Toastcaster 51 – A Toast and an Educational

I was asked to give a Toast (Special Occasions Speech Manual Project #1) and decided I would combine the honouring of our Sergeant at Arms along with a mini educational for the benefit of new member and guests so not only can they see how a Toast works, they get to know a little about what a Sergeant at Arms does and what they could get from taking on that role. Cheers! (03:32)

CJOB 680 Your Life Unlimited – Gadgets & More

Your life unlimited logoCJOBTwo weeks ago, I had an incredible opportunity to be a guest on Your Life Unlimited a radio show on Winnipeg‘s CJOB 680 with host Stephanie Staples. We had an opportunity to chat about gadgets for travel and back to school. As well, we had a chance to talk about my 1st book, Corey OutSMARTs the Butterflies.

I’ve followed up with a guest post that gives mention to a number of gadgets that fit the build along with a description of my book.

You can read the full post here as well as listen to the entire show here.Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples, Greg Gazin and Kassy Bouchard

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My 25 year old microwave still has numerous features which befuddle me. I am banned from using the remote control. You guessed correctly that I am not a gadget girl, well you can’t be good at everything.

Enter Greg Gazin aka the Gadget Guy  who shared will us some of his top picks as well as his latest offering for personal growth, his new children’s book, Corey OutSMARTS the Butterflies.

You can listen to the whole show here…Your Life, Unlimited with Stephanie Staples, Greg Gazin and Kassy Bouchard and enjoy Greg’s guest blog below.

Gadgets

Blue Driver by Lemur Vehicle Monitors is an advanced diagnostic scan tool similar to those used at car dealerships and vehicle repair outlets to troubleshoot and diagnose car trouble even the mysterious Check Engine light. It plugs into a socket typically located under your dash that reads all the codes and basically can send the data right to your Android or iOS device.

The Dyson Cinetic DC78 Turbinehead, is the latest offering hot of the press by Dyson featuring their bend new Cinetic technology, which takes the cyclone technology to a whole new level. Not only does it do away with the need for vacuum bags, this new model amazingly removes the need to clean or even change filters.

Earbuds can be lost and the cables frayed – something you wouldn’t want to happen while on holidays. It’s always a good idea to carry a spare pair and maybe even a gadget like the Wicked Audio Splitter that allows you to share the audio from a single deviceYou may also want to look into wireless or Bluetooth options and do away with the dangling cords. Gadgets like the Tenqa Fit Wireless Sports Earbuds, fit the build. For a more traditional style headphone, the Phiaton CHORD MS 530 features Bluetooth and noise cancelling features.

Speakers themselves can also be Bluetooth and suitable for your home, office or even attached to your keychain or backpack. The Divoom Voombox Travel is a small rugged and weather resistant wireless speakerphone with a large key ring for easy portability.  The HEX XL by 808 has a detachable carry strap and looks like a mini speaker monitor for a stage. iLoud by IK Multimedia features a whopping 40W output and has an input for a guitar. And finally, the Fluance Fi30 has a sleek wooden speaker cabinet designed for elegance and style. As you can see the options are endless.

In the event you might lose your phone or drop it in the water, the SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive allows you to backup your files wirelessly. And if you don’t want to fill your phone with too many movies, the Connect also allows you to store them and stream them back to your phone. You can wireslessly connect up eight devices and stream, three different movies the same time. It’s ideal for the kids on a long trip. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Media Drive also allows connection to eight devices but offers up to five simultaneous HD media streams.

And finally, while not really a gadget, remember that thermal mugs like those made by Contigo have double walled insulation and can keep not only keep your morning coffee hot, it can keep your juice or water cool all day.  Models like the Randolph and Aria even lock to avoid accidental spillage.

Also exciting for me to announce is the launch of my first book, Corey OutSMARTs the Butterflies. It is written in a storytelling style suited for the young reader market, the message can help anyone eight to eighty build their confidence & communication skills.

In a nutshell, the story is about  a young boy who’s been taunted by his peers and afraid to do his show and tell at school.  He meets Milo, an older boy who in the past also experienced the fear and helps Corey learn a secret method to help him effectively and confidently tell his story.

Greg Gazin is a Syndicated Tech Columnist and Small Business and Technology Speaker, Author and Past Toastmasters District Governor. He can be reached at GadgetGuy.CA or on Twitter @gadgetgregor at 780-424-1881.  To find out more about the book visit OutSMARTing the Butterflies.com.

Stephanie Staples, CSP* is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success and an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker. She empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.

* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.

Around the Globe – Greg Gazin Toastmaster Magazine July 2014

Greg Toastmaster Magazine July 2014

Emcee Tips for Charity Fundraisers – Toastcaster 45 Podcast

Jim Ewing-smallAs a Toastmaster you might be asked to host or emcee an event. Have you ever been asked to emcee a charity fundraiser? My first time is coming up, so to prepare, I checked in good friend and Distinguished Toastmaster Jim Ewing, Pro-Vision Solutions, Edmonton who has experience on this area. Have a listen to our chat.

Toastcaster 45:  Greg Gazin & Jim Ewing

 

Forget “the box.” Think another dimension to access your creativity

silicontlesEDMONTON, AB, Dec 7, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Life can be pretty hectic. We often find ourselves running 18+ hours a day, and being electronically connected doesn’t make it any easier. So sometimes, when we are looking for a new idea, a solution to a challenging dilemma or maybe just have a desire to unlock one of life’s mysteries that’s been dogging us for eons, we tend to return to where we started, to the familiar and the comfortable, stuck in our current reality.

We think we’re starting fresh, perhaps with a clean sheet of paper. We might do some mind-mapping, a little brainstorming, throwing ideas around, capturing thoughts on coloured sticky pads. Maybe we resort to contorting pipe cleaners or squeezing the life out of stuffed toys to spark creativity or desperately hit up Google for some inspiration. It works, but only sometimes. It becomes our vicious cycle, being stuck on the same track, the same treadmill. But there’s hope.

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Focus on the message, not the medium, when public speaking

Got butterflies? Then focus on the information you want to convey rather than on yourself

Greg-Gazin-digitallyspeakinEDMONTON, AB, Aug 27, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Speaking to employees, vendors, customers or even the general public is not easy. In fact, public speaking can cause havoc to our systems.

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said. “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two . . . this means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

Scary, isn’t it? When speaking publicly, we lack confidence; we feel our stomachs churning, chests thumping and hearts fluttering like it’s the end of the world.

Although there are many remedies for curing the butterfly jitters, one stands out above the rest: “Focus on the message and not the medium”.

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A single sales pitch does not a business make

golfWould you use one single club to play a game of golf?

EDMONTON, AB, Aug 3, 2013/ Troy Media/ – Do you use only one club to play golf? When leaving the house to head out to the course, do you wear the same coat whether it’s hot, cold, raining or sunny outside?

Probably not, so why is it that, despite no two people being alike, many businesses only seem to have one single sales pitch?

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Effective use of repetition

July 12, 2013

EDMONTON, AB, Jul 12, 2013/ Troy Media/ – “Your call is important. Please stay on the line and someone will be with you shortly.” After hearing that for the 27th time, it starts to become annoying, doesn’t it? If you’re like me, you probably dream hearing it in your sleep.

It might even become your worst nightmare.

Repetition can be monotonous – like having to make it through summer reruns on TV or listening to verbal filler such as “Like I said,” or “Did I tell you this already?” which occurs when not having enough to say or simply stumbling over your words. And  when it happens in conversation or during a presentation, it can detract from getting your point across. However, when used effectively, repeating what you have to say can actually enhance your message.

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