Ervin Lamont Cody: Meet Young Author Living In Nairobi On $1,000 A Month After Relocating From America

At one point in his life, Ervin Cody was making between $100,000 and $150,000 as a barber in Atlanta, America.

He had a nice house, a car, and life was looking good.

A few months later, he lost everything and, with nowhere to go, was forced to sleep in his mother’s second car.

Today, he lives in the posh Kilimani suburb of Nairobi, where he is working on rebuilding his life.

This is his journey as told by WoK:

Losing His Business and Starting Again

In an interview with Webnation, Cody stated that he was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.

After completing his education, he started his career as a barber, which gave him the opportunity to travel and experience life in over 10 American states.

At that time, he was earning between $100,000 and $150,000.

Things were going so well that he decided to expand his business to Thailand, having lived there for eight years previously.

However, the Thai barbershop shut down within its first month of operation, a challenge that he attributed to COVID-19 restrictions.

He therefore decided to close the business and return to America.

Returning Home Without Money

Back in the US, Cody had to start from scratch. “I was homeless, sleeping in my mom’s second car,” he said.

He was struggling to rebuild his life and business, and he decided to document his struggles in a book.

Luckily, his family provided a stable support system, involving his mother, father, grandmother, and cousin.

“My grandmother told me to enjoy everything that life has to offer, but be attached to nothing,” he said.

These words of encouragement gave him strength to keep trying.

Relocating to Kenya

Having lived in America for most of his life, Cody had a limited perception of Africa.

Some people warned him about moving to the continent, saying that the living conditions there were poor.

However, despite these suggestions, Kenya still appealed to him. He was attracted to the country’s food, weather, living costs and business opportunities.

He also had another personal reason for moving to Kenya.

“The real reason I came here was to start my family here. I wanted to find a wife and children,” he said.

In Kenya, he decided to settle in Kilimani, since the area has numerous well-equipped apartments that have stable internet, backup power, a gym, and other entertainment amenities.

Cody, who describes himself as a vegan, stated that his Nairobi rent is about $500 to $600 (KSh 64,500 to KSh 77,400) per month.

His food expenses are about $100 (KSh 12,900) per week, while he spends about $20 on electricity bills (approximately KSh 2,580).

All expenses accounted for, he said that he spends about ksh 120,000 to ksh 150,000 per month, which was three times higher than what he was spending in Atlanta.

Inside his apartment, he keeps books, a chess set and nunchucks, which he says he learnt to use in Thailand

Career as an author

Cody has written six books and was working on the seventh title.

He had also decided to focus on his health and going to the gym, which made him lose weight and regain his physical agility.

He documented this journey in his first book, Every Day That You Wake Up Is a Gift. The book was an account of how he made those changes and maintained them.

He wrote his second book, The Proof Is You, in 2024. The book talked about the importance os a positive mindset, self-worth, and personal responsibility.

He spends much of his time at home studying, writing, and working.

Aside from barbering and selling books, Cody earns money through mindset coaching.

His clients include people in the United States, Kenya, and other countries.