A Toastmaster’s Best Friend

Pets play a vital role in our daily lives and can even bring a new perspective on how we communicate. We asked members to share how their animal companions impact their Toastmasters experience—here is what they had to say.

Anand Sebastian Koottummel, Archie & Marshmallow

Anand Sebastian Koottummel &

Archie & Marshmallow

Muscat, Oman

My dogs Archie and Marshmallow became part of our family during the trying times of the pandemic. Mere words cannot explain the joy and happiness that they brought. Their love, antics, and play made this uncertain and difficult phase easier to pass.

When Toastmasters sessions commenced on online platforms, the feeling was just not the same for me. The many expressive faces reflecting criticism, agreements, disagreements, and appreciation were missed. The scenario changed a few days into these sessions. I got an exclusive audience. Who else but Archie and Marshmallow.

They realized Friday mornings were no time for fun and play, but instead, to be keen and serious listeners to the Toastmasters. They are quite good critics too. They make sure to share their displeasure when the pitch and tone of the speeches get a bit too overwhelming or louder than what is expected and anticipated. They convey their annoyance toward over-exaggerated hand gestures and movements. I love to practice my speeches before these completely unbiased and honest critics. Another joy is to see them give all ears during my speech and look the other way round when the others speak, so as to say, “You are the best and our vote is always for you.”

Rocky

Felicia Ketcheson, DTM, &

Rocky

St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Over the years, I’ve given several speeches about my corn snake, Rocky. When we moved to online meetings, it was an unprecedented opportunity for Rocky to accompany me. In one such speech, I demonstrated how comfortable I am with her by placing part of her on top of my head. Everything was fine until I removed her from my head. She hooked around my glasses and off they came with her! There I was mid-speech, extracting my glasses from my snake. Glasses back on my face, I continued my speech while wrapping Rocky around my arm. I’ve wrapped Rocky around my arm many times in our 17 years together and seldom have issues. This wasn’t one of those times. I had to give the remainder of my speech holding Rocky in one hand with much of her body dangling from it. Not wanting to move too much since her head was dangling in mid-air meant I had little ability to gesture.

Through this experience, Rocky reinforced to me that unexpected things can happen during a speech—not just with your audience, but with your props! Preparation is important, but as she taught me, it’s also important to expect and gracefully handle the unexpected.

Click play to hear the hosts of The Toastmasters Podcast speak with animal communications expert Claudia Hehr, who gives advice on how to better communicate with animals.

Hashtag & Ms. Lollypop

Ankurita Pathak &

Hashtag & Ms. Lollypop

New Delhi, India

Hashtag, our adorable golden retriever, is a whole lot of cuteness and clumsiness. He is a total simpleton. On the other hand, Ms. Lollypop, our prapso shih tzu, is quite smart and empowered. Despite her tiny size, she knows how to run the show.

Life around them is a subconscious lesson in leadership. Hashtag is the epitome of loyalty, and he doesn’t hold grudges. Lollypop comes with her independence and strategic ideas. They don’t hesitate to get their paws dirty. They believe in work/life balance, with the right mix of play and rest.

Communicating with them with the right intent, energy, and impact is a huge lesson. A fulfilled and stress-free life around pets allows more zeal and zest in whatever you do in life. This includes my Toastmasters experience too.

Most importantly, Hashtag and Lollypop are more popular than me in my Toastmasters club because they are keen observers in the proceedings of my Sunday morning online meetings, especially when I deliver a speech!

Sophie

Sam Warner, DTM, &

Sophie

Telford, England, United Kingdom

Sophie-dophie is a rescue cat, and we had to learn each other’s language. I’m autistic, and reading body language and facial expressions used to be incredibly hard. I observe and interpret her the same way I observe and interpret my audience. I search my audience for their facial expressions—are they shifting in their seats or leaning in? Are they nodding and smiling, or do they look puzzled and confused?

I find cats to be very honest about what they want, and that removal of ambiguity is comforting. We have two cats (Sophie has a sister called Inka) and they are like chalk and cheese. They hang out behind me on Toastmasters Zoom calls and like to feel included (don’t we all?).

Sophie is quite the contortionist and uses her body language very clearly (to me). It’s fascinating that my chronically shy hubby, who cannot be persuaded to join Toastmasters, struggles to read her physical language. I think Toastmasters has helped me over the past 11 years to interpret and respond on more than one level of communication. We may use our voices occasionally, but our body language is louder, clearer, and more honest.

