Toastmaster Advertising: Where Ideas Speak

This is a place where I can share the advertising materials I have created over the years for Southern Dutchess Toastmasters

[toastmaster-advertising]

Hello everyone! My name is Kevin Shannon.

As a member of Toastmasters since 2009, I have served in the role of VP PR for every one of those years, in multiple clubs. During that time I’ve used a number of tools to create some interesting advertisements. Most of our ads are online, on our Facebook or Instagram page.

This site is meant to be a place to share some of the materials I have created over the years, both simple photo ads, and videos. Besides sharing the materials I will also try to discuss and suggest the best tools to use to create advertisement such as these.

I hope someone finds some value in this material.

FILTER ON AD TYPES

Adobe Express Images and Videos

AI Emails

AI Images

AI Meeting Overviews

Instagram Ads

Other Uses for AI

Video Ads

[toastmaster-advertising]

Designing Custom Toastmasters Awards with AI and 3D Printing

One of the things that makes Toastmasters International so effective is its emphasis on recognition. Progress is celebrated, participation is encouraged, and members are motivated not just by completing speeches, but by contributing to the overall success of the club.

At Southern Dutchess Toastmasters, we’ve built on that idea with our P.A.C.E. program—Participating and Achieving Competence and Excellence. It’s a simple concept, but it has had a big impact. Members earn points not only for giving speeches, but for taking on all the roles that make a meeting run: Toastmaster of the Evening, evaluator, timer, Table Topics Master, and even smaller contributions like sharing a joke or stepping in when needed. Over the course of the Toastmasters year, those points accumulate, and members who reach 100 points earn recognition at the club level. The program reinforces something we strongly believe—growth comes from showing up, stepping up, and being involved in every aspect of the meeting.

That led to a natural question: instead of handing out a generic award, why not create something that actually reflects the spirit of the program?

With the tools available today, it turns out that’s not only possible—it’s surprisingly accessible. I started by using AI to design a medallion-style award that would feel meaningful and specific to our club. The key was not just asking for a design, but guiding the process with a few practical constraints. Since the goal was to 3D print the award, I limited the design to four colors, used bold shapes, and avoided gradients or fine detail that wouldn’t translate well to filament printing.

After a few iterations, I had a clean front design featuring “P.A.C.E. Award 2025–26” and a symbolic path leading upward, and a back design that visually represented communication, leadership, teamwork, and timing—core elements of what we practice at every meeting.

Once the design was complete, the next step was turning it into something physical. Using Bambu Studio, I took advantage of their keychain creation tool, which allows you to import a flat image and convert it into a multi-color printable model. It maps each color in the image to a separate layer, creating a 3MF file ready for printing. I created separate models for the front and back, added a built-in hook at the top, and sized the piece to about 3½ inches in diameter so it would function as a wearable medallion. The intent wasn’t really to make a keychain—it was to attach a lanyard so recipients can actually wear the award, giving it more presence and a sense of occasion when it’s presented.

Of course, the ability to print in multiple colors is what really makes this work. That’s where a printer like the Bambu Lab P1S with an AMS (Automatic Material System) comes into play. The AMS handles color changes automatically, producing a crisp, multi-color result without manual intervention. Not long ago, this kind of printing required a lot of tinkering and expertise, but today it’s become much more approachable—and the cost of entry has dropped significantly.

What came off the printer was more than just a token award. It was a custom-designed, four-color P.A.C.E. medallion that members can wear, display, or keep as a reminder of their achievement. At that size, it has real presence—it feels like something earned. And while it could double as a keychain if someone wanted, its primary purpose is as a wearable award that stands out during recognition moments.

So why go through the trouble of making your own awards? Because recognition is more powerful when it feels intentional. A custom piece like this reinforces club identity, creates a sense of pride, and turns a simple acknowledgment into something memorable. It also sends a subtle message: participation matters, and it’s worth celebrating in a meaningful way.

Could other clubs do something like this? Absolutely. With a bit of creativity, some thoughtful design constraints, and tools like AI and Bambu Studio, it’s entirely possible to create awards that are both affordable and unique. Pair that with a capable multi-color printer like the Bambu Lab P1S, and you have everything you need to bring those designs to life.

In the end, Toastmasters is about growth—and growth is fueled by participation. By creating a custom award for P.A.C.E., we’re not just recognizing that effort, we’re reinforcing it in a way that’s creative, tangible, and uniquely our own.

[toastmaster-advertising]

From Plain Text to Polished: How I Used AI to Build a Professional Toastmasters Newsletter

If you've ever tried to send a beautifully designed HTML email to your Toastmasters club only to have it arrive looking like a jumbled mess, you're not alone. This is the story of how I worked with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, to build a professional newsletter design from scratch — and the surprising technical hurdles we had to solve along the way.

Starting With a Vision

My goal was simple: create a newsletter that looked like it belonged to a real organization. Something with consistent branding, readable on any device, and easy enough to update before every meeting without being a web developer.

I started by describing what I wanted — the Toastmasters color scheme of deep red (#772432), gold (#f2df74), and navy (#0d3b5e) — and asked Claude to build a design system around those colors. What came back was a card-based layout with section header bars, colored borders, and a structured grid for things like officer rosters and event listings.

The first version used dark red backgrounds with light text. I looked at it and immediately knew that wasn't right — dark text on a light background is simply easier to read, especially in an email context where you have no control over the reader's screen brightness or environment. I asked Claude to flip it to white backgrounds with red borders and gold header bars, and that became the design foundation we built everything else on.

The Gmail Image Nightmare

Here's where things got interesting.

I had been hosting all my images on FreeToastHost, the platform our Toastmasters club website runs on. Images looked perfect when I previewed the email in my browser. They displayed fine in Apple Mail and iOS Mail. But Gmail users saw nothing but blank spaces where the images should have been.

