A Speaker's Adventure Begins in Kenya
In September of 2008, Kenyan Toastmaster Jared Douglas Ouko was asked to be the emcee at a function in Nairobi by Matt Morris, the founder and CEO of Success University. Though the audience was small, Ouko put his Toastmasters training to good use and the performance was a success.
After the event, a young man approached him and asked for his contact information, which he gave willingly. About a month later, Ouko received the following e-mail:
You remember a young man who walked up to you and requested for your e-mail address during one of Matt Morris’ sessions at the Hilton hotel? It was about Matt's visit from Success University USA. That’s me. I like the way you MC'ed the program and especially they way you handled the crowd, humor and introduction of the speakers. I especially loved the way you made it sound so simple. I have a dream to become one of the best public speakers in the world. I want to speak and presidents listen, men cry, wars stop; that being the least. I have one problem though. I don’t know where to start. Happily enough God brought you my way. I’m asking this; what’s the best way for me to realize my dream? What’s the best course of action? Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your kindness.
Moments like these show us that we must always put our best foot forward, no matter how small or insignificant the job may seem.
Do you have a tale to tell about a speaking experience? If you want it published in this section, tell us in 400 words or less and send it to Letters@toastmasters.org