Ladybug, Barkley & Tobie Lynn

Carolyn Krachkowski, DTM, &

Ladybug, Barkley & Tobie Lynn

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I discovered Toastmasters in my 40s after spending the earlier part of my life avoiding anything that might involve being put in the spotlight. When I visited my first Toastmasters club meeting in the office building of a job I recently started, my goal was to attend just one meeting. Everyone was so welcoming and supportive; I actually did a Table Topic! After a few more meetings, I became a member.

The only way for me to have the courage to give a speech was to talk about my dogs. The first six or seven speeches in my Competent Communication manual were tied to stories about my dogs, past and present. It helped relax me amid a terrifying situation. It made me smile and come off as more personable with my audience. My dogs also helped me with speech topics because they were always doing something fun and adorable. I was encouraged to share stories of my fur kids, which helped me become a better speaker, which helped me get over my fear of being in front of an audience … a fear that I tried my best to get over for more than 30 years. I credit my dogs with helping me toward achieving my DTM, because without them, I would have never made it past the first five speeches.

Priscilla Dias, DTM & Yoyo

Priscilla Dias, DTM, &

Yoyo

Safat, Kuwait

Me: Yoyo, where are you?

Yoyo: Meow … Meow …

Me: Yoyo, jump.

And the next thing you know he is on my desk. This is our time together. Launching Pathways projects, writing speeches, approving Base Camp requests, working on Area Director’s reports, editing a podcast video, petting and pampering Yoyo, and it goes on.

Yoyo has been my fairest mentor while I practice my speeches because all that he is doing is purring. He is not evaluating or judging my speeches, but allowing me to practice, practice, practice. He loves my vocal variety and lets me know that with a tic of his ears. I can practice every paragraph of my speech, or the entire speech a thousand times, and he will still be purring.

Ask any Toastmaster: Yoyo has been the finest online guest during meetings. He lies down, tummy up, between the screen and the keyboard, listening to every speech, Table Topic, evaluation, and the role player reports and is content (purring) with the Toastmasters meeting. Yoyo has been a wonderful guest for more than 100 meetings now. It is high time we grant him membership and address him as Toastmaster Yoyo.

Prince

Lilian Shaftacola, DTM, &

Prince

Nicosia, Cyprus

When I first adopted Prince from a local shelter, little did I know that I was getting a dog who would embrace the Toastmasters ideals with as much enthusiasm as I do. He began his Toastmasters career in 2017 by helping me work with my mentees; he would sit and listen to them practice. If he found a speech engaging, he would stay. Otherwise, he would walk away, a sure signal to my mentees that they had more work to do! During that period, I also loved hosting fellow Toastmasters from all over the world. Prince, in his role as the “Official Greeter,” would lie in wait so that he would be the first to run down the drive, tail wagging, to enthusiastically welcome our guests.

However, Prince really came into his own with the Zoom environment. The first time I attended a club meeting online, I got up and returned only to find that he had taken over my seat. He followed the meeting with fascination while my fellow members were thrilled to have him onboard. Prince has attended countless online meetings, Toastmasters Leadership Institute trainings, and conferences. My leadership roles have allowed him to follow officer trainings, strategy meetings, and listen to the views of Past International Presidents and current Board Members. Whether I’m giving a speech or delivering a presentation, he will always be my greatest supporter, cheering me on.

Freddy the Bassett

David Hablewitz, DTM, &

Freddy the Bassett

Bothell, Washington

Meet Freddy the Bassett. Freddy joined Toastmasters in November 2018, and regularly gives speeches with my aid. I am his mentor and interpreter, but he simply refers to me as his “human.”

Freddy came to live with me after my mom passed away about two years ago. In his Ice Breaker speech, he told of her passing and his adventures driving with me 3,000 miles across the country from Tampa, Florida, to Seattle, Washington. So many new experiences—he even saw snow for the first time! Since then, he has given many speeches of his adventures with me serving as his interpreter. His goal is to remind us all to not forget those loved ones we have lost and he spreads joy, love, and compassion through his stories. He has also expanded his voice through social media and has a following of several thousand strong on Facebook and Instagram, with a forthcoming YouTube channel to give himself a platform to share his speeches and adventures with the entire world. He even has a website.

In the process of serving as Freddy’s Toastmasters mentor and interpreter, I have been able to develop the skills to give Freddy the Bassett a voice, share his message, and touch people around the world.

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