Open House With Guest Speaker Sasha Strauss
Wow, what an incredible Open House we held on Monday night on Zoom! It was such a joy to host brand strategy expert Sasha Strauss.
Wasn’t That Fun?!
Having a full house, combined with the dynamism of Sasha Strauss, made the evening so memorable. The team and guests loved the authenticity and enthusiasm in the presentation and the Q&As that followed. Sasha definitely elevated our brand!
Our hope is that you walked away with ideas that resonated with you – along with a better understanding of how Toastmasters can assist you in your personal development goals.
Guest Speaker Sasha Strauss speaking about Personal Branding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Motivated Us
We attracted over one hundred people, including members (both seasoned and veteran) and tons of guests. The festivities were led by Dari Mackenzie, ACS, CL – our club President and the Toastmaster for the evening.
Special guest Sasha Strauss educated us on personal branding in the Zoom age with “Personal Identity When Things Last Forever.” Mr. Strauss's speech centered around his perspective that this current time of transition and uncertainty offers a valuable opportunity for each of us to redefine and enhance our personal brand in terms of the way we serve, inspire, and resonate with others.
Sasha Strauss is recognized as a branding industry veteran. Since 2006, he has founded and served as Managing Director at Innovation Protocol, a brand consultancy headquartered in Los Angeles, and has served as a professor of graduate brand strategy at three MBA programs.
And, as a veteran Toastmaster since 2001, Sasha and his firm built the global identity for Toastmasters 10 years ago, defining “Where Leaders Are Made”, and keynoting the global conference that year. Given his extensive expertise in brand strategy and public speaking, he continues to speaks at conferences and executive summits around the world.
What Inspired Us
Mr. Strauss hammered home a number of very powerful takeaways:
The world will not operate as it did before the coronavirus pandemic: There will be no returning to “normal”. This new reality demands a different, proactive approach, which is best formulated through making a plan, setting goals and taking action – rather than “waiting and seeing”.
LinkedIn can be a powerful connection tool. However, the most effective way to engage with it is to endorse colleagues and post insightful, relevant content rather than spam the news feed with personal updates.
We are each our own personal brand steward. We have control over how we are perceived by others and we each must consciously define and conduct ourselves according to the type of personal record that we want to endure.
Given the increasing prominence of platforms such as Zoom in business and personal communications, the importance of proper planning and having the right online approach cannot be understated. Sasha recommends the following:
Dressing the part
Adjusting your posture
Putting on a smile
“Leaning in” and engaging your virtual audience with eye contact
Supplementing your room with additional lamps as necessary to enhance the lighting
This safe-at-home-period is a time to experience great forgiveness and gratitude. Being a kind human being, including practicing self-compassion, will enrich your life and the lives of everyone else around you.
Additional Roles By Members
Eleven-year member Alexander Denk, DTM, served as our General Evaluator.
Ten-year member Michael Tanenbaum, CC/CL, presided over the Q&A period with Mr. Strauss, during which Mr. Strauss shared additional insights regarding how impactful his involvement in Toastmasters has been for his personal and professional development and addressed various questions from the meeting participants.
Our Table Topics session was led by veteran Toastmaster Catherine Cheng, who delighted the entire group with her wonderful questions on the them of “Branding”. She drew from a very talented group of current and former members.
Guests And Former Members
During the course of this outstanding evening, we were privileged to visit with an impressive array of amazing guests as well as a number of former members who used to be a big part of our club. A few even chose to rejoin! Toastmasters 90210 is like a tight-knit family. While life or job circumstances dictate that members move away, they often rejoin as soon as their life or job leads them back into the community.
Have More Questions?
Hopefully, Sasha answered your questions about branding and the possibilities of what the future of business (and life) will look like in a post-COVID-19 world. We would love to answer your questions about how Toastmasters can improve your public speaking and leadership skills.
Come As A Guest On Monday Night
Please consider joining us for a regular meeting! We Zoom every Monday night at 7:00 p.m.
Epilogue
Toastmasters 90210 is a bounty of riches. With our exciting meeting lineup, this evening was just example of what new members can expect on a weekly basis.
If you are curious as to how our meetings run – or are wondering what all those letters are after the names of our more experienced members – visit us for a meeting! Stay for the networking afterward. Consider joining. If you want more information, please reach out to our VP of Membership or visit our contact page.
Communication and leadership have never been so much fun!