Episodes
Monday Jul 31, 2023
TC175: A Conversation with The Buddhist CEO – Thane Lawrie
Monday Jul 31, 2023
Monday Jul 31, 2023
[41:08] Being a Buddhist and a CEO may seem like two extremes – one symbolizes Zen and calmness and the other the epitome of corporate chaos. But Thane Lawrie - a.k.a The Buddhist CEO is both, and successfully so and has seemed to have found just the the right balance.
In this episode we speak with Thane about his journey but also about his new book - appropriately titled The Buddhist CEO. It's classified as a fictional biography but as we find out in out chat, it's loosely based on his life.
Thane shares his thoughts on Buddhism and how some of its principles from his perspective that resonate with him can really apply to anyone of any faith for betterment of one's personal and especially in one's corporate life.
He also shares some leadership tips by enlightening us with stories and explanations of some of the stories from the book - and more.
We also hear how he created a Fellowship of CEOs - where CEOs of different companies can share and help one another when they they find themselves alone at the top.
Thane Lawrie is an award-winning CEO in his home country of Scotland. A graduate of the University of Aberdeen and University of Glasgow, Thane has had a diverse career, culminating in leading and transforming a once struggling social enterprise and going on to win numerous prestigious business awards both locally and nationally, including being placed in the Sunday Times top 100 companies to work for in the UK. Thane is married with two sons and has been a practicing Buddhist for over twenty years.
You can reach Thane Lawrie at ThaneLawrie.com where you can also find ways to purchase his book in addition to Amazon & Barnes & Noble. On his site he also has a blog where he discusses leadership topics in his own way, progress on the book also some of his poetry.
Friday Jun 30, 2023
TC 174: Tips on Becoming a World Class Host & Emcee – Nathan Cassar
Friday Jun 30, 2023
Friday Jun 30, 2023
[39:37] Wonder what it takes to be a great Emcee and Host? It takes more than just being able to be a good talker with an ability to wing it off the mic. Our special guest today Nathan Cassar is an award-winning professional and one of Australia's Premier Wedding & Corporate Emcees and known as the go-to guy for making any event unforgettable.
Nathan Cassar has over a decade of experience and a strong reputation in the entertainment industry, this includes being a former Entertainment Host for prestigious Princess Cruise Line for several years. Nathan has also had the privilege of performing for thousands of happy guests spanning 40+ nationalities across the globe.
Nathan shares with us a little about his journey starting with his humbled origins as a young bullied introvert who overcame adversity to today where he has become a world-class host and Master of Ceremonies.
Nathan also shares many tips and best practices on what makes a great emcee for those who may want to entertain that career path.
You’ll also hear many do's and don'ts and learn how to create your own improv treasure chest that can be used both onstage and offstage and in many other impromptu speaking environments. In addition to many entertaining stories full of his invaluable wisdom, Nathan also shares tips on what to look for if you are searching for an emcee for your event and more.
Nathan Cassar lives in Sydney, Australia an can be reached via his website NathanCassar.com.au as well as on his various social media platforms below.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
[56:30] In the first half of 2023, Generative AI and apps like ChatGPT have hit us like a tidal wave and is already impacting our lives. Our expert guest today, Robert Lavigne always seems to ride ahead of the curve. Rob is a Generative AI and Digital Media Specialist and joins us today to help demystify this wild frontier for both techies and those new to AI.
Robert Lavigne is a Generative AI and Digital Media Specialist with a passion for audio podcasting and video production. He is the owner of The Digital Grapevine committed to serving as a thought leader in aligning digital branding and marketing strategies with a client’s business goals and objectives. With decades of experience, Robert helps guide clients in defining their digital vision by helping structure and present digital programs and recommendations to business owners and their respective decision makers He also provides ongoing support, mentoring, professional development and training to staff of client establishments when required.
In addition, Robert is also the host / producer of numerous podcast and video interview series. The Digital Grapevine recently re-launched their Content Creator For Hire platform to focus on Generative AI projects.
