Paved by Pathways

I joined Toastmasters in 2019, just after the Pathways education program was introduced. It felt like a turning point for the organization. While some members embraced the new format with curiosity, others clung tightly to the familiar manuals in the traditional education program.

Personally, I saw opportunity in the change. I was stuck professionally, and Pathways gave me a path forward, pun intended! Looking back now, I can say that each learning path I have worked in has helped me in a different way and led to professional growth and success.

A Strategic Move

The benefits started with my first path, Strategic Relationships. I chose it for one reason: I needed to expand my network. At the time, I was deeply dissatisfied with my job. I spent countless hours scrolling through internal postings at my corporation, filling out applications, and daydreaming about interviews that never seemed to materialize.

But the apparent lack of opportunities wasn’t the real problem. It was me. I didn’t have the relationships, the visibility, or the credibility that opened doors.

Through Strategic Relationships, I built projects around how to create professional relationships, where to meet the right people, and how to join the “who’s who” of my field. By the time I completed the path, I had reconnected with college contacts, reached out to industry leaders, and started applying for roles with a new level of confidence. I had shifted my mindset: I stopped seeing myself as someone begging for a seat at the table and started recognizing the value I brought to the table.

That momentum naturally carried me into my second path: Dynamic Leadership. I thought leadership was reserved for people with impressive titles, years of experience, or a natural charisma I didn’t believe I had. But I used Pathways projects to experiment with leadership styles, strengthen my interviewing skills, and refine how I presented myself as a potential leader—even in a field where I didn’t yet have much direct experience.

Halfway through the Dynamic Leadership path—about a year after I started Toastmasters—I finally got a call from the right contact. I landed the interview, and soon after, I made the leap and left behind a 10-year career to start fresh in a role that matched my aspirations.

For the first time in years, I felt like my professional journey had direction and purpose.

Mastering the Skills

In my new role as lead trainer for a corporate IT department, I quickly realized that getting the job was only the beginning. I not only had to learn presentation and training skills, but I had to master the art of delivering information in a professional world. Plus, I was a remote worker, which brought a whole new set of challenges.

My third path, Presentation Mastery, provided the key. It gave me the tools to break down the elements of an effective presentation: how much content to include on a slide, how to read a virtual room where no one’s cameras are on, and how to deliver messages with clarity and impact even when separated by a screen.

After a year of practice, I was invited to deliver a lunch-and-learn for over 250 IT employees, a daunting audience that would have intimidated me in the past. Thanks to my club, and Pathways projects, I approached it with confidence and left knowing it was a success. One month before my second work anniversary, I was promoted to a senior role leading training initiatives.

Humor in the Workplace

Training sessions can be long, virtual, and let’s face it … kind of boring. To shake things up, I sought skills in the Engaging Humor path. The projects helped me identify styles of humor appropriate for professional environments, and I discovered how to effectively use humor in a corporate setting.

My club meetings became testing grounds. I learned to handle both laughter and silence. Feedback from evaluations helped me sharpen what worked—and cut what didn’t.

I’ve completed several paths and am currently working through the Persuasive Influence and Motivational Strategies paths. Only Visionary Communication remains, and yes, I’ve already purchased it.

Why do I keep going? Pathways has not only helped me succeed, but it’s helped me become who I was meant to be. I continue because I believe in planning my future, inspiring others, and influencing positive change. That’s the power of Toastmasters. That’s the power of Pathways.

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