Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You're tuned into the all new freedom 106.5. 106.5.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Good morning to Ms. Alexis. She's joining us on Zoom.
And guys, good morning. Welcome to Freedom.
[00:00:13] Speaker C: Thank you. Good morning.
[00:00:15] Speaker A: Great morning to you.
[00:00:16] Speaker B: Well, I was wondering if you're free to come and say good morning.
Good morning, Alexis. This is your first time on radio?
[00:00:22] Speaker A: No, I'm. I was saying ladies first.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Oh, ladies first. Ladies first. Ladies first.
All right. So with that being said this morning, guys, we have a very important.
Is it a competition that's unfolding where it talks about public speaking, communication and all these things, and you guys are here to share some insight on it. Could we start off with you?
Introduce yourself and tell us the position that we are in this morning.
[00:00:48] Speaker C: Thank you very much. And it's really a pleasure, Devi, if I'm allowed to call you.
[00:00:52] Speaker B: Of course you can.
[00:00:54] Speaker C: It's really a pleasure to be here this morning after listening to you. And I'm actually on 106.5 Freedom.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: Welcome.
[00:01:01] Speaker C: I'm Deanne Charles. I am the club secretary of Dynamic Speakers Toastmasters. Club Toastmasters, where leaders are made. And it's just great to be hearing about leadership in these days. In this season, we are excited as well, because we are on the verge both Mokeisha Alexis, she's our international speech contestant. And I am going to be the table topics and the evaluation and just to give a little background as to what that means.
Yes, you mentioned. You're correct. It's about public speaking, but public speaking is about leadership as well. And there are areas in public speaking where, apart from you having a prepared speech, as Mokeisha will be speaking to in a while, where she has that opportunity to prepare a speech. My competitions are based on a question.
I don't have any idea that's coming and I have to speak on it. Perfect example is the question you just threw out about Dr. Rowley and the politicians.
And I only have two minutes in which to answer that question without using, ah, you know, so crutch words that we tend to deal with or long pauses, because I only have two minutes. Toastmasters teaches you not just the skills of public speaking, but. But how to do it. But you have to do it learning by doing. The evaluation contest is now you hear a speech as Mukeisha will be speaking on, and I have to evaluate her in three minutes when we are praising persons. Most of your speakers on Radio Devi, when they come to talk about the ketchup and the mustard, they just rattle on. There is no opening body conclusion. There is no sandwich effect. When you are evaluating someone, you're supposed to say a little thing, something good, put a little bit of the little mustard and ketchup in the middle and then you come back with something good. But I think a lot of us, we need, when we get into radio and we speak in like this, we need to know how are we evaluating a situation. And that's an overview. Apart from that, we also have sessions and our general meetings where we teach. We have persons with role players who speak, look out for words when we are speaking in the meeting, the ahs and the ums, et cetera. We also have our executive and we are quite happy to have our president here with us to lend support, who has really been great in trying to get, get us all piped up and ready for Jamaica in less than four weeks time. And as an overview, I would now,
[00:03:44] Speaker B: well, I want to say you really listen to freedom with that mustard and ketchup. You're inside. You're inside. I mean, I love the idea of the Toastmasters and it really speaks to what we do here on a daily basis. Many times we come to work, we in radio, we like to use a terminology known as wing it. All right? We appear to be winging the topics or winging the conversation. But from my perspective and where I sit on the Rumble, I the job never finishes. I always have to be reading, being as best as I can, updated with current affairs. Sometimes I have to go back, but I depend on a host of individuals to help me. I don't do it by myself. I'll be very honest. It is not a one man show. All right? I have listeners who are now friends. They tap in with me and they would send, they would talk to me. Divya, you're aware of this. Then I have to go and fact find and read. And so it goes with my producer as well. Ms. Alexis, good morning to you and welcome to the Morning Rumble.
[00:04:36] Speaker D: Good morning to you.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Are you all hearing her?
[00:04:40] Speaker C: Perfect.
[00:04:40] Speaker B: All right. So unlike Diane, who has to be quick on it, you have a prepared speech for me this morning,
[00:04:49] Speaker D: a prepared speech that wasn't prepared.
[00:04:52] Speaker B: Tell us a little bit about your part of the competition, your thoughts, I mean, what you would have learned and derived from Toastmasters. Let's talk a little bit about you and your part with the prepared, the preparedness.
[00:05:04] Speaker D: Thank you very much for that, for this opportunity to share.
I'll begin by saying I have always been interested in public speaking. I always loved the public speaking, wanted to be A public speaker. I'm looking at individuals like Les Brown on the tv, their motivational messages, and of course I want to be able to move and transform an audience just like they did as they do it.
