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WORK TITLE: The Undercover Edge
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 2/3/1984
WEBSITE: https://www.officialderrick.com/
CITY: Cumberland
STATE: RI
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_brother/cast/214879/; https://www.facebook.com/DerrickVLevasseur/; manager: Harry Gold, 818.972.4300, HGold@TalentWorksLA.com
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2017064173
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/n2017064173
HEADING: Levasseur, Derrick
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670 __ |a The undercover edge, 2018: |b ECIP t.p. (Derrick Levasseur) data view (Before becoming a police officer, Derrick Levasseur received a BA’s degree in criminal justice and later a master’s in business management. He was the winner of the TV game show Big Brother in 2014 and works at the Central Falls Police Department in Rhode Island)
PERSONAL
Born February 3, 1984.
EDUCATION:Mitchell College, associate’s degree, 2004; Roger Williams University, B.A. 2010; Salve Regina University, master’s degree in business management, 2012.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Central Falls Police Department, RI, Central Falls, RI, 2004-17, began as patrolman, became sergeant; author. Winner of TV game show Big Brother, 2014.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Derrick Levasseur is best known for his role in the CBS television series Big Brother—a reality show that pits residents of a single house against one another for a monetary prize. Levasseur ended up winning the competition in 2014. After winning he retired from his job as a police sergeant in Rhode Island and became a motivational speaker and writer. Levasseur stated in his Big Brother cast biography, found on the CBS website, that he intended to use the celebrity he earned on the show “to make some positive changes. I would like to give back to my family and help out the kids of Central Falls. Also, I’m a huge animal lover. Sign me up for anything I can do to help.”
Levasseur’s book The Undercover Edge: Redefine the Rules to Win Life’s Game was inspired by his experiences on Big Brother, but it draws on lessons (and language) he used as a police officer. “’After my season, I had a lot of people ask me what was my Big Brother strategy—how did I win the game?” Levasseur told Andy Dehnart in Reality Blurred. “‘To be honest with you, Andy, I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t have a Big Brother strategy. What I had was an approach that was derived from my personal, professional experience as an undercover detective,’ he said.” “Through his life experiences, both personal and professional,” wrote the contributor of a biographical blurb to the author’s home page, the Derrick Levasseur Website, “Derrick has developed an innovative approach to building stronger relationships and achieving personal goals.”
Critics appreciated Levasseur’s first book, with its homely yet extremely pertinent advice. The Undercover Edge “is definitely not the typical book by a reality TV star,” stated Dehnart. “It’s friendly yet earnest, and surprisingly vulnerable.” In it, Levasseur presents life lessons he has learned, some while serving the Rhode Island public as a policeman, and others from his own family. “Derrick views it as a conversation with his (eventual) readers, gradually opening up until he’s sharing details about the time he shot a man while on duty, and its emotional aftermath: anger, alcohol, and eventually therapy,” Dehnart continued. “The book covers everything from his father leaving when he was a kid to the mistakes Derrick has made as a father.” “Though the cop-talk conceit can seem hackneyed,” stated a Publishers Weekly reviewer, “Levasseur’s fresh and candid perspective makes for an empowering self-help guide.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, October 2, 2017, review of The Undercover Edge: Redefine the Rules to Win Life’s Game, p. 127.
ONLINE
CBS, https://www.cbs.com/ (March 28, 2018), author profile.
Derrick Levasseur Website, https://www.officialderrick.com (March 28, 2018), author profile.
Reality Blurred, https://www.realityblurred.com/ (January 8, 2018), Andy Dehnart, “Big Brother 16: An Interview with Derrick Levasseur about His New Book, and Changing Your Life.”
Derrick Levasseur is a decorated police sergeant from Central Falls, Rhode Island. Before becoming a supervisor, he was assigned to the Investigative Division, where he spent three years as an undercover detective.
Throughout the course of his career, he has received multiple awards, including letters of recognition, unit citations, commendations, and the Medal of Valor.
In addition to his advanced training with interviews and interrogations, Derrick has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business management.
