July 30, 2025

Today’s meeting, led by Toastmaster Andrea (that’s me!) was all about the powerful impact of our first experiences—those memorable moments that shape our lives and leave lasting impressions. Our theme, “Firsts that Matter,” invited us to reflect on significant milestones: the first step toward a dream, overcoming fears, or delivering our first speech.

Lily presented an inspiring leader profile about Sarah Breedlove, better known as Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first self-made female millionaire. Lily highlighted Walker’s entrepreneurial spirit and resilience in overcoming significant hardships through selling innovative hair products specifically tailored for African American women. Beyond her impressive business acumen, Madam C.J. Walker actively empowered African American communities to achieve financial independence, showcasing her commitment to giving back.

Nitin shared an entertaining yet instructive personal story about the chaos surrounding his lost luggage ahead of a critical presentation. His humorous recount of frantic emails, desperate pleas, and eventual realization offered an important life lesson: “The more desperately you chase something, the faster it slips away. But the more indifferent you become, the more it sits in your lap.”

Abhijeet used this opportunity to practice for his upcoming campaign for International Director, delivering both a candidate speech and a mock interview. He emphasized his vision for sustainable growth within Toastmasters, highlighting the importance of authentic leadership, trust-building, and consistent member engagement. Abhijeet also shared insights from his own transformative experiences, illustrating the powerful ripple effect individual empowerment can create within our Toastmaster community.

During our Table Topics session led by Akila, members shared memorable “first” experiences that brought valuable insights from discovering passions to how biases were dismantled through unexpected friendships.

We concluded our session inspired and ready to continue nurturing our personal and collective growth. We hope to see you at our next meeting!