SPEAKER_01 0:00

2026 World Champion of Public Speaking, DeSot DeSilva. Welcome to the show. I'm so happy and excited to have you on.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Thank you for having me, Brandon. Yeah, honored being on your show. Listen to uh your other podcast shows, and yeah, really enjoyable.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Oh, thank you so much. We haven't met before. When it came to asking on the show, like some mind virus, your dad's voice got in my head too. Take the shot, you sissy. And it inspired me to give a cold outreach invitation to you. As you say, just make the decision and then make the best of it. So here we are.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Here we are. Yeah, that is so funny. And then it's funny because you said we've never met before because I feel like before the world champion, almost nobody knew about me. And now it's like, hey, I'm getting so many new friends and trying to build my network. I love it. I really love it. It's great.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

That's awesome. Congratulations on winning the 2026 World Championship of Public Speaking with your speech. Best decision ever. Now that you won first place, should we now call you de saut de gold?

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Instead of silver, gold. Okay, no. Um, definitely don't start doing anything differently my way. Uh I'm the same person that I was like two months ago. Um the only thing that has changed is I won a competition. But as a person, I would prefer just be treated the same as before. That's uh that's the way I like it.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

I love that. When I saw your nickname was Didi, initially I thought it might be your initials because D for Dursot and D for da Silva. But I believe it's actually a standard nickname or abbreviation for D Sot. Correct?

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Yeah. So when my name was Dirceu, named after a Brazilian football player. And the first two letters are just D Y, so the people would say D, D. Right? Just D, just shorting it. But if you say it fast, D, D, and then now that's where the Didi comes from. But it was ever since I was a little child, so I I think that's how it originated, but I don't I don't know any better. It's just I grew up with that name, my aunts and and and uncles calling me that.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

Do you mind if I call you Didi? No, of course. Of course, go ahead. Much easier. I'm stoked with that because did you know that Didi in Chinese means little brother?

unknown 2:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

Yeah, I did. And uh there's that that's also like uh I believe it's uh in uh in the Indian culture, it's actually little little sister. So every time I'm somewhere and uh you know you can call me Didi, and somebody will come up to me and say, you know that in my language it means something. And it's just awesome.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

So if we hit it off, you can then call me the reciprocal title, which is Gerger, which is elder brother in Chinese. Didi, the 2025 world champion of public speaking was your compatriot, Sabiasashi Sangupta. Sabi for short, he tells me, with his speech just nod. He's also from the Netherlands. Two years in a row, Netherlands.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

I'd just like to point out that my research tells me that the Netherlands has only about 530 members, which equates to about 0.2% of the Toastmaster family. In other words, only one in 500 Toastmasters is Dutch. So, well, of course, there's nothing random about you winning or Sabi winning the World Championship. Speaking hypothetically, of course, Melian mathematical fashion, the chance of a one in 500 event happening two years in a row is one in 250,000, which leads me to wonder is there something in the water over there? Or maybe I should ask in the cookies.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

Oh my god, that is so amazing. And it was actually one of the things that was um that I was considering a bit of um well, what do I say, a challenge, right? Because last year, after Sabi won, um, I actually thought, I had two thoughts. One, okay, what one of us, because Sabi and I have been friends for for many, many, many years. But first of all, I happy, one of us, you know, someone close to me won the world title, that's just amazing. And it creates a no set of belief. Because before that, who always used to think, well, winning a world champion is is such a dream out of reach. It's it's almost impossible. But then if someone close to you wins it, and now it inspires the rest and just have that, oh, wait a minute, there is a possibility to win. That's the first thought. But the second thought is wait a minute, we are such a small country. How big are the odds of us, one of us, like from the Netherlands, winning the trophy again? Those odds have to be like win-by-win-by-win-timing. So that's also in the back of your mind. And then you start thinking, balancing it out. I really want to go for a world champion, but realistically, like statistically, what are the odds? So what you've calculated, that was actually in the back of my mind.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Joe, we didn't speech left on a cliffhanger. We're all, you know, led along the whole journey waiting to find out did he take the shot or not, and you know, did it go in? So it leads me to think, you know, will the Netherlands be going for a hat-trick? Will you be coming back next year to give us a sequel?

SPEAKER_00 5:45

Oh, yeah, definitely. We're all already started pre-selecting like people who we think, okay, they would make a really good chance. And uh, I'm just I'm just I'm joking, of course. But yeah, it has been a lively conversation, let's put it that way, lively conversation within the country, even within the district, of course, because it's also the same district. And um, like the next person has to come from this area also. So for us, it's not just like, oh, wouldn't it be funny if we're actually striving to get the third person from here? That's right. Believe.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Believe, you know, you can do it now. But on a personal level, I love the ending, the cliffhanger ending. But are you gonna come back and be on the world stage again in the final and give us the answer?

