Goal Achievers Toastmasters

Goal Achievers Toastmasters A great place to develop or hone your public speaking and leadership skills. Visit any Monday evening Visit us to enjoy our fun and supportive atmosphere!

Goal Achievers Toastmasters meets every Monday 7:00 - 8:15 PM, in a “virtual” mode via Zoom. Email our Marilyn, VP Membership, to get the Zoom meeting link:
[email protected]

We’re always excited to have guests and we love new members. Then, join us! You will develop valuable communication and leadership skills. Company Overview
Toastmasters International is a non-profit organizatio

n which empowers its members as they develop and improve their public speaking and leadership skills. Members participate in local club meetings, training seminars and speech contests. Toastmasters International includes more than 280,000 men and women in more than 13,500 clubs in 116 countries. Each week, Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million people of every ethnicity, education level and profession increase their ability to communicate effectively and gain the confidence necessary to lead others. Description
Professionals and individuals with no prior public speaking experience will benefit from joining a Toastmasters club. The Toastmasters program is self-paced and empowers you to reach personal goals. You will develop skills and build self-confidence in a friendly, safe and supportive atmosphere with people who are there for the same reason you are: "to improve their ability to communicate effectively." General Information
A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 people who meet once a week for 1-2 hours. Toastmasters International provides proven resources and supports the growth of individual community clubs. Each club is uniquely designed to support its members by developing skills in speaking, active listening, constructive feedback and effective leadership. Be our guest on Monday evenings from 7:15 - 8:15 PM, 1545 Pleasant Hill Rd., Lafayette. Find out what Toastmasters can do for you!!

09/01/2026

Tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting featured the specialty agenda Speak-a-Thon. Our theme was “The Financial Report,” and there were two choices for the Word of the Day: Debit or Credit.

We had five speeches:

❶ The Financial Digest

William went through two saving scenarios and showed that investing early takes advantage of the stunning time value of money.

❷ Elim Chan - Make it Chan Francisco

Eric delivered a passionate report on the new director for the San Francisco Symphony, Elim Chan. What made the speech so special was his description of an electrifying night at the symphony: the music was spectacular and ended with a heartfelt exchange between Elim Chan and the audience.

https://www.sfsymphony.org/

❸ Tony – the Movie

Jim shared the movie “Tony,” which he has already seen twice. Without giving too much of the movie away, he recommended the movie but also suggested watching the trailer before making your decision to see it.

❹ TraceLabs: Crowdsource OSINT to help find missing people.

Justin explained the difficulty of finding missing persons, and a new approach that might help investigators find missing persons more quickly. An empathetic and sensitive approach to a very serious problem. OSINT stands for Open-Source Intelligence,

❺ A New Strategy to Grow Toastmasters on Substack

Mike gave a summary of how to use Substack to promote Toastmasters—by paying attention to both the positive side of AI (providing a lot of information very quickly) and the negative side, in which criminals are using the power of AI to cause serious problems.

BTW, because this was a Speak-a-thon, there wasn’t a Table Topics session (not enough time with five speakers and five evaluators!)

Next week, we aren’t meeting in honor of Labor Day. We’re back to the regular Toastmasters International meeting agenda the week after. Hope to see you there!

Tonight was one of Goal Achievers’ specialty meetings: a Travel Extravaganza Meeting! Tonight’s theme was “Summer Destin...
08/18/2026

Tonight was one of Goal Achievers’ specialty meetings: a Travel Extravaganza Meeting!
Tonight’s theme was “Summer Destinations!” and the Word of the Day was:

"Pura Vida": Pure Life is a literal translation.

We had two speeches:

❶ The Wilderness of Costa Rica

Eric gave a great overview of his recent trip to Costa Rica, using beautiful photos of diverse wildlife, the bustling capital, and the world-famous rainforest. Eric also shared with us cultural aspects of the country, the national dedication to biodiversity & eco-tourism, and the wonderful expression, Pura Vida.

Interesting factoids:

 The name “la costa rica,” means "rich coast" in the Spanish language
 Massive Biodiversity: It contains over 5% of the world's plant and animal species, whereas only 0.03% of Earth’s land surface
 Clean Energy: More than 98% of Costa Rica's electricity comes from green, renewable sources.

