Podcasts
#292: Untangling Cultural Knots to Create Mutual Connection – Maria Garaitonandia
Cross-cultural moments are woven into our daily conversations. In this episode, leadership communication strategist Maria Garaitonandia explains why well-meaning communication can miss the mark and how greater cultural awareness helps speakers, leaders, and teams avoid misunderstanding before it hardens into judgment.
Learn more about turning misunderstandings into bridges in Garaitonandia’s Toastmaster magazine article.
#291: Using a Personal Energy Audit to Pause, Reflect, and Reset – Ambeka Khadse
When managing your time isn’t enough, it may be time to look at where your energy is actually going. In this episode, host Greg Gazin, DTM, speaks with Ambeka Khadse, a talent development leader, about how a personal energy audit helps speakers and leaders move from feeling busy to working with greater focus, clarity, and intention—without adding more hours to the day.
Discover more tips for managing your energy and calendar in Khadse’s article, “Where Does Your Time Go?”
Subscribe to The Toastmasters Podcast.
Archive
#290: Mental Workouts Make for a Better Mindset and Stronger Speaking – Sarah Centrella
January 01, 2026
Drawing from her experience coaching athletes, executives, and Toastmasters, Sarah Centrella connects mental training directly to speech preparation. Centrella dives in to how speakers can train their minds, just as many train their bodies to perform well and with confidence.
For more on how to strengthen your mindset with mental fitness, read her article "Mental Workout for Speakers" in the January 2026 issue of the Toastmaster magazine.
#289: Using AI as a Thinking Partner – Diane Windingland, DTM
December 15, 2025
What if artificial intelligence (AI) could help you think more clearly, simplify complex ideas, and sharpen your message without replacing your voice or creativity? Diane Windingland, DTM, explains how to use AI as a thinking partner to improve clarity, strengthen messages, and communicate with greater impact.
#288: Reflections on 11 Years of Writing for the Toastmaster Magazine – Bill Brown, DTM
December 01, 2025
Greg Gazin, DTM, welcomes back longtime Toastmaster and speech delivery coach Bill Brown, DTM, for a reflection on lessons learned from more than a decade of writing for the Toastmaster magazine. Since 2014, Brown has written articles and columns for the magazine including Toastmasters Toolbox and The Answer Man.
Don’t miss Brown’s final Answer Man column in the December 2025 issue.
#287: Corporate Club Success: Gaining Executive Support is a Key – Lance Kotler
November 15, 2025
What does it take to build a thriving corporate Toastmasters club within a business and turn it into a catalyst for professional growth and company culture? In this episode, Greg Gazin, DTM, chats with Lance Kotler, a vice president at BNY Mellon and Vice President Membership for the BNY Mellon Toastmasters Club in New York City.
Kotler, one of five members featured in an October 2025 Toastmaster magazine article, shares how gaining executive awareness and sponsorship can transform a club’s visibility and impact. He also discusses how Toastmasters continues to bring people together across all levels of an organization.
#286: Meet the 2025 World Champion of Public Speaking – Sabyasachi Sengupta
November 01, 2025
Get to know Sabyasachi Sengupta, the Toastmaster who captured the 2025 World Champion of Public Speaking title with his speech, “Just Nod”. Sengupta, a behavioral change expert based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is a two-time TEDx speaker and host of the Method and Madness podcast. He helps organizations embrace the human side of change with energy, humor, and heart.
For more about the World Champion and his journey to the championship stage, read the November 2025 Toastmaster magazine article.
#285: Leading From Your Zone of Genius – Katie Stoddart
October 15, 2025
What if success wasn’t just about working harder but about working from your "Zone of Genius?" In this episode, Greg Gazin, DTM, chats with Katie Stoddart about how to identify and lead from that sweet spot where your strengths and passions align.
To learn more about the four zones of work and how to spend time in your Zone of Genius, read Stoddart’s July 2025 article.