You may have heard of Toastmasters International and wondered what it was. You might have read that it’s an organization that helps you become better at public speaking. Or, maybe you’re like my creative friend Daryl who writes copy for Grabowski & Co., an award-winning marketing communications firm. I can always count on his whimsical comments about burnt toast and jelly in response to my Facebook posts about Toastmasters — he cracks me up.

As a Toastmasters Club member you’ll not only learn to speak in front of a group but also about listening, motivation, planning, building confidence and leadership. I’ve been a member of Medina Toastmasters Club 941 for four years. As a new member I once watched a visitor at her first meeting, shy, fearful, and even afraid to make eye contact just walking through the door and I knew she would never be back. Imagine my surprise when she became a member and within a year blossomed into a confident, well-spoken leader. This happens countless times at Toastmasters clubs around the world.

I would like to recommend Toastmasters to everyone of course, but especially to those who have lost jobs to this economy. Losing a job can be a demoralizing, confidence shattering experience. It’s a negative, life altering event that Toastmasters can help to turn around. If you know someone who has lost their job, please encourage them to join Toastmasters. As a Toastmasters member they’ll learn to think quickly on their feet and be able to ace even the toughest of job interviews with confidence.

If you’ve ever worked in an advertising department chances are that you are familiar with the phrase “Cheap, fast, or good — pick one.” In other words, if you want it cheap, it won’t be fast or good. If  you want it fast, it won’t be cheap or good. And, if you want it good, it won’t be cheap or fast.

Nowhere does this ring any truer than when hiring a freelance graphic designer, copywriter, or photographer. Here is how I like to explain it:

If you want it cheap - hire the inexperienced. A newbie freelancer may have adequate skills but  can be slow. They have no experience in what it takes to sell the product or service. You’ll have very pretty advertising but without the desired results.

If you want it fast - even an experienced, knowledgeable freelancer can make costly mistakes. This is what happens when anything is done in a hurry.

If you want it  good - a trusted freelance professional will be given time to do the work correctly. Your advertising will produce successful results and your company will profit from the investment.

Advertising is like most things in life… you get exactly what you pay for.