Great Book! Love learning through Dave’s personal experiences. This book definitely provided tools to help face fears and live your purpose.

I have too many conflicting emotions to write a decent review. Obviously there was a disconnect between the content and the author’s reality, and it’s sad we’ve ended up here.

I've been a fan of Dave Hollis for years and have always enjoyed his content, this book is no different. It's great if you're going through a difficult time and can help guide you. It also provides a good example of you never know what someone is going through behind closed doors, He was a light to so many people and can still help others through his book, despite his passing.

I was sad to hear of the author's recent death. Unfortunately, I kept trying to read this book but couldn't get into it. It felt like a cliche self-help journey, where the author's struggle to find his true self was more like a surface-y rehash of common motivational themes. Despite its attempt to inspire courage, it failed to deliver authenticity. Maybe he was trying to give himself a pep talk - we all need one at times! Anyway, I'll admit, some neighbor moms wanted to go see the Hollis movie that was out a while ago, before they divorced, and I didn't connect with them then either.

In Built Through Courage, Dave Hollis has written a new book about dealing with fear and becoming courageous. He explained how he was the most afraid kid in school and if he had a love language it would be called, worry. He shared in the book how he worked the Walt Disney Company for 17 years. He shared how one of the perks he received there was getting to witness the new unreleased films and provide them with feedback with other key leaders. He was the president of distribution and helped to relaunch Star Wars franchise in 2015. He described in details about how we are like a ship in the harbor and many of held anchored down. We believe the stories we are told. We all love the safety of calm storms. He explained how he felt lost and he wasn’t at the destination in life he wanted to be at. In 2019, he made a declaration that the year 2020 would become his best year. He had just turned 45 years old. He had a goal to do a big book tour and as we all know what happened. Everything got cancelled with Covid. His world also began to fall completely apart. His wife of 16 years wanted a divorce. He has a rough start and was able to bounce back and still have a good year. He was actively supporting his wife’s dreams and The Hollis Company they began. He was tired of following someone else’s map. In the book, he shared how Peter walked on water and he has to give his limiting beliefs to God. He enclosed at the end of each chapter a journaling activity logbook to assist readers into brainstorming and thinking about what the core messages of the chapters were.


One of my favorite chapters discussed defining your core values. Some of his included, “centeredness, advocacy, growth, service”, just to name a few. He was tired of compromising and not living out what he believed. He guides readers on how to figure out their own values and how to instill integrity and make a different in the world. Everyone needs to ask themselves what they stand for. He explored how we don’t need to negotiate our worth and keep people who are making us question do we matter. This chapter will help readers to stop allowing people to control us and to not give them the license to determine our worth.


I would recommend this awesome book on dealing with your fear and having courage to not stay anchored in the harbor. I immensely loved the message and all of the journaling sections that assisted readers into digging deeper into the topics. I was touched by this book and the message on fear that he discussed with such passion. He really did try and help readers to overcome their fears and to build their courage. As we have probably heard by now, in 2023, he tragically passed away from an accidently overdose at age 47. This was truly shocking news when I heard that. His books seemed to have such a positive message in them. What was heartbreaking was he asked a critical question about what if, he had two years left to live how would he live his life differently. He really only had two years left to live and he didn’t know it!

On the heels of his now ex-wife, Rachel Hollis, this book is the male version of Girl, Wash Your Face, for better or for worse. Sadly, this author passed away recently so there will not ne any more from him,

A journey of how he's handled and navigated being a single dad, moving forward in life, a self help book for others seeking insight.

A lot of nautical metaphors and some pages are uncomfortable to read. Everyone has a different journey and his has not been easy. I am sure some will relate or find his words helpful.

I read this book on the advice of my sister who really liked it but I must say it was not the book for me. I couldn't relate to his point of view and his sailing metaphors got a little much.

I read the book, knowing who Dave Hollis was, through his wife, Rachel Hollis's success. I read it because I have always enjoyed his input in their livestreams, so full disclosure, I was already invested.

I liked the narratives and the stories he told in this book. He gave great advice for navigating the storms that come into your life. I did like the tangible journaling prompts. I journaled through the chapters. This book helped me uncover some breakthroughs and some interesting insights about myself. Some journal prompts asked: "What did you want to be before you became what you are?" This book got deep.

The only criticism of the book that I have is that the nautical talk and chapters that were thread through the book were corny, weren't that well tied into the chapters, and the analogies didn't always make sense. But that did not take away from the journey that you went through in this book.