After some troubleshooting we figured out the culprit: Gmail routes all external images through Google's own proxy servers before displaying them. FreeToastHost's servers were apparently blocking or not responding to Google's proxy IP ranges, so Gmail silently dropped every image. The frustrating part was that the images themselves were fine — they loaded perfectly in a browser. It was purely a Gmail proxy issue.

The fix was to host the images on Google Drive instead. But that turned out to have its own twist — the old direct link format that you find referenced all over the internet is broken. Google quietly deprecated it. The format that actually works is:https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d/YOUR_FILE_ID

You extract the file ID from your Google Drive sharing URL — it's the long string of characters between /d/ and /view — and drop it into that format. Once we switched to that, the images appeared correctly in Gmail on both desktop and mobile.

Building for Mobile and Gmail

Email clients are notoriously inconsistent about how they render HTML. The biggest trap is using modern CSS layout tools like flexbox or CSS Grid — they work beautifully in browsers but get ignored by Outlook, Gmail, and Apple Mail.

The solution is to go old school: table-based layouts for anything multi-column, and every single style written as an inline attribute directly on the element. No style tags, no CSS classes. It feels like coding in 2003 but it's the only approach that works reliably across every major email client. Claude handled all of this automatically once I explained the requirement — every iteration came out with fully inline styles and table-based layouts, ready to paste directly into any email platform.

Building Two Versions

Once the design was solid I realized the same newsletter wasn't appropriate for everyone. A prospective member who has never heard of Toastmasters doesn't care about club officer slates or District events — they want to know what's in it for them.

So I asked Claude to build a second version of the same email, same design, completely different content strategy. Out went the officer grid, the district events, the internal announcements, and the meeting link. In came a "What You Will Gain" section with specific benefits, a plain-English explanation of what actually happens at a meeting, and a clear call to action for first-time visitors.

The result was two polished on-brand newsletters — one for members, one for prospects — that I can update each month with minimal effort.

What I Learned

Working with an AI on a project like this is less like hiring a developer and more like having a very patient collaborator who never gets frustrated when you say "I don't like that, try it differently." The back-and-forth process of describing what I wanted, seeing a result, and refining it produced a better outcome than I could have designed on my own.

The technical knowledge Claude brought to the table — knowing which CSS properties survive in email clients, how Gmail's image proxy works, the correct Google Drive URL format — would have taken hours of Googling to find independently.

If you're a Toastmasters club officer who has been sending plain text emails or relying on generic templates, I'd encourage you to try building something custom. The learning curve is lower than you think, especially with an AI helping you work through the details.

Southern Dutchess Toastmasters meets the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month in Wappingers Falls, NY. Visitors are always welcome.

[toastmaster-advertising]

My latest Google Vids creation

🎬 Quick Tip: Turning Widescreen AI Video into Square Format in Google Vids

If you’re creating videos for platforms like Instagram, square format works beautifully across almost any phone screen.

One challenge I ran into: when generating AI video using Veo inside Google Vids, you’re limited to landscape or portrait—not square.

Here’s a simple workaround that works surprisingly well:

👉 Drop your widescreen clip into a square project 👉 Resize the video until it fills the top and bottom of the frame 👉 Right-click and choose “Center horizontally” and “Center vertically”

That’s it.

Most AI-generated clips naturally place the action in the center, so this method cleanly crops the sides while keeping the important content visible. In many cases, you’ll get a perfectly usable square video with no extra editing needed.

🔗 Try It Yourself

Want to experiment with the exact video I used? You can open it, make a copy, and edit it for your own use here:

👉 https://docs.google.com/videos/d/1e8HDExLUlaqnt-Mc6nHAvKcfivYdaFTA7cnN6TM0h3s/edit?usp=sharing

[toastmaster-advertising]

Do’s and Don’ts of Using AI in Speechwriting

Key rules for using artificial intelligence in speech prep.

[toastmaster-advertising]

Using AI for Speaker Notes

How to prompt AI to write speaker notes.

This article provides a practical blueprint for using AI as a "world-class speaking coach" to transform your slide decks into structured, engaging speaker notes. By mastering specific prompts for transitions, analogies, and rhetorical questions, you’ll learn how to significantly speed up your preparation while ensuring your unique human perspective remains at the heart of every presentation.

[toastmaster-advertising]

How I Put Together My Toastmasters Marketing Presentation (and How You Can Use It Too)

Recently, I put together a marketing presentation focused on helping Toastmasters clubs grow using simple, practical tools. One of my goals was not just to present ideas—but to create resources that anyone could reuse and adapt for their own club.

The good news? Everything I used is available below.

🎤 The Slide Deck

This is the full presentation I delivered. It covers SEO basics, social media ideas, video marketing, and simple ways to attract new members.

👉 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/190HGSshw4qd2bmtKQ-BtTfdimZY8vKf4UdnCbSkEf2I/edit?usp=sharing

You’re welcome to view it, copy it, and adapt it for your own club presentations.

🌐 Our Club Website

Our club website is the central hub for everything we do—meeting information, agendas, and member resources.

👉 https://southerndutchesstoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/

If your club doesn’t have an updated website, this is one of the most important places to start.

🚀 Our Landing Page (Designed to Convert Visitors)

This is the page we use when promoting the club. Instead of sending people everywhere, we send them to one focused page with clear next steps.

👉 https://bit.ly/m/SDTM

This makes a huge difference when sharing links on social media or in emails.

🎬 Video Template You Can Reuse

One of the easiest ways to promote your club is with short videos—and you don’t need advanced editing skills.

I created a simple video using Google Vids that you can edit and customize with your own club’s information.

👉 https://docs.google.com/videos/d/1gdExHi28ZwHHWA0RpOLWuWVmSIfMobjtaTU0oV4PRig/edit?usp=sharing

Just make a copy, swap in your details, and you’ve got a ready-to-go promotional video.

💡 Final Thought

Marketing your Toastmasters club doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple tools—a clear website, a focused landing page, a reusable presentation, and a short video—you can make a big impact.

