Toastcaster Communication Leadership Learning Lab Greg Gazin

[08:35] April Fools’ Day – April 1st, is an extension of a centuries-old tradition to entertain and trick, – or is it? In today's episode we unravel this annual enigma that today we call April Fools’ Day.
This is the audio from the article  published at Troy Media & Gadgetgreg.Com. The text, while not exactly a transcript is below:
Here's the Article:
In the modern era, we find ourselves ever vigilant on April 1st, wary of pranks, hoaxes, and fake news. Yet, these antics have roots that delve deep into the past, to a time when court jesters were commonplace and laughter was the order of the day.
Long before the advent of television, movies, or the Internet, jesters, jokers, and fools roamed the land, captivating audiences with their quick wit and comedic talents. Originating in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, these entertainers often began their careers as nomads – performers, traveling from town to town, accompanied by minstrels, and regaling crowds at fairs and markets with their humorous tales.
However, it was those jesters who found favor in the courts of monarchs and noblemen who truly rose to prominence. These quick-witted individuals became valued members of the household staff, their jests serving as a welcome reprieve from the rigors of royal life.
But competition was fierce, the court jester being the career pinnacle for a talented few. Successful candidates could rise above the simple nomadic existence, entertaining peasants living in poverty surrounded by disease and filth. Their new life would be to entertain a captive audience, and enjoy stability, shelter and more to eat in one meal than others had in a week.
No doubt, everyone wanted the top job, but the supply of fools always exceeded the demand. There were no employment agencies and Monster.com was still almost 5 centuries away.
To get the attention of potential employers, jesters would take any opportunity to perform in front of the wealthy – not unlike what the paparazzi do to celebrities today.
Except you can’t behead a paparazzo, as King Henry VIII did to one fool on New Year’s Eve 1544 outside the Palace of Whitehall in London. In fact, in that era, beheadings were as common as weddings and banquets. Despite being warned, this fool pushed the monarch too far.
That night, as Henry’s temper flared, even the king’s personal jester, Will Sommers, couldn’t amuse the angry monarch. According to Sommers’ diary and stories passed down over the centuries, the ongoing commotion and Henry’s drunken rants marred the evening, with the king threatening to cast away the ships of fools and behead each and every one of the jesters.
Sommers had been serving the king for years and had become his friend, confidante and earning his trust.
Legend has it that when asked why, in all that time he didn’t fear the king’s wrath, Sommers replied, “Why should I fear a man who couldn’t keep a wife?”
At the risk of his job, and perhaps his life, he tried to convince the king that serial execution of fools wasn’t in his majesty’s best interest. Perhaps Sommers made the appeal for selfish reasons, coming from a family of fools. He attempted to convince the king that he needed to laugh, that all people need to laugh in tough times. Henry had just buried yet another wife, Catherine of Aragon, so his temperament was certainly suspect.
Failing to make an impression, Sommers eloquently reminded the king of their first meeting and how he had made a life-changing impression on his majesty. His words struck a chord with Henry, eliciting a rare smile from the monarch.
With the Kings fiery temper subsiding, for now, Sommers confessed he had concerns about his own longevity. Sensing an opportunity to diffuse the tension, instead of waiting for his demise – natural cause or otherwise, Sommers proposed a novel solution—a grand audition, if the king so wished. This could uncover fresh talent for the court, sparing his fellow jesters from further re

[11:46] In this episode we change up the conversation and speak on Tech Leadership – kicking it off talking about safety. Of course, when we think of safety, the idea of personal or property typically come to mind, but not data safety – particularly with respect to USB Flash Drives, a.k.a USB sticks or Thumb drives  


The solution?


U.K.-based iStorage Ltd  seems to have come up with a solid solution. You’ll be introduced to the datAshur PRO+C, a literally indestructible and secure USB thumb drive with encryption and PIN protection that can protect our data from hackers, prying eyes and accidental destruction. You’ll get some technical details, but also how it might fit into your personal or professional life, give you peace of mind and keep your data secure.
Find out more at iStorage https://istorage-uk.com/product/datashur-proc/



There will be a forthcoming article to be published at Troy Media, Active-Life Magazine and at Gadgetguy.Ca. The link will be posted here when it’s available.

[21:02] Video Bios are a great way to supplement your CV or Resume and an effective way to help show people who you are and what you do.In this episode we speak with Heather Flanagan who recently created her first Video Bio. Heather is one of those individuals that unless you are familiar with her industry, you may not truly understand what she does - but her Video Bio helps demystify that.
Heather shares with us how she came out of her comfort zone and why she decided to create a Video Bio; what she learned about the process and about herself along the way.
She also gives us tips and advice on creating a Video Bio and even how she used ChatGPT as part of her process.
We also review her first video - with a Toastmasters style evaluation and go over what she really did well and how perhaps she can add more value and more punch to improve her next one
Heather Flanagan is the Principal and Owner of Spherical Cow Consulting, a firm that helps organizations build a trusted and collaborative Internet. She is also the founder of The Writer's Comfort Zone, a community for people passionate about supporting each other as writers. 
Heather's passions and expertise lie within: Digital Identity, Identity Standards Development and Multi-Stakeholder Collaborations.
 I had the honour of of being a guest along with Heather on Oscar Santolalla on Time to Shine #196 where we had a wonderful fireside chat on How to Give a Tech Talk successfully.
Heather lives near Seattle, WA and can be reached via LinkedIn or her blog, Spherical Cow Consulting.
TC179: How Video Bios Supercharge your Personal Brand & CV – Heather Flanagan 
 

 
[36:11] In this fun and entertaining episode, Greg speaks with first-time novelist Jock Mackenzie who shares some of his adventures and misadventures in creating, writing, publishing and then promoting his newly published crime-novel, Dealing with Dymans.
Jock shares stories and offers some insights on how the novel came to be, including the creating and naming his characters. We hear how he leveraged resources with writing groups, experiences with editors, looking for publishers and how he went about finding places to promote and sell his book beyond places like Amazon.
And of course, as a former teacher Jock wares his heart on his sleeve with some of what he had gone through and deals out tips and advice for those who might be thinking of writing a novel, but may have this fear of starting or plagued with writer's block.
Jock also introduces us to the Scattergram (see below), a pencil  and paper picture outline method he uses to organize his thoughts and prepared himself for this interview.
Jock Mackenzie is a former teacher and administrator with the Red Deer Public School Board in Alberta Canada for 31 years.  A long-time Toastmaster, Jock has enjoyed speaking at teacher conferences across Canada as well as emceeing a variety of events. 
He's also the author of a teacher reference book on essays, Essay Writing: Teaching the Basics from the Ground Up (2007), numerous magazine articles. 
More recently, Jock has self-published a crime drama, Dealing with Dymans, about a shyster jeweler who switches out real gems for fake ones. Ex-RCMP officer, Jack Schmidt, finds out and the fun begins. And you don’t know Jack Schmidt until you’ve read it. You can get it directly from Jock and find it on Amazon.
Jock also appears on  Episode 104 - 3I-Racer Technique for More Engaging Storytelling.
Jock Mackenzie can be reached by e-mail  mackenzie.jock AT gmail.com and on his blog, Teacher Man, Teacher Ms.

