Prior to the 2019 Toastmasters International Convention, the members of District 83 got to work designing a banner that would be entered in a contest. The grand prize? Your work featured in the Parade of Distinguished Districts at the 2019 International Convention, $50 in TI bucks, and recognition across District 83. You can’t forget bragging rights.
If you’re new to Toastmasters or didn’t catch the contest this time around, you can read more about it in our previous blog post. Taking home a win is Speakability Club member, Luis Leiva. District 83 Public Relations Manager, Jenna Barone, recently interviewed Luis so we can learn more about the creative mind behind the winning banner design.
JB: What club are you in and for how long?
LL: I belong to the Speakability Club out of Scotch Plains. I first attended Toastmasters Dec 19th 2018
JB: Why did you join toastmasters?
LL: I joined Toastmasters to improve my public speaking skills. I aspire to be a keynote speaker and travel the world helping others and changing lives. I know if I want to get there I have to surround myself with people who are like minded and take speaking / presenting seriously. I researched on Youtube, “How to become a better speaker” and Toastmasters kept coming up, I then looked for a local chapter and found Speakability. I am grateful that there is an organization that helps people come together to improve not only speaking skills but communication in general.
JB: What inspired your design?
LL: To be honest with you, when I opened the email I saw that the designs were due the next day, I had 30 mins to kill before my next appointment so I decided to through my design in. My design came as a result of having to always create artwork for my company “Culture Estate”. As an entrepreneur you have to wear many hats and graphic designer has to be one of them if you want your vision to become a reality. I like simple and clean so the design had to reflect that.
JB: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now, and how will Toastmasters play a role toward that end?
LL: Like I mentioned, one of my goals is to take my public speaking to the highest level. I will be a sought after keynote speaker who travels to all parts of the world to help people get out of mediocrity and start living the life they want. I was recently asked why I go to Toastmasters if I am already a good speaker. My response is that I will always be a member because there are always people you can learn from and If you think you’re too good to learn then that’s when you stop growing.
JB: What do you value most?
LL: I value the organization and structure that Toastmaster offers. I would compare it to trying to learn music on your own or actually learning from a composer the notes, tempo and rhythm. It is a fast track to learning how to give an effective speech, lead, motivate, and communicate with others. I deeply value the science, and nuances behind speaking which help create a talk that can move the audience.