Dave Hollis New Book: Get Out of Your Own Way

The book is released today.
Buy on Amazon.

Dave Hollis, husband of self-help guru Rachel Hollis, has written a new book that is being released today.

I've pre-ordered the book, listened to the first 30 minutes, and actually seen Rachel live when she came to Chicago as part of a business expo.

I listen to their three (!) podcasts on the semi-regular.

START TODAY MORNING SHOW (which is, as the jingle says, "The Morning Show That No One Is Talking About.")

RISE PODCAST(which was Rachel Hollis's original podcast, and focuses on organizing and living your best life.)

RISE TOGETHER (which is a couples podcast, about how to have an exceptional relationship and live your best life)


I'm a big fan of both of the Hollises (Hollux?), but probably I'm in the minority in that I prefer Dave to Rachel.

Right now you are either saying "Who Are These People?"  or are saying, "Really?  But you're not a woman!"

Here's a little about them and what I find inspiring.

THE HOLLIS CO. BACKSTORY

Rachel Hollis was an entrepreneur in LA, who among other things, created high-end events like weddings and bat mitzvahs.    Dave, meanwhile, was working his way up at the Walt Disney Company, playing a number of roles over a 17 year period until he ended up as the President of Worldwide Distribution for their motion picture division.  Over time, Rachel's business started to transform into work as an influencer and as an entrepreneur and as an author and speaker.  She has had a clothesline on QVC, a set of journals and other organizational books, and has written two best-selling self-help books:  Girl Wash Your Face, and Girl, Stop Apologizing.  She has also been in demand as a speaker, and as a motivational coach.  Her business really started taking off about three years ago.

               

Click the photo to see it on Amazon

Click the photo to see it on Amazon.

In 2018, Dave quit his job at Disney, and moved to Austin Texas to become the CEO of The Hollis Company, his wife's company.  In various podcasts, he has talked about this transition, and how people thought he was crazy to give up his cushy job at Disney to go work for his wife.  But he really felt like he wasn't growing at Disney, and he needed a challenge and to make a change.  His wife's business was starting to take off (and in the last year, they went from 4 employees to over 60 employees!)  You can read about his departure from Disney here.

The Hollis Family.  Photo courtesy of USA Today.

They have four kids of various ages, including a 2-year-old named Noah who they adopted from their work as foster parents.  Noah is incredibly cute and is the star of a number of their podcasts or video episodes, including Tea-Time with Noah, a short Youtube video series in which  Dave teaches Noah life lessons starting quite early.




One of the episodes of Tea Time With Noah

 WHY I LIKE DAVE BETTER THAN RACHEL

First, let me say, I like them both.  (Pam, don't send me any emails!)

 Both of them have a very direct style of speaking that appeals to me.  Rachel is a literal phenomenon that has millions of rabid followers.  She is super motivating and has a gift of seeming authentic.  (I think she is often authentic, but even when she's not, she manages to seem authentic.  She often talks about peeing her pants on stage and admits to embarrassing foibles, and those are in her stock and trade.) Over the New Year, she released a set of organizational journals only at Target, and those completely sold out, causing a run on them and speculative sales on eBay.

Buy Get Out Of Your Own Way by Dave Hollis on Amazon

But for whatever reason, Dave appeals to me more than Rachel. Here are my thoughts about why:

• INTRODUCTION. Unlike most people, I listened to Dave Hollis before Rachel and had no idea who she was.  As a result, I think I am more interested in him.
• HUMOR. I like his direct and slightly wry sense of humor.  Rachel can be a little too endearing for me.  Dave manages to be both funny and earnest.
• SKEPTICAL  Dave is a skeptic and was not originally really on board for his wife's journey.  I like how he initially resisted and then embraced his own journey.  He's made a remarkable journey of transformation, including becoming a marathoner, giving up drinking, and in general showing up for his family.
  This is familiar to me, as my wife is on a journey of transformation that I am skeptical of.  I'm hoping that I can follow in his footsteps and make my own similar journey.
• FAMILY.  I love Dave's commitment to his family and the way he parents.  I also admire (and perhaps envy) his seemingly strong relationship and partnership with his wife.  I aspire to have that same kind of commitment/partnership/support in my life.
• INSPIRATIONAL ENTHUSIASM.  Both of the Hollis's have a direct and inspirational fervor about them, but Dave's somehow speaks to me more.
  
  Once again, both Rachel and Dave are inspirational to me, but I resonate more with Dave.

A TRANSCRIPT OF DAVE'S MOTIVATIONAL STYLE

I happen to be listening to an older START TODAY show in the gym yesterday, and Dave said about ten things that resonated with me.  Here he's talking about his book and how he had to make time to write every day.  (This is about minute 22.5)

(I apologize if there are any transcription errors)

Another thing I learned - writing a book requires every single day commitment to finishing the book. Everyday you have to get a word count in.

I was going every day for five hundred to a thousand words every single day. It didn't matter what day it was -every day. Once I started I had to do it and what I want to say here- the life lesson for whatever you're trying to pursue, if you want to do the hardest thing that's going to have maximum Impact—You have to commit to doing it every day. 

The reason why we're so cuckoo about our morning routine and doing our gratitude practice and unintentional goal-setting. We do it everyday.

Everyday.
Every.... Day.
Because priming yourself to have the kind of day that you want to have is the way that you have the kind of day that you want to have and forcing myself into a habit.

It had me writing everyday and had me not questioning if I was going to get back at it tomorrow. 

Even Saturdays and Sundays? Even Saturdays and Sundays.

Even on holidays? Even on holidays.

Even when you're on vacation? Even when you're on vacation.

If you want to have a life that looks a certain way, you need to find a way to engineer that life with the habits and routines that you know will help you get where you want to go.
I have to do it every day.
And the great thing was I walked into it not loving the idea of doing it everyday, but I did it every day. I didn't necessarily feel like I was going to be able to do it every single day, but I did it every single day.

I walked in some days with confidence that I’ve got a great story to tell and I walked in other days not thinking I could actually put the words in the paper and- I did it every single day.

This is highly inspirational to me, this idea of doing something every day no matter what.   And it's something I need to do more in my life.   There were probably three other segments in THIS EPISODE ALONE that I found inspiring.  (He talks about the need for an editor, and the fear that people he sent the finished book to would criticize it, and all of those spoke to me directly)

 Rachel also talks about this stuff as well, but for some reason, I find Dave's fervor more inspiring. (And I think I am in the minority) It could be that I see myself more in him because he and I are guys.  But I think mostly his style just resonates with me more.

Anyway, you slice it, I'm excited that his book has come out, and I plan to read it cover to cover, and soak the inspiration out of it any way I can.

 Dave also offers an online coaching program, which I am NOT going to join.  (See my previous post about spending money on stuff like this.)