❷ Adventures in Kauai

William gave a wonderful travelogue for Kauai, beginning with a nice description of the island, its location, and how it differs from the other islands (the rainiest place in the world). The stunning photographs of some of the best places and the results of hikes through the landscape to beautiful waterfalls. His closing dubbed Kauai as the “must-visit” island of the Hawaiian chain!
The final photo was a gorgeous sunset.

Table Topics was run by Marilyn, whose questions allowed us to hear about traveling between courts for jury duty; delving deeper into cultures, rituals, food; leaving one’s comfort zone (& surviving!); the value of patience; having encounters that are the opposite of normal reputations; and the joys of getting around without modern GPS!

Next week, we’ll be back with a regular Toastmasters International meeting. Hope to see you there!

Attached photo is of a toucan feasting on fruit in Costa Rica (© 2026 by photographer Eric; All rights reserved).

08/11/2026

The theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “Financial Management” and the Word of the Day was:

Fiscal (def. Of relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt.

We had two speeches:

❶ The Bites of Passage: Lessons Learned from the Buzz

Thanh regaled us with a recent trip down the East Coast of the US and how he planned against the dreaded mosquitoes. Even with multiple levels of highly scientific protections, the skeeters in Florida ignored all protocol and, without a fear in the world, feasted on the walking human buffet.

❷ My Vocation

Jim shared a poetic prayer by John Henry Newman (1801-1890), an Englishman first of the Anglican faith, then of Catholicism.

Table Topics was run by Eric, with a broad range of questions. Through the answers, we learned about what are some of the most important ways to spend time, the fiscal impact of pets & plants, things we buy but do not need, and perhaps the most interesting one:

Instead of earnings, if taxes were assessed on annoying habits, what would be at the top of the list? Negativity!

Next week will be a themed meeting: Travel a la carte.

A lot can happen with travel, right? Even if over a broad spectrum of possible outcomes. Please join us next week!

08/04/2026

The theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “I will . . . while in a typhoon” and the Word of the Day was: HOT!

Confused? Yeah, sometimes life gets that way. The theme relates to what anybody might focus on while way too busy with so many other things going on. The Word of the Day relates to the current temperature in our part of the world!

We had three speeches, all of them either last minute or spur of the moment:

❶ “I will . . . while in a typhoon”

Bill explained the intent of this strange theme and speech title, then shared the one thing, with multiple steps, he will do for the speaking part of his life. Basically, making sure all the many new meeting agendas that Goal Achievers are using are fully functional, well understood, and how even a novice Toastmaster of the Evening would be comfortable running them.

❷ Racing the Typhoon

Anna shared a recent experience of taking a baby out for a bicycle ride well in advance of a typhoon, during which the typhoon unexpectedly arrived ahead of schedule. After hopscotching through various stores and breaks in the wind & rain, they arrived safely back home.

❸ Spiderman

Our guest, Mary, had an interesting take on the just-released Spiderman movie. Couldn’t the lead character be a bit more lovable with the spider-thing?

Table Topics was run by Marilyn, with thought-provoking questions and famous quotes—which prompted speeches full of how busy people use apps, classes, and approaches to get things done in a chaotic world. For example:

“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman

https://www.oliverburkeman.com/fourthousandweeks

Next week will be a regular meeting. Regular is fine, right?

Hope to see you there.

07/21/2026

The theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “Social Connections” and the Word of the Day was: Anthropology:

: the science of human beings
especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture

We had five social speeches (that is, shorter ones 3-4 minutes):

❶ Wicklander-Zulawski Method for Investigative Interviewing - Developing Empathy and Rapport

Justin continued his briefing on this technique that focuses on making people who have done unfortunate things comfortable, feeling at home, including establishing credibility with the person on the way to the “why,” using empathy stories that resonate with the person.

❷ Wicklander-Zulawski Method for Investigative Interviewing - Test for Acceptance

Justin gave the dramatic conclusion on the WZ Method.

❸ Wines of Portugal

William continued his Portugal-themed speeches tonight, this time on the topic of Port wines. The history and process and the sensory capabilities of humans were fascinating, but the props of the different types of wines took the prize!

❹ Beyond The Clouds

Anna shared, with amazing imagery, a way to view and understand and come to peace with losing someone or something very personal. Imagine the threatening nature of a thunderstorm when you are on the ground, and then the view once you are through and above those clouds: a peaceful blanket of white.

❺ My Experience with Loss Prevention

Karrie briefed us on an incident involving a charismatic, totally convincing con artist: how it unfolded, what turns and twists happened, and how companies and people can be alert to clues that things are not what they seem and how to protect themselves.

