Change Does Not Occur In a "Flash"
As starting linebacker for Notre Dame’s 1988 National Championship football team, legendary author, and influential CEO of a multi-million dollar youth organization, "Flash" has an unbelievable and inspiring story to share with audiences. Using his uncanny ability to weave together tales of competitive sports, corporate leadership, and heartwarming “change” stories, "Flash’s" message resonates with athletes, business leaders, non-profits, and mission-driven organizations alike.
Talk Topics
Disrupting Who You Are To Ignite
Who You Want To Become
This is Darrell’s most sought-after presentation. Would you like your people to consistently embrace change and create phenomenal outcomes? Almost every individual today is experiencing unprecedented change and also needing to drive innovation and transformation to stay successful. Darrell Gordon has spent an entire career helping leaders, teams and organizations not only embrace change but inspiring them for transformational change.
Darrell will reveal his proprietary FLASHpoints for getting others to embrace change. He explains the neuroscience behind the change and how to use that knowledge to inspire your transformation. Based on his bestselling book, Change Does Not Occur In A Flash, starter on Notre Dame’s National Championship football team and 20 year award winning CEO of a multi-million dollar non-profit organization, Darrell will challenge everyone to transform themselves from who they are to who they want to become.
Audience takeaways:
• Why 80% of the American people never change.
• Discover the 5 proprietary FLASHpoints that will change who you are to who you want to become.
• What is the “in-between time” and why is it so important?
• Why is mediocrity accepted in our society and how to maneuver past it?
Disrupting Your Workplace Culture
To Ignite A Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Environment
What does diversity & inclusion mean to you? How can diversity & inclusion lead to success?
A common misconception is that the phrase “workplace diversity” defines meeting certain quotas in employee race or gender categories. A diverse company can find new markets more readily; can more easily recruit desirable workers of difference races and ethnicities; and can remain flexible in a competitive environment.
Based on his bestselling book, Change Does Not Occur In A Flash, starter on Notre Dame’s National Championship football team and 20 year award winning CEO of a multi-million dollar non-profit organization, Darrell Gordon shows you how to reap the benefits of workplace diversity and will teach & empower you to effectively utilize the tools to increase your bottom line.
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Five Steps To Inspiring Your
Influential Leaders And Teams
To Become National Champions
Just like managing a great sports team, managing a great workplace team requires talent, strategy and that certain “magic” that brings it all together. However, that elusive magic doesn’t have to be a mystery anymore. There’s actual science that can be used to enhance your team and its effectiveness. But creating a high performing team is contingent on more than just putting great people together, it requires that those people actually come together as a high performing team.
Based on his bestselling book, Change Does Not Occur In A Flash, starter on Notre Dame’s National Championship football team and 20 year award winning CEO of a multi-million dollar non-profit organization, Darrell will reveal that just like great sports teams, great management teams produce great results.
Darrell "Flash" Gordon
DARRELL GORDON was a starting outside linebacker on Notre Dame's 1988 National Championship Football Team. In addition to the 1988 National Championship Fiesta Bowl, Darrell played in the 1989 Hula Bowl Football all-star game with prominent NFL athletes including Deion Sanders, Derek Thomas and Troy Aikman.
In recognition of his teams' athletic performances, Gordon was honored as a White House guest of both former President Reagan and President Bush Sr.
A native of Hillside, New Jersey, Darrell had the privilege of playing at the University of Notre Dame under the leadership of one of college football's winningest coaches, College Football Hall of Fame Coach, Lou Holtz. Darrell’s accomplishments on the gridiron can only be matched by his accomplishments off the field. He has received many awards since his football-playing days in recognition of his outstanding dedication to service and community. These include:
• The 2003 National Williams D. Reynolds Award, presented by the Notre Dame Alumni Association for exceptional work with youth for the betterment of the quality of life.
• The 2005 Chase College of Law Exceptional Service Award, given for upholding the ideals of Chase through daily contributions in service to the community.
• The 2006 Top 20 Distinguished Minority Notre Dame Alumni Exemplar Award.
• The 2008 Notre Dame Law Association St. Yves Award for devoting substantial time and effort in the practice or support of social justice law.
• Chosen in 2014 as 1 of 25 top executives in the state of Indiana to participate in the 2015 Journey Fellowship.
• The 2015 recipient of the Center for Leadership Development Minority Achievers award for excellence in Business & Industry and the IARCA Excellence in Service Award.
• The 2016 Sagamore of the Wabash award, presented by then-Governor Mike Pence as the highest honor in the State of Indiana.
• The 2019 Champion of Diversity award given by the Indiana Minority Business Magazine
Darrell earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics & Business and a Master’s degree of Science in Administration from Notre Dame, a Juris Doctorate from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law, a Certification in Fund-Raising Management (CFRM) from Indiana University School of Philanthropy, and a Certificate in Strategic Perspective in Nonprofit Management from the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.
Since 2001, Darrell has served as CEO/President of the Wernle Youth & Family Treatment Center in Indiana. His extraordinary leadership and determination have transformed that organization which was truly struggling to one with a positive national presence. Darrell’s dynamic personality and ability to motivate himself and others helped to direct his Wernle team to the 2005 Achievement of Excellence Non-Profit Organization of the Year Award. He has successfully acquired COA accreditations as a provider for cost-effectiveness and exemplary outcomes. Under his guidance, net assets of the Center have increased by 715%, from $1.8 million to $14.6 million. In 2014 Wernle was chosen as 1 of 3 national finalists for the 2014 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen award for extraordinary improvement to facility quality of life and operations. Adding to Darrell’s success at Wernle, in 2016, he secured two of the largest charitable gifts to social services agencies in the nation, totaling over $3,000,000.
