When the courage to communicate means that you are killed for the words you speak, your impact and legacy on the country and the world are immense.
I, like millions of other Americans, mourn the death of Charlie Kirk and feel moved to share my feelings and thoughts about it.
The events of the last two weeks have hit me hard for many reasons. For one, I live in Arizona and attended a Turning Point USA event which Charlie skillfully led in at the Arizona Grand hotel in Phoenix in 2022.
The second reason that this tragic event feels so close and personal is that my business office while we lived in Phoenix was located within 400 meters of the Turning Point USA campus and I used to take afternoon walks by the location where there is now a huge memorial of flowers, signs and prayers.
I was so impressed with Charlie’s positive message of hope and the professionalism of the TPUSA event, I visited their website and searched for jobs to apply to.
Next, I wrote a book titled Strong Words and Simple Truths: The Courage to Communicate and I strongly feel that this combination words and their sentiment exemplifies Charlie’s life, vision, and mission.
Lastly, I am a Christian and American who stands up for God and Country as a volunteer in my community.
The Turning Point USA Campus in Phoenix, AZ
As someone who enjoys public speaking and writing, I admired Charlie’s ability to clearly and powerfully connect with others.
I aspire to be a happy warrior who has the courage to communicate what is right and what is important to our family, friends, community, and country.
Charlie Kirk spoke strong words and simple truths that impacted a generation and a nation.
May his memory be a blessing.
Mural of Charlie Kirk at the Apple Pan Restaurant in Prescott, AZ. Photo by Steve Smull
It’s time to tell a story. A story about two women leaders who are speaking a great deal this week about topics which are top of mind for many Americans.
I had to the privilege and honor to see, hear, and meet one of these speakers in person at an event at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. I was left inspired and motivated to spread the word of her important message and call to action. While only 24 years old, this elite athlete was one of the most impressive presenters I have seen in years. The clarity and focus of her message were strong and effective. Riley Gaines shared her story and experiences in the 2022 NCAA women’s swimming championship competition with poise and grace. She left me with a memorable mantra: Courage is Contagious.
As someone who has been focused on improving my communication skills for the last 30 years in Toastmasters, I tend to analyze and evaluate every public speaker I listen to. I notice and silently grade aspects of an orator’s delivery, speech structure and audience impact.
The second female leader I heard speak this week was 35 years older than Riley Gaines but left me feeling unsettled and confused. Her message was light and airy with words like opportunity, unity, dreams and aspirations but the delivery was distracting and unprofessional for someone of her experience. I suppose I have very high standards and expectations for the communication skills of an attorney and a politician who is running for the office of President of the United States. But alas, Kamala Harris left me scratching my head trying to understand what she meant with her lofty words and rehearsed phrases. She left me with no memorable mantra or call to action.
The stark contrast between these two speakers was felt in my head, my heart and my gut.
As Riley Gaines courageously fights for fairness in sports for women and girls by presenting at U.S. congressional hearings, on cable news shows and in countless public events around the country, Kamala Harris is talking with Oprah Winfrey in a staged and inauthentic manner. Riley is rallying to protect Title IX while Kamala is focused on hot button topics and ideas that a good portion of the country is opposed to.
When evaluating a speaker’s presentation, I strive to separate style from substance but in this side-by-side comparison I would have say that the young champion swimmer won hands down on both delivery and content.
During the Q&A at Riley’s event which was titled “An Evening of Sanity and Satire”, I asked a question about self-censorship and her reply was “Don’t be afraid to speak the truth- it’s the easiest way to thing to say”. I believed her and will continue to share my thoughts, ideas and experiences.
As I reflect on the impact of words spoken by Kamala Harris and Riley Gaines this past week, I can’t help but think that simple truth and clarity about strongly held beliefs connects and resonates more deeply with an audience than generalized concepts of how things could and should be.
The Courage to Communicate is the subtitle of my book, Strong Words and Simple Truths, and I wish our elected officials would have more strength and conviction to verbally express their true values and ideas. Authentic expression and storytelling are a powerful ways to reach and connect with others and this speaker comparison illustrates that point as clear as the starting bell.
