Profile: Carol Abrahamson

One of our newest members who was profiled in the last post, Carol Abrahamson, is benefiting from Toastmasters as she launches her new business, Executive Authors. Here is what Carol has to say:

A serial entrepreneur since 1983, my newest venture is Executive Authors, a business that helps entrepreneurial, corporate and nonprofit execs to organize, write, create and promote business- and career-boosting books. As an author whose first book led to over $2 million in consulting revenues within a few years, I love helping other executives achieve the same glorious results!

Executive Authors leverages my years advising and coaching CEOs/CFOs of startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations, writing and editing mission-critical corporate messages designed to attract and excite multiple audiences, teaching high school English, as a McGraw-Hill executive and writing 14 nonfiction books of my own.

Toastmasters is making a big difference as I create a speech to take national that will be the cornerstone of my marketing program, How Having A Book of Your Own Can Forever Change Your Professional Life. The group has saved me the thousands of dollars I would otherwise have paid a speech coach, plus is a means to learn to use PowerPoint slides and a laptop projector from the stage. It is also a wonderful place for supportive camaraderie and meeting fascinating people I would otherwise never know. Our meetings are my most-favorite things on my calendar!

Thanks, fellow Toastmasters!

New Members!

DeKalb Toastmasters welcomes three new members to the club.

The three newest members were inducted into the club at our regular meeting last night (Tuesday, Aug. 24).  They have already given three speeches between the three of them, and they are all excited about finishing the Competent Communicator educational program before the end of next June. It's great to have you three on board!

52 Speakers To Learn From–#1 Brian Regan

My cousin Jeff Swinford showed us a video of stand up comedian Brian Regan in the mid 90s.  15 years later and Brian Regan is still doing stand up comedy. There are a few reasons to check out Brian’s videos (he has three stand up performance DVDs and one stand up CD available here):

1) He is an incredibly accomplished stand up comedian.  he uses facial expressions and body language in a lot of his comedy.  

2) His delivery is superb.  When Brian Regan appeared at comedy clubs in the Chicagoland area, my wife and I would typically see him two times.  Although some of his material is the same, he always had enough material to make each performance unique.

3) He doesn’t swear.  Unlike many comedians that make appearances on late night talk shows, Brian’s in person performances are very similar to his late night sets (just more material and hilarious encores).  My kids have been listening to Brian Regan for years and our 12 year old has gone to see him in person once already.

I could (and many times do) go on, but it’s really best to watch this professional in his element.  His website is www.brianregan.com and his youtube channel is www.youtube.com/brianregancomic.  If you would like to see him in person, there are a number of local appearances coming up in October (you will probably see me at a couple of them!)  http://www.brianregan.com/tour.html

Dan Rey
VP of Education