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: Start simple, stay consistent, and keep sharing your message. If you have any questions feel free to contact me and if you create any great video ads for your club please share them with me. I would love to see them. https://unit.link/kevinpshan

[toastmaster-advertising]

How I Turn a Toastmasters Meeting into a Newsletter in Minutes

Using Google Meet, Gemini, and ChatGPT

If you’ve ever been responsible for writing a Toastmasters newsletter recap, you know the challenge.

You’re trying to remember who spoke… What their speech was about… Who evaluated whom… And what announcements were made.

By the time I sit down to write it, the details are already fading.

So recently, I tried a different approach at Southern Dutchess Toastmasters—and the results were surprisingly powerful.

Step 1: I Record the Meeting (Google Meet)

I run our hybrid meetings using Google Meet, which makes this simple:

I start the meeting as usual

I click Record

I let the entire meeting run

When the meeting ends, the recording is automatically saved to my Google Drive.

Even better—it’s organized for me. You can typically find it here:

Google Drive → My Drive → Meet Recordings

(If you’re using a Workspace account, it may also appear in a “Meet Recordings” folder or inside the meeting organizer’s Drive.)

Instead of relying on memory, I now have a complete, accurate record of everything that happened.

Step 2: I Use Gemini to Generate the Recap

Next, I take the recording or transcript and feed it into Google Gemini with a structured prompt.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

👉 Just asking AI to “summarize the meeting” doesn’t work well. 👉 The quality comes from giving it a clear structure.

Using a prompt I created with ChatGPT, I ask Gemini to:

Extract real names, roles, and speeches

Organize everything into clear sections

Write in a newsletter style

Avoid guessing or inventing details

Step 3: I Use ChatGPT to Build the Prompt

This is the step that made the biggest difference.

Instead of guessing what to ask Gemini, I used ChatGPT to design a reusable, high-quality prompt.

Here’s the exact prompt I used:

__________

Please review this Southern Dutchess Toastmasters meeting recording and create a polished meeting recap in newsletter style.

I want the writing to feel warm, readable, and specific to the actual meeting—not generic. Base everything only on what is clearly stated in the recording or transcript. Do not guess at names, roles, speech titles, achievements, or dates. If something is uncertain, include it in a short “Facts to Verify” section at the end instead of guessing.

Please structure the output like this:

Southern Dutchess Toastmasters Recap [Meeting date] | Theme: [theme if stated]

Opening paragraph: Write one short engaging paragraph capturing the tone, theme, and spirit of the meeting.

Club Highlights: Summarize important announcements, club achievements, contest results, dues reminders, membership updates, guest welcomes, and Distinguished Club progress.

Prepared Speeches: For each speech, include:

Speaker name

Speech title if stated

Project or pathway objective if stated

1–3 sentence summary of the speech topic and main takeaway

Table Topics: Summarize the Table Topics session in one paragraph, including the Table Topics Master, the general topic, and a few memorable responses if clearly identifiable.

Evaluations and Closing: Briefly summarize evaluator pairings, general evaluator comments, and any closing announcements.

Next Meeting: Include the next meeting date and Toastmaster if mentioned.

Writing requirements:

Newsletter style

Clear headings

Concise but informative

Positive and professional tone

Correct obvious transcript mistakes only when the intended meaning is reasonably clear

Keep names accurate

Do not make the recap overly long

Avoid generic praise and clichés

Then also provide:

A shorter website version in 2–4 short paragraphs

A very short email teaser in 2–3 sentences

A “Facts to Verify” section listing any uncertain details

What Gemini Produced

Here’s an example of the output Gemini generated from that prompt:

__________

Southern Dutchess Toastmasters Recap – March 16, 2026 Theme: Celebrate Curiosity

The meeting was centered around the theme "Celebrate Curiosity," exploring how asking "why" serves as a powerful force for learning, creativity, and discovery. Despite some initial technical hurdles with a new laptop, the spirit of the meeting remained high, marked by an atmosphere of mutual support and a record-breaking number of prepared speeches.

Club Highlights

Membership Growth: The club welcomed its newest member, Miriam, and celebrated the addition of 12 new members this year, making it the fastest-growing club among 98 in the district.

Contest Success: Long-time member Janice won the Division speech contest for humorous speaking and will represent the club at the district conference in Waterbury, Connecticut, on April 24th.

Distinguished Club Progress: The club has already achieved six of its ten goals, placing it in the top 96% of the district.

Dues Reminder: Members are reminded to pay their six-month dues by the end of March to keep the club in good standing. Self-pay is available online through the Toastmasters website.

Guest Welcome: James was welcomed as a guest and invited to participate in the Table Topics session.

Meeting Roles and Theme

Toastmaster & President: Kevin introduced the theme, "Ask Why: Celebrate Curiosity," noting that while children naturally ask "why," adults often lose that vital spark of inquiry.

Timer: Joe kept the meeting on track, timing speeches, Table Topics, and evaluations.

Word Master / Ah-Counter: In her first official role, Miriam introduced "Resilient" as the Word of the Day, highlighting the courage required to stand before an audience.

Joke Master: Darren shared a humorous story about a young girl’s endless curiosity while her father attempted to fix a sink.

Prepared Speeches

Deviki: "Renewal" Working on Motivational Strategies Level 1, Deviki delivered an evocative speech about the signs of spring, from singing birds to emerging tulips. She emphasized that spring serves as a reminder that renewal and better days always follow difficult times.

Janice: "Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun" Reflecting on her completion of the Engaging Humor pathway, Janice shared practical advice on record-keeping and maintaining a "story file" for future speeches. Her speech underscored the importance of simply having fun to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Melissa: "Which Direction Are You Facing?" Melissa explored the idea that successful people are intentional about the directions they choose to face. Using the sunflower as a metaphor, she illustrated how we grow toward the influences and environments we focus on.