Before joining Wernle, Darrell served as an adjunct Sports Law
Professor for the graduate school at Ball State University and
worked for the NCAA for five years in their legislative and
student athlete advisory department. Darrell also serves as a
national public speaker on the topics of Character Development,
Diversity Training, and Leadership Empowerment for Change.
In September 2018, Darrell became an author when his first
book, Change Does Not Occur in a Flash, hit shelves.
Darrell's strong ties in the sports community, as well as within
the Notre Dame community (his Alma Mater), have resulted in the support and participation of celebrities for Wernle’s children and programs, including friends such as Joe Montana, Joe Theismann, Regis Philbin, Dick Vitale, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Nicholas Sparks, Jim Caviezel, Fr. John Jenkins and Coach Lou Holtz, to name but a few.
As an author, speaker, and business leader, Darrell has appeared on many national talk shows, news broadcasts, and commercials discussing topics on youth development, student-athletic success, dealing with change, organizational development and the need for character.
Joe Montana
NFL Quarterback
Tamika Catchings
WNBA Player
Nicholas Sparks
Best-Selling Author
Joe Theismann
NFL Quarterback
Jerome Bettis
NFL Running Back
Brian Kelly
Former Notre Dame
Head Football Coach
Testimonials
Ed Nelson
Chief Executive Officer
Whataburger Restaurants
Flash delivered a unique, experiential keynote at our National Whataburger convention with a roadmap to "Change" and the inspiration to succeed. We believe our 10,000+ leaders will use the FLASHpoints and his motivating presentation not only professionally, but also personally.
Joe Montana
Former NFL Quarterback
Quite simply one of the best books I’ve ever read taking you on a roller coaster ride on how to change your life for the rest of your life. Darrell’s FLASHPOINTS prompt you to reevaluate all aspects of your life.
Jerome "The Bus" Bettis
Former NFL Running Back
Inspired and Inspiring…Flash’s book can change the way your world work's by teaching us how to embrace the Flash Points to success.
Lou Holtz
Former ESPN Analyst/Commentator and former Notre Dame Football Head Coach
I’m not sure we could have won the College Football National championship without Flash’s on-field contribution, but it was his attitude off the field that was even more important to our success! 80% of Americans won’t change something until they experience a great deal of discomfort. Flash shows us how to be a part of the 20% who take control
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Harry Rhoads
Co-founder, Washington
Speakers Bureau
For any speaker to be effective, they need to make every audience member feel like they are talking directly “to them.” And this is what Darrell Gordon does so well as he deeply cares about making a difference in the lives of those individuals and organizations he goes before. The “take home value” that Darrell provides will insure that audience members will grow
to new heights.
Darrell's audience members are enamored by his presentation. His presentation is funny, engaging, and insightful. It takes a special person and industry leader to make information come to life for vast and diverse audiences in a way they can relate to and find meaning. The room was also at maximum capacity – I would share a stage with "Flash" again any time and HIGHLY recommend him as a speaker!
Joe Theismann
Former NFL Quarterback
Kristin Sheehan
Program Director
Play Like A Champion Today
Flash was excellent! He was so present to our attendees. Flash was the first person to arrive and the last person to leave the event and his accessibility and personal touch sets him apart from other speakers. We loved Flash's message. It was poignant to hear his personal story and his tangible plan for life success. Everyone's attention was rapt from the moment he began to conclusion. This is the second time we had Flash with our organization and we would engage him again no question!
Regis Philbin
Former TV Show Host & Actor
I’ll never forget when Darrell “Flash” Gordon and his teammate clenched the national championship in 1988. It was such a proud moment for the Fighting Irish fans everywhere. Since that moment, Darrell has demonstrated his strength of character on and off the field motivating everyone he comes into contact with. Darrell is a great guy. And, if you follow his FLASH points, he will lead you to greatness too.
Purdue University Health and Human Sciences Extension
Darrell did a great job of presenting and his message was right on target for our group. We would definitely have Darrell back in the future, and I would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a speaker.
William R. Goins
First Vice president
Indiana NAACP
State Conference
Darrell, your keynote address at our Indiana NAACP State Convention was motivating to our delegates and right on time with our goals, vision, and mission. Your integrity and sense of excellence shined through your presentation. Your inspiration affirmed the work that we do and challenged us to be better prepared to continue the fight of civil rights for all mankind. Personally, and professionally, everyone left the event with a sense of renewed commitment and dedication. Thank you for a brilliant and thought-provoking presentation.
Bill Firstenberger
Executive Director, Ruthmere
I have been attending the Community Foundation retreat for non-profit CEO’s for the past 10 years. This year's retreat went from being enriching to over-the-top exceptional with the keynote address and workshop leadership of Darrell "Flash" Gordon and his discussion of the "Five Dysfunctions of a Team." Flash's personal experience and authenticity perfectly suits him for the goal of initiating positive change in both organizations and individuals. His presentation begins with sparks of inspiration and ends with the confident comfort of an old friendship.
Joe Judge
President, Clear Possibilities
As I’ve worked with companies all over the country I have had the pleasure to hear many speakers deliver the keynote address. Last year I had the pleasure of watching and listening to Darrell "Flash" Gordon as he spoke in front of several thousand people. Darrell was captivating, engaging, motivating and left the group feeling empowered. A difference that Flash brings is that he not only has a way of making people feel hopefully and positive but he gives them a proven framework allowing the benefits to last long after the speech is completed. If you have an opportunity I would strongly encourage that you bring Flash in and share him with your group