Steve Smull, Riley Gaines and Brenda Smull in Prescott, AZ
I’m observing that many people on this earth are continually repeating negative patterns and unproductive behaviors. There doesn’t seem to be much adaptation or changing of course when mistakes are made. Learning from our mistakes and adjusting how we approach a situation is not a common occurrence today. Perhaps it is because we humans tend to base our decisions more on feelings and emotions rather than logic and facts. Can you ever really “learn” from a feeling?
I wrote the blog below ten years ago in May 2014 and I’m sad to say the sentiment is still valid today. The title “Leadership Challenges in Non-Profit Organizations” is a continuous issue for another who volunteers or is elected to an Officer.
My observations and recommendations on these phenomena also apply greatly to our local, state and federal leaders.
Leadership Challenges in Volunteer Organizations.
Published online on May 30, 2014.
Strong leaders are critical to the success of any organization- be it a non profit, a corporation, a military unit, a church or a bicycle club. I believe that successful leaders can be developed and nurtured through mentoring, coaching and training but I have recently witnessed how unchecked power and bloated egos can corrupt leaders of volunteer groups. Over the last 20 years, I’ve been a member and/or officer in numerous nonprofit and corporate organizations and have seen a negative trend in leadership ethics.
Since college I have had the honor and privilege of serving under many inspirational officers, managers and executives who truly embodied the values of respect, humility and service. These altruistic and motivational men and women were my role models and taught me the importance of recognition, encouragement, honesty and integrity. They taught me to stay focused on the team member’s needs above my own.
In the past few years, I have become concerned by the increase in the frequency and negative impact that “corrupted” leaders are having on their organizations (this is across the board in society- from the local nonprofit and school board to the state and federal governments). There are more power-influenced leaders today and fewer selfless ones. There is more Me and less We and that’s not the way it should be! Another disappointing theme I’ve observed recently is a misplaced focus where the officers of organizations are more concerned about their own power, titles and agendas with little priority or attention given to the actual members.
I recently wrote a speech and created a presentation entitled “Leadership Challenges in Volunteer Organizations” where I outlined issues, impediments and possible solutions to address membership growth and retention concerns in non profit groups like Toastmasters and the VFW. I sadly will cite the destructive and non-collaborative behaviors of power trips, politics and petty personal attacks as key factors negatively impacting the morale and growth of many well meaning, non-profit groups.
Solutions to these issues are often difficult to implement in a broad sense since they need to come from within the individual leaders however, a positive organizational culture coupled with strong team agreements can go a long way toward improving a group’s leadership challenges. An unwavering commitment to the organization’s core Mission, without compromise, is also a critical to ensuring that ethical leaders are rewarded, encouraged and attracted.
Here are the Mission Statements of two organizations I am a member of:
“Provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills.”
“ To serve our veterans, the military and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.”
Notice that nowhere in the statements above does it mention the role, power or importance of the leaders or officers of the group. They are solely focused on the members of the organization. Losing sight of this simple fact is what I believe is causing many of the leadership issues we see in our volunteer organizations today.
Perhaps this message and blog can reach others and be shared in order to make a positive impact in our communities and non-profit groups. I hope so!
These words were published in the June 2024 Newsletter for American Legion Post 64 in Phoenix, Arizona.
This is my final report to you as your Commander. One year ago, I was honored to be elected to lead the Ahwatukee Post and I am happy to say that we fulfilled our promise to directly help and assist local veterans and their families.
Adjutant Roddy Charlton and Chaplain Rebecca Schmidt presented me with the Commander’s Award
In mid 2023, the officers of Post 64 came together and crafted an Action Plan which focused on meeting the needs of our members. The plan had 3 points: 1) Engage- Make Connections, 2) Expand- Build Bridges, and 3) Retain- Strengthen Social Fabric. When I look back at the last 11 months and reflect on all the good work, activities, and events that our members participated in, the words Mission Accomplished come to mind.
Engage– We listened to what was important to our members and held three social mixers, two fundraiser dinner dances and numerous activities outside of our 10 regular member meetings at the ARC. The number of veterans and guests who attended and actively participated also increased as the word got out about what value and benefit the American Legion can provide. The outstanding personal outreach of the Buddy Check program by our Service Officer Craig Annis and a small team of volunteers also had an amazingly positive impact on engagement.
