In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn welcomes Nick Rinaldi, a dedicated Toastmaster whose remarkable 37-year journey is a testament to leadership, service and the power of connection.

Nick joined Toastmasters in 1989 after receiving feedback from his manager that he spoke too quickly. What began as an opportunity to improve his communication skills developed into a lifelong passion for helping others grow.

At one point, Nick held memberships in an astonishing 21 Toastmasters clubs simultaneously, a world record he proudly recalls. Today, he remains active in eight clubs across Queensland and New South Wales.

Nick's contributions extend far beyond club membership. Having served in numerous leadership positions, including District Director, he has been involved in establishing more than 160 Toastmasters clubs and has earned three Distinguished Toastmaster Awards and a Presidential Citation.

Throughout the conversation, Nick shares valuable insights into the difference between managing employees and inspiring volunteers, emphasising that effective leadership comes from encouragement, support and creating an environment where people genuinely want to contribute.

One of his greatest rewards has been facilitating Speechcraft courses, witnessing participants develop confidence and communication skills.

Nick also reflects on the challenges facing Toastmasters, the importance of adapting to change and his ambition to celebrate 50 years of membership.

His advice to anyone considering joining Toastmasters is refreshingly simple: "Just do it!"

An inspiring conversation about commitment, leadership, friendship and making a lasting difference.

In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn speaks with Monique Tonna, DTM, whose Toastmasters journey has taken her from a nervous young professional struggling to speak confidently to serving as International Director for Region 12.

Monique joined Toastmasters in 2011 after discovering that, despite knowing what she wanted to say, communicating confidently and succinctly was a challenge. What began as a desire to improve her public speaking gradually opened the door to leadership, culminating in her serving on the Toastmasters International Board and helping make strategic decisions affecting members around the world.

Monique also shares one of the most meaningful chapters of her Toastmasters journey — helping introduce a Toastmasters program within Corrective Services. What began as a Speechcraft program grew into an ongoing initiative, providing participants with opportunities to develop their communication, confidence and leadership skills. Monique shares a memorable story of one participant who initially seemed disengaged, but later returned, embraced the program and eventually became a club president and passionate advocate for Toastmasters.

Throughout the conversation, Monique reflects on patience, confidence, lifelong learning and the welcoming Toastmasters community she has experienced throughout her journey. She also discusses the importance of adapting Toastmasters to different environments and the transferable skills it provides both personally and professionally.

Her advice to anyone considering Toastmasters is refreshingly simple: just do it — walk through the door.

https://www.caseysquires.com/

casey@caseysquires.com

On Instagram and Facebook @CaseySquiresCoaching

In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn chats with former Toastmaster and speaking coach Casey Squires, whose journey has taken her from speaking in schools across Australia to studying acting in New York and ultimately building a business helping women find their voice on stage.

Casey shares how her Toastmasters journey began in New York City, where she delivered her first Icebreaker, before later joining Dee Why RSL Toastmasters on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She reflects on the confidence, structure and storytelling skills she developed through Toastmasters and how these continue to influence her work today.

Now a speaking coach, Casey helps women in business create memorable signature talks that combine personal stories, clear messaging and audience connection. Drawing on her background in coaching psychology and acting, she explains the importance of vulnerability, stage presence and helping an audience not only understand a message, but feel it.

Casey also discusses why even highly accomplished women can sometimes question whether they have something valuable to contribute and why confidence and stage presence are skills that can be developed.

The conversation then turns to Casey’s colourful return to the Toastmasters world at the Dural Toastmasters Lifeboat Debate, where she transformed into David Bowie — complete with Ziggy Stardust costume — and won Best Dressed contestant.

Casey finishes with an encouraging message for anyone considering Toastmasters: you don’t need to already be a public speaker. Sometimes simply stepping into the room, listening, learning and having a go can be the beginning of something much bigger.

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In this follow-up episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn welcomes back longtime Toastmaster Allan Rees-Bevan to discover how his community speaking venture, SpeakEasy, has grown since his first appearance on the podcast.

Launched in February, SpeakEasy is a monthly not-for-profit hybrid speaking event, bringing together speakers and audiences both in person in Sydney and online from around the world. Inspired by a similar speaking community Allan experienced in London 25 years ago, SpeakEasy gives people the freedom to share stories, experiences and ideas without the usual structure or criteria of a Toastmasters speech.

Allan reflects on the remarkable growth of the event, with attendance climbing from around 30–40 people to an impressive 118 at a recent gathering. He discusses some of the challenges behind the scenes, from finding affordable venues and managing technology to creating the right balance between online and in-person speakers.

The conversation also explores SpeakEasy’s thought-provoking monthly themes, including Celebrating Failure, Fear and Courage and Small Moments, as well as Allan’s commitment to mentoring speakers and creating opportunities for them to stretch beyond their comfort zones.

With speakers already booked months in advance, Allan shares his hopes for expanding SpeakEasy’s international reach and reveals plans for special events, including a future SpeakEasy event featuring young speakers.

It’s an inspiring conversation about community, connection, generosity and creating opportunities for people to simply find—and share—their voice.

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To Book

https://sydneyfringe.com/events/a-very-chinese-time/

A Very Chinese Time | Sydney Fringe.

• 22 - 26 Sep | 1 hour
• Venue: Erskineville Town Hall - Emerging Artist Share House - The Spare Room

Katie Yang returns to The Toastmasters Experience for a lively catch-up, just over a year after her first appearance on the podcast. To listen to the previous episode, check out Episode 48 posted in July 2025.

Katie originally joined Toastmasters in 2019 with an unusual motivation—to improve communication in her marriage. Along the way, however, she discovered something unexpected: a talent for making people laugh.

