My Map to Becoming a Public Speaker
I follow these 3 things to achieve my goal
I’m not an ambitious person, but my Mama says that my curiosity is bigger than my height. Fun fact about me: I have GERD symptoms not because I don’t like to eat, but because I get so absorbed in learning and reading that I forget to eat. Learning is my hobby, so getting the best rank in my class was just a natural result of my passion for learning.
I have several dreams, such as becoming an inspiring writer, publishing bestselling books, having a happy family, being a writing coach, and becoming a great public speaker. It has been a long journey — so far, I have published 27 books (only one became a bestseller), become a multitalented writer (fiction, copywriting, content writing), and worked as a writing coach.
As I write this, I haven’t yet become a famous public speaker. However, looking at my achievements, I’ve started thinking about creating a roadmap to prepare myself.
How can I create a roadmap to reach this goal?
Focus on the Small Steps
I love watching TEDx speakers on YouTube. They come from various backgrounds and have incredible storytelling skills to share their ideas. That’s why TEDx’s motto is “Ideas Worth Spreading.” I also often attend TEDx Surabaya events because it’s near my hometown, Sidoarjo.
Every time I watch TEDx speakers, a small dream forms in my heart — I want to be like them, standing on stage and sharing my inspiring stories. I also want to become a keynote speaker in English, which will be a challenging yet exciting goal.
I remember how I published my first book through a competition. It wasn’t pure coincidence. I wrote almost every day in my journal and had a fiction idea about a month before the competition was announced. So, when the competition gave us only a month to write, I could finish my manuscript quickly without facing writer’s block.
I had already taken small steps by writing every day. That’s why I believe I need to apply the same approach to becoming an English-speaking public speaker. I decided to join Eagle Toastmasters Surabaya to begin my journey. I chose the Presentation Mastery pathway and participated in Mentor The Mentor training in Toastmasters.
Miracles happen. I’ve gained more confidence in speaking English comfortably and have applied the knowledge I’ve gained in my writing classes and mentoring sessions with private clients. I even became a speaker at a Joint Meeting between Eagle Toastmasters Surabaya and Sendai Toastmasters in Japan. I also conducted my first Edu Session in my club. It’s not perfect yet, but I’ve taken my first small steps.
Sharing My Toastmasters Journey Through Social Media
The second part of my roadmap to achieving my goal as a public speaker is sharing my Toastmasters journey on social media. I don’t post too often, so I mainly use WhatsApp Stories and Instagram Stories to share my activities in Eagle Toastmasters Surabaya.
As the VPPR (Vice President of Public Relations) in my club, this also helps attract more guests to attend our regular meetings. Some of my friends have even asked how I’ve developed my public speaking skills through Toastmasters. After hearing my story, they attended my club’s meetings.
Right now, I don’t need to speak English in events outside Toastmasters, but sharing my journey has definitely strengthened my confidence in pursuing my goal.
Documenting My Journey Through Writing
My personal brand as a writer is well-known through my blog and social media posts. So, I’ve applied the same strategy to my Toastmasters journey. Written posts are easier for readers to absorb and can also rank on Google Search.
At my current level, I have a task to write some posts related to Toastmasters. That’s why I’m publishing this piece on my Medium account. If I stay consistent with this approach — just as I have with my writing career — I believe I will eventually see the results.
I believe in storytelling. I’ve also built my personal brand, Wordholic, to combine my passions for writing, learning languages, and public speaking. There are no limits — except those I set in my own mind.
