. As for Toastmasters International as whole, it is a great organization that improves our self-confidence in any speaking environment we may find ourselves in.

Q. Keith, you have been employed in the utility industry for decades. How has your Toastmasters’ involvement so far helped you at work?

A: Thanks to Toastmasters, my self-confidence has soared so that in any speaking setting, I can hold my own with the best in the room. On a more personal note, my Toastmaster’s involvement has given me the ability to concisely interact with fellow team members, especially as a better listener.

Q. Keith, you are also the founder of a nonprofit organization to help victims of domestic violence. Please summarize the goals of your nonprofit. How can Encinitas Toastmasters help you with this worthy cause?

A: My domestic violence charity is still in its infancy. With that said, my goal is to be the best ambassador for the cause than I can possibly be. By improving my vocal presence through Encinitas Toastmasters, I am rapidly gaining the self-confidence to speak on any stage or in any environment and advocate more effectively for our nonprofit’s impact and growth.

Q: Keith, what have you learned so far in Encinitas Toastmasters that has improved your speeches?

A: I’ve learned to relax and breathe while organizing my thoughts. This simple yet effective practice helps me face my audience with self-confidence and to stay on message.

Q. Keith, what do you like most about your role as New Member Ambassador on our Encinitas TM board?

A: Well in all honesty, I get to test my decade’s worth of leadership skills while interacting with our newest members. I strive to be one of their role models, and the relationship can be mutually beneficial. I believe that I can help our new members successfully navigate their journey with Encinitas Toastmasters while also gaining insight and vision from them.

Q. Keith, it is early yet. However, Encinitas TM believes in planning ahead. Right now, do you see yourself serving in other board roles in the future, perhaps even becoming our club president someday? Why or why not?

A: I wouldn’t put any limitations on my growth potential because of the opportunity that Encinitas Toastmasters has afforded me. The beauty of our group is that there are plenty of ways to have impact through service to our fellow members. It’s great to carry on the legacy of such a prestigious organization that has helped members improve their speaking and leadership skills for more than 40 years.

Q. Keith, you are super-busy with work, your nonprofit and other activities. How and why do you make time for Encinitas Toastmasters?

A: I’m a firm believer in long-term commitments by fulfilling our various meeting roles well in advance. When I commit early, I do so with the knowledge that my co-members are depending on me to honor my responsibilities.

Q. Keith, what advice do you have for brand-new Encinitas Toastmasters who might be afraid to give their first speech known as the Ice Breaker?

A: My advice is to trust your memory. Like most speeches or at least the majority, we will find ourselves speaking about moments in our life. My Icebreaker was about a windmill on an apple farm when I was three years old. Have fun with your first speech, I say to new members. After all, the consensus is that the more you speak, the better you will get.

Q. Keith, thanks for your detailed and inspiring answers. Do you have any other comments on Encinitas Toastmasters or Toastmasters membership in general?

A: I would end by encouraging all who want to express themselves better professionally or socially to attend a local Toastmaster’s group and be open towards challenging themselves to return and ultimately join. Toastmasters’ membership will elevate your desire to grow into a more effective version of yourself.

Member Spotlight: Interview with Stephanie Morris

Q&A with Stephanie Morris, VP of Education, Leadership (July-Dec. 2024) and Rising Star of Encinitas Toastmasters. Professionally, Stephanie is the Sustainability Coordinator at Waste Not Consulting.

This interview was conducted virtually by Pat Rarus, DTM, also of Encinitas Toastmasters.

Q. Stephanie, you have been a member of Encinitas Toastmasters for about a year now. How has membership and participation improved your personal and professional life? Details, please!

A: Encinitas Toastmasters has really enriched my life in a holistic way. I leave each meeting with more energy than I came in with, which I didn’t expect when I started. I’m an introvert, so I usually feel depleted after being social! We’re so lucky to have a diverse club in terms of age, careers, and background, which is really refreshing. Professionally, individuals and the club as a whole have really helped me grow exponentially in my ability to be assertive, positive, and clear in my communication with coworkers, clients, family, customer service reps, etc. The list goes on.

Q. Stephanie, you recently obtained a new career position. Did your Toastmasters skills give you more self-confidence to apply for this particular role and then ace the interview(s)? Again, please give us details.

A: Absolutely. I tend to downplay my own accomplishments, but we are such an uplifting, supportive group of people that you can’t help but start to push YOURSELF like you would for a fellow Toastmaster. Plus, Toastmasters has made me more comfortable saying YES to those uncomfortable but necessary experiences, like interviewing and networking. I don't know anyone who enjoys a job hunt/interview situation, but I normally think when I'm so nervous and in my head; during my recent interviews, I could really hear the questions, pause if I needed to, and move the conversation in the direction it needed to go.

