Embrace the Opportunities!

Speakers

• Aaron W. BeverlyAaron W. Beverly — 2019 World Champion of Public Speaking

  Communication Expert | Storyteller | Keynote Speaker | Trainer

  Aaron Beverly is a communication expert, international speaker, and the 2019 World Champion of Public Speaking. He helps individuals and organizations close the gap between what they believe they're saying and what they're actually saying.

  Before becoming a world champion speaker, Aaron Beverly worked for more than 15 years in the banking and finance industry. Working at organizations including Citi, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Deloitte, Aaron led complex, high-stakes, multi-million dollar projects where success depended on clear communication across teams and executive stakeholders. Aaron became known for identifying communication gaps that slowed initiatives, translating complex ideas into clear, actionable messages, and communicating effectively in one of the most demanding professional environments.

  Alongside his corporate career, Aaron dedicated himself to competitive public speaking. Over an eight-year journey, he became a five-time International Speech Contest semifinalist, a two-time world finalist placing second in 2016, a Moth Story Slam winner, and ultimately the 2019 World Champion of Public Speaking, emerging from a global field of more than 20,000 competitors.

  Once crippled with social anxiety and a deep fear and resentment of public speaking, Aaron learned practical ways to turn his greatest weakness into his greatest skill. Today, Aaron is "helping unheard voices get heard." His work focuses on core communication challenges:

  • Helping early-career professionals and recent graduates develop professional communication skills that employers find increasingly lacking.
  • Coaching the quieter voices in the room (the shy, the anxious, and the introverted) to become more confident contributors in their organizations.
  • Helping clients uncover the unheard stories hiding within their everyday lives and how to use them for life, competitions, and careers.
  • Improving individuals' performance through healthy competition and a "winner's mindset" to turn competition into a powerful tool for personal growth rather than a source of pressure, comparison, and burnout.

  Aaron has delivered keynotes and workshops for Fortune 100 companies, universities, and professional organizations worldwide. He brings a rare combination of corporate leadership experience, elite-level speaking achievement, and practical communication tools that help people perform when and where it matters most.

• Uncomfortable… It Pays Off.Linda Brisebois — DTMPrésenté en français

  When Discomfort Becomes a Stepping Stone to the Extraordinary

  What if the greatest opportunities of your life were hiding just behind the moments when you almost said no?

  Since joining Toastmasters in February 2010, Linda Brisebois has made a deliberate choice: to turn discomfort into a catalyst for growth. What began as a desire to communicate more effectively evolved into a remarkable journey of leadership, self-improvement, and boldness.

  Over the years, Linda has held several leadership positions within Toastmasters, including Area Director twice, Division Director, Club Growth Director, and Program Quality Director. Her commitment and dedication led her to achieve Toastmasters' highest distinction: Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) — a recognition that reflects not only excellence in communication and leadership, but also her determination to continually push beyond her own limits.

  Yet behind the titles lies a deeper conviction: true transformation begins where comfort ends. Through an inspiring, authentic, and engaging presentation, Linda will share how life's most significant opportunities rarely arrive neatly wrapped in certainty. They often come disguised as fear, doubt… and discomfort.

  If you are waiting for the "perfect moment" before taking the next step, this conference may be exactly the opportunity you've been waiting for. Because in the end, opportunities do not change our lives… it is the courage to seize them that does.