The speeches were followed by slightly shorter (2-minute) evaluations for each. Not only did the audience get treated to a broad range of topics, each speaker also received a Toastmasters evaluation! It was a wonderful evening.

Next week will be one of the regular Toastmasters International agendas: that means prepared speeches, Table Topics, and evaluations. Hope to see you there!

In honor of the stunning World Cup 2026, the theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “Offsides & Double Touch” an...
07/14/2026

In honor of the stunning World Cup 2026, the theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “Offsides & Double Touch” and the Word of the Day was:

PRESCIENCE (pronounced /ˈpriʃiəns/).
It means having the foresight to know or sense something before it actually happens.

Our theme was "Offsides and Double Touch." In soccer, a player needs prescience to read the field and avoid these mistakes before they happen. In everyday life, it is that sharp intuition or vision that helps you plan your next big move before anyone else sees it coming.

We had two speeches on separate pertinent and important topics:

❶ Making the Save: Answering the Emergency Call for Blood Donations

Mindy gave an overview of the world of blood donations and the Red Cross. She opened with “Every 2 seconds someone needs blood” and followed up with what blood is—what it consists of and how each of the components works. This is important because blood can’t be manufactured. Thus, blood must be collected via the donation process, and each component is processed to allow the maximum amount of time to be used.
She gave an overview of the process of donating blood. Even better, she will be giving a Part Two to cover even more of this vital work.

❷ Wicklander-Zulawski Non-Confrontational Interview Method

Justin gave an overview of this interview technique of people during criminal investigations. He provided the background, examples, and several do’s-and-don’ts.” The main ingredient is to be empathetic and nonjudgmental. Doing so allows the interviewee to more readily open up and provide details, including the all-important “why.” Think of: “People don’t do bad things. Good people make bad decisions.”

Table Topics was run by Justin, whose questions prompted answers that clarified,
 Which sports best reflect one’s personality,
 Whether winning is more important than playing well (and why),
 Which is the most difficult sport to master (and why)

Next week will be another Goal Achievers’ specialty meeting: SOCIAL SPEECHES.*

Please join us. It will certainly be interesting.

https://goalachievers.toastmastersclubs.org/

* This unique meeting agenda focuses on shorter speeches, such as those that might be useful in social situations. Such speeches include toasts, graduation congratulations, or recognitions and awards. However, any topic fits. The common attribute is that the speeches are shorter (say 3-4 minutes). These meetings have 6 speakers and 6 evaluators, so they are fast-paced and cover a lot of ground.
They also come in pairs. That is, SOCIAL SPEECHES meetings will be scheduled twice a few weeks apart. This allows speakers to receive Pathways credit—since they are shorter speeches, two are needed to apply for Pathway completion.

In honor of the Fourth of July holiday, the Goal Achievers Toastmasters International Club (meetings held via Zoom) will...
07/06/2026

In honor of the Fourth of July holiday, the Goal Achievers Toastmasters International Club (meetings held via Zoom) will not be meeting tonight (Monday, July 6th).

However, we will be back to our regular Monday schedule (7 -8:15 pm; Pacific Daylight Time) next week, July 13th. The theme for our first meeting of the new 2026-2027 Fiscal Toastmasters International Year is:

Off Sides & Double Touch

Quite relevant, wouldn’t you say? Or, to paraphrase Yoda,

“Score. Or score not. There is no try.”

Actually, for anyone watching the World Cup, there is an enormous amount of trying going on! Much of it is quite impressive, especially from the goalkeepers!

Hope to see you next Monday.

If you would like to attend, please contact us at:

https://goalachievers.toastmastersclubs.org/

This coming Monday, June 22, 2026, Goal Achievers Toastmasters International will be having a Table Topics-a-thon meetin...
06/16/2026

This coming Monday, June 22, 2026, Goal Achievers Toastmasters International will be having a Table Topics-a-thon meeting. That’s right, one whole meeting devoted to short, impromptu speaking. The theme is:

Beyond ABC: Exploring the Many Ways We Communicate

When we think of communication, we often think of speaking and writing. But humans have always found creative ways to share ideas—through symbols, pictures, gestures, stories, alphabets, characters, glyphs, signs, and even emojis.

