Speaking and Workshops

Darrell Gurney inspires and energizes audiences to pursue fulfilling careers and purposeful lives.

National Speakers Association

Topics Include:

• Crushing Job Search: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest
• SureFire Ways to Recession-PROOF Your Career
• Are Your Nets Working? How to Catch Opportunity
• Personally Branded: Designing Your 30-Second Pitch
• Backdoor Job Search: Launching an Effective Stealth Campaign
• Out of the Box: Turning High-Tech into High-Touch
• The Back Forty: Cultivating Purpose for the Second Half

Darrell can also custom design a topic for your organization or team-development events.

“I am a veteran Human Resources professional and I am amazed at what I learned in the presentation you gave for our networking group.  In a very short time I learned the most valuable information I have learned yet in my career.  I was amazed to learn how little I knew about networking and how simple it can be to network effectively.  While it will take some more work for me to really brand myself well I have been able to make new connections already, only 1 day after our meeting.  These are connections I never would have made before.  Thank you!”—Kathy C., attendee at So Bay Financial Executives Networking Group

“Your recession-proofing presentation was fast-paced and a lot of fun.  Your handout is one of the best I have ever seen – it ensured participant engagement and brilliantly supported your key messages.  The exercise on ‘unique-ifying’ yourself really helped me get a better feel for communicating my own value proposition.”—Michael O., attendee at American Association of Senior Executives

“Darrell gives life lessons that will promote your career, but the real value plays out in improving your quality of life.”—C.J.N., attendee at Instituge of Supply Management-LA

“Darrell’s presentation is full of energy and got our ordinarily reticent group involved and talking!”—Jeanne T., attendee at San Diego Financial Executives Networking Group

“Excellent, thought-provoking presentation!  Has shifted my thinking on how to present myself.”—Michael V., attendee at Orange County CafeNet

“Darrell charged my batteries to a level I didn’t know existed.  I’m now more charged than ever to take my career to the next level.”—Todd N., attendee at LA Marketing Executives Networking Group

“Fun, informative and revealing: I was pumped when I left.”—Ted H., attendee at TheLadders.com event

“Botox for your career!”—Sean K., attendee at Orange County Financial Executives Networking Group

Meeting Planner Endorsements:

"We were thrilled to have Darrell Gurney come give his presentation to our church members tonight. He came down and spoke about the backdoor approach to job search. We'v had nothing but positive comments as a result of his presentation. We learned a lot, and we look forward to having Darrell come back and speak to us again."—Chris Marocchi, Stake Employment Specialist for Laguna Niguel LDS Church

"Darrell came and spoke for a couple of my networking groups and it was fantastic. The thing I like about Darrell is his energy, his creativity, and just the methods that he's talking about are absolutely working. They are the things you need to do not only in networking but also in the job search. He's excellent."—Ken Tudhope, Project PROSearch, Chair of Orange County CFO and OC UCLA MBA Alumni Groups, and Author of NetworkingNote.com

“Senior marketing executives know how to promote and sell a brand, but they often don't know how to sell or brand themselves. So Darrell was particularly effective in getting the folks in this chapter meeting thinking out of the box and creatively about branding and using other techniques for their career search."—Gregory Gaines, Chair of the Orange County Chapter of the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG).

“The GLA Pros really enjoyed Darrell's talk and I feel a lot of them went away very energized and are going to try to go out and practice what Darrell spoke about today."—Robert Munoz Atkinson, Speaker Chair of the Greater Los Angeles Professionals Networking Group (GLA Pros).

“I really enjoyed the exercise we went through today about just identifying who we really are as individuals and how that can really help us in building a career path because often times we don't think enough about ourselves and our accomplishments and how those accomplishments have really created who we are today."—Vic Hausmaninger, CEO of HBLA Public Accountants and Co-Chair of Orange County CFO Group (OC-CFO)

“Absolutely superb!  Highly interactive, out-of-the-box kind of thinking.  You gave our senior financial executives—often people who don’t know how to how to represent themselves and how to “ask for the order”—a lot of great perspectives on how to market themselves, their careers, and their lives.  Very interactive meeting!  Excellent!  Very lively interchanges!  If you can get Darrell to speak to your own group, do it!”—Daniel Ruchman, Co-Chair San Diego Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG)

“Darrell, the presentation you gave last week on 'Backdoor Job Search' was top-notch! The webinar provided an excellent forum for alumni and guests to ask questions and voice opinions. Thank you for such an informative and pleasant session!"—Jennifer Campbell, Alumni Relations, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

