Keynote Speaker, Trainer & Coach: Matt Sherwood
I’m a part time Workshop Trainer and Executive Level Speaking Coach. While this is a part time job, it is very meaningful!
See my TEDx Talk here. For more info, Read Testimonials. For private coaching: Click Here or Email Me.
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ISB Gavel Club & Gavel Arena
In the summer of 2018, I had the pleasure of attending my first “Gavel Club”, Toastmasters Clubs for high school students. Incredibly inspiring! Also, I was asked to be a Coach for the ISB Gavel Arena Public Speaking Contest and I gladly accepted! This experience was so fun and I learned a lot from these students!
I joined Toastmasters in 2010 and my first mentor Peter Bunce told me that there were also junior Toastmasters Clubs for high school kids, called “Gavel Clubs”. I didn’t know of any in Los Angeles, but here in Ho Chi Minh City, they have a bunch! I wish they had these when I was in high school! (Maybe they did?!)
Gavel Club Members are called ‘Gaveliers’, not Toastmasters. That’s kinda really super cute! Or as we say here in Vietnam, “dễ thương quá!”
ISB - UEH GAVEL CLUB JOINT MEETING
The International School of Business (ISB) here in Ho Chi Minh City hosts the monthly ISB Gavel Club. The format is very similar to a Toastmasters Club, but their meetings are a bit longer and contain a Debate section.
The vibe of the meeting was super fun, with Table Topics based on summer vacation, and 4 speeches ranging from hilarious, to heart warming. One of the speakers literally made me tear up as she told the story of her loving father. (Excuse: I was extra emotional that day because I was overtired and maybe had a touch of homesickness so she had me eating out of the palm of her hand!)
But, seriously, the level of these speeches and overall leadership skills was baffling! Kudos to all of the kids for pushing their public speaking skills in front of a huge crowd (probably 50 or 60 in attendance).
I’m not familiar with debate much, but it was fascinating to see the teams go at it!
Overall, I was incredibly impressed by the level of speeches and leadership demonstrated by these students, some of which are only 15! I get inspired by youth leadership —- reminds me of when I was in high school.
I strongly believe that an investment in communication training is a really wise investment! Whatever you do in life, whatever career you pursue, communication is vital. I believe if you can speak well, you will go far!
ISB GAVEL ARENA PUBLIC SPEAKING CONTEST
This competition was such an enriching experience and I was happy to serve. My job entailed:
To serve on the first judges’ panel for the 1st round auditions, providing real time feedback and scoring for the contestants
To serve as 1 of 4 Coaches, with a team of 8 contestants in the 2nd round
To serve as a Contest Judge the Final Round and ultimately help determine the winner of the Contest
The first round was fun! Each contestant was instructed to spend 1 minute talking about themselves, and 3 minutes delivering a mini speech based on any topic they choose. Some of these kids were as young as 13 years old!
What gutsy kids!
I learned a lot from the contestants, especially what topics seem important to young Vietnamese. For instance, body shaming and saving the environment were common topics.
I also learned a LOT from my fellow panel of Judges, each of whom has extensive experience in speaking and each brought a different style to the Judges panel.
Here are some of the awesome organizing staff, having fun playing music after the event…
In Round 2, I got to Coach my team of 8 contestants and WOW, I got lucky with such a great team!
The contestants prepared a 5-7 minute speech to be video recorded, then posted to Facebook for online judging and judging by a separate anonymous group of Judges.
If you want to watch some of the amazing speeches, you can see them on the ISB Gavel Club Facebook page here. It is incredible to see the level of quality for students that are 13-17 years old!
1 of my team members made it into the Top 6, automatically selected to compete in the FINALS! AND, 3 of my teammates made it into the Runner Up Round!!! The Runner Up contestants compete before the actual final, with 2 making it into the Final Round of 8!
I was SO PROUD of my team!
Overall the Final event was super fun, and I was so inspired by the contestants, who seemed to be having a ton of fun!
The finals were fascinating for me, because they contained a lot of Debates, and I had to try and judge the debates. I have ZERO experience judging debates and it was difficult for me to determine whether one argument was more valid than another.
The Final 8 competed first in one impromptu question (aka Table Topic). Without any preparation, each contestant had to come up with a 1-2 minute mini-speech based on the question: ~“If opportunity doesn’t knock, you must make your own door.”
The judges had to vote on this Table Topic round…here are some pics of us in action:
It was not easy to judge, but we finally determined the FINAL 4! And guess what…2 of my teammates made it in! Here are the Final Four, with my teammates, Lam and Brianna in the middle.
The Final Round debates were a bit crazy! First, it was difficult for me to judge, because two of my teammates were competing. I did not want to be biased towards them and therefore, I felt like maybe I was being too hard on them.