Through his life experiences, both personal and professional, Derrick has developed an innovative approach to building stronger relationships and achieving personal goals. He used that same approach on the CBS hit series, Big Brother, and is now regarded as one of the greatest to have ever played the game.
Derrick starred in the Investigation Discovery hit docu-series, ‘Is OJ Innocent? The Missing Evidence’ and his new show, ‘The Unsolved’, will be airing in April of 2018.
Derrick’s new book, The Undercover Edge, was published in January of 2018 and was featured on CBS’s, The Talk. The book reached #1 in New Releases, #4 in Communication and Social Skills, #33 in Business Leadership, and #72 in the Success category in only 5 days on Amazon and is currently sold in bookstores nationwide. He traveled the country on a national book tour, speaking to thousands of people about his unconventional but effective approach to achieving success in all facets of their lives.
Biography
Age: 30
Hometown: Providence, R.I.
Current City: Providence, R.I.
Occupation: Police Officer - Sergeant
Three adjectives that describe you: Confident, methodical and ambitious.
Favorite Activities: I am a big fan of guns and enjoy modifying and shooting them; I get to use most of them at work. Also, I like to scuba dive.
What do you think will be the most difficult part about living inside the Big Brother house: Being away from my family for so long. Even though you are in the house with other people, you have to remember that they are trying to take $500,000 away from you and it will be tough to not have my family to release some of the tension.
Do you have a strategy for winning Big Brother?: My strategy involves three phases. First, attempt to find common interests with as many houseguests as I can, while developing a profile on them. Second, start using the facts I learned about the houseguests against them. Finally, if I’m able to win a few HOH's/POV's late in the game, I can make some moves that will determine the winner.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most: I love that Dan Gheesling was always using sports analogies to pump himself up because I'm the same way.
What are you afraid of: I am not a fan of heights.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of: I'm proud of my education and the accomplishments in my career as a police officer.
Finish this sentence: My life’s motto is… Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today - James Dean
What would you take into the house and why: A picture of my daughter as she is everything to me, my memory foam pillow since I need a good night sleep and a deck of cards.
What would you do if Big Brother made you famous: I would try and use it to make some positive changes. I would like to give back to my family and help out the kids of Central Falls. Also, I'm a huge animal lover. Sign me up for anything I can do to help reduce the number of puppy mills, kill shelters and helping animals get adopted.
Derrick attended college on a full ride baseball scholarship and got his master’s degree in Business Management. He’s been a Police Sergeant for 10 years after starting as an undercover officer when he was only 20 years old.
Watch Derrick's bio video here!
Big Brother 16
An interview with Derrick Levasseur about his new book, and changing your life
Derrick Levasseur
Derrick Levasseur, author of The Undercover Edge and winner of Big Brother. (Photo by Muggle Photography)
by Andy Dehnart 8 JAN. 2018 | 6:00 PM
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There is relatively little in Big Brother 16 winner Derrick Levasseur’s new book about Big Brother. Derrick is not really interested in talking about strategy or revealing the behind-the-scenes of Big Brother, even though he’s no longer held by CBS’ contract and “could write whatever I want,” he told me.
That’s because Derrick wants to change your life.
His book—which will be released Jan. 9—is definitely not the typical book by a reality TV star.
It’s friendly yet earnest, and surprisingly vulnerable. Derrick views it as a conversation with his (eventual) readers, gradually opening up until he’s sharing details about the time he shot a man while on duty, and its emotional aftermath: anger, alcohol, and eventually therapy. The book covers everything from his father leaving when he was a kid to the mistakes Derrick has made as a father.
Right now, Derrick is at another point of transition in his life: He left his work in law enforcement early last fall, a job he’s done since he was 19 (he’s 33 now), revealing in a video that he retired Oct. 7, having worked his last day Sept. 1.
He’s just filmed five of the six episodes for a new TV show that will be announced this week: an Investigation Discovery series on which he investigates cold cases, which came out of the success of his role in an ID show the O.J. Simpson murders.