"Darrell, I'm happy to report that we had 161 registrants RSVP for your career webinar and 167 participants in attendance! We've never had any of our career webinars go over 100%. Again, thank you for presenting the '10 New Year Command-Your-Career Resolutions' as I believe it really does speak to our alumni."—Jennifer Campbell, Alumni Relations, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin

“Thanks for a great presentation to my group of executives. You did really good job engaging the group. Your handouts were very helpful and the exercises I think really opened the eyes of many as to how important networking the right way is to one’s job search. I have received many excellent comments back on  your talk. I know the executives all benefited having you as our speaker.”—Brad Remillard, Founder of the American Association of Senior Executives (AASE)

“Mr. Gurney, thank you so much for addressing our CFO networking group the other evening.  I received many compliments from the members for another great speaker; another fantastic South Bay FENG networking meeting.  The content of the material and the delivery of the message were outstanding: clear, crisp, and full of energy.  The personal branding exercise was fun, interactive, and of particular interest to our group.  Please let me know if I can help you in any way; referrals, introductions, anything I can do to help get your message out.”—Mike Goddard, Co-Chair South Bay FENG

“Darrell’s presentation on ‘How to Recession-Proof Your Career’ to the Orange County chapter of the Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG) was very well received by the membership (about 65 attended).  Much of his focus on personal accomplishments helped people to focus on what value they bring to employers and to their friends and families.  It gave everyone an opportunity to reflect on the positives in their lives and careers, instead of worrying about the effects of a prolonged transition period and other causes of angst.  Everyone left the room with a positive outlook and an understanding of their value and brand.”—Dave Quimby, Co-Chair, Orange County FENG

“You are awesome with how you can energize the room and convey great, useful info in a very short period of time.  You also have very good command of the audience, a great sense of humor and quick, witty answers and comments.  I know people were delighted with the workshop.”—Sonia C., Workshops Chair, SCDA

“Thank you for speaking at our national Professional Business Leadership Institutes in Dallas and Atlanta.  I know all the participants got tons of value out of your talks.”—Amanda Koerth, Director of Education, Alpha Kappa Psi International Business Fraternity

"Darrell Gurney delivered a dynamic presentation ‘How to Recession-Proof Your Career’ to the Los Angeles chapter of the Institute of Supply Management (ISM-Los Angeles).  During his presentation. Darrell offered our membership a variety of methods to network in ways that are realistic and results-oriented as well as provided a paradigm shift to the usual ways of job searching. Darrell's presentation skills are engaging, humorous, practical, and reflective of extensive experience in career development and personal coaching.  It was one of our most well received presentations of the year as the feedback we received from our membership was extremely positive.  We loved the handouts Darrell provided and interactive discussion that he lead that allowed us to reflect and build upon the truly memorable moments of our lives.  We're anxious to get Darrell back to present to us again."—VP of Communications, Institute of Supply Management—Los Angeles (ISMLA.org)

Professional/Community Organizations and Clients Include:

• Financial Executives Networking Groups (FENG): South Bay Chapter, 101 Corridor Chapter, Orange County Chapter, Pasadena Chapter, San Diego Chapter, San Francisco Chapter
• Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG): Los Angeles Chapter, Orange County Chapter
• CafeNet Executives Networking Group: Orange County Chapter
• Orange County Product Managers/ProductCamp SoCal
• Orange County CFO Group (OC-CFO)
• American Association of Senior Executives (AASE)
• Institute of Supply Management (ISM): San Fernando Valley Chapter, Los Angeles Chapter
• University of Texas McCombs Business School MBA Alumni
• Orange County UCLA MBA Alumni
• USC Marshall School of Business MBA Alumni
• Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity
• CareerBuilder and Los Angeles Times Career Expo
• Working World Magazine
• The Learning Annex
• California State University Fullerton
• Glendale Business Networking Group
• Shepherd of the Hills Church
• Laguna Niguel Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• Agape International Spiritual Center
• North Hollywood Church of Religious Science

Gregory Mantell Show: Job Search Secrets

Speaking and Workshops Compilation

Job Search: Get Jiggy With It!--Agape International Spiritual Center

In Focus-KCLS TV

California State University Fullerton: Career Day

Job Search Secrets: The Learning Annex

CareerBuilder/Los Angeles Times Career Expo

The Smart Show