🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Run Fast... or Run Right?

Juan is navigating three new beginnings at once. He joined Toastmasters to sharpen his sales pitch and become a better communicator — someone customers actually remember. He's in the middle of a career transition, asking himself the kind of question that doesn't have an easy answer: Who is Juan going to be next? And he's running again after tearing his ACL, having learned that the way back isn't to push harder, but to slow down enough to let the healing happen — and come out stronger on the other side.

The title alone earned its moment of silence.

Caitlin walked us through her experience with ayahuasca — a traditional plant brew she called the "Grandmother spirit" and a "Plant teacher." She described the taste (brewed wood. a plant juice cocktail), the ceremony, and the purpose behind it: confronting a problem, healing a wound, cleansing something that needed cleansing — including, yes, the physical kind.

It was thoughtful, grounded, and a little bit brave.

Vedant brought us into the darkest two years of his life — after failing his exams in 10th grade, hearing his mother say the words no child wants to hear: "I didn't expect this from you." He described feeling completely lost, not because the path was hard, but because he didn't even know what he was preparing for or why.

Out of that fog, he built three questions: Do I know what I am preparing for? Do I want to prepare? What is my plan? And then he ran — straight into the top 0.1%.

Speed impresses people. Direction can change your life.
Before you run, stop. Check your direction. Then run as fast as you can.

Table Topics Master Shubham Saloni sent speakers into the deep end: each person was handed the opening of a story and had to improvise the ending. The results were chaotic, creative, and completely on brand for this club.

Here's a taste of where the stories went:

• 🧁 Lizzie found a note in the fridge that said "don't eat the cake." The reason? Past its expiration date. A mundane ending that somehow worked perfectly.

• 📱 Yuri's phone started talking to him while he was running late. Ending: he was dreaming.

• ✈️ Colin played an airline pilot on the intercom — one making an unscheduled pit stop at SLO. His verdict on the airline: "I will not be flying United."

• 🚪 Alberto answered his doorbell at 2am to find... a DoorDash delivery, two hours late. The real horror story.

• 🧠 Mike went somewhere existential — machines reading people's thoughts — and landed on overhearing his wife and the mold on the zucchini. We'll let that one breathe.

• 🌍 Gautam ended the apocalypse by keeping Global Toastmasters alive — and confirmed that GGTM's first order of business was taking out Rhino Toastmaster. No notes. 🏆

• 💰 Moaad woke up to $1 million in her account with a note: "Thank you for solving cancer research." The moral: software helps solve problems. Silicon Valley origin story, unlocked.

• 🥠 Kash's fortune cookie didn't have a fortune — it had instructions. Those instructions led him to Toastmasters, courtesy of Panda Express. We're choosing to believe this.

• 🕺 Frankie found a key and an address in an old closet. Behind the door: a secret disco party with friends. Then she woke up. The dream had the audacity to be perfect.

• 🐱 Blair's cat suddenly started speaking fluent English and immediately complained about the limited view from the hallway. Blair took him to the park. It's what he deserved.

• 🏋️ Jose stepped into a secret elevator passage and found a private gym. Zero complaints.

• 💻 Chris got an email from his future self: "Don't try GitHub CLI. Your bank account is empty." 

Every speech found a thoughtful evaluator to match:

Alberto Jarrin — Mia
Blair Vorsatz — Caitlin
Omar Sinada — Vedant 🏆

Mike Heiss

Anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Most of my career has been in engineering where speaking wasn't a critical skill. I'm now the owner of a small business where relationships matter a lot, often going to networking events where I need to introduce myself to strangers.

Luzee Bautista

What topics might you like to speak about? No worries if you don't know yet!
I’m drawn to sharing learnings and reflections from life, stories about my cats, and my personal journey.

Anything else you’d like us to know about you?
I'm excited to grow with this community.

It’s easy to feel intimidated when evaluating experienced speakers — especially those with titles or years of experience.

But here’s the truth:
👉 You don’t need to be more experienced to give valuable feedback.

There's a distinction worth remembering: the difference between producer feedback and consumer feedback. Producer feedback is technical — the kind that coaches delivery, structure, and technique. Consumer feedback is something else entirely: it's your honest reaction as an audience member. What landed? What moved you? What will you still be thinking about tomorrow?

You don't need to be a better speaker than the person you're evaluating to deliver feedback that matters. Advanced speakers have often already mastered the technical craft. What they're hungry for is perspective: how did the message feel to someone hearing it fresh? That's something only a listener can give — and every single person in the room qualifies.

So the next time roles are assigned, don't let intimidation talk you out of it. Sign up to evaluate the most experienced speaker in the room. You'll give them something valuable — and walk away having grown yourself.

Everyone in this room is learning. The feedback loop only works if we all show up for it.

ℹ️ Source: "Learning to Evaluate Everybody" by Megan Preston Meyer, Toastmasters Magazine

Next Meeting — "Get Lucky!" 🍀
Come ready to channel your inner luck of the Irish. Miss it, and we can't promise what the Groundhog has in store for you.
📅 Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 San Francisco Chamber of Commerce 235 Montgomery St, 7th Floor, San Francisco

🏆 Tall Tales & International Speech Contests
A big round of applause for Sheila Vida and Blair Vorsatz, who will represent GGTM at the Area and Division level contests. Come cheer them on!
📅 Sunday, March 22, 2026 | 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 Presidio Branch Library, 3150 Sacramento St., San Francisco 94115

🤝 Mentorship Opportunity
We’re looking for mentors! If you’ve been a member for over a year, consider supporting fellow members.
Sign up on the website or email us.
More details coming soon from VPE Albert Yan.