And now he’s going on a month-long book tour to talk about his writing and advice. He’s so enthusiastic about its contents that he stopped himself during our interview and said, “I want to apologize because I get long-winded, but that’s passionate how I am about this.”
Why Derrick decided to write a book
The book—The Undercover Edge: Find Your Hidden Strengths, Learn to Adapt, and Build the Confidence to Win Life’s Game—started with Derrick’s interaction with fans and friends, he told me.
“After my season, I had a lot of people ask me what was my Big Brother strategy—how did I win the game? To be honest with you, Andy, I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t have a Big Brother strategy. What I had was an approach that was derived from my personal, professional experience as an undercover detective,” he said.
But that wasn’t enough for a book. “I said to myself, I’m not going to just write a book because I can, because I don’t think that’s important. But if I feel have something that may actually help people, then maybe I will.”
It was on an airplane that Derrick realized “how I used those same techniques on Big Brother” could also help others. “What I’ve done is take the main components of undercover work, and I’ve adapted them to work in any situation, whether it’s at work or at home,” he said.
Also helping Derrick in these efforts—as he is “turning police strategies to corporate strategies”—is a masters in business management, plus his experience managing his career and brand.
Undercover Edge, Derrick LevasseurDerrick said he shaped it into advice for readers—versus a straight memoir—because that’s what he’s been doing “my whole life,” he told me. “I’ve been a cop since I was 19 years old, and I became a cop to help people.”
And he’s helping people by sharing what works for him, in life and on Big Brother. “Nothing in the book is something that I don’t already personally use,” he said.
Derrick on trying to ‘break outside’ of the ‘reality TV stigma’
Derrick does mention Big Brother in the book, and among the examples from his life and time in law enforcement are a few examples from the show, such as how he knew Caleb was lying to him at one point in the game.
But Derrick didn’t want to discuss his strategy in detail because, he said, because fans already know what happened. “My whole game was on the live feeds,” he said.
And then there’s this: “To be honest with you, I’m trying to reach a larger audience.”
“What I’m really hoping to with this book is to, for the first time, break outside of that reality TV stigma and go to a broad audience where this book really reaches a large number of people,” Derrick said. “It’s going to be difficult. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. But I’ve written the book so you don’t have to know what Big Brother is to know how to use these techniques, you don’t have to a fan of my Big Brother performance to benefit from what’s in this book. And I thought if I went to heavy on Big Brother I could lose people.”
That’s why, he said, “I just naturally went with examples that I thought would be more beneficial to a larger audience than just people who bought the book because I won a TV show. I wanted people who are entrepreneurs, people who are college students looking to get into the business world, people who are in the business world looking to become better leaders, or people who maybe just a little reclusive and looking to build on their social skills.”
And if readers want to use the techniques to benefit them on a competition reality show, whether it’s Big Brother or Survivor or something else, Derrick says it will be useful, because it’s the same “approach that I use in everyday situations, so will this help you if you want to be on reality TV.”
Derrick calls his time on Big Brother “proof of concept”: “If I can do it under those conditions,” he said, “you can do it.”
When he appeared on Big Brother last summer to host a competition, Derrick joked that he was the next twist, panicking Paul and making fun of how twist-laden and returnee-heavy the show has become. Derrick and I talked a little about that, and he said that while Big Brother may now be “more difficult because of twists, if you’re really that good and you use what you know about someone to build a real relationship as fast as you can, it is possible to still do it even in the current climate that Big Brother is.”
He observed the tendency of more recent players to be deceptive about themselves and their own lives, which can easily backfire. “I don’t want to mention names, but they would build a relationship with someone that was a complete lie,” he said. “What it did during jury time was that fakeness was exposed.”
Compare that to his game, where people could be upset that he voted them out or did “what I had to do to win,” but “the one thing they couldn’t say was, He lied to me.”
The season 16 houseguests “mostly all still get along,” he said, because those relationships were real, built on “real substantive things that we could actually talk about outside of the game.”
