Growing up in a single parent home with his mother and four brothers, Darius Brown is no stranger to adversity and hard times. During his childhood, he and his family struggled financially leaving them to rely on government assistance along with family and friends for food and shelter. Despite living in the impoverished neighborhoods of Jersey City, NJ and Miami, FL, Darius never allowed himself to become capsized by his environments. Soon he was given the opportunity to be developed by leaders and mentors that not only gave him guidance for his future, but began helping him navigate through life as a young man.
Darius began writing and performing music, but eventually outgrew it when he noticed music could no longer express the message he desired to share. However, through his music, he discovered his passion for speaking, teaching, and inspiring others to reach their truest potential. In 2010, Darius founded Employed By My Vision, an organization encouraging individuals to use their unique gifts and talents to pursue their purpose.
He booked his first speaking engagement shortly after at the halfway house in New Jersey that his father had previously attended. There he spoke to 150 men who were transitioning out of the New Jersey prison system. Their overwhelmingly heartfelt response solidified Darius’ own gift as a speaker. Although the road ahead would not be easy (experiencing the psychological challenges associated with unemployment and eventually homelessness from 2015-2016), Darius has and continues to overcome his own battles by maintaining the mental toughness instilled by his mother, and his trust in God. “The hardest thing I had to overcome was believing that I could do certain things myself,” says Brown. “Giving myself permission to attack fear and do it.”
Today, Darius’ motivation is to help people overcome anything they face in life by teaching them to apply the same principles that helped his overcome: the power of positive self image, consistency, and resilience.