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Wow. Uh no, no, no, no. Like, here's here's the here's the thing about that speech. First of all, I I believe that um the the outcome of the game um shouldn't matter because that's the whole point of the story. Don't worry about making the best decision, just just go with it. You know, whatever the outcome is, go go go with it. But the second part is that I believe that leaving the ending unopened will, you know, that's a part of the magic. And if I should reveal did the ball go in or not, then it loses that part of the magic of the speech. So I think uh for the foreseeable future, I'm gonna keep that answer to myself. Luckily, this all happened in the time where uh nothing was recorded on the internet because the internet didn't exist. So I have that fortunate that nobody could even look it up.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

I actually love that, and I think that's exactly how that was the power and the magic of that. I thought I'd ask anyhow, because there's gonna be people wondering if we're gonna get an answer. Talk me through your life leading up to the world championship, and feel free to start at conception. What pivotal moments led you down that path and got you to that stage?

SPEAKER_00 7:46

Wow. That's um okay. So I believe uh my mother met my father. No, my life has been actually really just just uh regular life with the with the friends and family that was always you know supportive and really close. I think it's it might also be like a cultural thing that family is really close. And as one of the semi-oldest cousins, like if you have that second generation, I was used to you know picking up like being a little bit on the front, and then and I would entertain my my little cousins and and and with with with you know telling them things. So that was when I was little. Then when I went to uh the middle school, we call it here, I believe your equivalent or the American equivalent would be high school. And that's where I encountered some well, how should I put it, uh breeding that changed my attitude, which I was a very happy and outgoing kid, very extrovert. Then it changed a little bit. I became a little bit more into myself. But I could combine it because it was not a lack of skills, but it just feeling uncomfortable when talking to larger groups of people. And then my first job was working at a call center. So, because like I said, I had a skill to communicate, I just didn't feel comfortable doing it, and working in a call center was ideal because you could communicate, but you didn't have to look at people, but just on the phone, right? And that's where they first asked me to do a training. And I gotta tell you, Brendan, there was I actually talk about it in my semi-final speech. That was a a disaster, let's put it mildly. It was a disaster. But afterwards, I loved the feeling. That's how I get walled into this whole world of standing and speaking to people, speaking to an audience. Started with training for a long time and then rolled into public speaking. And then when I wanted to develop that skill, I just went to Google, like everybody does, how to become a better public speaker. And I believe it was a course, book, article, Toastmasters. Like, what is Toastmaster? And that's how I got rolled up in the whole Toastmasters book. And this was uh, let's see, that was 2014. So I've been a member now for uh 12 years.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Okay, well, and when did you sit your site on the world stage?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Oh, right from the start. I joined, I joined Toastmasters at the beginning of the year. I was impressed during the being there as a guest, and I signed up immediately. And at my first official meeting, they were also announcing, hey guys, uh competition season is starting. Wait, competition? You have competitions in public speaking? Yeah, we have competition. I was like, oh, I want to sign up. I wanted to sign up for the very it was my first official meeting as a member, right? Unfortunately, I could not sign up for the contest because I was a new member. I didn't have the six uh speeches needed to be uh required to enter the competition. But I had to wait for a whole year, Brendan. I had to wait for a whole year before I could compete in the international speech again. And I've been loving it ever since. Sometimes you do okay, sometimes you don't even get past club level, but yeah, you learn so much about it. And as soon as it finishes, you already set your eyes on the next year, right? Okay, didn't work out this year. What am I gonna talk about next year? So it becomes a big part of your life, the competing. It's fun. And also, you know, you have the I believe that every division, every district has like these couple of people that compete every year. So you know who your competitors are also gonna be. Of course, there's gonna be new oh, oh, Sabi is gonna compete this year again. I better bring my A game, you know? Yeah, that's how it works. And I believe that that competition will make you will increase your public speaking skills by so much more than just practicing. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Sure, but I look, I love that spirit. I don't know that I've ever met anyone that has said that they want to go straight to the world stage, you know, get straight into competing from their first meeting. You know, most people are still trying to, you know, remember what their name is and looking at the looking at the ground. So that's like the spirit of a champion from the get-go. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

