“Volar by Mitch Savoie Hill, CPC isn’t your typical self-help book filled with abstract platitudes. Hill gets personal (really personal) sharing her experiences with childhood abuse, poverty, and professional failures that would have derailed most people. The title, Spanish for “to fly,” captures her core message: the very things holding you back can become your runway.
What makes this book work is Hill’s honesty. She doesn’t pretend she had it all figured out or gloss over the messy parts. You get the sense you’re hearing from someone who’s actually lived through what she’s describing, not just theorizing about resilience from a comfortable distance. The writing is warm and straightforward (no jargon, no condescension) and the exercises at the end of each chapter feel genuinely useful rather than tacked on.
The book centers on what Hill calls the “Volar Method,” a framework for turning setbacks into momentum.
Key lessons include:
- Reframing your story: Hill argues that the narratives we tell ourselves about our past shape our future. She walks readers through exercises to identify limiting beliefs.
- Strategic goal-setting: Not just dreaming big, but breaking goals into what she calls “runway markers” small, measurable wins that build confidence and momentum.
- Building a resilience toolkit: Concrete techniques for managing fear, self-doubt, and the inevitable setbacks that come with pursuing anything meaningful.
- Hill pushes back against waiting until you’re “ready.” Her mantra: progress beats perfection and starting messy beats not starting at all.
Bottom line: If you’re drawn to books where the author shares real struggles and speaks to you like a friend who’s been through it, Volar delivers. It’s encouraging without being preachy, and Hill’s vulnerability makes the advice land harder than it might otherwise. It’s genuine, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
