Interview with Stacey Greene

How long have you been a Toastmaster and which is your home club?

I have been a member of Toastmasters since 2009. I began first in District 38 (Philadelphia) but joined District 83 after I received new employment in New Jersey. Currently, my home club is Gateway 2 Toastmasters of Newark, New Jersey.

Why did you join Toastmasters?

I have always valued feedback that would allow me to grow. I was initially attracted to join Toastmasters because of the instantaneous and constructive feedback program. I hadn’t realized prior to joining Toastmasters how much of an art there is in providing meaningful opinion. Will it be memorable, relatable and applicable? Much of the growth that I can attest to in Toastmasters can be directly linked to the feedback I have received and shared. For example, one Toastmaster once shared with me at the onset of my Toastmasters journey that I often end normal sentences with my voice going up (as if to ask a question). This is not the kind of feedback that one usually receives in one’s personal or professional life. That one feedback helped me to be purposeful when I speak, to end with an exclamation mark instead a question mark. Furthermore, I joined after witnessing how other Toastmasters artfully delivered masterful evaluations.

Is this spring’s set of contests the first you have competed in (club level upward)? If not, in how many other years did you compete?

International Speech – I first competed in 2010/2011; however, my journey at that time ended at the Area level. At that time I felt I had told my story and had nothing else to share. As we can see now, that was not the case. Evaluations – I competed in 2011/2012 and came in second at the club level. The winner was not available to compete at Area so I competed and won. In preparations for the Division level I immersed myself with YouTube videos of past winners. The winners I saw were boisterous, loud and animated. In so doing, I devised a plan to mimic their style and delivery as this I thought was the winning formula. In that contest, I placed second. The lesson learned at that point was that it is okay to learn from others but it is important that I remain true to myself. This lesson took me to competing for the first time this year in District 83 in both Evaluations and International Speech and the rest is in the history books.

Did you use the same speech for all 2017 competitions (club through district)?

The word “same” is subjective in this regard. Throughout the levels, I utilized one core message of living a life that is authentic to you. However, the stories, lines and delivery evolved and changed with each level. With that said, the speech I delivered at the district level was completely different than the one I gave at the club level but the core message has remained unchanged.

[Editor’s Note: Stacey Greene was the first-place winner of both the 2017 District International Speech Contest and the 2017 Evaluation Contest. She represented District 83 at the 2017 International Speech Contest in Vancouver, BC, Canada this August and won third-place honors among a field of nine Round 1 semifinal contestants.]

 

You described your passion for dance and wove graceful movement into your speech. Have you found dance and speech a natural blend for a Toastmaster speech subject?

A background in dance has assisted me greatly in understanding the dynamics of stage presence and performance needed in delivering a speech. It has also given me great awareness with respect to body language. These attributes could be obtained through other art forms and areas of life as well. Therefore, I believe, with some creative ingenuity, any aspect of life can be blended into creating a memorable speech that all audiences including Toastmasters can enjoy.

Every contestant feels a degree of apprehension before presenting. How did you overcome yours?

Ha, that little guy, “Apprehension,” is still dancing with me. Whenever he tries to take the lead, a piece of advice someone once gave to me comes to mind: “Everyone sitting in that audience wants you to do phenomenally so give them a phenomenal presentation that only you can give.” I repeat this word of advice every time I am about to take the stage. It helps to calm my nerves and get into a rhythm that is uniquely my own.

Did you prepare for the semifinal contest any differently than you did for those at lower levels?

Every preparation conducted throughout the levels has prepared me to move forward to the world championships. I progressed with the same strategies and tools utilized previously, with one difference: practicing with a larger audience reaction in mind. The reaction from a larger audience is often longer than that of a smaller audience. I therefore had to allocate sufficient time for such reactions while ensuring to keep within the stipulated time limits.

Describe the mood that pervaded among contestants during the semifinal briefings.

Friendly and exciting. We did not seem to be competing against each other, we agreed we were there to enjoy the adventure and learn from it. We joked and even exchanged contact information.

What was the most memorable part of this entire experience?

As I indicated before, I moved to District 83 from another district so I didn’t know very many members here. During this series of contests I had the opportunity to meet many other members from other clubs as well as the district leaders. Everyone has been so very supportive and friendly, and I am grateful for my widening circle of Toastmaster friends and acquaintances.

Do you plan to compete in Toastmaster contests in the future?

The overwhelming and heart-warming support provided by Toastmasters within District 83 has been tremendously inspiring. It would be a welcomed opportunity to continue to give back to my club and district in some way. Additionally, there is growth gained both personally and professionally every time a speaker presents in a contest. You grow by competing with the best of the best and by testing yourself; this is how we make dreams a reality. Although I plan to take a rest from competition for now, I would absolutely consider competing again in the future.

We’re now in the initial round of fall contests. What advice do you have for speech contestants at any level?

Just be yourself. Be proud of who you are. What you have to share cannot be shared in the same way by anyone else. There is someone in the world who needs to hear YOUR story. So what are you waiting for? This is as great a time as any to Dance your DANCE!

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