However, I was terrified.
Whenever I was called upon to speak, my hands would begin to shake, my heart would begin to race. And I am telling you some most the times I would feel like, oh, my goodness, why are you here? What have you gotten yourself into? Mikisha. Most times I would have asked myself that question.
However, coming out of my desire to speak, I decided to join the Toastmasters Club. And I can tell you that by being an active member, it has definitely transformed my life. Because I'm no longer fearful of speaking, I can say that I am more a confident version of myself.
You asked me to share a bit with you as it pertains to prepared speeches. Yes. I am the prepared speaker representing Division F in Jamaica.
And I would love to say that it's an opportunity that I have always.
I've had the experience last year because I represented in Barbados as well.
And it's an opportunity where you can have a lot of growth.
Most people may focus on, for example, the trophy. Go over there and win. Go for gold, as we say. For me, it's basically going for growth. Because every experience, every time you put yourself out there, it gives you that growth, which comes from the uncomfortable moments, stepping out into the spotlight, sharing your story story, preparing a speech, ensuring that it's gonna do what you want it to do. The intention it would reach the audience in the way you want it to reach them, it will inspire them, transform them, etc. That's my part in the competition and I am truly honored and looking forward to representing.
[00:07:35] Speaker B: I love what you said with Toastmasters, being able to speak publicly, because I can tell you, even in my profession and what I do, I am still always nervous. I am, yeah. Every time I have to go on stage to host an event, the nerves are there before I walk onto that stage and it takes me a while to warm up, even though in my mind this is what I have to execute. So I go, not robotically, but I get on stage. I don't necessarily feed off the audience, but in my mind, the nerves are always there.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Devi, that's actually a good thing, you know it is.
[00:08:09] Speaker B: I agree.
[00:08:10] Speaker A: Because if you're not nervous, you're too comfortable and some flatulence may come out.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Listen.
I mean, for those listening, I can tell you whenever I feel too confident, when I know a lot about what I'M about to do. So I'm going on stage to host this event and I have so much information.
I say, this is my forte. I love this topic. That's when I do my worst show. You know, the ones where I feel, oh my goodness, I don't have much info. I'm reading. Do I need to understand this? What am I missing?
I would walk up onto the platform and that's when the best comes out and I started recognizing a long time ago.
But I say good morning to o' Brien Haynes. Very instrumental at the time when I was developing. He said, the nerves keeps you in check.
So I'm asking you guys, you go, you guys are going for competition. How does the nerves. Alexis, you could probably start. Well, no, Diane, you come in. How does he know? Because your own is a bit different.
You don't know?
[00:09:11] Speaker C: I don't know.
[00:09:12] Speaker B: It's like an extempor thing.
[00:09:13] Speaker C: Exactly, exactly. And what is what? I mean, just what you said. I have done this already at the district level, but I this time around I'm feeling. It's a put. Just what Mokeisha said. This is to me is my personal development.
I'm challenging myself. I'm going against, I know top Caribbean based public speakers because this is the last district meeting and I know they're going to come up with their best in Jamaica, we are known in Toastmasters that Jamaicans, they read more, they have more quotes, et cetera. So I have to come at a different level and believe you me, it's almost like me doing my exam, my master's, my preparing a thesis. The reading, you spoke about the reading. And this is something that I have developed. You have to know quotes, you have to know quotations. You call the name o' Brien Haynes right now, like I love my cricket and in my mind right now I'm thinking of Caribbean cricketers, what questions may come and some of the, some of the quotes from some of these Caribbean cricketers because you never know what can happen. But. And it's. But this is what is the fun of Toastmasters. This is what excites, excites me. This is what helps me. And yes, people say, oh, it's easy. As you say, you wing it.
Okay, I could probably wing it.
[00:10:29] Speaker B: No, that's what they say. We do.
[00:10:31] Speaker C: You do.
[00:10:31] Speaker B: That's what they say.
[00:10:32] Speaker C: Mind you, when you see you have to interview, in your case, when you have to interview somebody at the top, you can't wing that. You have to know, hey, you have to, you have to look at that Person. Okay, what. So right now I am studying a leader, a Caribbean leader. In case a question comes or anything, I'm going to focus on that because you can't remember everything.
You've got to take valuable things with you.
[00:10:58] Speaker B: You know, I want to tell you, it's a trick I use. I don't know if I should say it on radio, but I pay attention to the conversation and I listen to phrases and sentences by my interviewee, the person I'm interviewing. So while I speak speak with you, I am listening.