Wanda: "My Toastmaster Journey" Wanda shared her long-term journey starting from "Toast Mistress" clubs to her current role. She described how public speaking served as a "lightning rod" for her career and encouraged others to find comfort in being uncomfortable.

Table Topics

The Table Topics session, led by Kevin, featured "silly" questions that all began with "why," challenging participants to think on their feet. Memorable responses included Khalil’s analysis of grocery store lines, Joe’s theory that washing machines were invented solely to steal socks, and Miriam’s reflection on the inner child that compels us to press elevator buttons repeatedly.

Evaluations and Closing

The evaluation session was led by General Evaluator Khalil. Janice evaluated Deviki, Ruth evaluated Janice, Matt evaluated Melissa, and Darren evaluated Wanda. The evaluators focused on vocal variety, body language, and the importance of connecting with the audience. In his closing remarks, Kevin shared a personal story about a missing sock found stuck to a pair of pants, reinforcing the meeting's theme of everyday mysteries.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Khalil will serve as Toastmaster, with Matt and Kevin currently signed up as speakers. Two speaking slots remain available for those looking to reach their goals.

SHORT WEBSITE VERSION

Recap: Southern Dutchess Toastmasters Explores the Power of Curiosity

Our March 16th meeting, themed "Celebrate Curiosity," was a vibrant session that highlighted the growth and achievements of our club members. President Kevin opened the meeting by emphasizing how curiosity drives innovation and learning, setting a perfect tone for the four prepared speeches that followed. We also celebrated Janice's recent win at the Division humorous speech contest and welcomed several new faces to our rapidly expanding club.

The evening featured a diverse range of speeches, from Deviki’s reflections on the renewal of spring to Wanda’s inspiring look back at her lifelong Toastmasters journey. Melissa spoke on the power of intentional living, while Janice shared humorous but practical lessons on the importance of keeping a story file. The "Ask Why" theme continued into an entertaining Table Topics session, where members tackled life's minor mysteries, such as disappearing laundry and the urge to press elevator buttons. Join us for our next meeting on April 6th at 7:00 PM as we continue to build our communication and leadership skills together.

ULTRA-SHORT EMAIL TEASER

Why do socks disappear in the laundry? Find out the latest theories and catch up on all the highlights from our "Celebrate Curiosity" meeting, including Janice's big contest win and four inspiring member speeches!

__________

Why This Works So Well

This simple workflow solves several problems I’ve run into over the years:

✔ Accuracy

I’m working from a recording—not memory.

✔ Consistency

Every recap follows the same structure.

✔ Time Savings

What used to take me 30–60 minutes now takes just a few minutes.

✔ Completeness

I don’t miss speakers, roles, or key moments.

Final Thought

For me, the real value isn’t just the tools—it’s the system:

Record → Prompt → Generate → Polish → Publish

Once I set that up, creating content became simple—and sustainable.

If you’re not recording your meetings yet, this might be the easiest upgrade you can make.

And if you are?

You’re already sitting on a goldmine of content.

[toastmaster-advertising]

How I Used Google’s NotebookLM and Gemini to Supercharge My Toastmasters Presentation

If you’ve been in Toastmasters for a while, you know the drill for a standard speech: you pick a topic, write your draft, practice, and present.

But the process is a bit different when you are asked to present an educational module. Toastmasters has two main educational collections: The Better Speaker Series, which provides instruction on basic speaking skills, and The Successful Club Series, which addresses the subject of quality club meetings.

Presentations in both series require 10 to 15 minutes to deliver. The challenge? You download the manual and are greeted with a short, two-page outline. You are instructed not to read it word-for-word, but rather to use the points to build your own speech using your own words. Staring at that brief PDF and wondering how to stretch it into an engaging 10-minute presentation can be daunting.

Recently, I decided to deliver “Keeping the Commitment,” a module that examines A Toastmaster’s Promise and how members benefit from upholding its principles. Instead of staring at a blank screen, I decided to enlist a little AI assistance using a "round trip" workflow between Google’s NotebookLM and Gemini.

The result? One of the smoothest presentation preps I’ve ever had. Here is exactly how I did it.

Step 1: Building the Knowledge Base in NotebookLM

NotebookLM acts as a personalized research assistant that grounds itself only in the documents you give it.

I started by uploading the official Toastmasters PDF manual for "Keeping the Commitment." To give the AI a broader understanding of presentation best practices, I also loaded in a few other resources. Then, I used NotebookLM’s built-in web search feature to pull in some fresh, additional context about club engagement and leadership. Suddenly, my Notebook had a complete, expert-level understanding of the exact topic I was presenting on.

Step 2: Drafting the Script with Gemini

Once my research was organized in NotebookLM, I didn't want a robotic summary—I wanted a speech that sounded like me.

I jumped over to Gemini and connected it to my NotebookLM project. I prompted Gemini to generate a full 8 to 10-minute speech script based on the curated knowledge base. To make it personal, I fed Gemini a few anecdotes to weave into the framework. For instance, to illustrate the importance of a positive, friendly environment, I had it contrast the incredible, "standing-ovation" welcome we give guests at Southern Dutchess Toastmasters with a surprisingly cold environment I’d experienced at a local magic club over the last two years.

Because Gemini was drawing from the official outline, it perfectly blended the Toastmasters educational standards with my personal stories and my perspective as a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).

Step 3: Back to NotebookLM for Slides & Infographics

Once the script was finalized in Gemini, I loaded that completed script back into my NotebookLM project. This is where the real magic happened, thanks to some recent updates to the platform.

First, I realized my presentation needed a strong overview slide to summarize what A Toastmaster’s Promise actually is. I used NotebookLM's ability to generate infographics, prompting it to summarize the promise visually. It did a wonderful job, and that infographic became the perfect opening slide for my deck.

