Meet the President- Mark M.

 
What do you do to pay the bills?

I do three things.  First, Andy Bayon (a club member) and I are business partners and our company is SanDiegoDateIdeas.com where couples and families can go to get ideas for dates and outings.  It’s easy to run out of ideas, and we know a zillion places to go and have fun around San Diego, a place where people from around the world travel to for their vacation year round.

Second I am the founder of the "21C Movement” which will educate the general population so that they can thrive in the increasing complexity of our 21st Century world, and not be overwhelmed by it.

Lastly, I’m a computer hardware / software engineer with over 4 decades of experience who has seen and done everything, and to make extra money on the side I design and care for high-powered computer systems for an architecture firm in North Park.

How did you hear about CB?

Andy, my business partner, could tell that I was struggling when I got in front of my cameras to speak on human nature.  He had been to a Toastmasters before to learn how to give a Best Man speech for a friend and knew I would benefit.  He looked and found Career Builders Toastmasters and, well, the rest is history.
 

Why did you become a member?
 
I’ll be spending the rest of my life speaking in front of the camera and in front of crowds of people leading  the 21C Movement.  What I didn’t realize is how much I had to learn in order to be a great speaker who will move millions of people forward.
 

Why did you decide to be an Officer?
 
Leadership positions come naturally to me as they do with so many people in Career Builders, but it also gave me a chance to get involved and make a difference for the club. Plus, now I get to speak at every meeting as the presiding officer - a built-in perk!
 

What is the biggest lesson you have learned about yourself, while in CB?
 
That I had so much to learn about speaking and speech writing that I didn’t know.  It has been so much fun learning story telling, expression, emotion, and leaving the audience with a clear take-away.  There is no question that I would not be able to move forward without this training and the Toastmaster community.
 
What lasting impression do you want to leave on the club?
 
The theme of my tenure is “Looking After Each Other” and I want to leave a club where the membership bonds together and feels like a team and helps each other go farther than they would otherwise.  It takes extra work and attention to detail to make that happen.
 

 What you say/do to encourage guest to join?
 
Toastmasters is where you come to practice, not perform.  You come here to make mistakes so that you’ll make fewer out there.  I love the image of gymnasts practicing their flips strapped into bungee cables and tumbling into a pit of foam cubes.  Like that.  That’s what we’re here to do, in a supportive and caring space.  I find that when I say that they immediately relax and it’s exactly what they were hoping for.
 

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