“My obsession is human trust and connection.”
-Derek Snook
The Definition of Success tells the story of the year I voluntarily lived homeless and how I believe we can redefine success.
Driving w/ Strangers is a book of meditations about my drive from Mongolia to London.
Derek Snook, Founder and CEO of CoLife, is a social entrepreneur and author with a passion for creating better living experiences. After graduating from Furman University, he spent time teaching at a school for orphans in Kenya, where he witnessed the disconnect between those who want to help and those they are trying to help. Upon returning to Charleston, he voluntarily lived among the homeless for a year to understand their challenges and needs.
During this experience, Derek noticed that many of the men he lived with worked day labor, and so he decided to work day labor himself. He saw that while many simply wanted to get their wages for the night, others were sincerely trying to get ahead. In 2014, Derek founded In Every Story, a staffing company that provided jobs for people in need and placed as many as 170 employees on a daily basis at 35% + higher wages than competitors.
Derek's entrepreneurial spirit led him to explore new ventures, and in 2019 he founded CoLife, a co-living platform that offers a flexible and affordable housing solution. CoLife provides fully furnished and equipped bedrooms, shared living spaces, and a range of amenities to create a sense of community and provide renters with a comfortable and convenient living experience. The platform has expanded to Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC, and Derek is committed to expanding its reach and impact.
A few fun facts about Derek include: having lived on a sailboat in New York City, visiting more than fifty countries, and giving a TEDx talk. He has also blogged for The Huffington Post and been published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. However, his proudest life moment to date is when he won a male beauty pageant contest in college, performing an interpretational ribbon dance to Aladdin’s “A Whole New World.”
The old definition of success meant self help, isolation, and stress. The new definition of success is a life of purpose. It means helping others, a community of love, and having a guide. It's time to evolve. You can do this.
Snook's excellent story-telling along with his poignant words about the struggles of living homeless have forever changed the way I view society. This book is worth a read - it tells a story that needs to be heard. Snook helps the reader to see the importance of knowing the lives of those who are marginalized in our society.
I feel like most books I've ever read on "success" tend to be some form of humble brag on rags to riches, or running off to Bali to get in touch with your inner yogi. This book is not that, and this guy is the real deal. He didn't try to get rich or flee to some fantasy island. He seriously lived the homeless lifestyle in order to better to come up with an idea that would actually help solve homelessness. That part of the book alone is worth the price. Otherwise, it's a good read for its thoughtfulness, humility, and the occasional funny bouts of self-deprecation. Snook challenges you to rethink the what success really looks like.
Derek's story not only draws you in. It relates to his message of shifting how you approach success and how you find happiness in life. And plus, if you follow him on social, you'll see some killer (and borderline seductive) dance videos :D Highly recommend!