Next, I prompted NotebookLM to generate the rest of my slide deck based on the script. To make sure it didn't just give me generic bullet points, I used a highly detailed prompt that looked something like this:

"Based on the uploaded script 'Keeping the Commitment', please generate a detailed Slide Deck. Aim for approximately 10 to 12 slides. Make the tone professional and encouraging. Ensure the three fundamental maxims (Participate, Interact, and Maintain Club Quality) are the pillars. Include a slide specifically for 'The Standing Ovation Welcome' and the Magic Club Anecdote. Detail the importance of proactive role-signing and District Leadership. Finally, include a 'Call to Action' slide regarding Social Media promotion and Goal Setting."

What makes NotebookLM's slide generation feature incredibly powerful is that once the deck is generated, you can go in and view each slide individually. If a slide isn't quite right, you can ask for specific changes on a per-slide basis without messing up the rest of the presentation.

Once I had every slide looking exactly the way I wanted, I just clicked a button and downloaded the whole thing directly as a PowerPoint presentation.

The Result

I opened the downloaded PowerPoint, made a few minor aesthetic tweaks, and I was ready to go. The slides perfectly matched the flow of the speech. When it came time to present, the speech flowed naturally, the audience was engaged, and the core message of A Toastmaster's Promise hit home.

The takeaway? AI isn't here to write our speeches for us—it’s here to act as a sounding board, help us expand on brief outlines, and handle the tedious parts of slide design so we can focus on what really matters: connecting with our audience.

If you want a seamless prep experience without needing a degree in graphic design to get your point across, give NotebookLM a try. You don't have to be a slide-deck wizard to create a visually compelling presentation—just bring your expertise and let the AI handle the heavy lifting. I think you’ll find it to be an incredibly useful addition to your speaking toolkit.

Living_the_Promise

[toastmaster-advertising]

From Frustration to Finished: Building the Toastmaster Tools App with AI

I recently set out to build a custom Toastmaster Tools app for my club — a web-based app that handles timing, filler word counting, transcription, and the Word of the Day, all from a single screen on an iPad or iPhone. What I didn't expect was that the journey would become an accidental comparison of three different AI tools, a masterclass in knowing when to switch, and ultimately a lesson in what it really means to build software with AI as your partner.

The Scriptable Roadblock

I started with ChatGPT, hoping to create a script for Scriptable — a cool iOS app that lets you write and run JavaScript directly on your iPhone or iPad. The experience was a slog. Every version it produced had syntax errors, and the slow typing speed made revisions painful. After an hour, I still didn't have a working timer.

Switching to Gemini: The Turning Point

I decided to give Gemini a shot, and the difference was night and day. The very first version worked perfectly. Gemini then helped me pivot to a Progressive Web App — a smarter approach that meant no app store, no installation, and the app would work on any device with a browser. Gemini orchestrated the entire architecture nearly instantly.

We spent several hours in a "ping-pong" session, moving past basic functionality into specialized features:

High-Contrast Light Mode — ensuring readability in bright meeting rooms

Smart Roster — a local database that saves speaker names so the Timer doesn't have to retype them every week

Integrated Reporting — a clean meeting report with a Share Sheet function for instant results

Word of the Day — AI-powered definitions and usage sentences via ChatGPT, with filler word tracking for the Grammarian role

Gemini then generated a professional user guide integrated directly into the app.

At this point, the verdict seemed clear: Gemini was the winner.

When Gemini Hit a Wall

Then I wanted to push the app further.

The next feature was speech transcription — using OpenAI's Whisper API to automatically record a speaker, transcribe their words, and count filler words without any manual tapping. A natural evolution of the app.

This is where things fell apart. Gemini began making significant mistakes the moment it touched the transcription code. Features that had worked flawlessly for weeks started breaking. Each fix introduced a new regression. The codebase, which had been clean and stable, became fragile. It was the classic problem of an AI losing the thread of a complex system while trying to extend it.

I made the decision to switch to Claude.

A Different Kind of Collaboration

Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic, a company founded by former members of OpenAI with a focus on AI safety. Where it stands out is in handling complex, long-running projects where keeping track of many moving parts matters.

The contrast was immediate. Before writing a single line of new code, Claude audited the entire existing codebase and produced a formal technical reference document — a complete contract specifying every function, every storage key, every screen ID, and every CSS class that had to be preserved. This became the foundation for everything that followed.

From that point, Claude added feature after feature across many sessions — and this is where I want to be honest about something. I'm not just a passive recipient of AI output. I have 40 years of experience as a software developer and manager. I know what to ask for. I know when something is wrong. I know how to think about architecture. What changed in retirement is that I wanted to try a different approach — describing what I want in plain English and acting as the product owner and editor rather than the coder. This approach is sometimes called vibe coding, and this project became my real-world test of whether it actually works.

The short answer: it works remarkably well, but your background matters. The AI multiplies what you bring to it.

What Got Built

Here's what the app does today — and none of it existed when I handed the project to Claude:

At the meeting:

Timing — full-screen color cues (green → yellow → red) for every standard Toastmasters role, with custom thresholds and automatic session logging

Filler Word Counting — tap-to-count cards for AH, UH, UM, ER, SO, LIKE, YOU KNOW and the Word of the Day, with automatic filler scoring

Speech Transcription — record a speaker in the app, get an AI transcript via OpenAI Whisper with filler words highlighted in red and the Word of the Day in gold

Cloud Meeting Report — at the end of a meeting, every device's timing and filler results appear in one shared report

Shared across the whole club:

Cloud Sync — the entire club works from a shared roster. The officer generates a sync code once; members enter it on their first visit and the club roster downloads automatically. Every device in the room stays in sync.

Speaker Progress Tracking — a running history of each speaker's filler word rate across meetings, stored in the cloud from week to week, with trend indicators and full session history

Meeting prep:

Meeting Theme Suggester — enter the meeting date, get 5 AI-generated theme ideas tied to holidays, events, and observances near that date

Fun Facts Generator — select a theme and get 6 surprising facts auto-generated for the Toastmaster's script

Table Topics Generator — 8 varied, AI-generated questions tailored to the chosen theme, ready to copy and paste into your agenda

Club management:

PACE Participation Tracker — a leaderboard aligned to the Toastmasters year where members earn points for each role they fill, with embeddable widgets for your club website

DCP Integration — pulls your club's Distinguished Club Program data directly from the Toastmasters website so you can track goals without logging in

My honest estimate is that this took about one tenth of the time it would have taken me to build it the traditional way.