And that's where the branches of questioning comes in and I transition into another part of that question, of that interview with you because I'm paying attention. So even if I don't have the full genesis of what is being discussed, because I'm listening to the overall context of the conversation that we are engaging in. I remember one of my very, very first interviews.
I was the host of the afternoon show the Overdrive. That's where I started here in Freedom, because I come from urban radio. So I custom with the, the boom, the next I. The hype. And then I transitioned into talk radio because as the audience that was listening to me when I was in urban them grow up to, you know, okay, there's a new audience now. That's why we have slam. Yes, yes, A new audience. I don't know these people, but I was chatting with the former finance and governor Winston Dukerand and a topic that Joel and them threw at me and I was like, whoa.
I almost turned it down, but I said, David, no, this is an opportunity here. Even if you mess up, you're going to learn.
So I'm entering this to learn. That's my mindset. I'm not coming to speak with this former minister and former governor thinking that I am the moderator and I have the answers. Remember, this is an interview. I'm questioning you because I'm learning as well. So I came into that interview with, with the mindset to learn and to ensure that when we were through, the smallest person on the streets could have listened to the interview and benefited. So I started the interview very comfortably and the minister went on with the GDP and this. And I broke it down for him. I said, while we may understand the gross domestic product and those languages, the man in the taxi in the middle seat listening might find this interview boring and drive towards the station.
Can we find sand this thing down and let's speak. We know about expenditure. That is money. It is spend income, the money that they pay you. And we broke that down to our Science that to this day, Winston Duke still talks to me. He's like, that was Dr. Suraj Ratan Rambachan, another great one that I was very nervous to chat with, you know, So I understand I gave you some time to think because I know you have the prepared spot of things now going into this competition. Is it that they would have told you what topic you're going to be speaking on and how many. How much time do they give you to prepare for it?
[00:13:36] Speaker D: Okay.
First and foremost, I choose a topic. It's a topic of my choice.
And in choosing the topic, it's important to speak about something that you're passionate about, something that you're knowledgeable about. And most importantly, it's all about sharing something with the world, something you feel that they need to know.
It's like you have that message and you need to put it out there to help someone.
That's how I usually choose my topics. Storytelling is a major part of public speaking because, as we know, stories connect us. And if we're not connected, if you cannot connect with your audience, you cannot inspire them, you cannot transform them, you cannot motivate them. And so when I think about what I want to give to this world, the gift, because I see my speeches as gift, this is a gift I'm giving to you. I think about how am I going to do it? That's a storytelling aspect of it.
I think about an experience I would have had, and I craft my story using the. What we call the narrative, the narrative arc, where you have that conflict, that tension. So I'm taking my audience on a journey whereby they would see what I encountered, how I dealt with it, how it transformed me, and of course, the resolution.
Additionally, as it relates to the time we have, I know the date of the contest, and I know that I have the time to plan and prepare. When it comes to delivery, I have seven minutes to deliver and 30 seconds. Seven minutes and 30 seconds. In my mind, I think seven minutes because we operate by lights. For example, there's a timer, and when you get to five minutes, you see the green lights. When you get to six minutes, you see the amber color or the yellow light. And then when you get to seven minutes, you see the red light with
[00:15:39] Speaker B: 30 seconds to wrap up.
[00:15:41] Speaker D: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. In my mind, I tried to think, okay, seven minutes. Mikisha, you have seven minutes to deliver.
When it comes to delivery, aspect of it, Toastmasters, during, well, being a Toastmaster, an active member, and based on some of the projects I had to do, it helped Me to understand the use of body language. Not too much to detract from my message, but enough to enhance my message. I learned a lot about bottom variety. For example, what I should emphasize on when I should raise my voice and when I should lower it, when I should go slow and when I should speed up. And all these things helped to keep the audience engaged and helped me to deliver my message in a manner that it's going to be memorable because everyone has something to say. However, when we're speaking, we want to be memorable. We want that when we're finished, someone can say, okay, I remember she said that. And I'm going to use this to apply it to my life.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: What you have just described is something I like to call animated.
Let's have an animated conversation. One where it has the flair, but not too much, even with gesturing.
Someone that over gestures on a stage, on a podium distracts from the message. So. And I learned that a long time ago that the antics and theatrics is. Is one aspect of it, but it must be done in moderation. Hello. Good morning. See you trying to reach. Good morning, sir.
[00:17:08] Speaker E: Well, boy, I could tell at this point in time, you know, most likely, maybe, maybe not. You know, at the end of the day, you know, it is what it is and always forget. However, thank you.
