Toastmasters International -5 Questions With Luisa Montalvo

This month we’re talking to Luisa Montalvo, the 2024 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking. A member of Montalvo Toastmasters in Pharr, Texas, and the Poland-based hybrid club Verbal Victory, she also placed second in the 2019 World Championship of Public Speaking. Her championship-winning speech, “37 Strangers,” is the compelling story of how she nearly died in a car accident in 2022.

Why are stories such a powerful way to engage audiences?

Stories are where you have the opportunity to engage the audience and take them on your journey, and who doesn’t like a trip when someone else is doing all the work and all you have to do is listen?

How do you shape a story so it resonates with listeners?

There’s a fine line between sharing too much and not sharing enough. There’s also a level of emotional vulnerability that the speaker needs to be willing to share so the audience can relate to the speaker and the story. Sometimes using our most embarrassing or eye-opening occurrence is the heart of our speech. Once you have the why of your speech, the rest should easily follow.

How faithful do you stay to the facts in your storytelling?

I love this question because so many times we feel we need to stay within 100% of the truth of our story. I usually stay within 90% of the truth. I feel if a small part of the story is fiction but helps enhance the message for the audience, by all means enhance.

Your World Championship speech centered on your experience in a near-fatal car accident. What motivated you to share that particular story?

I’m 99% of the time an upbeat, positive person and nothing gets me down, but going through what I went through was an emotional low for me, something I had never experienced. I think many of us may experience something traumatic but don’t talk about it. I wanted to express the fact that it’s okay to feel down at times—just don’t stay there. Sometimes all we need to do is look around and see all we can be grateful for.

How has Toastmasters helped you hone your storytelling skills?

I used to speak 100 miles an hour because I would get so excited about my story! Toastmasters evaluations have given me the opportunity to see the value in constructive feedback. I’ve now learned that using pauses, voice modulation, and tempo can enrich any story.

More about Luisa

Hometown:
San Juan, Texas

Number of years in Toastmasters:
17

Profession:
Motivational speaker, dog transporter, dog rescue volunteer

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Hobbies:
Traveling and playing and listening to music

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