Ever since Elliott Eddie was a child, he could run his mouth like a steam engine, his cousin says. Mr. Eddie’s oratorical skills, refined through the years and sprinkled with inspiration, have earned him a top international award.

On Aug. 20, the Henrico County resident earned the distinction as one of the top 10 finalists in Toastmasters International’s World Championship of Public Speaking Contest.

After six months and several rounds of competition that involved more than 32,000 contestants from Toastmasters groups from 124 countries around the world, Mr. Eddie emerged as one of the best.

As one of the Top 10, he delivered a talk, “Just Do the Work,” to an audience of more than 2,500 people at the organization’s 2016 international conference held in Washington. Another 125,000 were live streaming the final competition.

While Mr. Eddie didn’t win, he was ecstatic to be chosen as one of the Top 10. “It is a great experience and honor,” Mr. Eddie says. “I was able to bring a message that resonates with people from around the world.

“I lost count of the people who came to me and said how the speeches rekindled a flame within them. That is why I speak — to motivate, educate and inspire.”

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit that helps members improve their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills, operates through clubs that compete within districts. Richmond’s Toastmaster community competes through District 66, which stretches from Fredericksburg to the North Carolina border.

The 50-year-old entrepreneur did not always use his oratorical skills on stage. In fact, the Hamilton College graduate who studied theater and creative writing was introduced to Toastmasters by his wife. For more than a year, he considered joining.

“I was looking for something fun to put in my schedule and finally visited a club, and loved it. Turns out, my wife was right.”

Through speech, Mr. Eddie hopes to inspire future entrepreneurs, professionals and even other inspirational speakers.

“It would be a shame to work for someone else your whole life, to pay bills to someone else and never get to delve into your heart’s dream and give yourself an opportunity to achieve it. Time will pass anyway, how will you let yours pass?”

Meet this week’s Personality, international orator Elliott Eddie:

Occupation: Entrepreneur who manages Superior Tax Service, a tax preparation company, and film and television producer for DM Media Inc. Also a licensed Primerica agent.

Date and place of birth: April 30 in Harlem. Raised in the Bronx.

Current residence: Henrico County.

Alma mater: Hamilton College, bachelor’s degree in 1991, with a major in theater and creative writing and a minor in dance.

Family: Wife, Pamela Eddie.

Toastmasters is: An incredible organization for personal development, networking and building dreams.

Toastmasters then versus now: The organization has changed a bit, and has grown to become a better representation of excellence in communication and leadership training. I believe Toastmasters has benefited from the input and hard work from individuals with different backgrounds, thoughts and aspirations. I would highly recommend visiting a club and seeing what you can gain from Toastmasters.

What this honor means to me: This honor is a confirmation of where I have always believed my life was heading. Often in life, we are sidetracked by the intensity and variables of life. Sometimes we have a goal or dream, but it seems like we are going in the opposite direction and can’t catch a break. It is in those times, marked by continued hard work — even in the dark — that we see our achievements as a blessing and a confirmation that those years of your life were not in vain.

Family’s reaction: My family is thrilled for me. My cousin says, “I knew it. Ever since you were a child, you could run your mouth like a steam engine.” Everyone was thrilled for me. Then the next day came and life went on.

My winning speech was about: “Just Do the Work,” a lesson I learned from my grandmother, a woman born during the U.S depression. She explained that the way to overcome life’s challenges was to “Just Do The Work.” Over the decades, I learned that doing the work meant fighting for what’s right, continuing to dream and go after them, building lives and forgiving our fellow human beings. Never give up, even when it looks like you are failing. If you do this, you will reach your dreams and live a meaningful life along the way.

Key to becoming a good speaker: Honesty. I believe the best speakers are individuals who have learned some hard life lessons and are not afraid to expose themselves to get that message out. I believe the best speakers have a truth inside them that resonates with audiences when they are honest about what they have to say and real about how they say it.

What makes a good speech: The best speeches are born from stories. Audiences want to understand what you are talking about, why you are speaking about it and what your words will do for them. A good speech captures the imagination of an audience and tells them a story that drives home its point, but allows the audience to actively participate during the trip.

Secrets to writing a good speech: Hard work. Speech writing is a learned skill, but like all skills, it needs practice to flourish. Some of the work includes research, being concise with the message and practice, practice, practice. You perform the way you practice.

How to overcome audience fear: Face it and practice. We all have a measure of fear. I still do, although I now recognize it as a massive amount of nervous energy. We overcome our fears by accepting the challenge — “Just Do The Work.” Some measure of fear always will be present in whatever we do. But if we decide to face it and push through no matter what, we will find that what we feared was not worth fearing, and each time we experience that, it will make us bolder and more confident to follow our dreams.

Toastmasters No. 1 challenge: To stop talking once your time is up.

If I could have my wish, it would be: To complete the mission I am here for — motivate, educate and inspire.

Hero or heroine: Anyone who is actively fighting for their dream and refuses to give up.

Favorite speech: “A Message for All of Humanity” by Charlie Chaplin.

What makes me tick: The possibilities. The idea that I can envision a goal — any goal — and I can set a solid plan, adjust to life’s curve balls and eventually reach that goal in some measure. Even if I am not the best, I will be formidable.

Three words that best describe me: Creator, doer, relentless.

How I start the day: I start at my computer. Each day is a new adventure and I look forward to each day to find my stake in it.

A perfect evening: I am a homebody. I work hard every day, so in the evenings I am content to kick back, relax, watch a movie or plan the “next great thing.”

I place top value on: Respect and loyalty.

Hobby: Sounds funny, but my hobby is researching new information about the world we live in and its “owners.”

Best late-night snack: Grapes or cherries.

Nobody knows that: I am extremely sensitive. I have a hard shell that I operate in, but because of my artistic bent and the openness it requires, things get to me for short periods of time. But eventually I can put it in its place and move forward with the plan.

The best thing my parents ever taught me was: I mostly grew up in a group home. From the group home I learned that I needed to be knowledgeable, I needed to know how to navigate the world of business and that I needed to believe in myself.

The person who influenced me the most: J.J. Green, a counselor in one of the group homes I grew up in. He showed me how to put things in perspective during my teenage years, how to make solid decisions doing what he called, “Before, during and after thinking.” He taught me to approach life as a series of chess moves as opposed to checkers.

The book that influenced me the most: The most influential book I ever read, I read as a child. It is “The Long Dream” by Richard Wright. It was about a child named Fishbelly who grew up in the South during horrendous times. The experiences of the main character, along with his determination to live, touched me at a young age and I have never forgotten.

What I’m reading now: I am re-reading the first science fiction book that I authored — to begin working on the second book of this trilogy. It is “Demigods Among Us.” Besides this, I just finished reading, “When Technology Fails” by Matthew Stein.

My next goal: To continue sharing my messages on larger stages. I look forward to motivating, educating and inspiring the world to know that we all have the possibility of greatness. It is not reserved for just a few. We all can dream and follow our dream as long as we commit to doing the work, determine we will not quit and fight for every inch. If we can do that, we all can live an incredibly adventurous life, and have more good days along the way.