Expand– Our strong partnership with Auxiliary Unit 64 helped us expand and improve the quality of our service to those in need. We built bridges to the community with active roles in the Chamber of Commerce, Boy Scout Troop 172, local Middle and High Schools, and other veteran service organizations which extended our service reach. With these actions and an enhanced PR/multimedia marketing emphasis, we increased awareness and visibility of the Legion programs that help those in need.
Retain– Taking care of the needs of our existing members while strengthen the social fabric of our post and local community enabled us to have the high member retain rate in District 12. The key ingredients in this area were members’ passion and service to others with meaningful causes. Having fun added the extra spice that kept people coming back and renewing their membership and increasing their involvement and commitment to our post.
As I pass the baton to our incoming Commander, Tamma Notaro, I am confident that she will keep the momentum going with our goal of Veterans Helping Veterans. Her strong leadership, communication and mentoring skills, in addition to a military intelligence background, will serve her well in coming year.
Lastly, the most important thing I need to say is Thank You to all the post members and auxiliary for supporting me this past year. We couldn’t have accomplished anything without you. I was blessed to have an amazing team of officers who all stepped up and exceeded my expectations. Words of appreciation are not enough to express my gratitude to the leaders of Post 64. I enthusiastically salute the 2023-2024 Post and Unit 64 officers: Al Hunter, Pete Meier, Roddy Charlton, Craig Annis, Jay Hendrix, Rebecca Schmidt, Mark Shillinger, David Green, Darlene Hunter, Joan Uhler, Kristy Hendrix, Judy Steffen, and Bev Shillinger. Great job everyone!
I also want to express my deep appreciation to our Post Photographer, Steve Smull, who has been creatively capturing so many memories and moments at Post 64 for the past 6 years.
A few words from Steve,
“As Post Photographer for Post 64, I was honored to serve and support Brenda’s efforts as Commander. We share a mutual respect for the efforts of our nation’s veterans, not just in defense of our borders, but also in their support of their peers.
Brenda and I will carry our efforts for veterans up the hill with us. I enjoy supporting veteran events with images which support veterans’ efforts. Thanks for allowing me to do it.”
Being the spark is all that it takes to spread the warmth and the luminosity that the world needs right now. Igniting the flame to be the light would be an amazing gift to someone this season.
Similar to the butterfly effect, many people can be impacted by one small act- one tiny gesture of love and compassion. Fire spreads quickly and joy is contagious.
Loneliness, isolation, and sadness are kindling which can be dispelled in an instant by the spark and the subsequent flame.
The facade of happy holiday cheer and joyous music masks the reality of so many peoples’ inner pain and suffering.
Being the spark to light the fire in someone’s heart can bring relief and hope in an otherwise dark time.
The news is filled with stories of the negative and intended consequences of new technology and/or government’s actions.
When I mix them all together in my mind, the common theme seems to be that artificial things are replacing real, natural and healthy ones.
The vagueness of the words “things” and “ones” in the previous sentence is intentional as I wish to share a number of actions which have been introduced, implemented, enforced or mandated in the past decade which had good intentions but ended up causing more harm than good.
1) mRNA Covid vaccination mandates.
I was initially excited and happy to take the newly developed shot against the novel virus in early 2021. The unnatural part came when governments and public health organizations began mandating and enforcing compliance for the young and the healthy. It was wrong to discount natural immunity. I am shocked by the lack of concern and action by the FDA in the face of the high number of serious adverse side effects due to the Emergency Use Authorized shots.
Hundreds of medical doctors across the world are now speaking out against the mRNA vaccine programs with phrases like “They are more harm than good for most people.”
2) Social Media platforms.
TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. The artificial, online world has pockets of goodness but more and more areas of negative manipulation. Social media has depressed many and has made people more divided than ever. Millions are addicted to scrolling in these emotionally draining environments and struggle to have real, live relationships with other humans. These platforms are more harm than good for most people, especially children.
3) Excessive government stimulus and control of monetary systems.