Q. You impressively chaired ETM’s relocation committee late last year and were ultimately responsible for finding our new meeting place at The Hive. What was involved in this important assignment? Also, have you always been so organized and detailed-minded? If so, please share your secrets to success!

A: My CPA mother will be equally shocked and proud to see me described as such. And my dad’s a retired fire captain, so taking chaos and creating order is just in my blood! Jokes aside, it came down to getting everyone’s input and support, especially yours, Pat! You, the board, and other seasoned Toastmasters knew what we did and did not want to see in a space. There were many prospective locations, so I just pooled everyone’s information and displayed it so that everyone who was part of the search could see it and add their research to it.  We could more easily decide on a club. The Hive was just a really lucky strike.  I’m somewhat connected to the North County nonprofit world, and I know multiple nonprofits (shout out to ProduceGood and Coastal Roots Farm) that work out of The Hive. It just happened that they had a space that would fit our group.

Q: Stephanie, you were recently voted ETM’s Rising Star amid tough competition. How do you plan to grow even more as a speaker and officer at Encinitas Toastmasters? 

A: I love taking on roles, evaluating, and being on the board, but I do tend to put the actual speech projects on the back burner. I have tons of fun thinking on my feet so preparing and planning my own crazy thoughts/ideas into a cohesive speech is a different story. That’s what I’m working on. Building time into my weekly schedule for those preparation steps is crucial if I want to continue to grow! 

Q. Stephanie, most of your speeches have been about protecting our environment through conservation. When did you become so passionate about this subject? What are some basic ways that we can preserve and protect our planet?

A: Thank you for letting me get on my soapbox, Pat! Whether you care about saving money on expensive paper towels, so you rip them in half instead of using the whole ones, or you hate wasting food so you always bring your leftovers home and use every bit of the peanut butter jar, or you enjoy growing flowers, whatever… everyone’s got little tricks like that which ARE in essence, conservation. That’s sustainability. I’d start with just ONE more “green” thing that feels useful. When it becomes an automatic habit, add another.  

Something I’ve mastered is bringing my reusable cup pretty much everywhere. So, the thing I’m working on now is reducing paper towel use. I got a microfiber cloth to dry my hands.It’s for backpacking, so it’s small, and I want to use that instead of paper towels because, honestly, I hate those air dryers. I’m only at about a 5% success rate so far, but I’ll get there!

The other thing I’ll recommend is REALLY EASY: Spend your money (or keep your money) with businesses and banks that align with your values. Dig deep into the places you frequent and see what they’re doing (or not doing) for the environment and workers along the supply chain. This’ll probably even help save some money because if you really look,  you’ll probably wind up cutting down on purchases at Amazon, Temu, Walmart, etc.

Q. Thanks for your detailed answers, Stephanie. Why, in your opinion, should working people – even those very busy – make the time and effort to become active Toastmasters?

A: Like I said, somehow, I leave meetings with more energy than I started with. We laugh, we cry, we eat, we learn… and we get off our screens! And just by sitting in the meeting and listening- you’re improving your and the other members’ progress. Plus, your employer or prospective employers WILL be impressed if they know what Toastmasters is. If they don’t, you’ve just provided something of great value to them.

Member Spotlight: Interview with Gary Penn

Q&A with Gary Penn, DTM, Partner at Chameleon Collective; Global eCommerce Consultant • Interim Leader VP eCommerce / DTC / and seasoned public speaker, including contest winner of various Toastmasters International speech contests over the years.

Gary is an active member of Encinitas Toastmasters.

This interview was conducted virtually by Pat Rarus, DTM, also of Encinitas Toastmasters.

Q. Gary, you are an awesome public speaker, incorporating vocal variety, impressive gestures, and even theatrics to wow your audiences. What is your advice to beginning Toastmasters who may do not yet possess your experience or your level of self-confidence?

A. My advice to all new speakers and my mentees within the club is always to get outside your comfort zone. For some folks, that might be just getting up in front of the room to present a Timer’s report during a meeting or taking on a new role like being Grammarian for a night.

These roles within Toastmasters exist for a reason: they help the operation of a meeting, yes, but more importantly, they are an opportunity to speak. For folks approaching mid-level (5+ speeches), I always encourage them to “Get outside the club.” If you have opportunities to speak in a meeting at work, or perhaps at a ceremony of some kind, or maybe even at your child’s class… lots of options abound in life! It’s nerve-wracking! I don’t mean to indicate that any of this is easy. Still, with practice comes presence and peace of mind to be able to tackle “the next.”

