A double contest sweep. Headshots. Cupcakes. February and March are not playing around. 

Toasties, March has arrived, and we are not slowing down for rain, allergies, or Mercury in retrograde!  We've got contest results to celebrate, a sold-out workshop happening THIS FRIDAY, a brand-new member to welcome, headshots to schedule (yes, really!), an Open House with baked goods, and a few things to reflect on as we head into renewal season. Grab a coffee—this one's got a lot of good stuff in it. 

 Word of the Day

Whimsical (adj.) – playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and endearing way

"The project kickoff took a whimsical turn when someone proposed the roadmap be presented entirely as an illustrated storybook—and honestly, it got more engagement than any slide deck we'd seen all year."

 Fun fact: Whimsical is making its second appearance this term! Perhaps we have been charmed? Every meeting could be whimsical, and the world might be better for it. Or at the very least, ridiculously entertaining.

 Table Topics Winner

Congratulations to our most recent Table Topics champion:

 Kaleem McGill – February 5th

If you've been watching from the sidelines and thinking about trying Table Topics—consider this your sign. Two minutes, a surprise prompt, and a room full of people who will clap for you no matter what. You could say literally anything and walk away with applause. That's a deal. 

 Welcome, Dipti!

[Pictured: Dipti Ganoo—the one and only!]

Please give a warm Toastmasters welcome to Dipti Ganoo (pronounced Dip-tea), joining us all the way from Dallas, TX! 

Dipti is a Technical Director in Consulting on the B2C Commerce Cloud Professional Services team—so she is no stranger to navigating complex conversations with confidence. She's actually a returning Toastmasters member, which means she already knows the magic of this work and has come back for more (we love to see it!). She's here to continue growing and sharpening her public speaking skills. Outside of work, Dipti enjoys yoga, cooking, and learning vocal singing—and honestly? She may have accidentally stumbled onto the perfect pre-speech routine. Yoga lengthens your spine, deepens your breath, and steadies your nerves. Vocal singing warms up your voice and unlocks the kind of vocal variety that makes a speech genuinely captivating. And cooking... well, maybe the aromas trigger dopamine and confidence. We're not scientists, but we're not ruling it out. Dipti, can you teach a workshop? 

Welcome back to Toastmasters, Dipti—we are so glad you're here!

 Club Contest Results

What a fantastic February Club Contest! We were treated to some impressive speeches, and we could not be more proud of everyone who had the courage to step up and compete, AND everyone who showed up to cheer them on. A great audience is half the magic. 

A huge, well-deserved congratulations to Shariff Dahlan, who swept the contest—taking home first place in BOTH the Tall Tales AND International Speech contests!  That is two wins in one day, and it was an absolute joy to watch.

[Pictured: VP Education Vincent Lowe announces Shariff Dahlan (center square, BIG smile) as the winner of the International Speech Contest.]

And now, our story continues beyond the club: please join us in cheering on Guru Balse, who will be representing Salesforce Toastmasters locally at the Area Contest this Saturday!

 Area Contest Details: San Francisco Public Library, North Beach Branch 850 Columbus Ave, San Francisco  Saturday, March 7th at 10:30 AM  Free and open to the public!

Guru will be competing in the Tall Tales contest, and I (Christina, your friendly neighborhood VPPR ) will be there cheering him on from the audience. We would absolutely love to see some familiar faces! If you're planning to come, please drop me a note so I know to look out for you. Volunteers are also still welcome if you'd like to help make the event run smoothly (easy jobs like counting ballots).

 Register here

 Something New: Toastmasters Member Headshots!

We have never done anything quite like this before, and we are SUPER excited about it. 

As a thank-you to members renewing for the April term and a warm welcome to new members joining us, we are offering complimentary professional headshots right here in Salesforce Tower, San Francisco! 

Here's how it works:

Who qualifies?

• Renewing members: You must complete your renewal by March 15th to be eligible. (Just a reminder that the official renewal deadline to remain in good standing is March 31st—but the headshot cutoff is earlier, so don't wait on this one!)

• New members: You must sign up for the prorated month of March as well as the full term that starts in April 2026 by March 23rd.

Event details:  Thursday, March 26th  11:30 AM – 2:45 PM  Salesforce Tower, San Francisco  Backdrop choices: White, Gray, Black, Blue (Toastmasters "Loyal Blue"—for when you're feeling particularly Toastmasters-y, or if it brings out your eyes, your hair, or your veins, whatever works), or Tan  15-minute booking slots — first come, first served

The sooner you renew your membership or sign up as a new member, the sooner you'll receive information to select your time slot—so don't dawdle! Slots are limited and this is a one-time event.