Rob is also the first person on the planet to have his own digital avatar complete with synthetic speaking in 10 languages modeled in his own vocal tone.
Robert Lavigne is from Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He can be reached on LinkedIn (rlavigne42) and at The Digital GrapeVine. You can also view many of his creations on YouTube.
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Rob generated the show notes below by feeding his side of the audio into AI tools.
AI Generated Show Notes:
Generative AI: Lavigne discusses the domains of generative AI, which include text, audio, video, and image generation, and stresses that they are machine learning systems, not self-aware entities.
Applications of Generative AI: Potential applications are identified across various sectors, including both white-collar and creative industries. Lavigne cites his use of ChatGPT-4 as a valuable tool in his creative process.
Concerns over AI (The Ugly): Job loss, misinformation, deepfakes, and potential misuse are cited as major concerns around AI. The potentially devastating impacts of AI misuse are likened to that of a nuclear bomb.
AI and Work: The potential for AI to take over mundane aspects of work is discussed, along with the challenges of achieving this ideal state.
Impact on Jobs (The Bad): Lavigne talks about how the rise of AI and automation, along with remote work and the gig economy, is intensifying competition for jobs.
Benefits of AI (The Good): Despite the potential downsides, Lavigne appreciates how AI has helped him deliver complex projects rapidly and improve the initial stages of his work.
AI in Creative Writing: Lavigne discusses his project, "The Digital Revolution," entirely written by GPT-4, highlighting the use of AI in creative writing.
Role of AI in His Work: Lavigne uses AI as a tool for producing desired outputs, leveraging its capabilities to aid his creative process.
Process of Using Generative AI: Lavigne explains his method of seeding the AI with basic factual information, leading to accurate, relevant outputs that can be used to generate impactful quotes and FAQs.
Quality of AI Outputs: The concept "garbage in, garbage out" is applied to AI, emphasizing the importance of good quality input to obtain valuable output.
Role of Prompt Engineers: The emerging role of "prompt engineers" who formulate prompts for AI is discussed, noting that those with a better understanding of language and question formulation tend to be more effective.
OpenAI and GPT-4: Lavigne speaks about OpenAI's role as a leading AI development company and their products such as GPT-4. He also talks about his use of ChatGPT, a product of OpenAI that uses GPT-4.
OpenAI and Microsoft Partnership: The partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft is discussed, with GPT-4 now powering Microsoft's Bing search engine.
New Features in GPT-4: Lavigne introduces the new features in GPT-4, including plugins that allow the AI to interface with other software and data.
Interpreting Internet Content with GPT-4: Lavigne uses GPT-4 to interpret web content directly, bypassing manual website navigation. He predicts this capability may change the future of SEO and web traffic patterns.
Real Data as Input: The importance of using real data to seed GPT-4 is emphasized to prevent the AI from generating unfounded information.
Impact on Industries: Lavigne discusses the potential impacts of AI on various industries, including job loss, especially in content creation and curation roles.
Advancements in Chatbots: The use of GPT-4 in newer chatbots, which can be trained on a document and interact in any language or style, is discussed.
Data Hallucination: Lavigne addresses the issue of data hallucination, where AI generates information that isn't based on input data, stressing the need for safeguards.
Importance of AI Ethics: The crucial role of ethics in AI development and use is emphasized, particularly given the potential for misuse and the inherent biases that can be reflected in AI outputs.
AI Legislation: Lavigne discusses the current state of AI legislation, stressing the importance of global cooperation in setting standards and regulations.
AI's Influence on Content Creation: Lavigne explores how AI is reshaping content creation, from writing scripts to editing video. He predicts that AI will allow creators to produce more while maintaining quality.
Future Predictions: Lavigne shares his predictions about how AI will evolve, especially in the context of content creation, and what implications this might have for society.
End Note: Lavigne wraps up by encouraging listeners to stay informed about the rapidly changing landscape of AI and to approach the technology with an open, but critical, mind.
