Another side

Sean Dwan,

Speak for Success

A series that highlights the lives and interests of ISME members and staff. In this edition, The bISME talks to ISME Member, Sean Dwan, about his business interests and love of Toastmasters...

What interests do you have outside of work? I have many interests - Toastmasters and most sports including Hurling, Rugby, Soccer, Golf, Snooker, Professional Boxing and Gaelic Football.

Why does being in toastmasters interest you? It is a brilliant non-profit organisation. Although it is a slow burner, it is a marvellous way to get started in developing confidence and self-esteem particularly in the fields of public speaking / presentation skills/ leadership/thinking and listening skills.

I have been helped by various people in Toastmasters over the years and now I am in a position to help other, something I really enjoy. Toastmasters gave me confidence to travel to USA to train as a professional trainer

Do you have an interesting story about your hobby? Life is one big story and I have many… At an International Toastmasters Conference, I unknowingly introduced a prominent businessman as the MC for the event, he wasn’t even there but it did get a great laugh.

What other hobbies/interests do you have? I love most sports including Hurling, Rugby, Soccer, Professional Boxing, Golf, Snooker, Gaelic Football. I played Hurling at Club Senior Level in Tipperary. I also play golf and really like walking briskly in the fresh air. Are there any hobbies or challenges you would like to try? I would love to learn a foreign language – Spanish in particular. I do take cookery lessons so I can boil a kettle and an egg and want to learn more. I would like to learn to dance properly – my wife has told me I am the worst dancer ever.

Talk to us about the work you do and your business? My company is Speak for Success International, offering presentation, public speaking, and confidence building skills training. I train CEOs, directors, managers, supervisors and others to deliver powerful messages. This can be across a range of situations such as speaking to management, in a boardroom to colleagues, at events and conferences or in social settings.

How has 2020 been for you and how have you coped? It has been challenging due to COVID. I do train people online but face to face is much better for body language and voice projection is so important when speaking. I am building a client pipeline at this time and hope to be busy in the coming months.

Sean speaking at a Toastmasters event. How important do you think it is to have an interest outside work and how do you think it can benefit your business? It is absolutely essential as your mind is clearer and as a result helps you to develop new ideas particularly when your brain is at rest. Suddenly a great idea enters your open mind.

How important is work life balance to you? Do you think this balance is something individuals and particularly employers need in their life to have a successful business? When I deliver training, I always say “Balance is my favourite word in the English language”. A number of years ago my work/life balance was askew – it was 90% work, 10% leisure. I have now dramatically changed this to 50 % / 50%.

An ideal work life balance is crucial as it gives you and your colleagues greater energy, greater mental capacity to deal with challenges and allows each person a degree of contentment “Happiness is friendships and relationships”

Find out more about Sean’s work, click here.