A story of success without failure is most likely being told by someone who isn’t being completely vulnerable.
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“The blows we take along the journey shape our character and the success we ultimately achieve.”
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Our Featured Speaker
Chrissi Rawak Director of Athletics – University of Delaware
September 17th, 2024
A 2024 NACDA Athletic Director of the Year, Chrissi Rawak was hired as the Director of Athletics, Community, and Campus Recreation at the University of Delaware in May of 2016 to become the first woman to hold the position permanently in school history. Since she arrived in Newark, the Blue Hens have won a national championship, 27 team conference championships and 41 individual conference titles.
In November of 2023, the University announced its transition to the FBS ranks as a full member of Conference USA effective July 1, 2025. A week later, Delaware announced women’s ice hockey and a first of its kind partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers.
In 2017, Rawak launched the first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign for athletics, raising $38M in 20 months to lead to the construction of the Whitney Athletic Center.
A former varsity student-athlete in swimming & diving at Michigan, Rawak earned her bachelor’s degree in sport management & communications in 1992. She went on to earn her master’s degree in communications from Northwestern University in 2003.
Grit Talks are a quarterly speaker and networking event featuring interesting local leaders answering seven questions over fifteen minutes. Woven together their answers will illustrate a common story. Failure….Overcoming it…. and the resulting success. Speakers will be business owners and leaders from our community who we know or should know with stories of inspiration to share. The talks will be held at The Mill’s Theatre N and the speakers will be captured on video and archived on the Grit Talk website for ongoing sharing and viewing. Guests will be asked to arrive at Theatre N at 8:00 a.m. for thirty minutes of coffee and networking. The talks will begin promptly at 8:30am followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A and additional networking until 9:30am.
7 QUESTIONS
What have you not done yet that you would like to be part of your story or included in your eulogy?
How has failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favorite failure?
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior or habit has most improved your life?
What activities make you lose track of time?
What book do you most often give or recommend and how has that book influenced you?
What have you purchased, or been given, in the last year valued under $200 that has most positively impacted your life?
If you could broadcast a message to everyone in the world knowing it would be received and remembered what would it be?
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