William Hill was born in a small town outside Pittsburgh called Whitaker. The part of Whitaker that he grew up in was a project or a low-income housing development. The area was closely knit but riddled with opportunities to commit crimes and engage in drug-related usage or distribution. William became involved in all the aforementioned activities.

However, there were people who instilled in him the ingredients for success: Mrs. Glenn (third-grade teacher), his mother (who ended up graduating from the University of Pittsburgh), and a counselor named Mr. Randolph. He ended up graduating from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

In college, he studied the concepts that taught that success was a self-fulfilling prophecy. He learned from people like Marva Collins that anybody can change and achieve if they have the right ingredients. William started an agency called NU Direction, and this book represents the transferable concepts taught in those youth and family court-ordered sessions over an eighteen-year period. He has witnessed thousands of young people who, like himself, were able to rise above false expectations and become law-abiding citizens.