get better at speaking in public

I finally joined Toastmasters, and after attending my first meeting, I think it was the right decision. My club seems friendly, laid-back, and fun so I think it’ll be a good match for me. More to come later..

So, I had one of those pesky management meetings again today, and I did fairly well. I’m still nowhere near where I want to be, but it felt good to see some improvement. The only difference from last time is that I took some time to prepare and actually practiced what I was going to say. I’d like to get better at speaking off the cuff, but I suppose that will come in time.

I have a job in which I am required to speak to CEOs and Presidents of large companies often. The thing is I get so scared about having these conversations that I nearly have a heart attack prior to the meeting. In the meeting itself, I stumble, I mumble and I end up sounding like an idiot. Not cool. I envy people who have the gift of public speaking..they just make it seem effortless.

So, I want to fix this issue that I have. Anybody out there ever tried Toastmasters? Does it work? I’m thinking I may look into that once I move to Chicago.