Darren Cook has packed up his own household more than 10 times. As JK’s Vice President of International & Residential Inside Sales, he now leads the teams helping other families do the same, and he knows from experience what a move asks of the people living through it.
Here’s a closer look at how he got here, what keeps him going, and the books he can’t stop recommending.
A career he didn’t plan
Moving was in the family. Darren’s father spent 43 years in the business, and Darren started working summers for him as a young teenager. Still, he didn’t set out to follow in those footsteps.
“I don’t know that I pursued it so much as it came to me by default,” he says.
First came a few other plans. He paused college to work and support his wife, Caity, while she finished school. He tried to join the Navy, but a hearing issue kept him out of the role he’d applied for. He passed his electrician’s exam and joined the IBEW union as an apprentice, then waited for a call that never came as the 2008–09 housing crash dried up construction work. Along the way, he also spent a summer commercial salmon fishing in Alaska.
He knew he wanted to work with his hands, so in 2010 he earned his CDL and started driving local and short-haul moves. “That just kept growing,” he says. He kept saying yes to new opportunities, and over the years he’s worked in nearly every part of the business. Today, his favorite part of the job is working with all kinds of people and putting that end-to-end knowledge to use for customers.
Why Darren chose JK
Darren knew JK’s name long before he worked here. Even on the West Coast, every JK driver, truck, or employee he came across left a good impression, and he kept hearing about the company’s growth and reputation.
Meeting JK Founder Chuck Kuhn sealed it. “Once I met Chuck, it was confirmed that JK was the real deal,” Darren says. “He built the company the right way, setting it up for the future at every point.”
Now he sees that up close every day. After more than two decades in the industry, he’s energized by JK’s commitment to household moving at a time when it isn’t always easy. “I want to be a part of setting it up for the best future possible,” he says. “It takes great, committed companies to do that.”
A family that moves together
Darren and Caity have been married 17 years and have three kids, ages 16, 14, and 10. His career has taken the family to three corners of the country and five cities, with more than 10 moves along the way, starting before their oldest was born.
That’s the achievement he’s proudest of. Caity supported every move, and the kids adapted to each new home without complaint. “We’ve remained strong and close through all of the transitions, and I couldn’t be prouder of all of them for that,” he says. “I am so grateful they’ve allowed me to pull them from place to place to pursue what makes me happy professionally.”
When he’s not working, you’ll find him golfing, at a game, traveling, or outdoors, ideally combining as many of those as he can.
Darren’s advice: Find a mentor (or a few)
Darren credits great mentors for much of his growth, and it’s the first thing he’d tell someone new to the industry. Look for someone you’d want to be like as a person or a leader, not only someone successful. “The most successful people don’t always create the best mentors for others, because it depends on how success is defined for you,” he says.
Even the wrong fit can teach you something, since watching who you don’t want to become helps you find who you do. His other tip: “You can have more than one. Surround yourself with great people if you can, for as long as you can.”
What he’s working toward
Ever since he moved into management, Darren has had one goal: a consistently great household moving experience, for customers and for employees, across the whole industry.
People often assume moving is simple, he says. “It isn’t simple or easy, and requires true professional experience and knowledge to get much of it right.” That’s why he believes in constant education for employees, customers, and the industry as a whole.
A few things you might not know about Darren Cook
Darren calls himself “pretty much an open book,” but two facts always get a reaction. The first is that summer of salmon fishing in Alaska, which people love to ask him about. The second: he and Caity share a birthday, September 20, three years apart. They found out the first time they hung out with a group of mutual friends. “I had it first, though,” he says.
On his bookshelf
- American Icon by Bryce Hoffman. The story of how Alan Mulally led Ford through the 2008 financial crisis. “That’s the kind of person and leader I aspire to be,” Darren says.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. He read it soon after it came out and recommended it to everyone he knew, right before it took off. He calls Clear one of the greatest thought leaders of our time.
- Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. A one-of-a-kind, almost unbelievable life story.
For someone who never set out to work in moving, Darren Cook has found a lot to love about it, especially the people. Next time you see him, ask about Alaska, or ask what he’s reading. Either way, you’ll probably walk away with a good story or a book recommendation.
If you’re interested in a career with JK Moving or know someone who might be, please visit our Careers site for more information!