Yeah, but I think it depends, like, uh because of course, everywhere you encounter people who are very careful in entering a competition because they think they're not good enough to win the competition. But I believe that you have to start and enter the competition in order to get better. That puts a lot of pressure on people, like, oh, I don't want to join a competition and end up something like last or something. That shouldn't be the focus point. The focus point should be I'm gonna join a competition because it is gonna massively drive forwards my public speaking skills and the way that I prepare and the way that I write, because now I'm thinking from a different perspective, right? I'm preparing from a different perspective. And if that is your goal for joining the competition, even though I also believed, because when toastmasters do often say, well, it's not about the competition, it's about the journey. And yes, there's definitely some truth in that, but I do also believe that you have to have some type of desire to win, because that will translate in the way that you prepare and the way that you think about it. Don't expect it, of course, don't expect it. Maybe not even uh put it as a ball, but there needs to be some type of desire to want to excel in that competition. And uh I'm gonna miss it. I'm not allowed to compete anymore, and it's been such a big part of my life for the past 10 years. Because every year going through that whole structure, uh texting everybody, hey, are you competing this year? And oh, amazing. My kids hearing me practice at home, talking to myself, and they'll be like, Oh, dad is talking to his imaginary friend again. So that part is gonna, you know, fall off. And I'm gonna miss it. I'm glad that there's a new chapter, of course. I'm glad we're really glad there's a new chapter, but yeah, I'm gonna miss it.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Yeah, I understand that because it's been such a part of your life. I love what you're saying about you know just giving it a shot. You put so much pressure if you go into a competition thinking you have to win. Of course you should aim for that, but yeah, just accept that you might coming last, someone has to come last, but you're gonna gain so much from having the shot. Yeah. Yeah. Talk me through the world championship experience itself from arriving in Vancouver. What are the things that really stick out to you about the whole experience?

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Good question, Brandon. Let's see, what stuck out? This was for me the first time going to the international conference, and it was way bigger than I expected. So that was first of what I was amazing to see. Very well organized. I've been to a lot of events, but the way that from the moment that you enter like a convention and how they guide you and registering, and you know, oh, there's this is taking place there, this in that room, this is taking place a workshop, uh, there's a keynote, there's a get-together, it's really well organized. So you can immediately, when you enter, you appreciate the amount of effort that has put into organizing such a huge event with people from all over the world. Uh so you have to consider a lot of things. That's the first thing. But then, as a contestant, you don't really have the luxury of enjoying everything that's going on there because you have the focus, oh, I need to practice for my speech. Uh, maybe let's see if I can change something. Are there any last-minute thoughts? I want to be in peak mental state. So, as a contestant, for it's at least in my case, I didn't really get to enjoy all the effort that was put in the convention because I was focusing on the speech. So we went back to the hotel. I went with my wife to the convention. Beforehand, I had told her, oh, honey, we're going to Canada. Such a beautiful country. Vancouver is such a beautiful city. I'm going to show you all around the place. We didn't see anything, Brandon. We didn't get to see anything because I was locked up in the hotel room, just, you know, preparing, practicing, and everything. So that was up until the actual finals, that was the whole thing. Just I was locked up in the hotel room. I would ease up, read a little, uh, practice, practice, practice, then take a break, maybe just walk outside for a couple of minutes, go back in. I don't I don't know if that was the right way to prepare, but that's what I did at that moment. And then comes the actual contest, like the semifinals. Oh, amazing. You walk into the room and it's big, and you meet your fellow contestants. And what I've noticed from like spotting at club level all the way up to the finals, is that even though it's a contest, and even though me and the other contestants are in the competition, it has never given me that feeling of, you know, like this rivalry or anything. It's always everywhere you go, like, hey, good, how are you talking about? Did you prepare well? How did you go? Washing you the best of luck, oh, did you look amazing? It's the real camaraderie between you and the other competitors, the other contestants. And I don't think I know any other type of competition that has that way. Right? Like, you know, it's like being with friends and then competing for the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 17:45

It's almost like the opposite of a boxing match, isn't it? Trash talk each other, shirting front each other. We're kind of hugging and you know. So it's a beautiful culture, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

That was amazing. And yeah, like I said, you all notice that throughout the different uh throughout the different stages. And it's amazing. So up into that part, it's it's all good, and then contest starts, everything changes. Everything changes.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

What changes?

SPEAKER_00 18:17

The whole experience, because before you get even at the semifinals, before you get on that stage, you're anonymous, especially if you're a first timer on that level, right? And then as soon as you get off, like the support and people come walking up to you and congratulating you, even before the scores are announced, right? So this is not about winning the contest, it's just about people seeing you standing there on that stage, delivering the speech, and then congratulating you on the work that you put in and the effort. Again, such an amazing organization that that will happen that way. Was amazed. And then when they do finally announce the results and you're sitting there and you hear your name being announced, oh my god, random. That was yeah, that's the feeling what you've been working for all these months, actually all these years, because for me, you've been working a long time to. So that was the semifinals, and then when you get to go to the finals, everything again, like the whole preparation, they walked you through everything. For me personally, I did find that having the semifinals on Thursday and the finals right exactly the next day was a little bit too close to each other. Especially because right after the semifinals you have the debriefing, and the next day in the morning you have the rehearsal. So a big chunk of the time was taken away to prepare for that.