My Story: From the Streets to CEO – Real People, Real Journeys

In an age where success is flaunted in filtered Instagram stories and flashy LinkedIn headlines, it's easy to forget the stories that aren’t told — the ones that begin not in boardrooms or Ivy League campuses, but on the cold concrete of forgotten neighborhoods.

This is the story of Derrick Harris, a man who journeyed from homelessness and hardship to building a multi-million dollar logistics company in the American South. His journey is not defined by luck or privilege, but by grit, community, and the refusal to let circumstances dictate destiny.

This isn’t just Derrick’s story — it’s a testament to countless unsung heroes whose paths begin in struggle but end in strength.

The Beginning: Forgotten Corners and Unseen People

Derrick was born in 1989 in South Fulton, Georgia, one of Atlanta’s least invested communities. His earliest memories aren’t of toys or birthdays, but of evictions, the sound of his mother crying behind closed doors, and learning to sleep through police sirens.

His mother, Tanya, was doing her best — but addiction, poverty, and a lack of family support created an environment of chaos. Derrick’s father had disappeared before he was born, and extended relatives were barely present.

School was an inconsistent experience. Derrick showed signs of promise in writing and math, but hunger and housing insecurity made regular attendance impossible. By 14, he was working part-time jobs — sometimes under the table — to help put food on the table.

By 16, Derrick dropped out entirely. “I didn’t see the point,” he recalls. “No one in school looked like they believed I had a shot anyway.”

Homeless at 18 — and Invisible

Derrick spent the next few years moving through temporary shelters, friends’ couches, and eventually, the streets. “Being homeless isn’t just about not having a place to sleep,” he says. “It’s about feeling like you don’t exist.”

He remembers waiting outside a downtown library every morning just to use the restroom and read the newspaper. “I didn’t have a phone or a laptop, but reading kept me sane,” he says.

What kept him going? “I had no plan, just a stubborn belief that this wasn’t where my story would end.”

A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything

In 2012, everything changed.

Derrick was standing outside a church in downtown Atlanta, waiting for the doors to open for evening soup kitchen hours, when a volunteer named Monica approached him.

“I thought she was just gonna hand me a pamphlet and keep moving. But she actually talked to me — like really talked. Asked me what I wanted out of life,” Derrick recalls.

That 20-minute conversation shifted his path. Monica introduced him to a transitional housing program that offered not only shelter but also GED prep, job training, and therapy.

It wasn’t a straight line from that day forward — there were relapses, rejections, and doubts. But for the first time in years, Derrick had support and direction.

Earning His Second Life — One Step at a Time

By 2015, Derrick had earned his GED, completed a certificate in logistics from a local community college, and was working part-time at a courier company.

It was there that his passion sparked. He saw firsthand how inefficient many small delivery services were — outdated tracking, poor customer service, and no flexibility for small businesses.

“I saw the cracks in the system — and I thought maybe I could build something better,” he says.

With just $600, a beat-up cargo van, and borrowed Wi-Fi from a friend’s apartment, Derrick launched HustleHaul Logistics in 2017.

He handled every delivery himself for the first six months — packages in the back, Google Maps on the dashboard, and invoices handwritten in notebooks. He’d work from sunrise to past midnight.

“I wasn’t sleeping much. But after being ignored for so long, finally building something that was mine — it kept me awake in the best way.”

Breakthrough and Scale

In 2019, Derrick landed a contract with a local e-commerce brand looking for same-day delivery within Atlanta. His reliability, professionalism, and personalized approach helped his reputation grow.

By 2020, HustleHaul had grown into a team of 12, with three trucks and recurring contracts with florists, grocery stores, and boutique retailers.

Then came the pandemic — and with it, a surge in demand for local delivery logistics. While many companies were struggling, Derrick’s business nearly tripled overnight.

He scaled fast, hired displaced workers, and leaned into tech. With help from a grant for minority-owned businesses and a few angel investors, HustleHaul expanded operations across three states.

In 2023, the company crossed $3.2 million in annual revenue.

Giving Back — Because He Never Forgot

Despite the suit, the company website, and investor meetings, Derrick hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

He runs a second-chance employment program that actively hires people with criminal records or gaps in employment. He also offers paid mentorship to youth aging out of foster care.

In 2024, he launched the “Haul to Hope” scholarship, a fund for students in underserved communities interested in logistics, transportation, and entrepreneurship.

“We’ve got too many brilliant minds in survival mode,” he says. “They need space to build — not just survive.”

Why This Story Matters

Derrick’s journey is one of thousands happening quietly across America — people rising not because of headlines or hashtags, but because someone gave them a chance, and they refused to give up.

In particular, Black success stories that begin in poverty are too often either romanticized or ignored. Derrick’s story shows us what’s possible when communities invest in access, empathy, and equity.

He didn’t have a mentor from Wall Street or a trust fund — he had belief, a borrowed van, and a community that helped him see what he could be.

What Derrick’s Journey Teaches Us

Resilience is not just about strength — it’s about survival. Derrick failed more times than he succeeded early on, but each setback added to his growth.

His story also reminds us that access matters. When he got a roof over his head, a path to education, and a support system — his natural talent finally had space to grow.

And most importantly, we learn that people do not need charity — they need opportunity. Derrick’s second-chance hiring program proves that potential often hides behind stigma, and that people who have suffered often bring unmatched drive when given a real shot.

A Final Word: Real Stories, Real Impact

Stories like Derrick’s aren’t just motivational content — they are blueprints. They remind us that success is not always glamorous, and certainly not always easy. But it’s possible.

And most importantly, they show what happens when society invests in people, not just polished profiles or past achievements.

As Derrick puts it:

“People looked past me for years. Now, I make it my mission to see others — especially the ones the world overlooks.”