Podcasts
Ditch the Nerves is District 91’s flagship podcast series, launched in October 2025 – celebrating Toastmasters, Where Leaders Are Made. Designed for aspiring leaders, the series features honest conversations with Toastmasters who took that extra step, demystifying leadership and demonstrating that it is open to anyone willing to grow. In Toastmasters, leadership is not about being a born leader; it is about leveraging the power and support of a global learning platform to become one. What really matters is that feeling of ownership: “This organisation matters to me.”
Through real-life learning and firsthand experiences, each episode reinforces a vital truth: Toastmasters skills are life skills – learnt and practised in Toastmasters, applicable anywhere in the real world. These skills shape how we communicate, connect, and lead with confidence in our workplaces, communities, families, and public lives. Alongside success stories, you will also hear about failures, missed opportunities, and defining turning points.
Ditch the Nerves….NOW is the time to move from “Oh, not me” to “Why not me?”
New episodes are released every second and fourth Saturday. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay updated, and explore the links below to catch up on earlier episodes you may have missed.
| Photo | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
 | What makes someone invest their time and energy in helping others grow? In this episode of Ditch the Nerves, the official podcast of Toastmasters District 91, Monica Dragnescu is joined by Malcolm Braganza to explore the power of mentoring and the lasting impact it can have on people, clubs and communities. Alongside serving as an Area Director, Malcolm also mentored BBC Speakers, sharing his experience of supporting a newly chartered club while helping leaders and members grow in confidence. Together, they discuss: • What mentoring really means. • The stories behind the successes. • The challenges people don’t always see. Whether you’re thinking about becoming a mentor, taking on a leadership role, or simply looking to make a difference in someone else’s journey, this conversation is full of insight and inspiration. | Watch here |
 | Muriel Teisseire shares how an unexpected opportunity to step into the Area Director role halfway through the Toastmasters year changed the course of her journey. Together, they explore the courage to say yes, the realities of leading volunteers, the lessons learned through service, and how stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to remarkable personal growth. | Watch here |
 | Join Seema Menon, DTM and D91 District Director as she reflects on her Toastmasters journey, sharing the leadership lessons, personal growth, and lifelong learning that have shaped her both within Toastmasters and beyond. Hosts Madhurantika Moulick and Rekha Mathew also reflect on their journey with Ditch the Nerves, and on how Toastmasters fosters self-discovery, confidence, and leadership development at every stage of the journey. | Watch here |
 | Luisa Montalvo, DTM, 2024 World Champion of Public Speaking shares her journey through 44+ speech contests, the power of personal storytelling and what she calls the “wow factor”, the secret to grabbing your audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds. | Watch here |
 | What kind of leader does the journey to achieve a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) truly shape? In this episode, Glen Savage, DTM, shares powerful insights on leadership through service, leading without authority, and helping others grow through the Toastmasters Pathway. A must-listen conversation for anyone seeking meaningful leadership development beyond titles and checklists. | Watch here |
 | As Toastmasters clubs prepare for leadership transitions, one question comes up again and again, should I take up a committee role? In this episode, Jacqui Hogan, DTM, explains how and why the return on the commitment can be more than the commitment itself. | Watch here |
 | In conversation with Hilary Briggs, DTM – the first District Director of District 91. With over 25 years in Toastmasters International, Hilary has been a leading woman executive, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and a silver medallist at both the European and World Triathlon Championships. Her journey is a powerful reflection of leadership, resilience, and perseverance. | Watch here |
 | Cyril Junior Dim (World Champion of Public Speaking 2022) on finding your voice as a Leader | Watch here |
 | Aditya Maheswaran on How Great Leaders Communicate | Watch here |
 | Mas Mahathir Bin Mohamad was placed 2nd in the 2025 World Championship of Public Speaking with his speech “Raindrops,” which focused on his experience tutoring at an orphanage. | Watch here |
 | Conversation with Lilian Shaftacola, DTM and Region 10 Advisor: 14th February 2026 | Link to D91 YouTube channel |
 | Conversation with Gauri Seshadri, DTM, First Vice President of Toastmasters International, 2025-26. | Watch here |
 | World Champion of Public Speaking, Sabyasachi Sengupta, DTM, says: ‘I didn’t win the club contest, I won second’ | Watch here |
 | Toastmasters International Prresident, Aletta Rochat, DTM, speaks on how to build executive presence. | Watch here |
 | Jean Gamester, DTM, on The Power of Voice in Leadership. | Watch here |
 | Vanessa King, DTM, on Leading with Empathy. | Watch. here |
 | Steve Vear, MBE, DTM: Lead with the Why | Watch here |
 | Mark Gadsby; From Winning Stage to Boardroom | Watch here |
 | Morag Mathieson, DTM: The Magic of Inclusive Leadership | Watch here |