Hi, I’m Darryl (D.J.) Harris Jr.

Most people just call me DJ. I’m a U.S. Air Force veteran, a sales leader, and the author of If I Didn’t Do It, Someone Else Would’ve, So Why Not Me?

I grew up in a military family, so home was always temporary — ten different states and countries before I hit adulthood. I was always the new kid, and that taught me to adapt fast, read the room even faster, and hold my own in spaces where I didn’t always feel like I belonged. As the second oldest of five and the oldest son, I learned to lead before I fully understood what leadership meant. It also lit a competitive fire in me that never went out.

School didn’t click for me right away. For a while, I bought into the idea that being smart wasn’t cool. Then I realized education isn’t about looking smart — it’s about leveling up. That became my mindset: A.B.L. — Always Be Learning. I went on to earn a B.A. in International Business from Lindenwood University and an MBA from Webster University.

I’ve spent more than 13 years in sales leadership, coaching teams, reading the numbers, and building strategy. Along the way, as a young Black professional in corporate America, I learned to navigate rooms where I was the only one, the first one, or the unexpected one. I kept walking in, and I kept learning.

Today I live in Oklahoma with my wife and our three kids — a family of five, each of us born in a different state. I’ve visited 32 states and 10 countries, including one day with breakfast in Cancún, lunch in Detroit, and dinner in Windsor, Canada. This book is the map I wish someone had handed me at 22: not every step I took, but the lessons that will help you walk in stronger than I did.

Military

U.S. Air Force Veteran

Education

B.A., Lindenwood · MBA, Webster

Career

13+ Years in Sales Leadership

Travel

32 States · 10 Countries