Like many of you reading this, I tried every trick in the Toastmasters handbook (and a few that weren’t in it!) to get mentoring up and running in my club. Everyone wants to learn… but finding the time, is the challenge.
Whenever I spoke with fellow Toastmasters about being a mentor, or mentee, the same theme popped up life is busy. Days blur into a whirlwind of commitments, notifications, and half finished cups of tea. Personal growth quietly slides to the bottom of the to do list.
Enter the Ten-Minute Toasty Tips—small time, big takeaway. A tiny weekly pocket of time carved out for learning, reflection, and some practical help. My mission is simple, everyone who attends for ten minutes leaves with at least one nugget of wisdom they can use. It could be a mindset shift, a technique, a question to reflect on or a tool to try. It’s simple, just tune in for ten minutes, no need for interaction, no homework, no overwhelm and no guilt!
Why Ten Minutes?
• Because life is full.
• Because attention is precious.
• Because learning doesn’t need to be long to be meaningful.
Ten minutes is probably the sweet spot: long enough to spark an idea, short enough to squeeze in between meals, supervising homework or walking the dog!
What’s Inside Each Session?
The sessions are already underway every Tuesday evening, 7pm to 7.10pm, each one zooming in on a single juicy topic covering all aspects of toastmaster skills such as:
• Entertaining speeches
• Stage presence
• Building confidence
• Evaluations
• Impromptu speaking
• Vocal variety
Short and focused means no fluff. This is just about sharing our learning and it’s designed to inspire, encourage, or gently nudge us all forwards. The energy is warm, lively, and full of possibility, with positive feedback – well that’s not a surprise, we are Toastmasters after all!
Looking Ahead
I kickstarted this idea with my totally brilliant fellow Dundee Toastmaster, Michele Blackwood. As we say ourselves, we’re not expert, we’re toastmasters willing to share what other toastmasters have taught us. And now the baton is handed on and my thanks to all who are supporting us and to the presenters coming from different clubs across the District.
Dear Reader, come and join us for 10 minutes on Tuesdays at 7pm to hear some pearls of wisdom from your fellow toastmasters. And think about sharing something you’ve learned that works for you, an insight that’s helped you. You could use this as a project on your pathway.
Imagine if we grow this, we get a rotating cast of voices, each bringing their own experiences, lessons, and “aha” moments. A weekly ten minute window where participants become contributors, and learning becomes something we build together and we become:
• A community of learners.
• A circle of shared warmth.
• A place where knowledge is exchanged like favourite recipes.
Opportunities to Get Involved
Are you interested, then I’d love to hear from you whether it is to:
• Join our community.
• Present your own Ten-Minute Tips.
• Just have a conversation about what could be!
These sessions align beautifully with the core values of Toastmasters, and when we share our learning, we multiply it.
Thank you.
Julia Martineau