What Made the Difference

Two things stood out about working with Claude.

The first was the technical contract. By establishing upfront exactly what couldn't be touched, Claude treated the codebase the way a professional engineer would — with respect for what already worked. New features were built around the existing architecture, not through it.

The second was transparency about mistakes. When a bug appeared — a stray closing tag inside a template literal that silently broke every function defined after it — Claude diagnosed it precisely, explained exactly why it had happened, and fixed it without drama. No hours of chasing regressions.

And through all of it — not one existing feature broke. The timer still works. The roster still works. The Word of the Day still works. The report still works. Every addition was surgical.

The Real Verdict

Gemini deserves full credit for the original build. It was fast, fluent, and created something genuinely useful from scratch. For greenfield development where you're starting from nothing, it's a remarkable tool.

But building from zero and extending a complex, working system are fundamentally different skills. When the complexity increased, the results diverged sharply. Claude proved to be the right tool for the second half: a careful, methodical collaborator that could hold the full architecture in mind, extend it confidently, and leave everything it didn't touch exactly as it found it.

The finished app is better for having both.

As for vibe coding — I'm a believer. Not because it eliminates the need for technical judgment, but because it dramatically amplifies it. I spent my energy on what the app should do and how it should work, and the AI handled the implementation. That's a division of labor I could have only dreamed of forty years ago.

The Toastmaster Tools app is live at toastmaster-tools.site and is free to use for any Toastmasters club.

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How I Created a Custom "Pathways" Intro Video Using Google’s New AI Stack

As many of us know, the Pathways learning experience is incredibly rewarding, but it can be a little overwhelming for brand-new Toastmasters. I wanted to create a clear, welcoming video overview specifically for our new members at Southern Dutchess Toastmasters to help them get started with Pathways and Base Camp.

The challenge? I wanted it to be professional, accurate, and customized, but I didn't want to spend weeks editing it. Here is the exact workflow I used to build the entire project using Google’s latest AI tools: NotebookLM, Gemini, and Google Vids.

Step 1: Research & Knowledge Base (NotebookLM)

I started by creating a new notebook in NotebookLM. Instead of hunting down links manually, I asked NotebookLM to go out and find as much current information as possible about the Toastmasters Pathways system and Base Camp.

It pulled in numerous sources which I ingested directly into the notebook. This gave me a grounded, factual "brain" containing only the specific information I needed for the project.

Step 2: Drafting the Narrative (Gemini + NotebookLM)

Once the data was ready, I went into Gemini and connected it to that specific notebook. This is a crucial step because it grounds Gemini in the actual source material.

I asked Gemini to write a script for a short presentation geared toward members who knew nothing about the program. It produced a solid overview, which we went back and forth on to adjust the tone until it was perfect.

Step 3: Generating the Visuals (The Prompt Handoff)

Here is where the magic happened. Instead of designing slides from scratch, I asked Gemini to write a specific prompt for NotebookLM’s slide creation tool. I asked it to analyze our finalized script and describe a slide deck that would match it perfectly.

I took that customized prompt, went back into NotebookLM, opened the slide deck tool, and pasted it in. The result? The first draft of slides was essentially perfect. It saved me hours of formatting time.

Step 4: The Voiceover Script

To get the audio right, I needed a script that matched the visuals exactly. I exported the slides as a PDF and uploaded that PDF into Gemini.

I asked Gemini to write a voiceover script specifically for those slides. Because it could "see" the visual context of the PDF, the first version of the script was excellent and required only minor tweaks.

Step 5: Assembly and Production (Google Vids)

For the final build, I used the new Google Vids in Google Drive. My process was simple:

I exported each page of the PDF slide deck as an individual image.

I imported them one by one into Google Vids.

I used the tool to generate a professional voiceover for each slide using the script from Step 4.

To add some life to the video, I also generated some AI video clips of "people at a Toastmasters meeting" to intersperse with the slides.

The Result

After exporting to Drive and uploading to YouTube, the feedback has been fantastic. We now have a decent, modern overview of the Pathways system that is customized specifically for Southern Dutchess Toastmasters.

The best part? It didn't require a film crew or a graphic designer—just the right combination of AI tools working together.

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More new feature are on the way.

3 upcoming features I can't wait to use in NotebookLM

Counting down the days till these features drop.

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My First Impressions of Google Vids: A Game-Changer for AI Video Creation

If you're into technology and enjoy exploring new AI tools, this is an amazing time to be alive. With major players like OpenAI and Google constantly leapfrogging each other in functionality, we’re seeing new releases almost every week. Just a few weeks ago, I blogged about my first experience with Google Flow, a powerful AI tool for script-based video creation (here’s the link to that post). I even took the time to outline some features I hoped Google might add in the future.

Well, I didn’t have to wait long. Google has just introduced a new product called Google Vids, and it’s a big leap forward.

What Is Google Vids?

Google Vids is a fully integrated video creation application built right into Google Drive. Think of it as Google Slides—but for videos.

Here are some of the key features:

Generate or upload images and video clips

Place them on a timeline with transitions, text overlays, and animations

Add voiceover narration—either AI-generated or your own recorded voice

Easily revise or replace any scene in your project

Keep all assets organized in a single place—just like other Google Drive documents

This all-in-one workflow eliminates the friction of juggling multiple apps and file types. It’s especially powerful for creators like me, who regularly produce promotional videos for things like Toastmasters meetings.