Toastcaster 173: Demystifying Generative AI & ChatGPT - The Good, Bad & The Ugly - Robert Lavigne
Sunday Apr 30, 2023
Sunday Apr 30, 2023
[32:54] In this episode, Greg speaks with Oscar Santolalla about the Fireside Chat – a great alternative to a typical Q & A style one-on-one podcast interview. Oscar introduces us to the concept, where it originated and how he successfully adapted this 90 year old delivery format to his podcasts.
You'll also hear the pros and cons of the format and what you can do if you would like to try one for yourself.
Greg's shares his first experience with a recent Fireside chat on Oscar's podcast - what he learned, what surprised him - and more.
Oscar Santolalla is an accomplished speaker, author, coach, and Sales Engineer and Trainer for Ubisecure. His mission is to help people in technology companies present better, inspire others, and sell more.
Oscar is this author of: Rock the Tech Stage and Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo. He also hosts Time to Shine, a podcast about public speaking and as his company's podcast, “Let’s Talk About Digital Identity.”
You can find Oscar's interview on The Toastmasters Podcast about using Metaphors - to power your presentations - episode #218.
An example of a fireside chat: How to Give a Tech Talk Successfully with Greg Gazin & Heather Flanagan on Time to Shine Podcast #196.
Oscar Santolalla lives in Helsinki, Finland but is originally from Peru.
You can reach him at RockTheTechStage.com or on LinkedIn.
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Toastcaster 166: Is Your Sales Pitch like Playing Golf with Only a Putter?
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
[05:31] When you play a round of Golf, chances are that you will use more than just a putter. So why is that businesses sometimes have only one message or one sales strategy regardless of the demographic or who the potential client is?
Same goes for communicators. Some deliver the same speech verbatim regardless as to whom their audience is.
Sadly the results are not always as you think.
Listen on few a few tips - for business, not golf! :)
Image by Kevin Phillips from Pixabay
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
Sunday Jul 31, 2022
[23:52] Ever wonder how to fill the gaps when business is slow? There are a number of productive things we can do - some we already know but are often forgotten. But what about when things are so slow and choices are so limited that you have to totally reinvent yourself?
Our guest today is an expert in both those areas. Stephanie Northcott, a former corporate project administrator from Calgary, Canada in the construction and electrical utility industries found herself in a position of having no position that fit her skills due to a corporate.
With a decade of extensive experience under her belt, Stephanie decided to take matters into her own hands. She put her administrative skills and strengths to work becoming an entrepreneur specializing in helping sole proprietors and online entrepreneurs as a virtual assistant, relocating her family and now working from the paradise of Guanajuato, Mexico.
In this episode, Stephanie shares a little about her journey, what a virtual assistant does and shares a number of tips that she has discovered and things you can do when business slows to a crawl.
Many of her tips and nuggets of wisdom come from the article: Filling the Gaps when Things Get Slow that can be found on her blog as well as on LinkedIn.
Some of the tips include: Examining your business from the outside in, posting past content and cleaning up those nagging “tolerations” and more.
You can find Stephanie Northcott on LinkedIn or reach her via her website: StephanieNorthcott.com.
Saturday Jun 11, 2022
Toastcaster 161: Recognizing and Harnessing Life Changing Moments
Saturday Jun 11, 2022
Saturday Jun 11, 2022
[31:19] Has the pandemic created for you or someone you know an unnerving unexpected and totally unprepared for, life changing moment? In reality, life-changing moments happen all the time. Many however, are not crises but unrealized opportunities. In fact, some of the best ones are often disguised, pass us by and are only noticed in hindsight.
In his opening keynote session, you’ll hear from Past District 42 Governor (Director) Greg Gazin, DTM. You’ll hear ways you can recognize life-changing moments and learn tips to harness them to help you catch your second wind and keep you sailing in the right direction.