Q. Is it true that you once stood on your head during a speech contest? Details, please!

A. Yes! The rumors are true, and that speech was the furthest I’ve ever gotten to the global competition that crowns the Best Speaker in the World! I gave a speech for the International Speech Contest about being “addicted to yoga,” and the headstand was right toward the beginning when I was setting the scene for an epiphany that I had, which was the subject of the speech.

It was really hard to do because, at that level of contest speaking, I was wearing a suit which is not meant for yoga poses! I won the Club, Area, and Division levels and eventually competed in the Founder’s District speech contest which was an absolutely astounding level of competition. I did not win District [highest level in Toastmasters’ contests], but the memories of that competition have become lore – whenever I tell my Dad (a former professional speaker himself) that I’m struggling with a speech, he merely says, “Just stand on your head.”

Q. I understand that you recently gave three professional talks at eTail West 2022. Please tell us a little about this event and how you used your Toastmasters’ training to not only inform but also captivate your audience.

A. Per my original advice at the top of this interview, I really believe in getting “outside the club” to challenge oneself with speaking. For that reason, I began speaking at conferences (I’m an eCommerce Consultant) just about 2 years after joining Toastmasters (I joined in 2007!). eTail was fun this year because the three opportunities I was afforded to speak were of different types. One was a solo gig where I presented slides and spoke about an industry topic. This presentation was definitely something similar to the structured speeches in the [former] TM manuals.

The second was a 3-person panel discussion where the Q & A is much more akin to Table Topics. And with a panel, you have to be flexible enough to riff off of the responses of other folks on that panel. Finally, the last one was an invite I received about 5 minutes before the event started because someone else couldn’t make it. I filled in for a “fireside chat” on advanced technologies like augmented reality (AR) and cryptocurrency. This resulted in an interesting chat, but I think the guy who was scheduled probably would have been better. Still, I learned because I challenged myself to do something uncomfortable.

Q. In addition to these three speeches, how, in general, and then, specifically, has your Toastmasters’ training advanced your career?

A. I’m very driven in my career. My goal was to be a vice president (VP) by age 40. I missed this milestone by 18 months, but I didn’t beat myself up! Toastmasters were fundamental to that career trajectory. It provided me with the confidence to speak one-on-one with honest, clear, and direct language with my supervisors over the year. It also allowed me as an executive to give presentations before my various company’s employees.

These presentations were fun and engaging despite the topics often being boring. And most importantly, this corporate speaking provided me the confidence to be me unequivocally. Sometimes that comes across as ego, and the more comfortable I am, the more I find it’s necessary to humble myself – which is why it helps to get your butt kicked in a competition!

Q. Most of us will probably never become high-level paid speakers. With that in mind, what are the 5 most important Toastmasters’ principles to master when giving a business presentation?

A. First item: Humor. A presentation without humor, even if it’s something dark and emotional, is difficult to watch. Give the audience an outlet, even if just for a moment. Second: Vocals. Not necessarily voices and vocal variety but projection and clarity. Belt it out. Be unapologetically you and your audience will follow. The vocal range displays confidence and enraptures your listeners. That can also mean whispers or lower volumes when things get serious. It’s like music that accompanies a TV show or movie – it sets the scene.

Third: Keep your slides simple. If you use slides, have a few words per slide or a chart. Speak to your subject matter, not at it, and do not read it. Fourth: Be prepared. Get to your destination early, test your staging, and test your equipment. Projectors all work differently, and microphone sounds can vary, as meeting rooms are structured uniquely from each other. Lastly: Enjoy the occasion. Your audience will feed off your energy. Turn that energy into positive vibes. If you get stuck, your audience will support you. Pause and restart.

Q. Why is it important to continue as a Toastmaster even after achieving certain milestones, such as the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) status?

A. As with all things, practice makes perfect. I have been in TM for 16 years and achieved my DTM during that time. I’ve taken 2 long breaks of 6-12 months each for various reasons or because life threw me a curveball. But I always came back because speaking is an art form, and you lose that skill without practice. I’ll likely always be able to speak “well,” given how much time I’ve put into it, but the filler words come back, and the humor and off-the-cuff wit wanes. You have to keep going. Just like you have to keep moving to keep your body healthy as you age.

Q. Any other words of wisdom on how Toastmasters helps build communication and leadership skills?

A. Back to my original point: always find the next challenge, speak outside the club, and sign up when you don’t want to!