About Darrin
W E L C O M E T O D A R R I N C H A T T E R
I am here to fulfill a purpose, and that purpose is to help as many people as possible. I am sharing my stories and experiences to help you better understand yourself and what you are capable of. One of my favorite quotes sums it up…
“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.”
— Nelson Mandela
Helping others pursue their own Self Optimization has become my personal crusade.
I believe the privilege of the adversities I have faced in my life have handed me opportunities to grow in ways I never dreamed. From a neck injury in high school which derailed my college scholarship aspirations to surviving a head-on collision with a wrong way drunk driver, adversity is nothing new to me. As the saying goes, “Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you deal with it” and I am living proof of this to be true.
I have also had some amazing experiences in my life as well, including pursuing my dream of being a Professional Racquetball Player, reaching a career-high ranking of number 18 in the world. After this chapter closed, I became the Head Coach of the ASU Racquetball team, spending 15 years in this role. In my time at ASU I helped produce over three dozen Collegiate All Americans, win a Women’s National Championship, and was a two time recipient of the Collegiate Coach of the Year award. Parallel to this, I am the Vice President of Sales for TriageNow, a telephonic nurse triage service, and have a long list of Fortune 500 clients who now use our service to assist their employees with workplace injuries.
As a Professional Speaker…
I am amassing a large client base of recognized trade associations, companies and universities to my credit. I share the stories of my life experiences, from the car crash or my time preparing to play on the Pro Racquetball Tour, in a customized format for each audience. My focus is to be a dynamic and captivating speaker and leave the audience with actionable takeaways to apply to their own lives. I pride myself on connecting with each audience on a deep and personal level to help ensure out time together has as much value as possible.
In my free time I enjoy fly fishing, golf and incessantly writing my blog and producing more content to share with others.
The Car Crash That Changed My Life
It happened so quickly, and I never saw it coming. I saw nothing but headlights coming out of the darkness right at me. A massive impact, screeching tires and twisting metal, and then complete silence in the dark. The only noise I could hear was someone screaming “Oh my God” over and over… until I realized it was me.
It took forty-five minutes for the paramedics to arrive. This head-on collision with a wrong way drunk driver occurred at the midway point between Phoenix and Payson. Thank God I wasn’t wedged in the car with a broken leg or worse. I doubt I would have made it if I was any less fortunate than I was. I walked away from this crash with barely a scratch physically. However, the emotional scars of this were a different story…
“I have taught nearly 70,000 undergraduates during my career. During this time, I have had a number of guest speakers. Darrin Schenck is one of the best guest speakers of them all. He knows how to engage students in classes from small to large. He connects with students in a manner that engages them and makes them want to learn. Darrin prepares in advance to know his audience and his preparation clearly shows during his guest presentations.
In short, Darrin had made my classes better with his presence.”
“I have taught nearly 70,000 undergraduates during my career. During this time, I have had a number of guest speakers. Darrin Schenck is one of the best guest speakers of them all. He knows how to engage students in classes from small to large. He connects with students in a manner that engages them and makes them want to learn. Darrin prepares in advance to know his audience and his preparation clearly shows during his guest presentations.
In short, Darrin had made my classes better with his presence.”
