Brian Fernandes on LinkedIn: Beginnings are often disguised as endings. As I navigate this new chapter… | 26 comments (2025)

Imagine being asked to think and talk on your feet for 2 minutes on a random topic or giving someone feedback that energizes, educates, and empowers. Yes, it can be anxiety-provoking, but the Liberty Village Toastmasters recently demonstrated their skills and courage in our competition, which we deeply acknowledge.Congratulations to the winners of LVTM’s own Tychon Carter-Newman, Theresa Pinter, Spencer Banfield, and Alfred Lam, who will represent us at the Area level next month. Best of luck to you all!I commend all the participants for participating. Contests like these are an amazing way to use our skills practically. While we may have had to pick a top three, in our eyes, everyone emerged a winner today.Special thanks to our friends at Gin Aldeguer, DTM, Steven Tshakatumba, Miguel Alves, CPA, Randel Palo, Anthony Lewin, Nesreen Al Hajjar, Sebastian Vinasco-Lasso, Michelle Allick, MSW RSW, Tarish R., Elham karam, @Mridual sharma, Des Cordinera Jacqueline Sublett, P.Eng. Your support is truly appreciated!

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Excited to share that I will be hosting the Annual Table Topics & Evaluation Competition at Liberty Village Toastmasters! Join us to witness top speakers thinking and talking on their feet. Learn how to provide feedback that educates, energizes, and empowers others. Congratulations to all participants for embracing the challenge, and a big thank you to our volunteers for making this event possible! #Toastmasters #PublicSpeaking #Empowerment Liberty Village Toastmasters Club

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Two weeks ago, I hosted a workshop on Storytelling That Moves People, exploring the power of narratives to create impact, evoke emotions, and drive change. We delved into the essence of storytelling, uncovering how stories can captivate and influence.Highlights:- Tailoring narratives to audience values is crucial for creating resonant stories.- Crafting a compelling narrative with a relatable protagonist, conflict, and resolution inspires action.- Infusing stories with emotional depth ensures messages resonate with the audience.- Interactive sessions fostered a supportive environment for growth through story sharing and feedback.Key Takeaways:1. Stories Are Universal: Everyone has a story to tell, moving others when shared.2. Emotion Drives Action: Emotive stories inspire change and lasting impact.3. Practice Makes Perfect: Storytelling is a skill that enhances connection with the audience through practice.This workshop would not have been possible without the contribution from Aminah Syed, Justin Wong, Jessica R., Nikkita McNamara, Liberty Village Toastmasters Club, and WaterPark Speakers Toastmasters Club that brought this workshop to life. The energy was inspiring, and I look forward to seeing participants apply these storytelling techniques in their lives and careers. Storytelling has the power to change the world—one narrative at a time. If you're keen on exploring how storytelling can make a difference or are interested in our next workshop, reach out. Let's continue harnessing stories' power together. #Storytelling #Leadership #Communication #Workshop #Empowerment

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Here’s what I thought of my most recent #LinkedInLearning course.

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I am filled with gratitude towards my club members for their support in helping me win the Best Speech Evaluation award and the 2nd best speaker title at the Toronto District 60 Toastmaster's Annual Conference. This achievement was no easy feat as there were over 4500 speakers in the district and it took over 50 speech edits, almost 20 delivered speeches and 5 months of hard work to get here. I am inspired to continue working hard towards my goals and look forward to achieving even greater heights with the support of my peers.I'm grateful to my inspiration Rekha Fernandes, my mentors Yukta Hans, @Ryan Syned, Andrew Varden, and Randel Palo & all my club members from Liberty Village Toastmasters Club & WaterPark Speakers Toastmasters Club#toastmasters #sayyes #believe

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I am honoured to have won the Toastmasters Division C International speech contest. As a result, I will be moving on to the final round of the Annual District 60 Conference. To put this in context, out of the 4,500 Toastmasters in District 60, only six speakers participate in the annual conference, and I am fortunate enough to be one of them.Public speaking is a team sport & I could not achieve this on alone. I’m grateful to my mentors Yukta Hans, Ryan Sneyd, Randel Palo & all our club members from WaterPark Speakers Toastmasters Club & Liberty Village Toastmasters Club who have helped me on various fronts especially on believing in myself.I am interested in speaking in front of a large audience to practice my speech. If you need a speaker, please consider me.

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Leaders and Speakers aren't born; they are trained.Winning the Toastmasters District 60, Division "C" Speech Evaluation contest was a great accomplishment. I credit my success to my fellow club members and mentors, who have taught me much through their example and guidance. Although I am proud of my dedication and commitment, I know I couldn't have done it without their support.To put this in context, out of ~4500 Toastmasters in District 60, I am fortunate enough to be one of the six contestants who will participate in the District 60 finals. We live in the age of the "Attention Economy," where everything and everyone is demanding our attention, which makes communication no longer a nice to have but a meta-skill. If you want to improve your Leadership/Public Speaking skills, consider joining Toastmasters. You can benefit from experiential learning. Feel free to DM me for more details."Yukta Hans, Randel Palo

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How toastmasters has helped me to express myself better…DM me for more details #toastmasters #becoming

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I’m running in the RBC Race for kids mental health. You can support this great cause by sponsoring me to run by clicking on this link https://shorturl.at/dBU59 #RBCRacefortheKidsThis would make the headline….This year:• 1 white girl will get kidnapped from Aruba• 4 will die due to a shark attacks• 176 will die due to a plane crash• 14,600 will lose their lives in armed conflict• However, 8,000,000 people will lose lives due to mental disorders & the sad part, it's preventableThat’s like…• 3 tsunami's twice a month• 8 Hurricane Katrina's each day or • World Trade center disaster every 3 hoursWhere is the headline, where is the outrage, where is our humanity?In Canada according to CAMH: • In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness. • 1 in 2 have – or have had – a mental illness by the time Canadian reach 40(look at your neighbors in the eye)• Young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience mental illness and/or substance use disorders than any other age group.So what are we up against:• Challenge #1: Stigma: 75% would be reluctant to disclose any information about mental health• Challenge #2: Resources: of the one that do disclose wait times are long 28K children and youth are on the waitlist • Challenge #3: Funding: Only 9% of the health budget is dedicated to mental health initiatives, with 20% of our population struggling through a personal crisis. Why do I care about it?Depression feels like an unrelenting Shadow: It's as if a persistent, looming shadow follows your every move, obscuring the light of positivity and happiness. Me and my family have gone through it and have grown from it.I’m raising money for the Family Navigation Project at Sunnybrook, an innovative program that connects young people struggling with mental illness and addiction to the help they desperately need. The Family Navigation Project is 100% funded by donations from caring people like you.Your donation through my fundraising page helps ensure that young people and their families find the mental health care services they need.I believe we all benefit when we help young people. When you make a donation through RBC Race for the Kids, you’re supporting a life-changing program that allows youth in our community to get help for mental illness so they can reach their potential.Thank you so much for your support of the Family Navigation Project and RBC Race for the Kids.

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