Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cody Yarbro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Cody , thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents have been a huge part of my journey. I come from a Military family, so dad was gone quite a bit. But, because of that everybody in the house had to step up. My mom and dad taught my sister and I to be independent. You get what you earn. Never take the easy way out. And to remember the only easy day was yesterday, so wake up preparing to work harder than you did the day before. This mindset has helped receive awards professionally, personally and academically. Professionally speaking I move my way up the later quicker than most because I am persistent and know I will be the best. I accept nothing less than what I know I deserve. We didn’t always have a perfect relationship, but we have grown closer over the years and understand we don’t need to see eye to eye….but we are all we have. I don’t have a large extended family so we learned to rely on each other for that love and closeness.

Cody , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, for the people that have no idea who I am…hello, I am Cody. I have been writing since I could pick up a pencil and have been writing a trilogy based on a story I created when I was just 13 years old. I remember in home-room we had free time and I had this spiral bound notebook that I would hand write this story in. I included personal anecdotes in this novel that are funny for the people that know me to read. I think what sets my story apart is that I have included elements for everyone. Action, comedy, love and even a touch of sci-fi. I include elements like Mother Nature, LGBTQ+ relatability and my touch of sarcastic humor. During quarantine this story was truly something that made me feel sane. Coming back to the story helped me escape the real world. Why live in the real world? When you can create your own. Creating LGBTQ+ content was a goal of mine, however, I didn’t want it to only focus on that aspect of the story. I wanted it to exist but not be the main point, just like it should be in the real world. I like to think I am known for many other things outside of my sexuality…so I included that mindset in my story. It’s included but not amplified or the main focus.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Oh man, this question is intense. I feel I was taught as a child that adults always deserve respect. And before you judge me, stay with me. As children we are taught to respect our elders, regardless of our own personal feelings. We were children, what did we know? But as I grew up I relearned that I will give respect to those that earn it. Nobody gets respect by default. We just all prove why we should be respected by what we bring to the table. Who we are as individual people, regardless of our journey or age. I choose to be polite, but know what I am worth and what I bring to any relationship. So knowing my value and my worth has taught me that I am somebody to be respected. Blind respect can lead us down scary paths and as much as I love horror films, it’s scarier in real life.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Absolutely. That’s the simple answer. I am a well-spoken individual, but I can communicate much more diligently on paper. When I can write out exactly how I feel and what I mean. When I write, ideas and thoughts I didn’t even know existed come out of the wood works. They are uncovered and it helps heal me mentally. So yes, I would do this over and over.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: icodahli
• Other: Tik Tok: missionvendetta