Lubbock Distinguished Toastmaster Jef Conn is living proof of the old adage “If you want to get something done, give it to a busy person.” A Toastmaster since 2009, Jef has accomplished quite a bit both in and outside of Toastmasters. He’s currently District 23’s District Finance Manager. He’s a member of Lubbock’s Llano Estacado Toastmasters, the Treasurer for the Lubbock Realtors Toastmasters Club, and the Vice President Education for the Lubbock Pro Club.
Jef takes to the stage to speak at a conference.
Jef is also the President Elect of the Lubbock Association of Realtors and President of the board for Lubbock’s Family Guidance and Outreach Center. When asked about his non-Toastmasters accomplishments, he mentions his LAR election. The organization is primarily made up of residential real estate agents. As a commercial real estate agent, his election was something special. What’s more, he’s been told that he may be one of the youngest persons in the nation ever elected to head an Association of Realtors. On top of all that, Jef recently won the 2015 William C. Jennings award for being the Commercial Realtor of the Year for Texas.
Jef first heard of Toastmasters from his father, several years before he actually joined. Like many other Toastmasters, it was a failed presentation that motivated him to join. “Because of my inability to give a decent presentation“ says Jef, “I lost a sale. Without going into specifics, I’ll just say that losing that particular sale cost me a lot of money.”
He considered different courses to help him with public speaking, courses that cost a lot of money, but Jef realized that he needed training on an ongoing basis. A client recommended Toastmasters, and Jef took the leap. Last year he achieved his DTM.
Other than Toastmasters, Jef enjoys traveling. “Domestically, my favorite destination is Chicago. Internationally, I really like London. I enjoy exploring the non-touristy side of big cities.” He also competes in Crossfit competitions. (Author’s note: Jef showed up at the December TLI in Lubbock, coming directly from one such competition. As mentioned earlier, he stays busy.)
Jef Conn
Jef believes that one of the most useful parts of Toastmasters is the educational program leading to DTM. “I know it seems a bit cumbersome at times. The checklists are often hard to understand and at first don’t seem to make sense. But they work; the program has proven to be successful in both my personal and professional life.” Jef also believes that the networking and meeting people on a personal level in Toastmasters opens doors for members.
He feels that the most useful skill he’s learned in Toastmasters is the ability to remove filler words (um’s and ah’s). “Also listening to others speak. As a sales person, I have to listen to people and help them make decisions. Being able to listen has made me a lot of money professionally.”
When asked what he’s excited about right now, Jef mentions the six months left in the Toastmasters year, and the work the District still needs to do. “It’s a learning process.”
Oh, and in July he’s traveling to Pamplona, Spain for the running of the bulls. As mentioned earlier, Jef stays busy.