How I Used to Create Videos

Before Google Vids, my typical video creation process involved a whole ecosystem of tools:

Image creation in Adobe Express

Animations added in Adobe or Keynote

Voiceovers recorded in Apple’s Voice Memos

Editing with iMovie or Clips on iPhone/iPad

Soundtracks added last using royalty-free music in Clips

I had video assets scattered across Adobe, local folders, and cloud storage

Even though this process worked, it was fragmented and time-consuming—especially if I ever needed to go back and update an old video. For instance, our Toastmasters club has changed locations twice in the past 10 years. Modifying a video to reflect that new info usually meant starting from scratch.

Why Google Vids Feels Like a Breakthrough

With Google Vids, all assets—images, audio, video clips, voiceovers—are stored as part of a single video project, just like a Google Slides presentation. Each element exists as an individual scene on the timeline, making it easy to edit or replace. This is a huge time-saver and gives you version control you simply don’t get when piecing things together across different apps.

Another feature I love: AI voiceovers. While I still enjoy recording my own narration, Google Vids lets you generate AI narration for each scene based on your written script. You can preview and fine-tune voice style and pacing—all within the app.

But here’s something that could be a real game-changer for collaborative groups like Toastmasters: video projects in Google Vids are shareable. That means if another club sees a video I’ve created and wants to use it for their own promotion, I can simply share the project with them. They can open it in Google Vids, make a few quick edits—like swapping out the opening or closing slide—and generate a customized version for their club. One project becomes the foundation for many versions, tailored to different audiences.

A Few Limitations (For Now)

As impressive as it is, there are still a few limitations:

Video clips are currently limited to 8 seconds each

Google’s image generation doesn’t yet maintain character consistency across multiple prompts (something ChatGPT’s image tools handle better)

For my first project, I actually created most of the visuals in ChatGPT’s image generator because it allowed me to generate a consistent character across several images—something I needed for storytelling continuity. I then imported those into Google Vids.

My First Google Vids Project

Here's the first video I produced using Google Vids. It took about an hour and a half, but that includes the learning curve. Once you get the hang of the interface, future projects should go even faster.

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Using AI to Create Effective Surveys for Your Toastmasters Club

As Toastmasters leaders, one of the best ways to improve our club is by understanding why members leave. Feedback from former members can provide invaluable insights into the challenges they faced, and this helps us make improvements for future members.

Creating a survey is an effective way to gather this feedback, but the process of manually designing, structuring, and analyzing responses can be time-consuming. Fortunately, AI is here to help streamline part of this process. In this blog post, we'll explain how AI can assist in designing and creating surveys, and what steps you can take now to improve your survey creation. We'll also discuss how AI could potentially automate much of this process in the future.

Step 1: Using AI to Generate Survey Questions

Creating the right questions is key to getting meaningful feedback from former members. While you could brainstorm these questions yourself, AI can help speed up the process by generating thoughtful, targeted questions based on your specific goals.

For example, I used a simple query to AI asking for survey suggestions for former Toastmasters members. The AI quickly generated a comprehensive set of questions, ensuring that we gather feedback on different aspects of the member experience.

Here’s a sample of the survey questions AI suggested:

Why did you initially join Toastmasters?

Improve public speaking skills

Improve leadership skills

Build confidence

Networking/Community

What were the main reasons you stopped attending regularly?

Lack of time

Felt I had achieved my goals

Didn't feel connected to the club

How satisfied were you with aspects of our club like meeting quality, structure, and support?

Meeting quality

Friendliness of members

Communication from leadership

AI can help ensure that you ask the right questions to uncover the reasons people leave, and by generating questions in minutes, you can save valuable time and effort.

Step 2: Manually Creating and Distributing the Survey

Once you have your questions, the next step is putting them into a survey platform like Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform. This step still requires manual work—copying and pasting the questions, setting up response types, and designing the layout.

At the moment, there’s no way for AI to fully automate the process of placing these questions into a tool like Google Forms. However, once the questions are ready, it’s a straightforward task to set up your survey. You can use Google Forms for free and easily customize the layout and options.

One thing to keep in mind is the time spent designing your survey form. With AI handling the bulk of the thinking and brainstorming, you only need to focus on formatting and customizing. Still, it's a manual process, and while it’s faster than doing everything from scratch, there’s still room for improvement.

Step 3: Analyzing Survey Responses

After collecting responses, you’ll need to analyze the data. This typically involves reading through open-ended responses, identifying patterns, and summarizing results. While tools like Google Forms can provide basic insights, the process still requires significant effort to go through qualitative feedback manually.

Here again, AI can assist by analyzing large sets of data, categorizing responses, and even conducting sentiment analysis. AI can help identify trends you might have missed and suggest areas for improvement based on the feedback. For instance, if several members mention a particular issue, AI can flag this as a recurring theme and help guide your next steps.

The Future: AI-Driven Surveys and Automation

While AI currently helps with generating questions and analyzing responses, the future holds even greater potential. Imagine a time when AI could fully automate the survey process, including integrating directly with survey tools like Google Forms. You could simply input a prompt like, “Create a survey about why members leave Toastmasters,” and AI would automatically populate the survey form with questions, set up response options, and even format it according to your preferences.

This future AI integration could also take care of distributing the survey and collecting responses without manual effort. AI might even be able to assess the feedback in real time, providing instant insights and recommendations without you having to lift a finger. This level of automation could save Toastmasters clubs hours of administrative work and allow leaders to focus more on making improvements based on feedback.

Conclusion

Right now, AI offers substantial help in creating surveys by generating questions and assisting with analyzing responses. While the process still requires some manual effort—particularly when it comes to survey design and distribution—AI can save time by eliminating the need for brainstorming and organizing questions.

As AI continues to evolve, it’s exciting to imagine a future where the entire survey process is automated, from design to distribution to analysis. In the meantime, using AI to assist with the foundational aspects of survey creation can still make the process faster and more efficient.

So, next time you’re looking to gather feedback from your Toastmasters members, consider using AI to assist in crafting your survey. It might not be fully automated yet, but it can still help you gather valuable insights with less effort and time.

