Creating a new project is always exciting. First there is an idea, then action follows and leads to something new and unique.

Tobias Zwadlo is right in the middle of a creative process. A German student living in Hungary since 2017, Tobi is President of the country’s longest-standing Budapest Toastmasters, and the initiator of a first German-speaking club in our country, called RednerRunde Budapest.

This initiative is also close to my heart. Back in 2007 I was the founding President of the English-German bilingual club Black Forest Toastmasters in Brussels. When Tobi organized the first meeting, I immediately offered my support and came on board.  Having seen his enthusiasm about the RednerRunde Budapest, I wanted to share his why, and his vision and perhaps inspire other initiatives for the Toastmasters community.

AT: What inspired you to create a German-speaking Toastmasters club?

TZ: My purpose is to create opportunities for people to grow. I want to offer what I already have and know: public speaking, leadership, and the German language.
After all German follows English as the second most spoken foreign language in Hungary. It’s taught in school, there is a strong historic bond between the cultures and German employers are among the most popular ones in Hungary.
I saw there is a match between what I want to deliver and what is desired by the community. In the end I just had to do it, as there were no similar initiatives. There is one now, RednerRunde Budapest.

AT: Why is this initiative important for you?

TZ: Joining Toastmasters changed my life. It sounds cliché, I know. But all the self-esteem that I gained there opened up dimensions I never thought I could dive into. I used to be super shy, always afraid of being judged by others, which prevented me from taking action. Now I’m the President of the English-speaking Budapest Toastmasters, am founding a German-speaking club, participated twice in speech contests at the District level. As a result I am starting to get a different mindset of believing in myself. This self-belief does not relate to Toastmasters only, but to pretty much everything I do.
I have first-hand experience about what Toastmasters is able to provide, and I saw with my own eyes similar changes in other Toastmasters. I want to spread this opportunity, so that anyone interested can have similar experiences.
Some people here are looking specifically for this combination of public speaking and German. In the past nobody addressed this pool of people. Now we have.
If you are interested in joining a meeting of the RednerRunde Budapest, feel free to like our club on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/RednerRundeBudapest – so you get notifications about our upcoming events.

AT: What is your timetable for this project? When should this club charter?

TZ: Things will get easier, when the club charters. We get access to easyspeak, we are eligible for participating in competitions, we have a stable leadership team. These things are not yet set up.
Yet, founding a club is a process, and we have enough people who believe in the project, take ownership of it, and that is great. I am absolutely reassured, that this club will successfully go through all the initial stages till chartering.
We would like to charter as soon as possible. But, in the end, it takes as long as it takes.

AT: What are your impressions after 4 meetings? 

TZ: I love it! In 4 meetings we had 100 visitors in total already. Considering that we create a German-speaking public speaking club in Hungary, this is excellent! This is a niche. A niche big enough to get a sustainable initiative going.
Entering the room and seeing 30 persons, mostly total strangers, who came because of a project I started feels terrific. To me it shows that this initiative serves the desire of the community.
We have quite a few returning guests. Some of them have already became members, were brave enough to deliver their Icebreakers. We also have a courageous lady who volunteered for the role of the Toastmaster of the evening right away. I’m proud of the people and the project.

AT: Congratulations on the progress your initiative has already made. What other project ideas do you have?

TZ: Starting this club showed me that there is a lot of potential in the combination of German language and public speaking. Toastmasters is made to involve people actively. We learn and practice how to speak effectively in German.
I have contacted German-speaking clubs in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. These are all in the District 110. We should have speech contests in German, too.
Another initiative for this year is to team up with one of the local communities called ‘Inspiral club’ and launch an event in German. The concept of Inspiral is different, therefore we might attract people who have different preferences but share our interest in the German language, and public speaking.
I appreciate the opportunity to talk about the RednerRunde Budapest club with you, Agi, and I’m really happy to have you on board, and actively participating in the meetings. You are a real pillar of the club!

AT: Thank you, Tobi, and best of luck and much success to you and your initiatives.