 Register here — Note: Registration triggers validation, so please have your membership or renewal completed before you register.

 No makeup artist or hair stylist will be on-site, so please come camera ready and looking your most fabulous self!

 Outside the San Francisco Bay Area? If you're unable to attend in person, reach out to me (Christina, VPPR) and we'll sort out an alternate welcome or welcome back gift for you!

 Come Say Hi — Tabling Session, March 12!

[Pictured: Toastmasters Information Booth—just like the one you'll see on March 12th]

I'll be set up at an info table in the 5th Floor Social Lounge at Salesforce SF around noon on March 12th—totally casual, come-and-go format. Whether you're curious about the club, have questions about membership, or just want to say hi and grab a sticker or magnet, please stop by! we'd love to meet you. 

 Open House – March 19th (Hybrid!)

Have a friend or colleague who's been curious about Toastmasters? March 19th is the meeting to bring them to. 

We're putting together a special, curated version of our regular meeting—featuring a member sharing their personal Toastmasters journey, introductions to some of our wonderful members, and a real conversation about what membership is all about. It's welcoming, it's warm, and there will almost certainly be cupcakes in person.  And also the chance to win some swag! (Don't forget that new members who join at this time will also be eligible for the headshot welcome gift!)

It's a hybrid meeting, so we'd especially love to see you in person—but virtual is absolutely welcome too!

To register:

•  In person: Register via Employee Event Finder/Epoch

•  Google Meet: Register here

Both links require SSO login, and they tend to work best when accessed from your computer rather than your phone. 

In the meantime, our regular meeting is this Thursday, March 5th, and you are absolutely welcome to join us then too! It's a more typical meeting format—a great way to see how things work before the big Open House showcase.

 Impromptu Speaking Workshop – THIS FRIDAY! (March 6) – SOLD OUT!

This is the second time we've hosted our Impromptu Speaking Workshop—and this round is fully virtual. And fully sold out. Womp, womp.

If you didn't get a spot, don't lose hope just yet! You could still add yourself to the waitlist. It's a long one, but people do drop at the last minute fairly regularly, so it's absolutely worth checking back. If you have the Epoch App installed in Slack, you'll get a notification the moment your status changes, and a prompt to complete your questionnaire if you move off the waitlist. So keep an eye on those Slack pings!

For everyone who snagged a spot: you are in for something really special. Lynn Kirkham is an incredible coach and speaker who, full circle moment, also benefitted from Toastmasters herself before becoming the coach and professional speaker she is today.  I'm so excited for all of you who jumped on this one!

 If you RSVPd as "Going" but now know you can't make it—please update your RSVP! There are people on that waitlist who would love your spot, and a quick update makes all the difference for them.

 A note for future events: RSVPing as "Maybe" does unfortunately place you at the end of the waitlist if you later decide you'd like to attend. When it comes to popular events like this one, being decisive early is genuinely a boon—"Going" gets you in the queue, "Maybe" does not. Something to keep in mind for next time!

Here's a few snapshots from the in-person version of this event that took place in January—we're so happy that Lynn is returning to bring this workshop to our virtual members and those interested in becoming members.

[Pictured (L to R): VP of PR Christina Obligar introduces the event while attendees enjoy Mediterranean mezze and chocolate chip cookies; Lynn Kirkham, Nikki Gordon, and Christina Obligar visit the Ohana Floor after facilitating the workshop.]

 What's Coming Up

Here's your full March–April calendar at a glance:

• March 5 – Regular Meeting  (Sign up for roles—last chance for a few weeks!  sfdc.co/sftm_roles)

• March 6 – Impromptu Speaking Workshop  (Sold out—but check the waitlist!)

• March 7 – Area Contest, SF Public Library North Beach Branch  (Free & open to public!)

• March 12 – Info Table, 5th Floor Social Lounge, Salesforce SF (11:30AM-1:30PM) 

• March 12 – Office Hours  (Note: office hours has been re-added to the calendar!)

• March 19 – Open House  (Hybrid! Cupcakes likely! Register above!)

• March 26 – Toastmasters Headshots for April Members 

• March 26 – Office Hours 

• March 31 –  Renewal Deadline to remain in good standing

• April 2 – Regular Meeting (last one before TDX—get in your practice!) 

• April 9 – Office Hours 

• April 16 – Regular Meeting during TDX 

• April 23 – Office Hours 

• April 30 – Regular Meeting 

 It's Renewal Season — Let's Talk About It

April renewals are coming up, and before you decide, we want to take a moment to reflect on everything we've done together this term—because it's been a lot, and it's been really good.

