We recently had the chance to connect with Darian Moore and have shared our conversation below.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Darian A. Moore, the organizer of Young, bLAck, and Outside (YBO) — a growing community that blends outdoor adventures with social connection for Black young adults across Southern California. In just the past year and a half, I’ve grown our Instagram from 0 to 1,600 followers by building the kind of space people genuinely want to show up for.
At YBO, we curate experiences that are intentional but low-pressure — from hikes, game nights, horseback riding, sailing lessons, firearm training, rock climbing and even a multi-state road trip to national parks. No one’s left standing on the sidelines; strangers come in and leave as friends, collaborators, or part of something bigger.
I started hosting YBO during one of the busiest and most transitional seasons of my life — juggling full-time teaching, grad school, nonprofit leadership, and launching my own businesses before eventually leaving the classroom due to burnout. That experience taught me how misaligned our systems can feel, and how badly we need spaces that center care, connection, and joy. YBO became that space for me — and now it’s growing into storytelling, merch, deeper partnerships, and youth programming, that includes educational therapy, equine therapy, and social-emotional learning (SEL), along with our first kid-friendly hikes where children experienced a trail for the very first time.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Bonds break when people feel unseen, unheard, or unsafe being their full selves. When we start shrinking to keep a connection alive, it’s already slipping away. What restores them is honest presence — showing up without trying to fix or change someone, but being willing to listen, hold space, and let them be exactly who they are in that moment. That’s how I try to move through community — making room for realness without judgment, even when the circumstances or individuals involved may be messy. Listening and holding space without trying to fix them is crucial as we never fully know what people are truly going through and their ability to respond to whatever that is. Empathy and care is therefore important as it provides either support or guidance to others, without dismissive or judgmental energy that may fracture bonds or trust in others. Bonds that deal with yourself, can be restored by slowing down enough to internalize what you’re really feeling, giving yourself permission to rest, and allowing your full self to be seen without judgment. Healing begins when you stop performing and start honoring what you truly need.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering stripped away the polish. It forced me to stop performing like I was fine and actually feel what was happening. It taught me what really matters — consistency, genuine connection, and slow, unhurried moments that remind you you’re still deserving of things like love, abundance, or joy. I’ve learned that not everything that you don’t know or understand needs to be “fixed” or answered — sometimes it’s just an invitation to grow into a version of yourself you haven’t met yet. YBO became my steady place for that growth, and now I get to watch it happen for other people too.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
The person I admire most for their character is my grandfather, a Vietnam War veteran and Marine. He was truly my best friend and set the standard for the kind of man I intend to marry one day. My grandfather was wise, grounded, supportive, and steady, shaped by his military background and by surviving the harsh realities of being raised in South Carolina during Jim Crow.
Even in his later years, he embodied balance — gentle yet strong, thoughtful yet practical. I admired the way he could take complex ideas and break them down into simple, meaningful lessons about resilience, compassion, and integrity. Beyond wisdom, he modeled the importance of lifelong learning, financial responsibility, and caring for others in both big and small ways.
We had our share of funny, lighthearted moments, but also real conversations about the world and how I might navigate it.
Even years later, I still feel his influence in the choices I make and the person I’m becoming. I admired him not for power or position, but for his consistency, his character, and the way he made me feel safe in being exactly who I am.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Definitely. I’ve landed jobs I thought would change everything — with the salary bump, the “respectable” title, the kind of role people nod at when you say it — only to find myself drained, uninspired, and wondering why I kept pushing through something that wasn’t feeding me anymore.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blkoutsiiide/
