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Occupation and Employer:
Currenly Seeking
 
Accomplishments and Interests:
Past: 

20 year sales career at IBM, small business owner, business broker, award winning artist, furniture maker, and musician.

Current:

Living an authentic life. Living life on purpose.

Being a great dad for my two sons ( 6 and 8 yrs old).

Shifting from a life of accomplishment and ambition to one of purpose and meaning.

Continued personal and spiritual growth.

Working as any of the following - Marketing & Sales Consultant, Writer, Artist, or Public Speaker.

Personal and Career Goals:

Having worked for many years to obtain money, status and attempting to validate myself, I have come to a crossroads where my "career" goal now is to have my work be indistinguishable from my play. Pretty cool. 

I wish to be fully used by what I am passionate about and that which fulfills my purpose. Ultimately, my goal is to fulfill and be that which is the highest and best use of Charles. 

P.S. ? I have not yet fully distinguished what this looks like and am working to reveal it. My objective with "work" or "career" now seems to be somewhere in the realm of teaching, coaching, consulting, and being of service to others.

Any ideas out there??

Communication and Leadership Goals
 
What objectives do you hope to accomplish as a member of Chats Toastmasters?

My primary objective with CHATS is to learn and master speaking skills such that my speaking is on the level of a professional and that I could be compensated for my speaking.

I especially desire (and really fear) learning how to effectively deliver an impromptu speech or message. To me, impromptu speaking is the ultimate in being exposed and on the hook to deliver to the audience.  I can?t hide behind all my planning & preparation.

Lastly, I would love to learn humorous speaking.  Right now with my fear of speaking, I can barely muster anything close to funny in my speeches.  I tend to be so serious and self conscious.

Is public speaking a requirement of your job or profession?

No not yet. Although contributing and serving people in ways greater than one-on-one, I see speaking and communicating with large groups of people a requirement. Call me crazy, but I actually hope to find work that will have public speaking as a requirement.

How would you describe your current skill level as a speaker?

I have learned some speaking skills and can speak if I must when I have time to prepare. But it still requires lots of effort.   I struggle with being authentic and concise.  I tend to try to cram way too much detail and information into what I say hoping to get the listener or audience to understand me. I tend to hide behind these details rather than just sharing and revealing more of the real Charles along with the content of the speech.  I hope to un-learn this trait.

Do you have any specific fears relative to public speaking?

Yep, Sure Do!  I fear that people will not understand me, that I will be unable to connect with them and they will sit there staring with glazed eyes, bored and in their own world.

I fear failing in front of a group (as I have in the past) and I especially fear impromptu speaking on an unplanned topic.  

Why did you choose to join Chats Toastmasters?

Several reasons: CHATS is well organized and has members who are committed to growing, learning and improving their speaking skills. The CHATS membership includes professional and aspiring professional speakers. I want to learn the ropes. I would love to speak professionally. Lastly, CHATS has an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere. I felt welcomed and felt it would be a safe environment to practice (and safely fail) while learning to overcome my challenges with public speaking.

What can Chats Toastmasters do to help you accomplish your goals?

: Provide rigorous and compassionate feedback.  Share effective tools, tips and techniques used by experienced speakers.

Tell the group anything else that you'd like us to know about you.

I seem to have lost my funny bone.  Could any of you help me find it ??!  Also, I secretly desire being a public speaker and don?t want anyone to know because then it might just happen!