“Sometimes, the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Keep walking.”
Three years ago, I took what I thought was a small step — I joined a corporate Toastmasters club under District 121 in India, simply to improve my communication and leadership skills. I started as a quiet member, not knowing that this very decision would one day become the foundation of my entire personal and professional transformation.
Back then, I juggled work responsibilities and Toastmasters meetings. It wasn’t easy. But with every role I took — from Vice President Membership to Vice President Education, and eventually President of the club — I grew. Not just in title, but in confidence, in resilience, and in purpose. Even after my term ended, I stayed on as a mentor, because Toastmasters had become more than just a club. It became my training ground for life. I was managing a full-time job, juggling deadlines, and trying to find myself — and still, I showed up for Toastmasters. Why? Because it gave me something no classroom or job ever had: a belief in myself.
1.5 years ago, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life — I moved to the UK for my master’s degree. Leaving behind everything familiar, I landed in a new country, surrounded by a new culture, with new struggles and endless uncertainties. Life wasn’t easy. It was messy. It was overwhelming.
And yet, I knew exactly what I had to do: find a Toastmasters club.
I joined Surbiton Speakers Club (Area D53, Division D, District 91) almost immediately. While others were still unpacking, I was stepping onto the stage again — because that’s where I felt strongest. Even though I was drowning in assignments, working part-time jobs, navigating visa pressures, and battling homesickness, I still showed up.
A few months later, I became Area Director for Area D53. It felt surreal — a newcomer in a foreign land, now leading leaders. But Toastmasters didn’t care about my accent, my passport, or my background. It only cared about my willingness to grow. And through that role, I built deep connections, found mentors, and more importantly — found myself again.
The UK job market is no joke. Rejections pile up. Doubts creep in. But when I sat across from the interviewers, I spoke with clarity, confidence, and authenticity — because I had been practicing for this moment in every Toastmasters meeting. Every Table Topic was a mini-interview. Every speech, a pitch. Every leadership role, a preparation for the real world. And they worked.
And then, one day, the call came. I got the job. Right after my master’s. And I know, in my heart, that Toastmasters was the reason I was ready. To every student reading this, every job seeker wondering if they’ll ever “make it” — let me tell you this:
-> You will feel lost.
-> You will doubt yourself.
-> You will feel like giving up.
But please — don’t. Just take one small step. Join that meeting. Say yes to that role. Deliver that shaky speech. Show up for yourself, even when no one else does. Because one day, when you’re standing on the other side — proud, confident, and employed — you’ll realize: Toastmasters didn’t just teach you to speak. It taught you to live.
I am who I am today — because of Toastmasters. And that’s why, wherever I go, I carry its message with pride. It’s not just a club. It’s a lifeline. Life will be tough. But growth happens in discomfort. Hard work might not pay off immediately — but it always does, eventually. I managed my studies, my part-time job, my life, and still made time for Toastmasters. And today, I stand proud — not because it was easy, but because I never gave up.
Thank you, Toastmasters, for turning my quiet voice into a confident one, and my fear into leadership.
With gratitude,
Jeevan George John
Vice President of Education
Surbiton Speakers Club, Area D53, Division D, District 91
