Page 30 November 2012 Company fi nding success with Toastmasters club By Jasmine Barta The idea for the Toastmasters public speaking club at SmartPractice, a company that sells medical and dental supplies, came from Nick Corridino’s previous job in the ‘90s where the club had existed. “I personally felt the bene fi ts from it, and saw other people reap the bene fi ts of it,” Corridino said. “So I decided back in May I was going to try to start one at SmartPractice.” The fi rst meeting was held in June. By August, the club had enough members to charter. “You have to have at least 20 members to charter a club,” he said. “We currently have 23. We have 20 employees and three people from outside the company.” The club has opened its doors to fi ve people from outside of the company. Anyone can request to join until those spaces are fi lled, and the number may be increased as the club matures. At every club meeting two speeches are given and evaluated by other members, and then members move on to “table topics,” which are impromptu speeches in which the topic is given at the time of the meeting. Each meeting has a rotating toastmaster, who emcees and leads the meeting, a grammarian, a word-of-the-day person, and an “ah” counter, who listens for nonwords and pregnant pauses during speeches. “We’re a very new club, but several members have told me that Toastmasters has helped them,” Corridino said. “And you can see that in the con fi dence they have and the way they now communicate with others.” Yvonne Avalos and Becky Van Sleet are employees at SmartPractice who have found joining the Toastmasters club bene fi cial. “I had the opportunity to join in high school, but I was so busy with other clubs that I missed that opportunity,” Avalos said. “But I heard great things about it, so when I had the opportunity again, I took it.” She said she joined the club to improve her speaking and leadership skills. “Speaking in public is one of people’s biggest fears,” Avalos said. “Once you conquer that, it takes your character to a whole new level.” Avalos said her favorite part of the club is being challenged to participate in impromptu speeches in which the speaker only knows the topic minutes before Continued on page 50 F E A T U R E D B U I L D E R A R C A D I A H O M E Scott R. Jung, General Contractor LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED ROC# 163087 602-224-9899 • 3605 N. 44th St. www.SRJConstructionandDesign.com SRJbuildsit@cox.net The SRJ Team creates a big impact big impact curb appeal. This one available now! Enjoy your friends & family this Thanksgiving. Enjoy your friends & family this Thanksgiving. SRJ is a complete source complete source for unique custom home projects. After Before \HDUV RIDUFDGLD OHQGLQJ \HDUV RIJHQXLQH H[SHUWLVH \HDUV RIWUXVW VXVLHVDEHO PRUWJDJHEDQNHU 480.305.8445 NMLS# 182660 BK# 0906222 VVDEHO#KRPHRZQHUVIJFRP THANKS A heartfelt to the entire Arcadia community, from our family to yours. 2012 Camry Neil Germundson ~ Toyota Fleet Manager NeilG@RightToyota.com 7701 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale AZ 85260 480-778-2200 Craig Thorpe ~ Honda Fleet Manager CThorpe@RightHonda.com 7875 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale AZ 85260 480-778-2440 to all of our Arcadia customers. ll f At this time of year our thoughts turn to those who make us successful. A big 2013 Honda Accord to all of our Arcadia customers. f Arcadia community, ily to yours. Arcadia 2012 Camry

Page 31 November 2012 Local First offers taste of Valley at Fall Festival By Cassandra Strauss Imagine strolling down a shady sidewalk and passing Postino Winecafé, Bookman’s Entertainment Exchange, Duck and Decanter, St. Francis, Urban Cookies and dozens of other locally owned businesses all within a few blocks. Add a beer and wine garden, a batting cage put on by the Diamondbacks and kid activities and the scene begins to look like the annual Fall Festival, held by Local First Arizona Nov. 10 in Central Phoenix. The festival draws locally owned and operated businesses throughout the Valley together to raise awareness of the importance of shopping local. “Local businesses help our state for two reasons. One, they build a stronger, healthier economy and two they bring cultural vibrancy,” Kimber Lanning, founder of Local First, said. When Lanning began Local First in 2003, she caught the headwind of what she refers to as a signi fi cant change in the way Americans shop. “There’s been a cultural shift. People are saying, ‘I’m tired of a sterile experience.’ People are tired of the homogenization when they travel from city to city and see the same restaurants everywhere,” Lanning said. Each month Local First gains around 75 new members, Lanning said. “The people of Phoenix are speaking with their dollars. We control the market; that’s what people fail to understand,” Lanning said. The festival offers businesses not only exposure but also a chance to educate Valley residents on which businesses are locally owned, said Pia Jones, retail manager at Duck and Decanter. In past years, the festival was held at the Duck and Decanter location on Camelback Road. With 6,000 attendees last year, Lanning decided to move outside. “Some of these companies, you don’t know they’re local,” Jones said. “Who knew? You don’t think of the Zoo as a locally owned business.” Along with a culinary festival called Devoured hosted by Local First, Lanning said the festival is the organization’s main community outreach event. “When you create that density and you have a ton of local businesses at the same time it just creates an energy,” Lanning said. “Whenever they spend money at a local business, three times more of the money they spend stays here.” According to the Local First website, Continued on page 50 9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Children’s ministry @ 9:00 a.m. 3641 N. 56th Street, Phoenix • 480-945-9537 • www.popphoenix.org Northeast corner of 56th St. and Indian School • Ages 2-5 • Well-quali Ű ed, loving and experienced Teachers • Christian curriculum and Chapel every Tuesday • Enrichment classes including Spanish, Taekwondo, Art & Music • A/C gymnasium that is used as our Summer Playground • Flexible scheduling options, with half and full-day programs • Excellent Pre-Kindergarten program loving and experienced Teachers Caring for Children Since 1967! C en n Religious Instruction • Strong Academics • Religious Instruction • Strong Academics • Cutting Edge Technology Cutting Edge Technology Leadership Programs • PE and Interscholastic Sports • Instrumental and Vocal Music Leadership Programs • PE and Interscholastic Sports • Instrumental and Vocal Music “Arts Attack” Program • School Nurse • Bus Transportation Available “Arts Attack” Program • School Nurse • Bus Transportation Available Join us at our Open House Join us at our Open House January 8, 2013 January 8, 2013 Tour our Campus from 9am-2pm & 5pm-7pm Tour our Campus from 9am-2pm & 5pm-7pm Scholarship Information Meeting (K-8) 6:30pm Scholarship Information Meeting (K-8) 6:30pm Kindergarten Information Meeting 7pm Kindergarten Information Meeting 7pm 3901 East Indian School Road • 602-957-7010 • www.clsphx.org CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL Christian Values. Quality Education. Preschool through Grade 8 CHRIST LUTHERAN SCHOOL I.S.A . CERTIFIED ARBORISTS ON STAFF & CREWS Fully Insured / Licensed / Bonded Contractor - ROC # 251150 480-820-3939 Call for a Free Consultation Serving the Valley for over 25 years! Serving the Valley for over 25 years! Professional Pruning Root Zone Fertilization Insect & Disease Management Hazard Tree Evaluations & Removals Root – Rx Program Aerial Lift Technical Support by our Research Laboratories Cabling & Bracing Bartlett’s Root-Rx helps restore declining trees by stimulating root growth and providing needed nutrients.