PR Made Easy!
by Miral Dera, TM
Area 26 Director
IPP & VPM, Maadi Toastmasters Club
It was our very first in-person Club Officer Training (COT 1) in Egypt! While we all looked forward to learning and discussing together, what made the day truly special was the connection—the laughter, the bonding, and the chance to get to know each other better. I had the honor of being the VPPR trainer. And from the start, my goal wasn’t just to go over the role’s responsibilities—it was to equip each participant with practical tools, knowledge, and confidence to hit the ground running.
That’s why I called the session: PR Made Easy!
💼 Why that title?
Coming from an advertising background, I’ve spent over 16 years in multinational and local agencies—first as a Brand Strategist, then as a Creative Director developing ideas for TV and radio commercials. I’ve worked with teams in London, Brussels, Italy, Switzerland, Lebanon, the Middle East, and Egypt, and studied Film Directing/ Filmmaking at New York Film Academy – London.
In advertising, one of our greatest strengths is making things simple and relevant to the audience. I wanted to bring the same approach to this training—to demystify PR and make it easy, actionable and fun.
🚀 Before the Session
Instead of assuming what participants needed, I reached out to each one personally with a short form asking:
• How comfortable/skilled are you with Canva? (1–5 scale)
• Have you edited videos before? (Yes, many times / Yes, a few times / No)
• What are your top 3 perceived challenges as VPPR?
🧠 Shaping the Session
Based on their responses, I designed the session around 3 key parts:
Part I: Understand
Clarifying the role, responsibilities, and the real impact a VPPR can make.
Part II: Create
Addressing their top challenge: how to create effective communication.
I shared 5 practical tips + a quick overview of Toastmasters brand guidelines.
Part III: Execute
Hands-on tips for Canva and video editing using simple, free tools.
We wrapped up with District 20 PR resources, awards, and a feedback form.
📲 To Save Time…
Since time was tight, I asked them beforehand to:
• Create a free Canva account
• Download the free InShot app for video editing
This made our practical exercises much smoother.
📅 The Day Itself
I kicked off by sharing the feedback from the forms, explaining the session flow, and giving a short introduction about myself. Then we jumped in. The session was smooth, engaging, and hands-on. We explored VPPR responsibilities and duties,
Canva tools, practiced editing on InShot, and discussed real scenarios. By the end, they were not only well-informed—they were excited to get started.
♦My 4 Takeaways
- Good preparation pays off.
- Give people what they need, not what you think they need.
- Be creative in how you deliver.
- Be agile and adapt to the energy in the room.
PR can seem simple… or overwhelming. My aim was to empower them with clarity and confidence.
Just one goal: PR Made Easy!
Here’s to more in-person trainings, more “aha” moments, and more growth—together!
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Miral Dera is a Brand Strategist | Communication Consultant.
In Toastmasters, she is Area 26 Director. She is also founder/ IPP & VPM of Maadi Toasmtasters Club (Egypt). She loves Travelling, Creativity & Public Speaking and believes that there is always a ‘new & creative way’ of doing things. She is also the first Animal Communicator in Egypt and Middle East.