Today we’d like to introduce you to Darin Lee.
Hi Darin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Fort Walton Beach, where writing was second nature to me. I’ve been crafting poems and heartfelt letters to friends since I was a kid in elementary school. Back then, I even sold some of my poems and even drawings, sometimes to bring home $3 to $4 a day, which made me feel like the richest kid alive. I would come to school buying everybody candy that didn’t have any, as well as thinking my little money could help my mom out around the house. I would also give away poems to people I felt were going through hard times as a comfort as a child. I still have friends that randomly send me those old poems and drawings as their mom’s pull them out of old yearbooks and scrapbooks. Creativity was always my escape, whether through words or art. Fast forward, I joined the U.S. Navy and served on submarines, where I wrote my first Amazon bestseller, “hoetry,” while underwater on a demanding deployment. After that demanding deployment, that made me reflect heavy on my life. It put in perspective that if I was willing to go through the amount of strenuous training, studying, researching, life threatening moments to be at the highest aptitude for someone else’s purpose then why wouldn’t I then put in the same effort and energy for what I feel is my own personal purpose. I made a promise to myself that day that once I parted ways with the military, I’d dedicate my life to my true legacy, which is writing. A few years later, I honored that promise by publishing “hoetry” through my own imprint, Darin Lee Publishing. From a caring kid with a pencil to an intentional adult using his words to move souls, this journey has been nothing short of incredible and an ongoing mission to awaken the human spirit through my art.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No one appreciates a smooth road until you’ve been down a bumpy, potholed one. With owning my own publishing house it has been one of the most rewarding yet challenging experiences of my life. There’s a constant balance between creativity and business. You have to learn how to wear both the artist hat and entrepreneur hat at the same time. From managing budgets, marketing, and distribution to making sure every project upholds the quality and integrity of the brand, it can feel like an endless grind. There are moments of self-doubt, setbacks, and long nights spent trying to figure out how to make an idea come to life in the new social media heavy era without losing the heart behind it. I experienced that recently when I released my book “My Good Girls” and had self-doubt being that the sales had felt flat compared to my prior releases. The key thing was something that most writers don’t enjoy, which is social media. I know many creatives and writers can relate to this. That feeling of just wanting your art to be the art and not have to be online making videos all day and not maintaining that artist enigma. That typical mysteriousness behind the artists has now gone away to a degree. You have to show the art and the artist nowadays to generate generous revenue and that was a learning curve for me but since doing it, it has been rewarding. But those challenges have taught me resilience, discipline, and the importance of faith in the vision. Every obstacle has strengthened my belief that true legacy building takes patience, persistence, and purpose.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a successful writer and author, I continue to build a career through words and creativity while also helping others do the same. I believe in giving everyone their stage to demonstrate their voice and be heard. Though the earnings are something to be proud of I’d say the messages I receive daily of how I changed someone’s life, saved someone’s life, gave them new perspective or clarity, helped them regain something lost in them or relationship, etc those are my proudest moments cause they can’t be measured by money. Even with being a successful writer I’ve also carried with me the discipline and technical skills I gained during my time in the military on Submarines as a technician. I continue to apply that knowledge in my professional life today, as an Industrial Technician, proving that creativity and science aren’t opposites of each other but more so they’re partners in innovation. I never want kids to feel like they have to choose between being the artist or the engineer, the dreamer or the doer. You can be both. My journey is a testament to that balance and that urge to show the next generation that your art can move souls while your technical skills can move soles simultaneously. I am proud to be able to display that as a example and my next project is to start my organization “We Are Roots And Wings” as a non-profit that builds on the very principles that I spoke of here. Teaching the kids before they go to college or get out of their parent’s house some fundamental tools for practical success being identity, mental health, dietary, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and community building and organizing.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I truly believe that finding a mentor is one of the most important things you can do. Not just for your career, but for every part of your life that holds meaning. Mentorship provides guidance, perspective, and accountability that you simply can’t get on your own. After the military I made it my mission to find mentors in every area that matters to me being my finances, relationships, spiritual growth, business journey, and creative life. Each one has helped me avoid unnecessary mistakes, move with more clarity, and accelerate my growth in ways I never could have imagined. The reason I initially looked for mentors was I noticed that I was watching more YouTube to learn specific practices instead of interacting with actual people. And with me I have a lot of questions that you can’t simply ask a YouTuber always so I sought mentorship so I could one, get the human interaction that’s needed, two, so I could get answers to questions that were specific to me, and three, utilize the wisdom of the ones before me to get ahead. Having a mentor doesn’t take away the work but it does help you do it smarter. At the end of the day, having a mentor is the only true shortcut to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darin-Lee/author/B08TVZJ7WJ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=a5cdf543-9fe4-4750-857a-92f908fb2558
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdarinlee?igsh=aDhpeGcwNWd4ZDFn&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@iamdarinlee?si=gj-HH1-l_xbGEL3x
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/album/frank-lucass-letters-of-love-loyalty-and-lust/1846275673