Also, as I mentioned earlier, I have no experience judging a debate and even though the Chief Judge briefed us on how to score the ballot, I still was confused.
Another thing…it seemed as though the debate topics could be much easier for one contestant over another.
Eg: ~“Social media is having a negative impact on society.”
Eg: ~”eBooks are superior to traditional books.”
Personally, I would have a harder time arguing that traditional books are better than eBooks. But, I guess that’s the art of debate that I’m not familiar with!
It was a very spirited final round of debates! Super proud of my teammates!
But, in any competition, there can be only one winner…
Without further adieu…the WINNER OF THE 2018 ISB GAVEL ARENA: Ms Thuy Anh Nguyen!
All in all, I think anyone who competed in this contest is a WINNER.
These students took a lot of time out of their summer vacations to work on their communication skills! I commend ALL of them for competing and I had such a fun experience working with them.
And kudos for the organizing team and the many volunteers who made this event happen! It’s a LOT of work to be able to pull off such a big event that spans 2 months. Incredible job to everyone involved!!
If you have a child, I highly recommend getting them involved in student debates, or youth leadership activities. The early investment will pay off in the long run.
Or, if you are an adult and need help with public speaking, there are Toastmasters Clubs around the world. Find out more here.
Or, you can message me and maybe I could help coach you? I offer video chat sessions. Message me: itsMattSherwood@gmail.com
Testimonials
Feedback from some of my clients:
Nghĩa Lê, President - UTC - UEH ISB Toastmasters Club
“It’s always full of energy to work with one of the most awesome trainers like Matt. My friends and members at Toastmaster Club love him so much (so much that they keep asking me when will be the next Matt Sherwood’s training session). The way he inspires us to come up and make a speech is so unique that it can yield love for public speaking from almost any one. Say no more – as a trainer – Matt is a veteran and a warrior, whom can make others become one like him.”
Alejandra Clarke, Personal Trainer and Blogger - Babes & Weights
“Matt Sherwood is an exceptional communicator. He has a way of being that captures the room and motivates and inspires with his positive energy. I had the pleasure of being part of a public speaking seminar where Matt was the leader and I didn’t want to miss a class, the room was always full when Matt was in leading. Gracias Matt for all the encouragement and motivation!”
Rob Austin, Business Manager - Alkermes
"I owe much of my improvement in my communication skills to Matt. Prior to working with Matt, the feeling I would get when I knew I had to speak in front of small or large groups was one of anxiety, sweaty palms, a voice that cracked due to nervousness and outright fear. After working with Matt, I became extremely confident and my employer tells me my speaking and communication skills are unmatched. He always sought to give me personal feedback on a speech (both verbal and written). His workshops are fun, engaging and challenging - in a good way! I highly recommend Matt for anyone who wants to improve their public speaking skills, overall communication skills and their overall self confidence."
Becky Moine, Director of Touring - Live Nation Entertainment
"Matt was very personable and passionate, he took the time to work with each individual to identify his/her goals and create a plan to reaching them. His workshop was informative and fun, he creates a comfortable environment to practice public speaking in a judgement-free zone. I would recommend Matt to anyone who wants to improve their communication skills, speech preparation and overall confidence. He is a great guy and truly cares about the cause!"
Jennifer Puckett, Social Engagement Manager - The Social Element
"I have had to give presentations throughout all of my professional life; and while part of the process is very rewarding, it's also been very stressful. Matt's Communication Community workshops were so positive, he really made these classes a safe place to practice and improve your skills in an environment that felt supportive and positive.
In addition I have since been involved in panel discussions and other public speaking events; and have used Matt's techniques to help me manage my stress in a positive way. I've even had some compliments about my work from colleagues!
Whether you have never given a speech before, or present all of the time, I would definitely recommend working with Matt. I can't wait for his next session!"
Mariano Pérez Silvestro, Student - Saint Andrew's School, La Paz Bolivia
"We met at Saint Andrews School we were a day previous a trip to represent School in a Model of United Nations. Since that day, what you told us helped me to improve. And i wanted to thank you because you helped me to achieve what I am now. Tomorrow I will present as General Secretary of SASMUN. The Model of united nations of Saint Andrews. So I just wanted to thank you."
Denise McCanles, Health and Life Coach - Life Change Up
“I am lucky to have joined Matt’s Communication Community Meetup Group. It’s a wonderful safe place to conquer your fear of public speaking. Matt’s enthusiasm and love for speaking is contagious. He puts you immediately at ease and really supports everyone’s effort. He inspires and motivates! Thanks Matt!”
Miranda Weston, Business Development and Strategy Consultant - SEWNR
“I was able to use all your tips at my first ever pitch event with TechCrunch tonight! I can't thank you enough for running your workshop events in Buenos Aires and Cusco to help me feel prepared.”