White collar, blue collar or no collar, Greeley has a new Toastmasters Club for you.
Salud! Toastmasters – Greeley meets at 4 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of every month at the LINC Library, 501 8th Ave.
“No matter your career. Your employment. Your walk of life. You’re welcome to come check out a meeting,” said Adrian Vigil, the founder and president of the new club. “It’s a good opportunity to advance your communication and leadership skills.”
Toastmasters clubs operate worldwide and aim to help people develop communication, public speaking and leadership skills. At each meeting, members will deliver prepared speeches and respond to impromptu speaking topics while receiving professional feedback, better preparing members for future leadership opportunities.
Vigil started the club earlier this year. His plumbing company, Top Notch Plumbing — which is about to celebrate its ninth anniversary — was in a spot where he didn’t have to spend everyday overseeing the operation, so he began looking for some other impact to make.
Vigil’s club isn’t the first in Greeley. The Greeley Early Risers Toastmasters club was established in 1951 and meets at 6 a.m. every Monday at Roche Constructors Corporate Office. And though they play a vital role in Greeley’s professional community, Vigil wanted to tailor this one toward a more youthful crowd — whether young professionals or those still trying to find their way.
“I came from a challenging childhood. So part of that is not having good communication skills,” Vigil said. “Spending time in and out of institutions, you don’t learn how to network, socialize, communicate.”
Vigil got the opportunity to speak to students in the Greeley-Evans Alternative Program. Then he was on a panel speaking to District 6 students. After speaking to the students at both, Vigil knew the type of organization he wanted to head.
“I was able to share a little about our industry and our trade and business,” Vigil said. “But I tried to sneak in a little about myself and how I got to where I’m at as well, in hopes of connecting and giving folks some hope that, despite some of the challenges we may have been born into or bad choices we’ve made in life, we can always turn it around.”
The new Toastmasters group held its first meeting on a stormy evening toward the end of July. Hosted at the Top Notch Plumbing office — an aluminum warehouse off 29th Avenue — hail started pounding the roof of the building so loud the group couldn’t hear the speakers. While Vigil chuckles about district Toastmasters officials running inside through the hail and the damage to his warehouse that he still needs to repair, he sees the meeting as a prime example of what the club is all about.
“It was a perfect metaphor for finding your voice through life’s storms,” he said.
Adrian Vigil stands in front of Top Notch Plumbing, 3005 W. 29th Street, Unit D. Vigil nearly died on Valentine's Day 2013 after a leaking acetylene tank caused his car to explode. (Chris Bolin/Staff Reporter)The group has been off and running ever since, choosing to move to the more friendly confines of the LINC Library soon after.
Each meeting begins with a short meet-and-greet at 4 p.m. At 4:15 p.m., the meeting officially gets underway, featuring speeches that are evaluated and critiqued by professionals. The group also takes part in different exercises, each aimed at improving members’ presentation and communication skills, ahead of wrapping up the meeting by 5:45 p.m.
“It’s fun. We have a great time,” Vigil said. “I look forward to it every time we get together.”
Vigil said the group currently has 17 members — just three short of the 20 needed to become a chartered club. He hopes to officially charter the group by its Wednesday, Oct. 1 meeting.
He hopes to do that, in part, by recruiting students at the University of Northern Colorado. He’s been in discussions with leadership of the Monfort College of Business about possible collaborations.
Membership is $10 per month with a $25 new member fee, but Vigil said you do not have to be a member to swing by and check out a meeting.
Vigil encourages anyone interested in the group to go to SaludTM.ToastMastersClub.org or email him directly at Adrian@TopNotchPlumbingLLC.com.
Hence then, the article about greeley business owner launches new club encouraging professional growth was published today ( ) and is available on GreeleyTribune ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Greeley business owner launches new club encouraging professional growth )
Also on site :