If this city knew my secret it would be... 🤫🌉

One magical Friday evening, we brought Feinstein’s at the Nikko to life with secrets and stories from our enchanting city, all under the warm glow of its dim lights.

Recently, we have been exploring a number of storytelling events outside of our club meetings. Inspired by an event where speakers tell interesting dating stories, Golden Gate Toastmaster Alex Lexson who works as a Marketing Coordinator for Hotel Nikko came up with an idea - maybe we can host our own storytelling event at their hotel!

And thus City Lights and Secrets came into being!

Working with our friends from Hotel Nikko, Alex Lexson and our past and present VP of Public Relations Karishma and Nikilitha, started conceptualizing what this event is going to be. The exploration started with a number of GGTM members going to visit the space - and we marveled at how amazing the space was!

With the target established, we embarked on over six weeks of planning for the event. During this period, we finalized its structure and design while actively promoting it through multiple channels. These included social media platforms, local publications, our GGTM club network and meetings and our own personal connections to help spread the word!

While not officially a Toastmasters event, the enthusiasm of our club members, combined with the generous support and venue provided by Hotel Nikko kept us energized and excited as we counted down the days.

And just like that, August 1 arrived!

Our organizing team arrived a bit early, grabbed a quick bite at the onsite restaurant Kanpai, and got everything set for the evening. Nikilitha and Ping managed check-in and collected prompt cards, while Sheila oversaw the overall timing and coordination. We also had a strong showing from our GGTM club members, who brought incredible energy and helped create a vibrant, buzzing atmosphere.

Once everyone had settled into the beautiful space, right at 7 PM, Alex Lexson officially opened the evening and welcomed us all!

Under the warm glow of the lights and the hum of anticipation in the air, our radiant hosts Helen and Karishma took the stage. With grace and energy, they kicked off the evening! It’s showtime!

The audience had two ways to take part in the evening: they could either drop their name into the shiny green hat for a chance to share their story live on stage, or anonymously submit an anecdote responding to the prompt: “If this city knew my secret, it would be...”

The first half of the night featured five-to-seven-minute stories, while the second half, our Lightning Round gave speakers a fast-paced two to three minutes to captivate the room!

Our hosts took turns introducing the bold and lucky individuals whose names were drawn from the hat, keeping the energy high with witty quips and playful banter to keep the momentum flowing.

One after the other - our storytellers took the stage and shared their secrets and tales of how they made San Francisco home, what their first cigarette was like, the perfect first date (and how to escape a date!), how to cherish your firsts, the only legitimate Philly cheesesteak in the bay area, backpedaling after undermining women’s sports while on a date, serving a hospice community, being part of a threesome, getting beaten up, pot (smoking them and picking them up), adult hours on local TV and having the spirit of a furry best friend join us that evening. Thank you everyone for sharing a part of yourself on stage!

The last story was a remarkable tale of serendipity: two people who matched on a dating app, happened to both be in the event, and were brought together when one of their friends was called to speak to close the evening. This tale was driven by a cue card of someone sharing that receiving a “Checking in, do you want another drink?” text from the bar’s automated system made their heart skip a beat.

Here are the storytellers who brought the stage to life that evening!

If you want a copy of your photos, send an email to [email protected].

Between speakers, our hosts read the prompt cards, weaving an extra layer of intrigue and connection throughout the evening. The beauty of these cue cards was their complete anonymity, allowing for honest, raw confessions.

Most of the cards expressed a genuine love for the city despite its quirks - like getting spat on the bus, having a bird drop an unwelcome surprise on their head in Chinatown, calling the cops on their neighbors, crushing on every bartender in town, and even someone who’s lived here their whole life but still feels like they don’t truly know the city. Others shared lighter, more playful admissions: not washing their sheets for a month, starting a new job soon, returning opened Amazon packages, or sending back duplicate items to get a refund.

A few secrets were more intense - considering tax fraud, immersing themselves in cryptocurrency, or having been scammed by a drug dealer. Others were deeply touching, like the individual who wrote the only poem they ever wrote for someone, and another who didn’t believe they could be anything, until they moved here.

Together, these stories beautifully continued the evening’s theme of using this stage to safely share a part of themselves while celebrating our remarkable city.

The event wrapped up with 15 minutes to spare and everyone who had dropped their name in the hat got a chance to take the stage! We kept the energy going by exploring spots around the neighborhood after the event.

City Lights and Secrets was a tremendous success! We enjoyed a memorable evening surrounded by both familiar faces and new connections, all within a stunning venue. What made the night even more special was offering a platform for individuals to share pieces of themselves through storytelling - an experience that continues to help us grow, connect, and strengthen our community through the power of spoken and (anonymously) written word.

A heartfelt thank you to Hotel Nikko for your partnership and for providing the beautiful space that brought this event to life. Thank you to Golden Gate Toastmasters and friends for your incredible support in organizing, promoting, and participating in the event. To everyone in the audience, thank you for showing up, for listening, and for embracing this evolving platform with your presence and stories.

We're truly thankful for the incredible energy everyone brought this evening. We can't wait to gather again at a future event!