He Asked What It Would Take. Then He Did It.
Careers rarely follow the path you mapped out. More often, they take shape through unexpected conversations, small decisions made at the right moment, and the people who push you further than you planned to go.
For Richard Trawick, Director of Business Operations in San Diego, it started with a career fair, a cast on his hand, and a handshake that went sideways.
An Unexpected Start
In 2017, Richard was a sales major at Florida State University — walking through a career fair with a broken hand, exploring options, not looking for anything specific.
That changed when Gravity’s CEO, Rick Connolly, pulled him into a conversation. When Richard went to shake his hand, Rick grabbed his cast instead. Not the smoothest introduction — but memorable enough to stick.
What followed was a conversation that reframed what a career could look like. Richard hadn’t considered recruiting before that day. Once he did, it made sense: relationship-driven, sales-oriented, with a real path forward for people willing to put in consistent work.
That was enough. He started, and quickly realized the opportunity in front of him was bigger than just a job.
Choosing the Harder Path
Before joining Gravity, Richard had already had a chance to move to San Diego — a personal goal he’d held onto for a long time. He turned it down, but knew he would revisit the move soon enough.
Instead, he joined a small, early-stage company where he’d be sitting steps away from the CEO and COO every day. That kind of environment doesn’t let you coast. Expectations were clear, feedback was immediate, and learning happened whether you were ready or not.
“There was no place to hide,” Richard has said — but there was also no ceiling.
That proximity shaped how he approached everything. Questions got asked and answered in real time. When he lost focus, someone noticed. When he needed direction, it was right there. That constant feedback loop accelerated his development in ways a more traditional setup might not have.
“Richard came in with a lot of energy and ambition, and my job early on was just to help him focus it. Watching him grow from that first conversation at a career fair into the leader he is in San Diego, that’s exactly the kind of story we hoped to build when we started this company.” – Rick Connolly
Earning the Move
At some point early on, Richard asked directly: What would it take for me to eventually get to San Diego?
He got a clear answer — specific goals, sustained performance, consistency over time.
So he got to work.
Each year brought new targets hit, new promotions earned, and client relationships that deepened rather than stalled. Every milestone was a step in a direction he’d already chosen.
In 2022 — about four years after he started — Richard made the move. He opened Gravity’s San Diego office and landed in the city he’d been working toward. The surfing was a bonus.
A Simple Philosophy
Ask Richard how he thinks about recruiting, and he keeps it straightforward: it’s about people.
Helping someone land their first job. Guiding a client through an important hire. Building the kind of trust that means people know who to call when it matters. Recognizing that one strong placement can open doors for more people than just the one in the room.
Underneath all of it is consistency — showing up, doing the work, and investing in relationships without expecting immediate returns. It’s not complicated. It just requires follow-through.
Leading with Balance and Accountability
Today, Richard leads the San Diego team with the same approach he was shaped by early in his career.
He still points to Rick Connolly as a foundational influence — someone he could go to with real questions and learn from in real time.
“He was very good at relating to me and helping me channel a lot of that energy I had into being productive and building an actual sustainable career. He was really fun and passionate and had a lot of energy on a personal level. But then he was also really good at his job.” – Richard Trawick about CEO Rick Connolly
Richard leads that way now. Clear expectations, real accountability — but accountability that creates flexibility, not restriction. It’s a philosophy that echoes Yvon Chouinard’s ‘Let My People Go Surfing’ — do the work well, then go live your life.
That showed up recently when team member Belle DeFilippo had a standout week — multiple submissions, successful placements, strong performance across the board. Afterward, she took time off to travel and catch a concert with friends. No hesitation, no second-guessing. The work was done.
Belle shared, “Richard leads by example in a way that makes accountability feel like freedom, not pressure. He sets high standards, but he also genuinely wants you to have a life outside of work. When I had a big performance week and then asked to take time off to travel, there was never a question about it — that’s just the culture he’s built.”
That kind of balance isn’t accidental. It’s the result of a team that takes ownership of their work — and a leader who trusts them to do it.
The Through Line
Richard’s approach hasn’t changed much since that career fair at Florida State. Work hard, stay consistent, build real relationships, and take advantage of what’s in front of you. When you’ve done what you set out to do, take the time to actually enjoy it.
It’s not a complicated formula. But over almost a decade in recruiting, it’s proven to be a durable one.
About Gravity IT Resources
Gravity is a Human Capital Management company headquartered in Fort Lauderdale with offices across the country including Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbus, Cincinnati, Nashville, DC, Salt Lake City, San Diego and Tampa. Our company has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as an “Inc. 5000” award winner and one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States for the last 7 consecutive years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Additionally, Gravity is proud to be Great Place to Work certified for the 5th year in a row (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and was also recognized on the SIA’s Fastest-Growing Staffing Firms in the US list the last two years (2024, 2025).
Gravity helps prominent clients like Salesforce, Chewy, Carnival Cruise Lines, AutoNation, Mosaic and hundreds of other enterprise and SMB companies to identify, recruit and hire IT professionals for their most critical projects and jobs. Our recruitment spans across various roles, including artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, software engineers, cloud engineers, project managers, data engineers, business analysts, security engineers, CXO leaders and more.
Gravity provides a variety of delivery models and services designed to meet client needs efficiently and effectively.
- Contract, Contract-to-Hire & Direct Hire of US-based Resources
- Nearshore Staff Augmentation
- Managed Team Services
- Executive Search
- ERP Program Leadership
- Workday Certified Staffing Partner
To learn more about Gravity IT Resources practices, career opportunities and culture, visit gravityitresources.com
