07/18/2026
Toastmaster of the Month: Josh — Growing Through Practice and Persistence
For Josh, Toastmasters was an idea that started years before he ever joined. Early in his career, he began researching Toastmasters as a way to improve his public speaking skills, but it wasn’t until later that he decided to take the next step.
Now approaching two years as a Toastmaster, Josh joined Greater Gadsden Speakers after taking on a new role with a new organization and realizing he needed to strengthen his communication skills.
“I needed to elevate my game in terms of public speaking and needed a forum to do it in,” Josh shared.
Remembering Toastmasters from his earlier research, he found Greater Gadsden Speakers, a club that was open to new members. After attending one meeting, he immediately decided to join. He began his Pathways journey with his Ice Breaker speech and has continued building his skills ever since.
Like many speakers, Josh discovered that confidence comes through practice. One of his biggest challenges was feeling like he needed to memorize his entire speech.
“I found that referring to my notes during a speech is fine as long as I’m not reading,” he explained. “It’s good to memorize sections so you can step away from the podium and move about, but you don’t have to memorize the entire thing.”
Through Toastmasters, Josh has learned to slow down, embrace pauses, and avoid panicking when things don’t go exactly as planned. He has also worked on speech writing, connecting the beginning and ending of a speech, and reducing filler words, repeated phrases, and grammatical mistakes.
“Practice is the best cure,” he said.
When asked about the moment he realized he had grown as a speaker, Josh’s answer was simple: “When I stopped getting nervous about going to Toastmasters!”
For Josh, one accomplishment he is especially proud of is successfully delivering the speeches he has given through the program. Each speech has been another opportunity to learn, improve, and become more comfortable in front of an audience.
His journey has also included valuable lessons outside of Toastmasters. Josh once owned a business that ultimately did not work out after two years of ownership. Although it was a difficult experience, it taught him important lessons about life, business, and overcoming challenges.
Today, Josh continues to be motivated by his family and is focused on finding more opportunities to speak — at Toastmasters, work, and church.
Toastmasters has helped him become more aware of the small things that can make a big difference when communicating: repeating words, using “um,” speaking loudly enough, using gestures, and moving with confidence.
When it comes to handling nerves, Josh believes in taking a practical approach.
“Breathing and also coming to the realization that the audience can’t kill you, take your job, or anything bad at all,” he said. “Most people won’t even remember what you say, but more so how you say it.”
He recognizes that feeling comfortable in front of others is easier said than done, but believes that confidence grows with experience.
His advice for new members is simple: “It gets easier with time. You came for a reason, and give it at least a year and things will get better and easier.”
Through patience, practice, and persistence, Josh continues his Toastmasters journey — growing as a speaker, leader, and communicator one speech at a time.