 

 

[26:57] Yoga is something in the past this podcast host (Greg Gazin) would have never considered. The way it’s portrayed, it conjures up images of slim fit women who contort themselves into pretzels. But now I truly think different. I realize that Yoga is really for everybody. In fact I now practice it weekly and it’s been transformational in terms of my well being.
In today's episode we speak with Sharon McMullan-Baron, a yoga instructor but also a cancer survivor who I met through Wellspring Alberta.  
Sharon's motto is: Remember to Live Simply, Speak Kindly, Care Deeply and Love Generously - and in this light-hearted episode, Sharon generously shares a little about her inspiring journey, how she discovered Yoga, what it has done for her and what it can do for you so you can take leadership of your mind, body and soul - regardless of age, gender or physical condition.
Sharon dispels some of the myths about Yoga - how easy it is for anyone to do and how it's more than just a series of body movements.
We learn about Wellspring - a no-cost, donor-funded, registered charity, community-based non-medical centre of support for cancer. Wellspring Alberta in Edmonton is where Sharon delivers her classes and has been instrumental in bringing her Yoga Thrive for cancer patients program to help them and their caregivers through challenging times.
You'll also hear about how you can get started practising Yoga. Sharon shares resources - books, videos, names of people she admires in the Yoga world so you can check them out. .
We also get a little hands-on Yoga practise you can do in real time while you are listening to the episode.
 
Resources mentioned:
Wellspring Alberta and Wellspring (National)
Book: Meditations from the Mat - Daily reflections on the Path of Yoga - Rolfgates and Katrina Kenison.
Companion book : Meditations on Intention and Being - daily reflectionson the path of Yoga, Mindfulness and Compassion by Rolf Gates Yoga teachers:Peggy Cappy - PBS programs for USA listeners, videos and booksSusi Hately - Co-creator of Yoga Thrive - the hatha and restorative yogaprogram for those touched by cancer. Her website Functional Synergy hasmany resources.
Yoga sutras by Patanjali.
About Sharon
Sharon McMullan-Baron has been teaching Yoga since 2009 focussing in the areas of Restorative Yoga and Hatha Yoga. Her certifications include Hatha Yoga, Yoga for the Low Back, Yoga Thrive for Cancer Patients, Healthy Breast, Tru North (a prostate cancer programme) Relax and Renew and more. 
A cancer survivor herself, diagnosed in 2006, Sharon was instrumental in bringing, Yoga Thrive for cancer patients to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton in 2010 and to Wellspring Edmonton when it opened its doors 
Sharon strives to keep a balanced approach to every day. 
When she’s not on her mat, her survivorship includes a dedication to family and friends, extensive volunteer work, athletic, artistic and creative pursuits which may include wordsmithing poems and stories or playing with fabrics, creating quilts and other textile treasures. You can catch her on the bicycle or XC  ski trails, or out with her dog, if you can!
Sharon lives in Edmonton, Alberta Canada and can be reached via email or via LinkedIn.
 

[35:25] In this episode speak with Matt Abrahams—a return guest and a name synonymous with spontaneous speaking - about mastering the art of speaking on the fly.
This is a special cross-over companion podcast to The Toastmasters Podcast with Greg Gazin & Ryan Levesque #235: Think Faster, Talk Smarter in the Moment with guest Matt Abrahams.
We're also thrilled to have Ryan Levesque also co-hosting today's episode.
Today's episode
Today we dive a little deeper into the concepts in Matt's book. He starts off by sharing what it's about and how you can use it.
Matt explains why there’s no right or wrong way to communicate–only better and worse ways. He demystifies a cognitive psychology concept of heuristics and explains their importance. 
Matt suggests a helpful reframing of speaking opportunities as “Conversations, Not Performances.”
He touches upon how improv has shaped his approach to communication and introduces us to the playfully-named “F-Word of Public Speaking.” 
Matt offers additional examples of structures you can use to master your Q&A session, gives an easy-to-use format for apologizing successfully, and more. Sorry about that! :)
Matt Abrahams is a Lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He’s the author of two books, Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, and his brand new book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot, and the host of Think Fast, Talk Smart: The Podcast. 
You can reach Matt and get his book at MattAbrahams.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn.
Resources from Matt Abrahams at FasterSmarter.io.
TC176: Think Faster, Talk Smarter—A Deeper Dive – Matt Abrahams