Why Derrick is sharing stories for the first time
The confessional nature of the book “was a natural progression. It wasn’t intended,” Derrick said. “There were chapters that I wrote and after I read them, I felt like they were bullshit—they really didn’t really contribute to someone that could really benefit from them, and I would delete the chapter and start all over.”
Derrick said he actually cut out full chapters and dozens of pages to make sure “every page, every chapter to have something that could really help someone out in a positive way.”
What’s left includes stories that he’s sharing for the first time.
For example, regarding his story about killing a man while on duty, Derrick said, “I break down that situation in a way that I’ve never told anyone before, ever.”
“A lot of people know that, but what they don’t know is the adversities that I went through during that time, and some of the trials and tribulations and mental struggles that I had to overcome to get to where I am today. There was a point where I really wanted to give up on doing anything because of what I had been through,” he said.
His experiences “make up who I am now, and they’re engrained in my brain and in my hard,” he said. “We only get one life, and to sit there and dwell on the things you can’t change is a waste.”
“My shooting taught me that. I spent every day asking myself, What have you done today to reach the goals you have for yourself, regardless of how unlikely they may seem. Andy, you’re a big reality TV guy, you know this business better than anyone, and it’s not very often reality stars go and write books. I wanted to go beyond that, and I’m sure there were people who out there who said there’s no way you could do that, but I wasn’t doing that for them. I was doing it for me, and I was doing it for the people that believe in me and who really want the advice that I have to offer based on how I played Big Brother.”
The goal: “I’m hoping that, not only can I give people techniques and skills that work in social situations and at work, but also if they get to a point where they’re struggling or they’re making mistakes or going through advertised, they don’t give up on whatever they’re trying to pursue.”
“I’ve been there, and I’ve been able to overcome those obstacles and accomplish great things. And I’m just a normal guy from Central Falls, Rhode Island,” Derrick said. “If I can can do it, anybody can.”
He added, “I can’t wait to hear the success stories.”
Derrick Levasseur
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Author of "The Undercover Edge, Speaker, and Investigator for Investigation Discovery
Discovery Communications Salve Regina University
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Author, speaker, and TV personality/investigator with a demonstrated history of working in law enforcement and the entertainment industry. Specializes in using undercover techniques in real-world applications. Strong media and communication professional with a master's degree focused in Business Management.
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Experience
Discovery Communications
On Air Personality
Company NameDiscovery Communications
Dates EmployedJul 2016 – Present Employment Duration1 yr 9 mos
LocationSilver Spring, Maryland
Investigator for Docu-series, Is OJ Innocent?: The Missing Evidence
Central Falls Police Department (RI)
Patrolman/Detective/Sergeant
Company NameCentral Falls Police Department (RI)
Dates EmployedNov 2004 – Oct 2017 Employment Duration13 yrs
LocationCentral Falls, Rhode Island
City-wide patrol of Central Falls, RI (Traffic Enforcement, Felony & Misdemeanor complaints). Assigned to the Investigative Division in 2009. Responsibilities involved investigating all misdemeanor and felony cases. Later assigned to the Special Investigations Unit in 2009, responsible for investigating all narcotics violations.