[00:17:22] Speaker B: Easy. A lot of nothing there. But guess what?
[00:17:24] Speaker C: He said a lot of, you know,
[00:17:26] Speaker B: a lot of, you know, and I love it. He's like holding the order audience. So what I get from this, Mr. President, is that this is the Calypsonian and that is the Extempore finalist.
The Calypsonian gets a chance to prepare.
[00:17:38] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: Sing your song, rehearse your song with the band. But the Ex Tempo Freestylist. Is this part of the competition? So switching gears to you, the crutch words, the well and so forth. How are you going to replace those crutch words in topics that are unfamiliar to you if it happens to come up? Because I get in this thing like I examine. Yeah, you're studying this. But, you know, a different question. Come. Yes.
[00:18:05] Speaker C: Oh, you are so correct. I got a speech. If silence could speak, what would it say? Oh, my goodness, Davey.
I take a word, silence, and I spoke on it. Now, I took a risk because the question was if silence could speak. But I kept on talking about women not being silent. And I opened with a quote from my father. Little girls must be seen and not heard. So the question you asked, I concentrate on my opening it. You see, when you said there about being the Nervousness. If I could get a strong hook for my audience, at least it would help to calm a little bit of my nerves. And once I can get out there and I use, I come with a little booster and I use my little gestures and this kind of thing. But I have to get that open good for me, not just for you, the audience, because I need to get that out.
And then you use your pauses, you try. Well, I mean, I only have two minutes or sometimes three minutes, but you have to know how to use it effectively because one thing I'm studying now is the judges criteria. How are they judging me? And in that way I'll be able to know. And what is the timing for each section?
[00:19:15] Speaker B: You know, one, one thing came to my mind on that topic. If silence could speak and my hook would have started off, the trauma and pain would be heard and then I would have transitioned. That would have been my hook. I thought about it.
[00:19:31] Speaker C: Wow, you are quick.
[00:19:32] Speaker E: You are quick.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: The trauma and pain would be heard, the screams would echo in our minds. Because if silence could speak, it will tell a story that no one wants to hear. And I would have gone down.
[00:19:45] Speaker C: Yeah, boy.
But this is what this is is. You see all the excitement. I'm saying this is what Toastma now when we're, when you're in your general meetings, we have to get that going. You see, if this is competition, so it's a different, a completely different scenario for me now Any, any practice I'm doing From now until the 13th of May, I have to do it contest mode, not meeting mode. Because meeting mode, we kind of relax. But I love, I love what I heard from you.
[00:20:12] Speaker A: President, I was about to say to Mokeesha, it sounds like we have a next toastmaster on the way.
[00:20:18] Speaker B: Oh, gosh.
[00:20:19] Speaker A: In yourself.
[00:20:20] Speaker B: I had to learn, boy. I had to come and listen to
[00:20:21] Speaker A: all your sessions, what you're doing there.
Of course you have the experience on radio, but that too from two different audiences and learning how to do that transition. That's what Toastmasters is. You go into a room that you know, you have the tools to get out of the door, the window or some other way. That's what Toastmasters is giving you. If it's a similar comparison to what you would have shared with Dr. Dukaran's experience in that interview, that's what it is. You got tools. You sat down to a granular level and broke it down.
So if you're doing this as we do twice monthly, most clubs do
[00:21:06] Speaker B: you
[00:21:07] Speaker A: have learning over time, the crutch words, once you recognize that you're using them, the pregnant pauses, once you recognize that you're using them, you observe other people who are on your level as well as just ahead of you. And you're learning from observing them and your own practice.
So you're doing that consciously, regularly.
You're naturally going to improve. You're going to be around people who are seeking improvement.
[00:21:37] Speaker B: I like that because I remember when I joined the chess club in school, I started playing chess to get out of class.
So I was in form one or two and they say chess club. And I was like, hey, that's good. We are going to play this school. And then I wanted to play people who was less than me.
And I didn't realize that I needed to play the masters if I am to become great at the game.
[00:21:58] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:21:59] Speaker B: I was always afraid of losing. But let me take this call quickly as we get set to wrap the interview. Hello. Good morning.
[00:22:05] Speaker E: Morning to you, David. Morning to your.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Very quickly, please.
[00:22:08] Speaker E: Yes, I heard the whole question of public speaking and the articulation of words and that kind of thing, ma', am, does it, is it working today in the politics, when you look at people are being elected in the form of Donald Trump compared to Kamala Harris, when you listen to Barack Obama and his wife, that is very well articulated, isn't working, especially in the political space. I listen to you.