The current banking crisis of March 2023 is an example of the negative impact that government interference in the markets can have.
Preventing people from speaking on college campuses is not encouraging healthy debate and critical thinking skills. This authoritative stance against only some ideological groups is doing more harm than good.
Coercion, manipulation, control and discrimination are not healthy, they are not natural, and they cause more harm than good.
Ernie the Hedgehog came to our family in 2016 while we were visiting Estes Park, CO. He’s a 2 and a half-inch bundle of joy and mischievous antics. He is a great photography model and always brings a smile to the waitresses at the restaurants we frequent.
Ernie is the internationally renowned Facebook Group leader of Ernie’s Hedge Fun and has been spreading happiness and cheer since starting the Ernie’s Fake News group in early 2017. This was back when you could still joke about the election, the craziness of politicians, and the new media. We had a laugh poking fun at the insanity of the process. Ernie specializes in satire and slapstick humor though they are out of favor on most social media platforms now.
For hundreds of people around the world, Ernie’s page is a stress-relieving sanctuary where all are encouraged to think like a 2 and a half year old, apolitical hedgehog who loves cookies and playing jokes on his parents. He is also an enterprising entrepreneur who starts a new job 2-3 times a day. While his fear of water is subsiding, we are always sharing zany photos of his new hydrophobia therapists who are rarely human.
Below are the top 12 Posts from Chief Content Creator, Steve Smull in February 2023.
1. Ernie’s Back End IT Integration Service.
“When we’re done, you’ll have no idea what connects to what & you’ll need a fire extinguisher.”
2. Nobody told Ernie trains are supposed to stay on tracks before they gave him the keys.
3. Ernie thought those were Girl Scout Thin Mints so he ate them all and now he is flying around the desert sky with the roadrunners.
4. Honest Ernie’s Used Car Lot. Reasonable prices! This one includes a FREE TREE
6. Of course we drove straight into the mud like we learned how to do at Ernie’s Driving School For Dogs.
7. Ernie managed to get oil on the ceiling riding this thing around the house. There’s oil everywhere. Ernie looks like one of the ducks that get pulled out of the oil spills in the ocean.
8. Ernie bought a long horse named Stretch Limo.
9. Ernie has hydrophobia, so he rides his inflatable unicorn in the sand.
10. Ernie’s Windowless Grand Canyon Tours.
If you look closely, you can see Ernie waving, he’s looking out from the under the steering wheel.
11. Ernie has standards. They’re low but they’re standards.
12. Hop in and put your seatbelt on, no time to explain.
One year ago I published my first book, Strong Words and Simple Truths: The Courage to Communicate.
Now more than ever, the topics covered in this edition are critically important and relevant in our polarized world. Pervasive virtual communication has left many people feeling isolated, lonely and struggling to communicate effectively.
Areas of focus include: Communication, Toastmasters, Veterans, Agile, Health and Science.
Toastmasters International is losing more than clubs and members- it is losing its magic! The nonprofit organization has 1,400 fewer clubs than it did in 2019. As a result, there are 82,000 fewer people receiving the benefits of the educational programs.
The mindset of virus avoidance and remote meetings is taking its toll. In person meetings, training and contests are the exception while virtual events are the rule in 2022.
Many members are dissatisfied with the distant and disconnected experience of Zoom meetings and especially virtual contests at the area, division, and district levels.
Delivering a humorous speech without a live audience is no laughing matter. The lack of body language cues, emotion and feedback makes it hard for the speaker to connect and adjust to the audience’s reactions. The lack of energy can add an extra burden to the speaker.
A long-time Distinguished Toastmaster in Arizona recently shared this in an email, “Live entertainment in the Toastmaster world seems to be coming to an end. The winter contests have been eliminated and now the Spring contests in 2023 are virtual.” This dedicated mentor and coach joins hundreds of people in expressing their frustration with the lack of live audience speaking opportunities at Toastmasters.
