Lots of uproar over the Groupon SuperBowl ad:

It just goes to show that you let your audience know your intentions with your message.

Very interesting video on Darren LaCroix’s site about Jackpot Toastmasters:

“The home of the 30 minute evaluation.”  I would love to know more about how that is structured.  Is that one person evaluating for 30 minutes, or a round-robin format?  I am sure Jackpot Toastmasters has some great experience they could share.

There’s an interesting comment by Michael Erwine on the post:

Yes! Talk about doing something different!!!

I love the idea of talking an idea and pushing it out to the edge. 30 minute evaluations are a great idea. Who says you have to be exactly like every other Toastmasters club in the world. Establish your own focus.

I gave a talk at a District Conference about pushing clubs to the edge. One thought experiment was: “What if your club dues were $100 a month?”

The 1st blush answer is that you wouldn’t get many members but…

On 2nd blush you wonder, “Who would join?” Answer, folks who were very serious about improving their speaking. Then…”what could the club offer them at that price level?” Hmm…$100 x 12 (months) x 20 (members) = a yearly budget of $24,000 dollars.

Heck, you could even get Darren LaCroix to help you out at that level.

The major point is not (necessarily) to up your club’s dues to $100 a month but to expand your thinking about what can be offered…and not lock your club in to thinking cheap.

Rock on Darren and (as you always do)…

Do Something Different!

Think differently

Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

My favorite line is “Trust your gut.”