💥 Why I Made Public Speaking Mandatory in Our Homeschool—And Why Every Child Should Learn It 💥 We live in a world where kids communicate constantly—but say less and less. Texts. Emojis. Half-spelled words. ▶️ When communication is truncated, so is thinking. How can a child form a cohesive, critical thought if their world is shaped by fragments? So I made public speaking mandatory. Not because I wanted performers— But because I wanted our kids to be presenters of their thoughts: calm, confident, and clear. When looking for options, I chose Gavel Club over a speech team. Most teams focus on perfecting one speech. But real life doesn’t hand you a script. So I started a Gavel Club—Junior Toastmasters. It gave our kids the chance to repeatedly practice not only giving speeches, but also rotating through key roles: Toastmaster (host) Timer Grammarian Evaluator They also practiced impromptu speaking through Table Topics, learning to think critically and speak under pressure. Week after week, they experienced the value of showing up and being heard. And this started in elementary school. One of the best reasons to start young? Kids haven’t developed their inner critic yet. Adults often fear public speaking because they’ve learned to judge themselves through imagined critics. But kids raised in safe environments—where they’re encouraged to speak and stumble—grow up unafraid of being seen. ▶️ Confidence isn’t something you flip on at 18. It’s built, little by little, through repetition. When I read John Bowe’s "I Have Something to Say," I felt deeply affirmed. Bowe explores the history of rhetoric and how speaking isn’t just about communication—it’s about: 💡 Thinking clearly. Listening deeply. Building community. He also highlights the link between speaking and mental health: People who can express themselves feel less isolated. They feel heard—by others and themselves. And that kind of confidence leads to deeper relationships and fuller lives. You don’t need to homeschool to do this. Here are a few easy ways to start: - Join or start a Gavel Club - Practice “table topics” at dinner—1-minute answers to surprise prompts - Invite kids to present book reports or trip recaps - Model intentional speaking and listening ▶️ If we wait until kids “need” confidence, it might be too late. But if we build it early—through repetition, structure, and support—they’ll grow up knowing their thoughts matter. Public speaking isn’t just a skill. It’s a tool for life. Let’s raise kids who don’t just have something to say—but know how to say it with clarity, courage, and care. If you’ve tried this with your kids—or want to—let’s connect. I’d love to hear your story.

❓ What if your perfect delivery was the reason your message didn’t land? ⁉️ "Nothing sticks to polish." That line jumped out at me in tonight’s Toastmasters Communicator's Club meeting (a group that helps professionals improve public speaking). One of our speakers shared this quote—something her public speaking mentor once read on the label of a bottle of polish. He had always prided himself on being the "polished" speaker… until he realized that when everything’s too polished, your message can actually get lost in the shine. 💡 What matters is impact. Resonance. Memorability. As a Bitcoin educator and parenting coach, I help families build a legacy of confidence, character, and financial wisdom. This message hit home. It was a gentle nudge—a reminder that polish is fine, but impact is better. That it should land in the heart, not just sound good to the ear. Whether I’m actively speaking or simply observing, every Toastmasters meeting offers something to reflect on. Tonight, it was this: ✨ Keep honing the craft. 🎤 Keep working on vocal variety. 🧠 Keep refining how the message lands. Because in the end, it’s not about looking and sounding good. It’s about making sure something meaningful sticks. ❓ What’s a speaking tip, quote, or lesson that changed how you communicate? I’d love to hear it. #PublicSpeaking #Toastmasters #Storytelling #LifelongLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #ParentingCoach #BitcoinEducation

💛 Character + Bitcoin → Better World Before you orange-pill your kid, steel their spine. Because the moment you tell them about Bitcoin, you set them apart. That’s the message I had the honor of sharing this week at Bitcoin Alaska—a gathering of minds and hearts that left me deeply inspired and incredibly grateful. Many Bitcoiners feel the urgency to teach kids about Bitcoin by helping them set up a wallet and send their first sats. But I believe character is the first hardware wallet we should set up for our kids—because it’s cold storage for courage, kindness, honesty, and grit. ✨ With strong character, kids can resist social hacking, get-rich-quick schemes, and conformity pressure. ✨ With a foundation of inner strength, when our kids finally hold Bitcoin, they won’t use it to run away from the world—they’ll use it to build something better. Because fiat may be broken. And Bitcoin may be better. But it’s still just a tool. And 💡 every tool reflects the hand that holds it. 🧡 Let’s raise kids who not only understand the power of Bitcoin, but are also ready to use it with wisdom and virtue. The Bitcoin Alaska conference was truly one of a kind. Not only did Bitcoiners come together to share our passion for freedom tech—but we did it while surrounded by breathtaking wild Alaska! We saw 🌊 Glaciers and waterfalls, 🐋 Whales, seals, and bald eagles in their natural habitat, and ate 🍽️ Salmon… fresh out of the water and onto our plates! 🛶 And we had the profound privilege of learning about the culture of the Indigenous Tlingit people—even rowing together in one of their traditional canoes. What an incredible privilege to have been part of this event! Huge thanks to the amazing organizers and volunteers of the Bitcoin Alaska team—you created something truly unforgettable!