I gave my big speech last night — the culmination of my entire campaign to be president of the United States.

And now I’m a Competent Communicator! I know, that sounds like something your kindergarten teacher would write, right? Really, that’s the new name for the level you reach at Toastmasters when you do your 10th prepared speech. The old name, Competent Toastmaster, sounds much more advanced, doesn’t it?

Last night was my 10th TM speech, so I made it! This was the Inspiring Speech assignment, and after watching who-knows-how-many speeches during the presidential primaries, I decided to to give my own campaign speech. I should have a bunch of Toastmaster votes come Super Tuesday.

Have you ever wanted to improve your public speaking skills? I can highly recommend Toastmasters. I used to be terrified of public speaking, though I knew it was something that would be good to learn.

First, I did some of Lee Glickstein’s Speaking Circles. Those were helpful as far as getting more comfortable standing in front of a group. Toastmasters goes far beyond that, giving you a lot of practical education on organizing speeches, using vocal variety, etc.

After a little while in TM, I found (to my surprise) that I could be pretty good at public speaking. And then an even bigger surprise - I found that I enjoyed it!

If you’re ever interested, check the TM website for a club near you. Groups vary widely, so you might want to try out a few to see which suits you best. I know I found a winner with Gilbert Toastmasters!