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My First Foray into AI Filmmaking with Google Flow (and a Toastmasters Tip!)

I recently had the exciting opportunity to try out Google Flow, Google's new AI-powered video creation platform, to produce a short film for my Toastmasters club. It was a fascinating journey into the world of AI filmmaking, and I’d love to share what I learned—including a helpful Toastmasters tip along the way. First the finished product.

Step 1: Scripting with Gemini

The process began with Google Gemini, which I used to script the video. I asked it to create a short explainer based on this Toastmasters tip:

"Arrive early. Give yourself enough time to get acquainted with the stage or presentation area, and test the microphone and any visual aids you’ll be using."

I also requested scene suggestions to pair with the narration. Gemini responded with a solid, structured script that provided a strong foundation for the video production.

Step 2: Generating Scenes in Google Flow

Google Flow is an impressive tool. It allows you to generate video clips simply by describing them in text. One standout feature is the ability to expand scenes, helping maintain continuity of characters and objects across shots.

However, I discovered that uploading a custom character for consistency across scenes is a premium feature, priced at $129 per month. For this first experiment, that was more than I was willing to invest.

To work around the character continuity limitation, I used close-up shots and creative framing, which helped disguise the inconsistency. Flow’s Scenebuilder feature also came in handy—it lets you stitch together individual clips, fine-tune transitions, and build a cohesive narrative flow from multiple 8-second scenes.

Step 3: Post-Production with iOS Clips

Once I had generated and downloaded the clips, I moved to post-production on my iPhone using the iOS Clips app. Here’s how I pulled it together:

Initial Edits: I imported the video into Clips, trimmed out silent openings, and added a title slide.

Narration: I recorded the narration using the Voice Memos app, syncing it to match the 40-second video runtime.

Audio Integration: I shared the voice memo directly into Clips and embedded it as the project’s main audio track.

Background Music: Because Clips supports only one audio track per project, I exported the video with narration, then opened it in a new Clips project to add background music from the app’s free library.

Final Export: After adding the music, I saved the final version—ready to share with my Toastmasters club!

Takeaways from My First Project

Google Flow is a powerful platform with real promise for content creators. Its ability to turn text descriptions into visual scenes and its Scenebuilder interface make it an accessible tool for storytelling—even with the current limitations for free users.

While the premium character continuity feature is costly, clever scene composition can help mitigate that. Combining Flow’s visuals with mobile editing tools like Clips made for a surprisingly smooth workflow.

What’s Next? Features I’m Excited to Explore

My first project only scratched the surface. Here are some features I plan to explore in future videos:

Advanced Camera Controls: Flow allows precise manipulation of zoom, pan, angle, and movement—ideal for creating cinematic transitions and perspectives.

“Frames to Video” & “Ingredients to Video”: You can upload or generate reference images to influence your video’s style, composition, or continuity—especially useful without premium character tools.

Native Audio Generation (with Ultra Plan + Veo 3): Premium users can auto-generate dialogue, sound effects, and music directly in Flow, streamlining production.

Asset Management: Flow’s tools for organizing prompts, characters, and visual elements are helpful for recurring projects or series-style videos.

Scenebuilder “Jump To” Transitions: This allows for dynamic scene changes while maintaining visual context, perfect for narrative storytelling across multiple environments.

Flow TV: A showcase of user-generated videos, Flow TV includes example prompts—an inspiring way to learn new techniques and spark creative ideas.

I’m excited to keep experimenting and see how far I can push the creative boundaries with AI video tools. If you're a fellow Toastmaster—or just curious about AI filmmaking—I highly recommend giving Google Flow a try!

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Google NotebookLM

I’ve posted in the past about my uses of Google‘s notebook LM. This is a great write up that goes into detail of each of the different functions available and why it’s something you should be thinking of using. Unlike most AI tools that scour the Internet for responses, notebook LM just uses the sources that you provide it.

A dedicated iOS and android client is coming soon. I’m already signed up to be notified when it drops on May 20. 

I Never Knew How Much I Needed NotebookLM. Here's How I Use Google's Information Alchemist

NotebookLM can help you organize your thoughts, workshop ideas and get ready for a big test or presentation. Here's what you should know.

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Transforming Lecture Notes into Interactive Mind Maps Using AI

While this isn't strictly a Toastmasters-focused AI project, I thought this experience was worth sharing due to its simplicity and practical benefits. At my magic club this week, I recorded a lecture using my AI transcription device, the Bee computer. The lecturer discussed various brainstorming methods and highlighted mind mapping—a technique I've relied on for many years to organize ideas and project requirements.

This sparked an idea: Could I leverage AI to turn the lecture notes into an easy-to-navigate mind map?

My Process

Here's the straightforward process I followed:

Recording and Summarizing:

First, I used the AI agent integrated into my recording device to create a summarized outline of the lecture, neatly grouped into distinct topics. Impressively, it delivered a near-perfect outline on its first attempt.

Converting to Markdown:

Next, I requested the AI to format this outline in Markdown. Markdown is ideal because it's both readable and easily convertible to other formats, making it perfect for visual mapping tools.

Creating the Mind Map:

To convert the Markdown outline into an interactive mind map, I used a fantastic, free tool called Markmap (markmap.js.org).

I simply pasted the Markdown content into Markmap’s online editor. Instantly, it transformed the outline into an interactive, expandable, and collapsible mind map.

Markmap offered several customization options, such as starting fully expanded or collapsed and enabling word wrap.

Sharing the Result:

Once satisfied with the map, I downloaded the HTML version and uploaded it to GitHub, making it easy to share with others.

Within minutes, I had turned lecture notes into an engaging, interactive visual resource that makes exploring complex topics straightforward and intuitive.

Check Out the Result

Here’s the original outline and a link to the interactive mind map:

Mind Map: Interactive Mind Map

Give it a try yourself—it's an effective and enjoyable way to explore detailed information!