In this light-hearted session, Greg will share some of his epiphanies, adventures and misadventures of transformation both outside and inside Toastmasters as he meandered some of those moments. You’ll also hear how Toastmasters played a role but also mistakes he made and the differences it would have made if Pathways - Toastmasters Educational Program would have come along earlier.
Recorded via Zoom as part of Toastmasters District 42 2022 Spring Conference.
VIEW AS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ohXygqYKtqA
(Note: In one moment inadvertently said "Toastmaster" when I should have said "ToastCaster." "In 2006, I created the ToastCaster Podcast." The Toastmasters Podcast was originally created by Ryan Levesque & Bo Bennett. I became host and producer of the Toastmasters Podcast in 2014.)
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
[37:21] Wonder how did a shy, socially awkward introvert turn into a successful serial entrepreneur and master relationship builder? Just ask Monica Parkin, who on today’s show will give us an insight into the answer to that question and more by telling us about her recent book, part memoir, part instruction guide, Overcoming Awkward: The Introvert's Guide to Networking, Marketing, and Sales.
You don’t have to be an introvert to benefit from Monica’s wisdom. In this fun and lighthearted episode, you’ll hear honest stories (many from the book) of her often sometimes challenging but fruitful transformation and overcoming her obstacles. You’ll hear about a number of lessons she’s learned and how these can be applied in many areas of one’s personal, professional, business life and even through social media.
You’ll hear how things blossomed for “Mortgage Monica” as she revealed her authentic self and how her moniker as a “crazy goat lady” who lives on a small farm with an assortment of furry creatures actually contributes to her business success and more.
Some of the other topic areas she touches upon include: Difficult conversations, asking questions, setting boundaries, mentorship, Toastmasters and her podcast Juggling Without Balls.
Monica Parkin is from Courtney, British Columbia, Canada. She’s a licensed mortgage broker and successful serial entrepreneur an award-winning international speaker, author, podcaster and Toastmaster.
You can find her book: Overcoming Awkward: The Introvert's Guide to Networking, Marketing, and Sales on Amazon.
Monica can be reached at MonicaParkin.ca.
Monday Jan 17, 2022
Monday Jan 17, 2022
[25:28] Resolutions for many just don't seem to work but our guest today, Dave Fuller uses "Naming Your Year" as a method to accomplish what resolutions are meant to do.
In this episode Dave shares how he stumbled upon this method; what it does and how it works. You'll hear how puts it into practice at home, at the office for both himself, his team and his clients and learn how you can implement it for yourself. You'll also hear about how Naming can also help achieve goals and how Dave uses this to help focus on a 12-week planning method.
David (Dave) Fuller MBA, is an award-winning business coach and a partner in Pivotleader Inc. and the Author of Profit Yourself Healthy.
You can also read Dave's article at Troy Media, New Year's Resolutions are out, naming the year is in, at Troy Media.
Email him at Dave AT Pivotleader.com. Dave would love to hear what you named your year.
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
Saturday Dec 19, 2020
[29:38] Everyone is trying to be better informed and protect themselves and others and reduce exposure to the Covid-19 virus. They’re social distancing, wearing masks and washing their hands, but how many of us think about our smartphone as a major source of a threat to our health? Or how many of us are missing key pieces of information that can help us and our loved ones stay safe?
In this episode Greg speaks with June Lai, founder and CEO of Catalyst, a high tech accessories maker but first and foremost a scientist. June offers an authoritative insight on PPE and on helping us all stay safe.
By the end of this podcast, you’ll better understand the difference between bacteria and a virus, what terms like anti-microbial really means. You’ll also learn how to properly disinfect your phone, what to use, what not to use and what to watch out for and suggestions on proper Covid phone safety etiquette.
You’ll also discover how waterproof cases, like those from Catalyst can not only protect your valuable smartphone investment, but one that is also washable can effectively reduce the risk of infection when properly implemented into your daily protection routine.
The techies will also love to hear what makes for a great waterproof case, and methods and technology Catalyst used in perfecting their patented waterproof seal.