Christopher P. Neck
Associate Professor of Management
Arizona State University
W. P. Carey School of Business
Department of Management
Past Speaking Clients
Recent Articles
Blog #357 – It’s not always about your talent level, it’s about…
...what you are willing to do. Talent is not enough, as at some point you will be surrounded by talented people. If you ascend the ladder of skill, at some point you will have left
Blog #356 – Happy Bobby Bonilla Day
Here is a good look at thinking outside the box and benefitting greatly from it. I am guessing the credit for this may need to go to Bobby Bonilla's agent and not directly to him,
Blog #355 – Stop Hugging the Cactus
That photo makes me cringe every time I see it. Someone proving Darwinism is real decided to jump into a cholla cactus during the WM Open Golf Tournament many years ago here in Phoenix. (Insert
Blog #354 – Winning the Game of Life
Alright, let's get into this topic, as it is one I have written about in the past a few times. I like the idea that things could be done differently by a lot of people,
Blog #353 – Yes, you DO have time…
This maxim is going to prove true in a bunch of areas, so allow me to unpack this brief statement into some detailed thoughts. Are you really as busy as you think you are? Disorganization
Blog #352 – Why losing is good….and NECESSARY
I do not think this point can be hammered on enough...you learn more through losing than you do winning. As the pic that accompanies this blog states, when you lose you are forced to reexamine
Blog # 351 – The harsh truth of the bottom 30%
Allow me to preface this blog by stating that I have never wanted to be average, middle of the pack, or a face in the crowd. As I have gotten older I have lost my
Blog # 350 – Lift Your Gaze
Since I am hitting another milestone number in blog postings, I saved this topic for this occasion. I hope it hits the mark. This is life advice for any age, and any person. This has
Blog #349 – You Can’t Be Both…
You can choose to be world class, live differently, and separate yourself from the masses. Or you can choose to fit in with the rest of the world, but you cannot do both. There is
Blog # 348 – What Peace of Mind really is…
This one is tricky, especially in today's world. There is so much over-exposure to everything it is easy to think that if you don't have certain things that you life is not a happy one.
Blog # 347 – It is called SELF Esteem for a reason
I heard Tony Robbins say this recently, and it made a lot of sense to me, so I thought I would expand upon this thought of his. The idea that you have poor self esteem
Blog #346 – You can’t Always be Motivated…
...but you can be Disciplined. In fact, this is the real key to success. You need to be able to do things even when you do not feel like it. If you waited until you
Blog #345 – How to Waste $5,000 a Year
I hear people frequently say "I don't have the money for that" whatever their version of "that" is. For many Americans, they live paycheck to paycheck and have no savings in reserve. According to the
Blog #344 – One decision away from a Completely Different Life
I think we all forget just how true this statement is. And I am here to remind you, with examples of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Buckle up... Most of us have probably
Blog #206 – The Darkness Is Coming…
Life does not always go as planned, and sometimes there ain't a damn thing you can do about it. Darkness falls upon us at various times in our lives. None of the general public saw
Blog #199 – Turning our Worst Day into your Best Day
In my usual level of crediting others and disclosing where some of my ideas come from, this is straight from an interview clip I saw of Tony Robbins and Tom Bilyeu. I love both of
Blog #343 – Staring your Dreams in the Face
This may sound funny unless you have been in this situation, but staring your dreams in the face can be very difficult to handle. For example, it is so rare that someone who is in
Blog # 342 – Getting Better ALWAYS Feels Worse…At First
I am sure you are familiar with the fact that anything worth having takes some work. Things that are given to you never have the same feel or meaning as something earned. But no one
Blog #341 – The person most able to afford the beach house…
is typically the person least able to enjoy it. A powerful statement that, for many, will ring very true. I was fortunate that I grew up with a Dad that truly valued time away from
Blog #340 – Flipping the chessboard is NOT the answer
If you have listened to any of the recent interviews with Terry Crews on the Tim Ferriss podcast, Rich Roll's podcast and an accumulating list of others, you'll know what I am referring to. This
Blog #339 – The University of Adversity
EVERYONE has their own set of challenges to deal with, so you might as well embrace it and meet these challenges head on. We are all going to suffer in life, it is part of
Blog #337 – Use Correct Punctuation When Writing Your Story…
I laugh every time I read that stupid phrase, but it is true. But that is not what this blog is about...this is about not putting a period where a comma should be when writing
Blog#336 – Why Are You Afraid To Let Go…
...of something you don't even want? This sounds like a crazy idea when you first look at it, but believe me there are plenty examples of this in the world. We all stay in bad
Blog #335 – An Anniversary I Never Wanted To Celebrate…
...but I am grateful that I can. I woke up this morning and had a strange feeling that took me a moment to place. The back of my left hand started to itch, and then
Blog #333 – Happiness is NOT the Absence of Problems…
...it is the ability to deal with them effectively. I hate to be the one to break this news to you, but it's better that you know now. Ready? Here is a hash truth for