Nature abhors a vacuum and the live-speaking gap will be filled by other groups. The desire and demand for direct, in-person events is raising in 2022 and a growing number of clubs and people in Arizona are organizing to meet the challenge. Innovative and creative ideas are being implemented to provide large-scale speaking experiences and competitions. Once such event will be held on Oct.11, 2022 at the Tempe Improv where 8 finalists will perform in a humorous speech competition. The laughter, fun and festivities are free and open to the public and is not an official Toastmaster contest. Click here for tickets to the event.
I have attended this high energy and boisterous competition for three years and am happy that the tradition continues.
Twenty-eight years ago, I joined Toastmasters for the communication and leadership training but I stayed for the friends and the connections.
I love the positive energy, support, and camaraderie of the clubs and had no idea that the program and the people would have such a profound impact on course of my life. The last two decades have been an amazing experience of growth, experimentation and achievement.
Some of my best friends were met at Toastmaster meetings in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and California. These close bonds would never have been made had I only attended meetings through a zoom portal.
A Toastmasters club holiday party
I am still active in three clubs in the Phoenix area but worry that some of the great power and magic of Toastmasters is being lost as fewer and fewer in-person training sessions, leadership conferences and contests are being held.
The value of live language connections should not be underestimated and Toastmasters Districts across the country should strive to meet the needs of all of its members.
I strongly believe that the benefits are of the strong educational programs are not fully realized when a speaker and an evaluator never get to meet and talk in person before or after the meeting.
Virtual Toastmasters is falling flat and can be energized by creative and innovative leaders who think out the box to find in-person and hybrid event options.
Laughter is the best medicine and can be the prescription for what ails lagging club and membership numbers.
Energy, excitement, engagement and enthusiasm can all be recaptured.
Commitment, connection, confidence and coaching can be reinvigorated.
One of the things I love about Toastmaster meetings is the opportunity to hear diverse perspectives and stories from club members with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and political affiliations. For some, Toastmasters may be the only place where members are exposed to viewpoints that differ from their own.
In July 2022, I witnessed two very different presentations while attending two community Toastmaster clubs in Phoenix, Arizona. The speeches also had many similarities, as both were well presented, dynamic and passionate. The speakers were intelligent, successful and respected baby boomers whom I know and admire.
The topics of the speeches were socially charged ideas given from the presenters’ point of view and frame of reference. Based on the size and diversity of the audience, it was probable that not everyone agreed with the premise and points of talk.
What impressed me most about these specific Toastmaster meetings was the high quality and neutrality of the formal speech evaluations. Providing verbal feedback on a topic that you may not agree with is not easy and the club members accomplished this should be praised and respected. The Speech Evaluators did an outstanding job of providing quality input on the delivery and structure of the speech while avoiding judgmental statements on the content of the presentation. They took the high road and made me very proud to be a Toastmaster.
I felt strongly about this topic in October 2016 and published a blog entitled “Objective Evaluations in a Polarized World”. In this article, I emphasized that “the ability to give objective and neutral feedback on another person’s speech is hard enough without the many external and internal factors influencing us. Pesky things like human nature, emotions, personal biases, insecurities, extreme political views, polarization of opinions and what I call the “siloed, echo chambers” of social media”.
Now more than ever, my advice from six years ago on giving objective evaluation is important and relevant.
Below were my key recommendations:
Remember that as a speech evaluator, you are there to observe and provide neutral and constructive feedback, recommendations and suggestions on the basic tenants and techniques of effective communication and public speaking.
Focus on the Delivery and Structure of the presentation with specific examples.
When commenting on the Impact of a speech (especially if you disagree with the content), try to set aside your personal emotions and biases and look at and assess the overall audience response to the speech.
Honestly ask yourself if the topic/point of the speech is clouding your ability to provide positive and objective feedback on the Delivery and Impact. If it is, then:
Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who supports the topic and reflect on how they would respond to the speech.
Run a “What if” scenario in your mind by replacing the content of the speech with something that you agree with and see how you would view and analyze it.
Open your mind, take off your biased filters and focus on how the speaker is connecting, delivering and making their point.
Ask yourself: Was the speaker able to motivate, educate, influence or inspire?
The purpose of your evaluation is to encourage and help club member improve and develop strong communication skills, not to impose your views, values and opinions about the subject matter.
Strong Words & Simple Truths 