When our D91 PDQ, Debbie Williams, asked me whether I could do her a favour I jumped at the chance … as long as that chance was something I had not yet done within my 15 TM years of experience. Debbie knew her target and that I could handle the role which I discovered had the rather grand title of Corporate Club Officer Training Lead!
Well, the only formal training I ever had was as a barrister and I never practiced it! Which is strange as I feel that I have done pretty well in life reinventing the wheel for myself – everything I have done is without a formal qualification. Instead, I have had curiosity, passion and persistence. I wouldn’t say that always works but the failure that inevitable cropped up in my life only bolstered the persistence and built in resilience as well.
So, when I champion Toastmasters it is not only living proof that curiosity, passion and persistence can work for me but from my perspective I have seen very many other people who have been transformed by pushing themselves outside their comfort zones and changing the path of their life.
Which brings me back to why I was someone who could enjoy putting together the Corporate COTS. I have been in the classical music world since the 1990s and part of what I did when I was an agent, looking after the careers of international concert artists, was promoting and producing concerts in many London venues as well as a few abroad and a small number of orchestral tours. Added to that, with a second passion being theatre, I produced a couple of plays on the London fringe. Now, in the immediate present, I am very involved with the production of a multi-concert music festival in Italy. Curiosity, passion and persistence still prevail.
Last Updated on 28th October 2024 by Allen Paul