Frequently Asked Questions

StenoMasters was founded in 2021 and is an online community for all stenographic court reporters, captioners, and students to practice the art of public speaking.  We held our first-ever in-person meeting at the NCRA 2022 annual convention in Orlando, FL, with a fantastic turnout.

We are mostly silent in the courtroom, at the deposition conference table, or sitting behind a computer screen captioning an event.  The StenoMasters club is a welcoming, supportive environment where we encourage each other to speak up and share our stories.  Public speaking is most people's no. 1 fear.  Through practice and preparation, we will carry greater confidence into the workplace and become even stronger advocates for stenograpy in front of attorneys, judges, and the consumers of our services.

Anyone is welcome to join StenoMasters.  The group was originally conceived with members of the stenographic profession in mind, but it is not exclusive.  Friends, family, and curious individuals are welcome to get involved.  We would love to have a mix of freelancers -- reporters and captioners -- state officials, federal officials, students, school admins, agency owners, retired reporters, and members of state and national associations.

The answer is anything.  We certainly look forward to hearing speeches about steno, court reporting, captioning, school, speed-building, realtime, etc.  But speakers may speak on any topic of their choosing.

We meet twice a month on Monday evenings at 8:30 p.m. EDT/5:30 p.m. PT.  The meeting usually lasts one hour or slightly shorter.

StenoMasters is completely free.

Here are a few reasons you will benefit by getting involved with StenoMasters.

1. Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking

For many, the fear of public speaking is the number one fear ahead of dying. Yet this fear can be effectively overcome through practice. It is an ongoing process, not a single moment.

2. Eliminate Filler Words

Each meeting will have a member serve as the Ah Counter whose sole job is to count every person's filler words like "um," "ah," "you know," and "like." Many people are aware that they use these filler words, but have never received any practical tools to reduce or eliminate them.

3. Hear a Variety of Speeches

We certainly look forward to hearing stories from the field – courtroom, depositions CART, broadcast captioning, or school. But members may also speak on any other topic.

4. Learn How to Write and Deliver an Effective Speech

The point of joining a public speaking club is learning how to write an effective speech with a strong beginning, clear main points that flow logically, and a strong conclusion. 

5. Share Your Stories and Inspire Others

When you share your own story of a struggle you overcame, a lesson you learned, a triumph, a failure, you subconsciously empower other people to share their own stories.

6. Develop and Maximize Your Leadership Abilities

Great leaders are also great speakers, and great speakers often make great leaders. Members who are committed and attend meetings regularly may find that they had tremendous leadership potential that lay dormant until they accessed it through public speaking.

7. Become a Part of a Vocal Stenographic Community

Stenographers are usually the silent observers who listen and take down what others say. This is a group for us to speak, to occupy center stage, to truly be the "most important person in the room."