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On a quiet night, with bread dough rising on my counter, I logged in to my first Toastmasters meeting. I find comfort in the patient process of baking, and was struck by how similar it felt to step into this new environment. Both endeavors require structure, care, and a willingness to try, even when success isn’t guaranteed.
Baking has been a passion of mine for years. While I mostly bake as a hobby, I have also worked in bakery settings. Bread is my true love in baking, and the process of making it helped me see how similar it was to communication.
Attending a Toastmasters meeting was the perfect way to begin my journey to improve my communication skills. I visited the Portland Club in Portland, Oregon, and noticed the inclusive and supportive atmosphere. The space emphasized exploration, allowing members to find what resonates and grow in their own time.
Preparing the Ingredients: Building a Foundation
Baking isn’t just about throwing ingredients together—it’s about understanding the why behind each step. Allowing dough to rest gives it time to rise, while folding butter into pastry dough creates flaky layers. Mastery comes from repetition and thoughtful adjustments, building confidence over time.
Similarly, being involved in Toastmasters allows you to follow a carefully crafted program that provides a reliable foundation for experimentation. The different meeting roles provide a variety of ways for members to practice and refine their communication skills. This structured yet flexible approach mirrors the precision of baking where following the recipe provides consistency, but creativity allows for personal flair. Like a well-tested recipe, Toastmasters’ structure creates a sense of safety, making it easier for participants to try, learn, and grow.
Letting the Dough Rise: Practicing Patience
Great bakers know the importance of catering to their audience. A child’s birthday calls for cheerful cupcakes; a dinner party might demand a rustic sourdough loaf. Communication is no different—it’s about learning who your audience is and understanding what resonates with them.
This principle comes alive during Toastmasters speeches. For example, humor and storytelling allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level, and, like baking, they take time to learn and perfect.
Perfecting the Bake: Timing and Precision
In baking, timing can mean the difference between a perfectly golden loaf and a burnt crust. The dough can’t be rushed. It needs time to rise and bake to perfection.
Toastmasters mirrors this principle. Members practice giving speeches within specific timeframes, which helps them perfect their speaking skills and develop discipline in communication. Managing time, whether in baking or communication, is about finding harmony between preparation and execution.
Mastery comes from repetition and thoughtful adjustments, building confidence over time.
Sharing the Loaf: Connecting With Your Audience
Effective communication isn’t just about speaking—it’s about listening deeply and truly hearing others. From giving a speech evaluation to performing a meeting role like grammarian or Ah-Counter, members learn how to engage actively and attentively.
The Portland Club has a Listener role. Tasked with taking notes throughout the session and quizzing participants at the end, the Listener ensures that everyone stays engaged. Just as breaking bread brings people together, sharing your message with an audience creates a bond—a moment of connection and understanding that lingers long after the speech ends.
Learning From the Burnt Batches: Embracing Growth
As I shaped my risen dough that evening, I reflected on the lessons I learned from both baking and Toastmasters. Both demand patience, practice, and intention. Just as every baker faces a loaf that doesn’t rise or a batch that comes out burnt, communicators encounter missteps and moments that deviate from the plan.
These “burnt batches” hold the most valuable lessons, teaching us to adjust, refine, and try again with newfound insight. Whether it’s a speech that missed the mark or a loaf that didn’t turn out as hoped, the journey of learning, improving, and sharing unites us—through a freshly baked loaf of bread or a heartfelt message crafted over time.
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Sam Hughes is a Portland-based writer and baker who has been kneading dough and perfecting recipes for over 15 years. When not experimenting in the kitchen, Sam finds inspiration in community-building and lifelong learning.
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