Craig Valentine, One of the Best Toastmasters of Our Time, By Wayne Kronz

He was the winner of Toastmasters International’s speech contest
in 1999. Since then Mr. Valentine
has gone on to be a highly successful professional public speaker
—one of the most in demand it the business.

You can check out his business out at CraigValentine.com. I bring
him to your attention because he represents the possibilities in public
speaking via. the Toastmaster track.

He started out in Toastmaster just like you—with his Icebreaker.
In his first humorous speaking contest, he lost at the club level.
He then activated a level of performance I call tenacity! He simply
pushed and pushed and pushed himself to improve. And improve, he did!

Two short years later, he was the World Champion of Public Speaking
—a title he has parlayed into a handsome six- figure income.

Maybe that doesn’t do anything for you and that’s OK. Two to
five thousand a speech, two to five times a week may not interest
you. And, again, that’s OK.

But I do have the obligation as a “big thinking” individual and a
one of your leaders to at least remind you of what you have in
your hands, once you have become a Competent Communicator.
It is literallythe key to much greater things.

And in our own club, Phoenix (AZ) Truth Speakers (a brand new 
club, December 2011) there is a log-jamb of latent public speaking
talent. I can’t wait until you guys and gals get this thing figured out.

Please—every one of you—always THINK BIG. Keep in mind that only
the sky is the limit for you.

Discover and cultivate your passion as well as your leadership
and speaking skills. And dream! And keep on dreaming as many have
done before you---TM’ers like Craig Valentine.

Sincerely,
Wayne

P.S. On YouTube.com and his own website are an array of videos
of Craig speaking that every Toastmaster should model. Also,
I recommend that you subscribe to his 52 speaking tips he delivers
on audio-postcards. Amazing lessons!