Derrick Trimble, DTM kindly agreed to reinstitute the mentor programme at Chelmsford Speakers Club, UK. I was lucky enough to be one of his mentees. I share below how Derrick has had a significant impact on my journey of developing my speaking skills through the Toastmasters approach at Chelmsford Speaking Club.
I attended ‘Write, Speak, Promote’ in May last year, hosted by Hay House and one of the presenters – Cheryl Richardson, spoke of how she began her public speaking career at Toastmasters. I was eager to learn more and so ‘googled’ what clubs were close to where I lived.
I attended my first meeting where everyone was very welcoming and encouraging. The meeting flew by, all managed superbly with the Toastmaster for that evening. We were invited to provide a 2 minute impromptu speech on a subject chosen by the ‘table topics’ master. It was nerve wracking and at the same time exciting. I enjoyed the evening and could see how much I would learn from the members and the opportunity to go through the Toastmasters communication and leadership journey.
Derrick was awarded Southern Division Area Governor of the Year in 2006 and he offered to be my mentor at my second Toastmasters meeting. Derrick is Managing Director of Paroxumos, a specialist creative thinking consultancy.
As Derrick fulfilled various roles during the club meetings, I noticed his authentic style. His capacity to connect with the audience was amazing. He was energetic and thought provoking. His gestures seemed to naturally underscore the message he was sharing.
Derrick engaged me in a conversation about both my short and long term objectives in becoming a public speaker. He always holds these in mind when giving me feedback. Derrick provides me with supportive challenge and opportunity to raise my game in every conversation. The time and effort he puts into his mentorship is outstanding for which I am so grateful.
Derrick offers me practical suggestions based on his exemplary speaking skills and, in particular, he has helped me think about my audience first. Derrick has helped me with transitions – how to connect my ideas and allow the speech to flow. What stands out for me in with Derrick is his creative approach and ability to engage his audience on a wide variety of topics.