[00:22:30] Speaker B: I would double down on the question and just ask, how are you all helping the younger minds to develop the Toastmaster mentality?
[00:22:38] Speaker C: I will say that leadership is not about public speaking only. And in Toastmasters it teaches you. I'm just running back on that question. Courage, determination, hope. There are a lot of other things and for these young people now, some of them who, who don't even believe in their own selves, I believe right now my role in Toastmasters is to be to practice and improve my mentorship, my coaching abilities.
[00:23:04] Speaker B: In conclusion, Ms. Alexis, talk about the importance of preparing a speech when having to stand before an audience. What are some of the tips and tricks that you can share?
[00:23:14] Speaker D: Tips and tricks I will share is always think about the message you want want to share with the world, as I would have mentioned before. Secondly, I will say when you get on that stage, be you, be authentic because the world needs you. That's what it wants. And as it relates to the nerves, I will say take a sip. When I say take a sip, it means smile, inhale. And when you inhale, you inhale confidence.
And you exhale fear or tension. And the Third thing, the P will be to plant your purpose. Why are you speaking? Is it to be perfect? It's not about perfection. It's about connection. Many times we, we feel fearful and the nerves will come definitely. However, if we remember that, hey, we're humans, no one is expecting us to be perfect. We need to connect. So when we take a sip, we are able to, after preparing, after crafting, we're able to step on that stage and deliver in a way that would resonate with our listeners.
[00:24:22] Speaker A: Sip.
[00:24:23] Speaker B: I hear sip. And I started. I give you a round of applause. Boy. My mind went all right, but I love it. In conclusion, just tell us quickly about the competition, what you all are going to do and when you're coming back with the trophy. Because that was going to happen.
[00:24:40] Speaker C: Mr. President, you.
[00:24:42] Speaker A: Thank you, Davey.
The contest would be regional Toastmasters.
The final time that we are representing the Caribbean as a whole from next city contest is going to be split between two districts.
[00:25:01] Speaker E: Okay.
[00:25:02] Speaker A: Which would encompass now Central America and South America.
So it's a different context.
[00:25:08] Speaker B: The final of the finals for the Caribbean.
[00:25:10] Speaker A: For the Caribbean it becomes Latin America and the Caribbean. And we know there's a lot of different languages inside of there to compete with. But the contest here in Jamaica, Mukisha didn't give the full gauntlet.
She's the back to back champion of public speaking.
[00:25:29] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:25:30] Speaker A: International speech contest. She did this within a few months of joining Toastmasters.
Toastmasters is 40 years in Trinidad. She did this within the first few months and went to Jamaica with almost pristine ignorance.
[00:25:47] Speaker C: Barbados.
[00:25:49] Speaker B: Barbados.
[00:25:49] Speaker A: I'm sorry. Now she's going to Jamaica a year later to defend her position there. Justifying her position there with a little bit of experience. Jamaica AC Hotel in Kingston from the 13th to the 17th will have the best crop of public speakers, evaluators and table topics masters. The short jabs that we talk about, the ex temple they're going to be in Jamaica.
Want to get that crown. You win that crown, you have a chance to go to Vancouver in August for the international contest to represent the Caribbean. How big is that?
[00:26:29] Speaker B: You all are well on your way and thank you so much for sharing. You all are well on your way. One texter was asking how could they get in touch with Toastmasters? How can they join?
[00:26:39] Speaker A: I. I can share that after I say this very important message.
Tools help, but systems.
Tools help, but systems work. Find a system that works for you and work that system.
Toastmasters is a solution for many people. It's not for everyone, but it's going to work for those who it works for very well.
We have a number of clubs in Trinidad, over 20 clubs. You can go online on Toastmasters International and find a locator club near you.
If not, you can message me on 466-3101. That's 466-3101. And we can find a club that's located either in Trinidad or Tobago, geographically
[00:27:35] Speaker B: suited for you or 4660-101466-31301, 3101. All right.
[00:27:44] Speaker A: And you can find a club that's suited for you geographically, culturally or energetically.
[00:27:50] Speaker B: Beautiful guys, I want to say thank you. We have to wrap. Thank you so much, Alexis, and all the best. And be prepared as you always are. Have a good one.
[00:27:59] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:27:59] Speaker B: And to you.
[00:28:00] Speaker D: Thank you.
[00:28:01] Speaker B: All right, take care. And to you with your impromptu topic that will be coming up.
Handle it. Thank you. I'm waiting for the trophy to come home.
[00:28:09] Speaker E: Home.
[00:28:09] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:28:10] Speaker A: You're tuned into the all new freedom 106.5. 106.5.
