In this modern-day Pursuit of Happyness, Tiki Davis details his rise from a neglectful childhood in Odessa, Texas, and a derailing imprisonment to becoming a successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and community leader.

This story is one full of survival and grit, as we see how one man took everything stacked against him and flipped it into fuel.

Tiki Davis grew up a man-child—raising himself without a father, learning the streets before he ever learned stability. Before he was ten years old, he had already survived an attempted murder. Where Tiki comes from, that kind of violence was seen as normal, and for a long time he thought it was. By all accounts, his story should have ended in tragedy.

But it didn’t.

In The Tiki Factor, Tiki looks back on the attacks, accusations, and rejection that he faced but did not allow to break him. His story isn’t clean. His mother died in prison. His father and brother went to prison. His name was dragged through the dirt with allegations that provided no justice—just shame and isolation, even from his own community. But Tiki refused to quit. He earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree and built businesses in oil, real estate, and restaurants. From the dirt, he rebuilt his life piece by piece, and pursued a life lived freely and successfully in a spiritual partnership with his creator.

And then he built something bigger than business: The TIKI Factor.

Through his story, he created a brand and a set of simple yet profound principles anyone can live by:

Total Commitment
Imagination
Kindred Spirits
Invest in Yourself

These aren’t just words—they’re survival skills. Tiki teaches people that if you apply these principles, you can win, no matter where you start.