Meet A Toastmaster: Caroline McIntosh
Humorous Speech Contest Winner (3rd place in District 91)
What is your secret?
I was lucky enough to come 3rd in the D91 Humorous Speech contest in 2021 with my speech about data protection…and pants! I don’t think there was a secret to my success as we all know the importance of hard work, self belief, and paying attention to feedback. I really believed in the speech and the important messages I wanted people to remember, about password security, and not getting caught out by phishing emails. If I encouraged just one person to update their passwords, or to think twice before clicking on a link in a dodgy email that’s the best success I could have hoped for.
Why would you recommend someone to participate in the Toastmasters speech contest?
I’d recommend taking part in contests because the extra work and focus really increases learning. I visited so many clubs to practice and develop the speech! Zoom meetings even gave the opportunity to visit overseas clubs and make new friends in the International Toastmasters community. Everybody was so generous with their feedback, and the opportunities to try out new versions of the speech really helped me develop it.
What is your next challenge?
My next challenge is to develop my next speech, and then the next. Some of the people who taught me the most in Toastmasters are sadly no longer with us. I owe it to them and all the other people who inspire me… to keep learning and growing by doing.