This year alone, we've hosted a Table Topics Contest, a Speech Contest, two Impromptu Speaking Workshops, a Speaker to Trainer Workshop, and themed meetings both in person and online—at least one with cupcakes. We hope you took advantage of what was on offer—and if you didn't, that's exactly why we want you back. There are roles you haven't tried yet, speeches you haven't given, and laughs you haven't had. 2026 is the year we want to hear your voice—literally. Step up, sign up, and let's make it happen together.

[Pictured: Halloween cupcakes from the beginning of this term.]

And we are not done. Headshots, an Open House, and plenty more meetings where you can step up to the mic, try a new role, and keep building are still ahead.

We also have a Toastmasters photo album that's filling up with memories from this term—and we'd love for you to be in it (and to make more of them together—in-person and online).  

[Pictured: Our Toastmasters Photo Album, "Club Memories: Salesforce Toastmasters, Since 2010"—fifteen years and counting. Come flip through it yourself at the 5th Floor Social Lounge on March 12th (11:30–1:30) at Salesforce Tower SF, or at our Open House on March 19th!]

When you're ready to renew, here's how:

1. Log in at Toastmasters.org

2. Click "Welcome, [your name]" and select My Profile

3. Expand the "Pay Dues" tile and click the link

4. Select our club and click "Save and continue"

5. Choose how many periods you'd like to pay for, and note the end date

6. Click Checkout, fill in your payment details, and hit "Submit Payment"

That's it! Welcome back.  (Six steps sounds like a lot but it genuinely takes less time than finding parking in San Francisco.)

(And remember—if you want those headshots, renewals need to be in by March 15th!)

 A Question Worth Sitting With

Before you close this email, we want to leave you with something to chew on.

What are your goals for 2026? And more importantly—what will it actually take to get you there?

If what you need is the focused feedback that comes from doing a prepared speech—the kind that sharpens both your ideas and your storytelling—how many speeches do you need to sign up for to make real progress? If you're working toward completing 3 Levels of Pathways, have you mapped out what that requires between now and the end of the year?

If listening deeply, analyzing on the fly, making decisions under pressure, and delivering feedback with empathy while motivating others are the skills that matter most for the leadership roles ahead of you—and let's be honest, when are they not?—have you tried signing up as a Speech Evaluator? That role is one of the most underrated in Toastmasters—it builds exactly those muscles in a way that's hard to replicate anywhere else.

And if you want to develop the ability to connect with people quickly, build rapport in the room, and speak fluidly with smooth, natural transitions—the kind of presence that makes people want you to facilitate their events and run their meetings—have you tried being Topics Master? As Topics Master, you set the theme, you choose the prompts, and you control the tone of the middle of the meeting. Serious, playful, whimsical, thought-provoking—that's entirely up to you. It's a role that requires you to listen actively, read the room in real time, and keep things moving with charm and ease. Those are the skills that turn you into the go-to person when someone needs a sharp, engaging facilitator—and they're built one Table Topics session at a time.

And if what you're really going for is executive presence—the ability to stay composed when something goes sideways, keep a meeting on time with grace rather than rigidity, command a room, and speak with genuine gravitas—have you considered signing up as Toastmaster of the Day? Running a meeting from start to finish, managing pacing, pivoting gracefully under pressure, keeping the energy up while honoring everyone's time... it's the kind of real-world leadership practice that you simply cannot get from a slide deck.

And then there is the role that is criminally, almost offensively underutilized—the Jokemaster.  A well-timed joke is one of the most powerful tools in any speech or social interaction, and yet timing is everything. Too early, too late, delivered with just a hair too much hesitation, and the moment is gone. The only way to develop that kind of instinct is practice—ideally in front of a real, live audience. You could always try an open mic night (bold choice, respect), or you could try Jokemaster and practice in front of a safe, supportive room that is genuinely rooting for you to land it. This is the #1 most underutilized role in the club and honestly one of the most powerful. If you're working on the Engaging Humor Pathway, you should be signing up for this one regularly. We mean it!

We are here to help you get where you want to go. And we'd love to be there with you on your journey, wherever you are. 

That's all for the February/March edition! We'll see you Thursday—and hopefully at the Area Contest on Saturday, the Open House on the 19th, and many moments in between. 

As always, remember to sign up to speak or take a role—practice is where it's at! 

Cheers,

Christina Obligar VP of PR, Salesforce Toastmasters http://sfdc.co/salesforcetoastmasters

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