Today's guest on the Transformational Pathways Podcast is Loujaina Abdelwahed, Assistant Professor of Economics at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Economics is much more than just talking about numbers and money. Economics is a framework that helps you make decisions. Loujaina shares how she applies the principles of economics in everyday life and in Toastmasters too. She also gives a peek into life in Cairo and how she ended up in the United States. Loujaina explored many different Toastmasters clubs to practice her public speaking and experience the different cultures of each club. Finally, she advises up and coming professionals to check out any Toastmasters club and find the same community and mentorship that had been vital to her own growth as a person and public speaker.
HIGHLIGHTS
03:46 Using the principles of economics in Toastmasters and day-to-day life
10:29 Growing up in Cairo and loving math and Arabic
17:25 Creating an impact in the Egyptian Ministry of Finance
22:44 Toastmasters: Finding community and mentorship
35:25 Experiencing different Toastmasters clubs
39:15 Conquering the fear of public speaking and job interviews
44:37 Advice to fresh grads: Speaking is the most important skill
47:13 Connect with Loujaina
QUOTES
02:38 "People would always think about economics as money, how to make money. But no, it's not like this. It's a way of thinking. It's how we make decisions. It's all about making decisions."
07:15 "When I think about giving a speech, so basically, how many speeches would I give in a given year? So now I have to think about what we call the marginal principle. So what's the additional cost of giving that speech versus the additional benefit?"
09:03 "We have to clear about what is opportunity cost? Opportunity cost is what is the value of my second best alternative? So if I am not in a Toastmasters meeting now, what is the thing that I would be doing? This is my opportunity cost, right?"
29:45 "I think this is what a great mentor is, right? They'll support you but they never tell you what to do. You're the master of your decisions at the end of the day, right?"
45:28 "Believe me, speaking is more important because most times you're just going to be talking. Not everyone is going to read the material that you write, but everyone has to listen to you at least for two minutes when you introduce yourself."
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