I recommend this book to people starting their personal development journey. I recommend this book to all people seeking courage in their life - and do not know where to turn. Use this book as a way through. You will become better because of it.

This book was hard to finish. It seemed so repetitive and the author continually overused metaphors about boats. I did not glean anything from this “self help” book and thought it sounded like the author was not through the other side of their own issues enough to be providing advice to others.

I have been a long time Dave Hollis follower. I have enjoyed his advice and have resonated with his story. His energy and way he writes is amazing. Thank you for the chance to read this one!

I had a hard time getting through this. Particularly because I don't know how much I believe of what he says after him and Rachel played perfect marriage during Covid and then announced their divorce immediately after. But we're all human and we all deserve another chance to get it right. I just used to be a huge Dave and Rachel fan and now I'm...not.

It’s highly possible that my personal opinions on the author and his life came in to both my curiosity about this book as well as my lack of interest in it, simultaneously. Sadly even after he wrong this book focusing so much on courage and self-help and self-realization, his life is still a mess. And I have a firm belief not to take advice from someone whose life in an area you do not want to simulate. Therefore I can’t say that I have a desire to emulate his life, relationships or business, so reading his self-help book did not help me. It just kind of made me sad for him.

The title of this book reflects the personal journey of David Hollis, but by the end of the book it is clear that courage does not drive personal growth alone without the bigger factors of self-awareness and personal growth.
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” John A Shedd.
If you are naturally a worrier and fear is the strongest and most consistent emotion in your life, then you will recognize a lot of the anxieties and emotional triggers in the personal anecdotes expressed in what is essentially a memoir of someone who gave power to fear throughout their life.
Positive take-aways.
David Hollis has benefited from the best professional therapists who have provided him with frameworks for personal growth and how to become more self-aware.
• He also has access to friends such as Brendan Burchard and his 4 gates of become self-aware. Awareness, Acceptance, Accountability and Action.
• It’s okay to recognize that you have been following someone else’s dreams rather than your own.
• You need to create selfish and intentional time blocks of calm serenity to save your sanity.
And the less positive.
• The author comes across as someone who sounds very naïve and seems to have been astonished that starting a business as an entrepreneur takes grit, determination and resilience to survive the fire-fighting and hard times.
• I struggle with the concept that we are created for a reason by “a higher power” by design. Some readers of faith will find this idea that we have a pre-determined purpose both comforting and supportive. But what about the other readers?
• “I am the absolute best version of myself” the author starts right at the start, clearly oblivious to how very pompous, arrogant and condescending that sounds, and he is probably wrong. Not the best way to create empathy for readers who have also survived a Covid epidemic combined with personal loss and upsetting family events and come out the other side as different people.
Overall this is a very personal biography with many useful self-help threads.

Well, I do not have much to say!

I follow the sh!tshow that these people's lives have turned into and I just had to get this book to have a look - is it really as bad as they say?
Yes. Yes, it is.

I do not know what a privileged middle-aged white man could offer me as actionable advice, especially at this time of his life... I could not relate to any of the sea metaphors and I think this was more a brag-book than a 'my experiences-can-help-someone-else book'.

The writing was so twisty and long-winded, it made my head hurt! I can barely remember what the start of the sentence says by the time I have stumbled way to mid-sentence.

Just know, that it's ok to not be ok. Don't pretend it is ok when it's not. And don't write a self-help book when you're going through some serious stuff!!
If you are thinking of purchasing this book- don't! You don't need this self-help crap.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I don't know why it took me so long to pick up this book. I guess I thought it would be the same 'ol same 'ol self-help about fear and courage. But I was wrong. This book is so much more. Written with compassion, truth, and vulnerability. He shares his story of courage, along with offering activities to really dig deep into your own self. Brilliantly and emotionally written. I loved it.

Couldn't connect with this one. I haven't read his other book or his wife's. I guess their stuff is not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I appreciate the opportunity to read it! Thank you.

This was a good read. I enjoy the wisdom that comes from Dave Hollis. His wisdom always gets me and makes me wanna be better, do better. Highly recommend.

Some moments in your life are defined by the smallest of biggest things. This book is one of them.

I will admit, I am a longtime Dave Hollis fan. He is a fantastic teacher, coach, and human. This book lays all of those things out on the page like a beating heart.

Built Through Courage is a book that everyone can get something out of. Courage isn't always easy, and sometimes, even if you're brave, the Courage to continue is brutal.

Hollis’ sophomore writing follows his Get Out of Your Own Way, with the stories of how he pushed through adversity and heartache and attempted to better himself.