You’ll also learn a little more about June, a glimpse into her journey, how the company came to be and how its skillset and innovation has now lead them to develop much needed quality PPE including novel items like a mask wallet.
June Lai, originally from Vancouver, Canada, now based in Hong Kong is the founder and CEO of Catalyst - a global consumer high tech high performance electronics accessories brand. She’s also a scientist who oversees R&D at the company who is in the business of inventing unique patented products that combine world-class design with performance. You can find out more about about Catalyst at CatalystCase.com.
If you’re interested in learning more about viruses, June suggests checking out TWiV - This Week in Virology - a podcast about viruses.
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Wednesday Sep 30, 2020
Saturday Aug 22, 2020
Toastcaster 139: Finding Your New Learning Curve - Bob Hooey
Saturday Aug 22, 2020
Saturday Aug 22, 2020
[28:50] When the current pandemic became a global reality, suddenly Bob Hooey found his speaking business more or less obliterated.
In this episode, Bob expresses to Greg how he felt and how he dealt with the situation while perhaps realizing his and and maybe our biggest fears.
After overcoming the initial shock, Bob realised, "I can't travel, but my message can." Pulling from years of experience, he decided instead of spiralling downward, he could pivot. So even at age 71, he found his new learning curve and embraced his new playing field. "I'm still learning," he says.
What Bob did, many of us can do too as he discovered new technologies and used the power of partnering, creativity and the often forgotten value of simply asking for help to move forward. Additionally Bob also shares the wisdom of some of his past experiences, much of which can apply to all of us and our businesses today in his own entertaining way.
FREE BOOK
As a gift to our listeners, Bob is offering, free to all readers a copy of his latest book,
Succeed! Idea-rich strategies to succeed in business despite global disruptions.
Bob Hooey is the Canadian "Ideaman." He's an accomplished speaker, prolific author of over 30 books on leadership and career success and travels the world (when its open) sharing his innovative Ideas At Work. He's also a long-time Distinguished Toastmaster, Past District Governor and Accredited Speaker.
Bob lives in Egremont Alberta Canada and can be reached at Ideaman.net or SuccessPublications.ca.
Friday Jul 31, 2020
Friday Jul 31, 2020
[27:41] Looking at how a pandemic has changed the way we dine and how restaurants operate and literally ravaged the industry. As some cities begin to re-open, you can’t help but wonder what the new normal is or might be or what future looks like moving forward.
In this episode, our guest Brittain Brown offers us a little insight into that arena. From his experience, he’ll share some of his observations what’s going on in the minds of restaurant owners and operators, staff and patrons. You’ll hear about some of the changes in store beyond merely servers in face masks, constant cleaning and reassuring customers as factors whether restaurants can successfully reopen and stay in business.
He addresses some of the challenges today’s leaders are facing, but also some of the opportunities that this represents including some food for thought on how leaders need to rethink and evolve their business models and adopt new technologies which are already driving the new normal and what might happen if they don’t.
What you’ll hear will be of interest and value to you regardless as to whether you’re a restauranteur, a patron or a leader in any other industry. Brown’s insights can apply to anyone.
Brittain Brown, B.A. is from Toronto, Canada. He’s the President of Givex, a global company that provides the restaurant, retail, and other industries with the latest tech solutions and analytics that help clients drive sales and make better business decisions. He can be reached at Givex.com.
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Toastcaster 137: Discover the Future of the Future AGAIN! (FREE Summit) – Angelo Tirhas
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
[30:30] For Angelo Tirhas, like many around the world, everything more or less came to a dead halt when the current global crisis hit, leaving him stuck with literally nothing to do.
Instead of wallowing in defeat asking the same questions on everyone’s mind, his professional mind kicked in realizing that he had to define the problem and find solutions. He asked himself: “What’s the biggest problem in the world today, what are people what most scared of and can we help them?”
Of course he realized people were already overloaded with data they couldn’t make sense of and he himself didn’t have all the answers. He had an epiphany. “Let’s get all these people into one place and share what the future possibilities are and figure out what to do to survive the future. Get people asking questions in touch with those who have answers and let them have a chat with each other.
