Let’s Talk About It with Joyce Johnson with Guest Speaker Darrick Gardner #CollegeLife

You’ll meet a lot of people throughout your life. If you stay prepared and play your cards right, you can build some valuable connections that can help you further your career and get to where you want to be. That’s the strategy Darrick Gardner follows, and it’s safe to say that things have worked out well for him.

In today’s insightful episode, Darrick narrates his experiences in college, networking, and working in athletics. He also shares some tips for making valuable career connections, as well as the importance of accepting your journey.

About the Guest

Born and raised in Chicago, Darrick Gardner attended West Illinois University and got his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, minoring in Accounting. During that time, he played for and worked closely with his school’s baseball club, which gave him his first taste of how athletic organizations work and are managed. This inspired him to study the business side of sports, and eventually earn his Master’s degree in Sports Management. He is currently an intern at the University of Minnesota and continues to pursue a career in his chosen field.

In This Episode

• Who is Darrick Gardner? [1:37] 
• How did you introduce yourself and build a network with the people from your school? [6:14]
• How did you decide on your next role? [11:33]
• …and many more

Quotes

“Making connections can, a lot of times, make or break your career because, those connections, you never know when you’re going to need them. And it can help you either right now or later down the road.” [3:10]

“Instead of trying to say ‘I gotta introduce myself to as many people as possible,’ it’s not like that. You first figure out what you want to do, and then you reach out to the necessary people so you can help yourself out.” [18:05]

“You may not like specifically the avenue that you’re going in with the company. But find what avenue works for you within that company, especially if you like the culture and the environment, and you know what they have to offer for you.” [27:38]

“Your journey isn’t gonna be the same as no one else’s because it’s your journey. And with it being your journey, everything you go through specifically is really for you to get to where you need to get to. If you don’t go through certain things, you won’t reach certain levels in your journey. Everyone has a journey, but your journey is not the same as no one else’s.” [37:55]

Resources Mentioned

Joyce Johnson's Website

Joyce Johnson's Facebook

Joyce Johnson's Instagram

Joyce Johnson's Twitter

Joyce Johnson's LinkedIn

Joyce Johnson's YouTube