Journey to the Stage: Joze Piranian

Public speaking is said to be the number one fear for most people.

​Not for Joze Piranian, who is grabbing fear by the balls. He is a lifelong stutterer who uses a breathing technique to control his stutter. He is on a mission to destroy his fears one stage at a time, starting with Speaker Slam. 

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On November 21st 2017, Joze accomplished a major feat when he competed in the GRAND SLAM of Inspirational Speaking against the best speakers in Toronto and won. ​

​The 2017 GRAND SLAM – featured all the year’s winners. A roster that was the culmination of 8 Speaker Slams, brought together the best speakers of the year for the ultimate throw down in inspirational speaking. 14 speakers from all facets of life bared their souls on stage as they competed for a $5000 prize package.

Over 200 people were in attendance to witness Joze Piranian capture the hearts of many when he took stage. The event took place at Lula Lounge in the heart of Toronto.

Joze’s journey to the stage was remarkable as he faced tough competition and a time limit that challenged his stutter. Joze's journey is one of self-acceptance, paradigm shift and tenacious perseverance. 

"It feels surreal to have won Speaker Slam. If I could talk to my 15 year old me. Who was suffering and was so depressed, self conscious and miserable due to having a stutter. I would tell him that I would one day enjoy public speaking and win a speaking competition. [My younger self] would have been like nah, you're tripping, there is no way in hell that would happen... but here I am, I am so happy." ​

Until just a few years ago, he avoided speaking at all cost, but now,  actively embraces the challenge.  It started at McGill University, Joze joined the debating club where he broke out of his thick shell and participated in tournaments. In order to overcome his fear of public speaking, he joined Toastmasters International; he still attends the meetings on a weekly basis in Toronto. 

Joze's recurring experience with adversity gave him the insight that fear is merely an indication that we must say YES and...just do it. "If we are afraid of something, it probably means that doing it would tremendously benefit our personal growth." That's how Joze wound up on the Speaker Slam stage. 

Unwilling to stop here, Joze continues to do stand-up comedy, where he combines his passion for comedy with his drive to master public speaking. Joze is deeply motivated to continuously self-improve while eliminating self-limiting beliefs, pushing his boundaries and meeting amazing people along the way. If you would like to follow Joze's journey, subscribe to his YouTube channel: Yes Way Joze

Fun Fact: Jozé has lived in four countries and stutters in six languages.

Established in 2016, Speaker Slam attracts over 100 monthly visitors, showcasing the highest standard of public speaking in Toronto, while giving speakers an opportunity to meet and engage with other professional speakers with different backgrounds and nationalities. If you would like to get on the stage as well, you can apply to be a speaker here: http://www.speakerslam.ca/apply-to-compete.html

Special thanks to all our speakers and our judges: Fay Chapple, Blake Fleischacker, ​Karen Donaldson and Sunjay Nath​ for making this night amazing for everyone!

Congratulations to Joze Piranian (1st), Jonathan Andrews (2nd) and Ande Clumpus for taking top spots at this years Grand Slam!