And thus Future Summits Online series was born.
In this entertaining and informative episode we learn more about Angelo’s journey, what he saw, what he heard, stories and insights and why he vetted and handpicked from over 150 speakers. You’ll also learn about his F.A.I.T.H framework (Fundamentals Awareness Implementation, Transformation and Humanity) and how it’s being incorporated into the summit – and more.
Angelo Tirhas is keynote speaker, corporate trainer and coach specializing in transformation, business and personal development, founder and host of "Future Summits Online”, the first ever Global Future Focused Online Summit Series. Angelo can be reached on LinkedIn or via e-mail.
About the Future of the Future Summit (On-Line)
Date: NEW!!! SEPTEMBER 17-22, 2020.
Cost: FREE. Low cost VIP packages with added benefits also available.
Takeaway: Actionable information, skills, strategies and insights from 25 leading global experts, futurists, innovative thinkers and thought leaders to help you prepare, be future ready and future proof. (4 speakers/ day)
Tickets: Visit now to get more information on the Summit or to get FREE Tickets
This episode: bit.ly/toastcaster137
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
[29:33] Sometimes the best way to be a better leader and communicator is to learn from others’ stories. In this episode we hear from Paul Finkelstein who created OMGTalk, the small business owners podcast which he publishes on 5 different platforms.
Paul tells us why he created it; how he interviews small business owners and its value to them and other small business owners. Paul also shares his own takeaways and what he has learned from the process.
I invited Paul to Toastcaster because when he asked me to be on his show OMGTalk, the four simple questions he indicated he was going to ask I found quite reflective. It forced me to think back and dig deep - which I found quite inspiring. Please have a listen to to our interview on Paul's show.
Paul Finkelstein is from Delray Beach, Florida, USA. He’s involved in the Medicare insurance industry and loves running and fundraising. He’s a Distinguished Toastmaster and is the producer of the OMGTalk Podcast. Paul can be reached on all the major platforms and at OMGTalk.com.
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
[22:06] Many businesses are finding themselves in an emergency state and are desperately looking to ensure smooth continuity.
In this episode, Greg speaks with Chandrashekar LSP, Head Evangelist for the Zoho Corporation in Canada.
Chandrashekar shares his observations on this new unprecedented business landscape and gives us an insight on what people and businesses can do and tools they can use to shift from typical office environments to the new reality without recreating the wheel
Working from home for over 15 years, he also offers his personal take on this subject as he currently has three kids under five years of age at home 24/7 and with his teams in India, and clients, partners, analysts and media in North America and around the world.
You’ll hear about Zoho’s Cloud-based business services for all departments in an organization including their new Remotely bundle consisting of 11 of their 45 applications in four categories, including: Internal/External Communications, Project Management, Remote Assistance and a collaborative Office Suite, which Zoho is offering at no charge for a limited time through their Small Business Emergency Assistance Subscription Program to help businesses get through the pandemic. (zoho.com/remotely)
Chandrashekar LSP is based in Montreal and has been with Zoho Corporation, a 24-year old privately held company for almost two decades. He can be reached at: lsp@zohocorp.com
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Toastcaster 125: Square Wireless Payment System Helps Improve Your Cashflow
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Every leader knows that cashflow is king. Very few use cheques or even carry cash these days. Enter Square a low cost secure mobile payment system. It’s an easy way for you to collect payments for products or services that’s also easy and convenient for your customers allowing them to pay by credit card, debit and other pay systems.
In this episode your host Greg Gazin has a quick look at three different options offered by Square, what they do, what they cost including their latest all-in-one Square Terminal.
The podcast is based on Greg’s two previously published articles: With Square, you too can accept wireless debit and credit card payments (Gadgetguy.ca) and It’s Hip to be Square published by Troy Media.