Since her last interview, Katie’s comedy journey has gathered serious momentum. What began as an experiment inspired by a Toastmasters Pathways project has developed into a genuine passion, with Katie now performing stand-up two to five times a week at venues across Sydney and beyond.

Katie shares how Toastmasters gave her two important foundations for comedy: plenty of stage time to overcome her nerves, and the opportunity to develop humorous material through the Just for Laughs Toastmasters Club. She also reflects on the realities of stand-up—the great audiences, the difficult nights, rejection, tiny crowds and the resilience required to simply keep showing up.

A major milestone in Katie’s journey is her upcoming Sydney Fringe show, A Very Chinese Time, running from 22–26 September at Erskineville Town Hall. Drawing on cultural differences, family life, marriage, migration and her experiences as a Chinese-Australian woman, Katie brings her own distinctive perspective to the comedy stage.

Looking ahead, Katie even dreams of taking her comedy into regional Australia, where she hopes humour can help bring different cultures together.

Her advice for Toastmasters considering comedy is wonderfully simple: just start. Write one joke, work on it, refine it and keep going.

Katie’s story is a wonderful reminder that sometimes an unexpected Toastmasters project can uncover a passion you never knew you had.

To book the Parramatta Toastmasters Club

60th Anniversary - Gala Dinner Meeting

19th September 2026

https://parramattatm.corsizio.com/event/6a520cad6905bd52ffd7abd6

In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn sits down with Daniel Mitchell, a Toastmaster, educator and the 2026 winner of the Dural Toastmasters Lifeboat Debate, where he took to the stage as the legendary Bob Marley.

Daniel shares how he joined Toastmasters almost three years ago after recognising that nervousness was affecting the professional development presentations he delivered to teachers. What began as a desire to become a more confident presenter quickly developed into much more. Daniel became Vice President Education only months after joining Parramatta Toastmasters, later served as Club President, and is now taking on his latest challenge as an Area Director.

The conversation then turns to Daniel’s adventures in the Dural Lifeboat Debate. After previously competing as Elvis Presley and John Lennon, Daniel discovered that deceased musicians might just be his niche! On his third attempt, he transformed himself into Bob Marley — complete with costume, mannerisms and even a little guitar — and finally claimed victory.

Daniel discusses the preparation behind his performance, handling unexpected audience questions and what the experience taught him about humour, persuasion and connecting with an audience.

Daniel also shares an exciting milestone for his home club, Parramatta Toastmasters, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary on Saturday, 19 September at Rydges Parramatta in Rosehill. One of the longer-established Toastmasters clubs, Parramatta is marking six decades of helping people develop their communication, confidence and leadership skills. Those interested in attending the celebration can find registration details through the Parramatta Toastmasters website.

Daniel also reflects on communication in an increasingly technology-driven world, using AI while maintaining an authentic voice, and the confidence, friendships and opportunities Toastmasters has brought into his life.

Jason Blyth’s Toastmasters journey is about far more than becoming a better public speaker — it is about reclaiming his voice and using it to create change.

A member of Elouera Toastmasters in Sydney for just over three years, Jason joined with a very deliberate goal: to develop the stagecraft, speechcraft and storytelling skills needed to take his message to a much wider audience. Remarkably, only around ten months into his journey, he became the 2024 District 90 International Speech Contest winner.

Jason shares a deeply personal story of childhood trauma, systemic failure and later addiction, which ultimately led him to rehab at the age of 30. It was there that he realised no hero was coming to rescue him — he would have to become that person for himself.

That philosophy now sits at the heart of his signature keynote, The Power of Choice, and his powerful metaphor of “reclaiming the pen”: recognising that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can choose who authors the next chapter of our lives.

Today, more than eight years sober, Jason is a professional speaker, coach and lived-experience advocate passionate about creating a safer world for children. His growing “Child First” mission challenges organisations and decision-makers to ask one fundamental question: Was the child put first?

Toastmasters has provided Jason with the repetition, feedback and confidence to recognise his ability as a speaker, while storytelling has become one of his most important communication tools.

For Jason, learning to communicate is ultimately about influence — connecting with people, sharing ideas and creating meaningful change. His advice to anyone considering Toastmasters is simple: do it. He believes the ability to speak well can open extraordinary doors.

To contact Jason click on link https://jasonblyth.com/

In this episode of The Toastmasters Experience, Evelyn sits down with Anu Vijayan, a member of Parramatta Toastmasters for 11 years and the recent District 90 winner of both the Humorous and International Speech Contests.

Anu shares how joining Toastmasters after moving to Australia helped her find her “flock,” build friendships and develop confidence in a new country. What began with a chance encounter with a Toastmasters poster at her local library eventually became an extraordinary journey in communication, leadership and competition.

A passionate competitor, Anu explains why repeatedly refining the same contest speech can accelerate growth as a speaker. Her “secret sauce” is surprisingly simple: repetition — practising until the speech becomes second nature, while still remaining completely present with the audience.

Although Anu finished first runner-up at the regional level of the International Speech Contest, another exciting opportunity awaited. She was selected to present on Speechcraft at the Toastmasters International Convention in Vancouver, drawing upon Parramatta Toastmasters’ extensive experience running Speechcraft programs.

Anu also shares practical insights into managing nerves, preparing facial expressions, staying authentic when using AI, and communicating complex ideas clearly and succinctly.

Beyond Toastmasters, she is exploring stand-up comedy and has launched Influence Science, helping scientists, researchers and technical experts transform complex information into engaging, memorable messages.

Above all, Anu’s story demonstrates how Toastmasters can open doors, create friendships around the world and lead to opportunities you may never have imagined.

Contact Anu via Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuvijayan/