Send us a text

In this episode Kathy Berner describes her path from tentative guest to club builder, explore how welcoming habits create durable communities, and discuss why in-person energy still trains the best speakers. Vulnerability, humor, and small nudges become the tools that fuel the transformative power of public speaking.

• early Apex culture of warmth and mentoring
• table topics anxiety, hacks, and exposure therapy
• founding Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters: early meeting venues, spotty attendance, persistence
• growth via hospitality, diversity through welcomeness
• Compelling Speaking includes authenticity over polish; humor for cognitive resets
• multiple icebreakers as layered self-knowledge
• hybrid vs in-person and the “energy leak”
• mentoring beyond Pathways; work presentations and life impact
• retention through texts, invitations, and shared setup
• discipline, ownership, and scheduling reps

Apex Toastmasters is a President's distinguished club founded in 1996 and located in Apex, North Carolina, USA.

We meet every Thursday night at 7:00 pm at the Apex Baptist Church and online. See club website for details.

Apex Toastmasters Club Website: https://www.apextoastmasters.org/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=apex%20toastmasters

Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters meets Monday nights at 7:00 pm at Ransdell Fellowship Hall building: 309 N. Ennis Street, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Fuquay-Varina Toastmasters Club Website: https://fuquayvarina.toastmastersclubs.org/

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