Friday Jul 26, 2019
Toastcaster 120 - Can I Use That Picture? — Samantha Lile
Friday Jul 26, 2019
Friday Jul 26, 2019
[22:35] People use images in their Powerpoint presentations, blogs and there’s no end to photos posted and shared on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and more. But just because you find them on the web, are you sure you have the right to use them? In this episode, Greg speaks with Samantha Lile who wrote an article with adapted flowchart for ViseMe.co entitled, Can I Use That Image?
Samantha talks about her article and shares some things people need to be aware of and things to consider before using, posting or sharing a photo - primarily from a U.S. perspective with Greg offering up additional Canadian insight. However, it offers some some food for thought for people all around the world as many similar rules exist in other countries.
You’ll hear about terms like Copyright, Creative Commons, Public Domain and Fair Use and some of the step involved in determining if an image falls into those categories and what to do. She also shares some of her favourite sources for free images including: Pixabay, Pexels and UnSplash.
Samantha Lile is an independent journalist, editor, blogger and content manager from Ozark, Mo. U.S.A, whose work can be found on sites such as: The Huffington Post, Thrive Global and Buzzfeed. Her original article and the companion flowchart can be found at Visme.co. You can reach Samantha via SamanthaLile.Carbonmade.com.
In case you're wondering, Samantha’s photo is used with her permission. : )
Tuesday Apr 30, 2019
Tuesday Apr 30, 2019
[31:41] It’s not uncommon for training to be delivered on-line. But with multitasking at an all-time high and attention spans at an all-time low, how do you ensure your participants remain engaged and involved and get the most from your webinar training? In this episode, Greg speaks with Tali Bar-Or, a 20-year veteran in training and facilitation including training facilitators remotely for content delivery.
Tali will share tips, tricks and best practices she uses to succeed to keeping her webinar attendees engaged and involved while maximizing their learning. You’ll hear how she visualizes her audience, acknowledging how people listen differently and selectively. She offers 2 strategies she learned to bring people back to focus including two words to alert wandering minds plus four key triggers designed to indicate to the participants what’s coming next.
You’ll also discover how to plan ahead to deal with distractions and disruptions and how to create an environment where they don’t happen. You’ll learn about techniques for pausing and why it’s important to turn the spotlight on to your participants.
You’ll also hear about her effective opening and closing protocols for her sessions, potential pitfalls and mistakes she’s learned along the way, and more.
Most of Tali’s golden nuggets can also be applied to any live training session or facilitation.
Tali Bar-Or is from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She is the Lead Facilitator for Crestcom Canada and Lead Global Facilitator for Colorado-based Crestcom International, which provides Professional Leadership and Sales training in 60+ countries and 22+ languages. Tali can be reached on LinkedIn or at TaliBarOr@Crestcom.ca.
(NOTE: This episode is a great tie-in to Episode 113: Tips for Virtual Stage and Presenting On-Line.)
Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
Toastcaster 109 Perfecting Your Pitch in the Digital Age - Terry Kozlyk
Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
Tuesday Jan 01, 2019
[25:34] In this our final episode for 2018 Greg speaks with Terry Kozlyk, an engineer and budding entrepreneur from Calgary who a few years back discovered the power of the spoken word through Toastmasters that lead him to start his own podcast, TDK Talks, which later morphed into including video which he felt was was ideal for capturing a story. New to video he quickly found himself on a charity mission to Vietnam for a special cause where he created and produced a 30-minute documentary which was aired on Shaw TV.
Moving towards entrepreneurship Terry believes that every business person should be able to perfect his or her pitch. And what better way to do it than by using video. So in this episode Terry will share a bit about his mission, enlighten you with a few tips on creating videos for yourself and your website and share with us a bit about his new venture “Perfect Your Pitch Live” based in Calgary, Alberta Canada he co-partnered to help people do just that - perfect their pitch.
Terry is also a Toastmaster and currently the PRM for District 42 (Southern Alberta / Southern Saskatchewan). He can be reached at TDKTalks.
You can find Perfect Your Pitch Live on Facebook.