CBS Corporation
Contestant on Big Brother 16 - Winner
Company NameCBS Corporation
Dates EmployedJun 2014 – Sep 2014 Employment Duration4 mos
LocationStudio City, California
Winner of Big Brother 16
Education
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University
Degree NameMaster's degree Field Of StudyBusiness Administration and Management
Dates attended or expected graduation 2010 – 2012
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
Degree NameBachelor's degree Field Of StudyCriminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Dates attended or expected graduation 2006 – 2010
Mitchell College
Mitchell College
Degree NameAssociate's degree Field Of StudyCriminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Dates attended or expected graduation 2002 – 2004
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Derrick Levasseur first entered the world of crimefighting and now channels years on the street into his new "how-to" book on communicating more effectively, leading with confidence, and battling life's obstacles head-on! Incredible!" - Nancy Grace, TV personality and founder of CrimeOnLine.com
"Derrick Levasseur walks the reader through his law enforcement career and highlights tips and techniques that can be used by everyday people to gain new insights into social and business encounters. His conversational writing style makes the book easy to read and understand." - Jack Schafer, PhD, author of The Like Switch
"Levasseur gives readers an incredibly insightful way to identify and achieve their goals in The Undercover Edge. Not only is his writing style engaging and illuminating, it is fundamentally practical and easy to understand. So easy, everyone can apply his ideas in their everyday lives or business ventures. When I read it, I was amazed at how Levasseur instinctively developed skills it took me decades to learn and hone as an FBI Profiler. The Undercover Edge is pure GENIUS!" - Jim Clemente, FBI Supervisory Special Agent/Profiler
"For anyone who, like me, watched Derrick deftly maneuver his way to the grand prize on Big Brother and asked in amazement, 'How did he do that?!' -- This book is the answer. From visualization to knowing your target to developing your intuition, Derrick breaks down a clear, practical, effective strategy for achieving your own goals in life. As entertaining and clever as his Big Brother run, The Undercover Edge will inspire you, motivate you, and put you directly on the path to becoming the person you want to be." - Mandy Hale, New York Times bestselling author of The Single Woman and Beautiful Uncertainty
"Derrick has demystified and unraveled life secrets of practiced professionals with pragmatic and effective strategies that underlie successful investigations, interviews, work success, and personal relationships. The Undercover Edge is a must-read for anyone who wants to fully live their life and maximize their unlocked potential." - Kris Mohandie, PhD; clinical, police, and forensic psychologist
"Derrick's adaptation of undercover techniques for business applications is innovative but practical. Whether you're an entry-level employee looking to build stronger relationships with clients and colleagues or a CEO seeking new ways to understand and communicate with your team, The Undercover Edge offers an approach that will assist you in leading more effectively and achieving your professional goals." - Mark Moses, author of Make Big Happen and founding partner and CEO of Coaching International
"Levasseur's fresh and candid perspective makes for an empowering self-help guide.
" - Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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About the Author
Derrick Levasseur is a decorated police sergeant from Central Falls, Rhode Island. Before becoming a supervisor, he was assigned to the Investigative Division, where he spent three years as an undercover detective. Throughout the course of his career, he has received multiple awards, including the Medal of Valor.
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Print Marked Items
The Undercover Edge: Redefine the Rules
to Win Life's Game
Publishers Weekly.
264.40 (Oct. 2, 2017): p127.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Undercover Edge: Redefine the Rules to Win Life's Game
Derrick Levasseur. Sourcebooks, $25.99
(304p) ISBN 978-1-4926-5059-1
In this debut, Levasseur, a Rhode Island police sergeant, shares hard-won self-help tips, to sometimes
gimmicky but generally entertaining effect. "Think of this book as a guided tour of the major lessons I
learned as a street cop, a detective, and a supervisor," he begins. The first step is being honest about your
own strengths and weaknesses and those of others. He advises readers to "know your target"--the person on
whom you wish to make an impression--such as by remembering his or her birthday. Body language is also
key, he teaches. Continuing to indulge in the police-lingo theme a little too insistently, he points, out the
importance of "headquarters," or having a happy home life. Leading with confidence is the subject of one of
the most appealing lessons. Another of the best lessons is on creative visualization. One of the toughest
lessons--one Levasseur learned firsthand after he fatally shot a suspect (and was subsequently cleared by a
grand jury)--concerns growing through adversity. He wraps everything up with a succinct "debriefing."
Though the cop-talk conceit can seem hackneyed, Levasseur's fresh and candid perspective makes for an
empowering self-help guide. Agent: Steven Harris, CSG Literary. (Jan. 2018)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Undercover Edge: Redefine the Rules to Win Life's Game." Publishers Weekly, 2 Oct. 2017, p. 127.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A509728464/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=55ddcd08. Accessed 4 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A509728464