On Monday June 22nd, we’ll take a journey through some of the many ways people have communicated across cultures, across distances, and across time. Along the way, we may encounter ancient scripts, mysterious symbols, favorite letters, curious characters, and perhaps even invent a few of our own.

Whether you would like to answer a question or simply join the conversation, feel free to join us and bring:

• a favorite letter, character, or symbol
• an unusual alphabet or writing system
• a fascinating language fact
• a mysterious script from the past
• a memorable communication experience
• or simply a question you’ve always wondered about

No expertise required—just curiosity.

We look forward to exploring with you the many ways humans make thoughts travel from one mind to another. Please join us next Monday—we’re a virtual club on Zoom and start at 7 pm PDT.

Attached is a flyer on how to contact us for access information, or click here:

https://goalachievers.toastmastersclubs.org/

Hope to see you there!

Globally pertinent, the theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “The World Cup & Global Culture.” The Word of the...
06/16/2026

Globally pertinent, the theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “The World Cup & Global Culture.” The Word of the Day was: Pitch.

Any variation of the word “pitch” could be, and was, used: the pitch controlled by the center referee in a soccer match, or a marketing proposal, the angle of the deck of a sailing vessel, your voice when you’re excited, throwing something, or sealing a seam between two planks. Even using a pitcher during a hydration break or, from that competitor sport, the player standing on the mound in the center of the infield.

Everybody was probably watching futbol, because when the meeting started, we didn’t have any speakers. No matter, we had volunteers who delivered wonderful speeches:

❶ 7 Calendars

Anna shared a new collection of hers: calendars. Calendars not only keep you on track with your very busy schedule, they can also help you with learning new things, show you beautiful places and animals around the world, highlight famous people, inspire you with wise words, and so many other uses.

❷ World Cup 1988

Gilberto shared his favorite World Cup (so far, of course). As the title says, it was the World Cup of 1988. As a young boy, he was entranced with all the pageantry, the games, the players, and the marvelous skills they showed while playing (on the pitch). He remembers other World Cups, but for sheer excitement and amazement, the 1988 one was the best.

Table Topics was run by Karrie and she had a soccer (or is that futbol?) question for everyone. We learned:

 what it means to have 148 countries playing one sport
 some of us didn’t grow up in sports-minded families
 the competitiveness of the US women’s soccer team
 the level of national disappointment when your team doesn’t qualify
 Where’s Waldo?
 why it took soccer so long to catch on in the USA.

Next week will be one of our specialty meetings:

A Table Topics-a-thon.

That’s right, a whole meeting dedicated to Toastmasters International’s signature impromptu speeches. Please join us to find out what the theme will be and what people have to say about it.

We meet via Zoom on Mondays from 7 pm Pacific Time. Please contact us for access information:

https://goalachievers.toastmastersclubs.org/

Attached is a photo of several types of calendars!

Next week, we’ll be back to the regular Toastmasters agenda. It might not be as unique and entertaining as a Backward me...
06/09/2026

Next week, we’ll be back to the regular Toastmasters agenda. It might not be as unique and entertaining as a Backward meeting, but it will still be quality speaking time! We hope to see you there.

Table Topics was run by Mindy and it was a mind-bending session. She thanked each volunteer for the speech . . . and then simply waited. Relatively quickly, each person realized they had to start speaking—about anything, their choice! Two minutes later, after the speaker said “Thank you for such an interesting question,” she asked them a question that covered whatever they spoken about in their Table Topics speech.

Jim gave a nice summary of the recent awards meeting and dinner, recognizing outstanding collegiate athletes. His speech included a detailed description of each course of the dinner (including tater tots with cheese), which left all of us quite hungry since we are a club that meets at night. Oh, and Jim is a relative of one of the winners.

❷ Awards Night: Collegiate Water Polo

Marilyn spoke about the ideal qualities of a mentor and a mentee. An experienced Toastmaster, she has participated as a mentor with a number of Goal Achievers members. Mentoring can be very rewarding for both parties in the relationship, and she shared what is involved, how it works, and some practical, useful tips.

❶ Do You Want to be a Mentor?

We had two wonderful speeches.

Retrograde: Moving backward or reverting to an earlier state.

Our complementary Word of the Day was:

The theme for tonight’s Goal Achievers meeting was “Unfinished Business.”

Address

Meeting Via Zoom At This Time
Lafayette, CA
94549

Opening Hours

Monday 7pm - 8:15pm

Telephone

+19255972046

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