Speaking

W E L C O M E  T O  D A R R I N  C H A T T E R

I look forward to tailoring each talk to the audience, and sharing my experiences to provide insight and perspective on things that all of us face one way or another.

Whether the talk is “Sales My Way” or “Don’t Jobify your Passion”, I draw from my own experiences to share knowledge with the intent of shortening someone else’s learning curve. I look forward to providing value to your next event!

Corporate/Keynote Talks

Resiliency is the key to life.  You are always going to be faced with challenges and setbacks, how you rebound from them is largely what matters.  I do not have all the answers for every scenario, but I am happy to share the things I did to bounce back from:

  • Moved to AZ from PA as a kid, having spent my whole life on a small farm in rural PA
    • Led a completely different life that only the big city could offer
  • A neck injury in high school that ended my college scholarship run as a wrestler
    • This is how I began my journey to being a Top 20 Pro Racquetball Player
  • Burned out on the sport I loved, retired after tough loss in my sixth season
    • Became Head Coach for ASU Racquetball club, became Women’s National Champion Coach, produced over three dozen Collegiate All Americans, and was the two-time recipient of the Collegiate Coach of the Year award
  • Survived a head-on collision with a wrong-way drunk driver
    •   I became a Public Speaker with MADD because of this incident
  • Married later in life, holding out for the exact person I wanted
    • Divorced after 12 years together, but bounced back after a period of deep introspection and intense therapy

Life is unpredictable, we know that.  The patterns and principles you follow after a set back can shorten the road back to the top or they can send you spiraling.  Choose your path wisely or pay the consequences.  Let me be your sherpa and show you the way back to the top of mountain you are climbing.

I am a fan of the Ken Blanchard school of thought:  Servant Leadership. I believe that a true leader is going to lead by example, support the people in their charge, and develop team members into future leaders themselves.  Leadership is a delicate balance of providing support to those around you, owning the outcomes, taking the blame but none of the credit.  Whether leading a team of young professionals or a mixed group or individuals, let’s work together to dial in the message your team members need to hear!

Being the smallest guy on the field has never deterred me.  As a High School wrestler, I had to practice and compete against much bigger guys at times.  After a neck injury ended my wrestling season, I switched to the sport of racquetball and a new David vs Goliath battle began.  Once turning Pro, I was able to have a trainer to help me prepare, and found myself training with other professional athletes and college hopefuls.  Despite my small stature, I outworked may of them in certain activities, proving that it is the size of your heart that matters, not the size of your body.  My “All Heart” talk shares stories of physical and mental triumphs from a guy who learned early on that it is the size of your heart that matters most.

I was in a hurry to get to the top of my chosen sport, and I paid a heavy price because of it.  Instead of learning how to be a winner, perform under pressure and live with the responsibility of being the man to beat, I leapfrogged my way to the top.  When I did begin to compete at the Pro level, I was horribly underprepared.  I had to completely revamp my game and my strategy, taking to big steps backward before I could truly maximize my potential.  I have never let any of my students do the same as I did, it was too hard of a path.  Don’t follow in my footsteps, you won’t make it.

Past Speaking Clients