This has been a profound week for me personally. Jim Redpath, the mentor whose philosophy shaped my approach to leadership and life, passed away. As I've reflected on his incredible legacy, I felt called to celebrate his life through the lens of everything I believe about heroism, culture-building, and creating positive change.
Jim Redpath embodied what it truly means to be a hero throughout his remarkable life. At its core, heroism is about having the strength to care deeply, to act with integrity, and to make sacrifices for the greater good. As the founder of what became The Redpath Group, a billion-dollar global mining contracting business, he didn't just build a company—he created a philosophy that continues to ripple through countless lives more than six decades later. My story is just a very small part of Jim's legacy, but it illustrates the transformative power of a leader who understood that true success comes from touching lives, not just building businesses.
The Unconventional Beginning
In 1962, most underground mining contractors followed the same path: work your way up from laborer to supervisor to manager, then after a decade or two, strike out on your own. Jim Redpath rewrote that script. At just 26 years old, armed with a mining engineering degree and a revolutionary vision, he started J.S. Redpath Limited with an audacious belief: engineering expertise could transform how vertical shaft construction was done.
His early brochures captured the adventurous spirit that would define Redpath. One showed Jim swimming next to an iceberg while his company supported a far northern mine with a cable car system extending high to a cliff, where Redpath employees—true mountaineers—created access for miners to excavate into the side of the cliff. That photo changed my life. As a young civil engineer working at Climax Molybdenum Company in Colorado in 1974, I saw that image and said to myself: "I need to figure out how to work for this company."
The Philosophy That Changed Everything
What made Jim different wasn't just his engineering background or entrepreneurial spirit—it was his philosophy. From the beginning, he established that "the focus of every employee must be on doing a good job for the client" with guidelines built on being "honest, fair and responsible" and "safety first, last and always."
When I finally joined Redpath in 1979 at their new US headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, I was immediately exposed to what we called the Redpath Philosophy and Guidelines for Success. These weren't just words on a wall—they were living principles that guided every decision, every project, every interaction.
The Master of Questions
Jim possessed a remarkable gift: the art of asking questions. During project reviews, his questions seemed unending. You had better be prepared when you participated in a meeting with Jim. But here's what made him extraordinary—his questions were never meant to put anyone to shame. His curiosity and methodology always led individuals to become better people and engineers.
This questioning approach became part of who I am. Like Jim, I became deeply curious about people and ideas. Some might wonder how long these questions can go on, but Jim taught me that curiosity is the gateway to growth. His deep caring came through in every interaction, never making people feel diminished, but always challenging them to rise higher.
The University of Redpath
Perhaps the most remarkable testament to Jim's impact was something we called "The University of Redpath"—not a university in the traditional sense, but a place where everyone learned and grew. The curious fact was that most of our competition had come through Redpath. Our best competitors had grown up in our organization first.
But here's the beautiful paradox: we loved our competition because they shared our same values and did mine contracting the right way—caring about customers and employees. We were fierce competitors, but competitors with whom we could always share a beer at the end of the day. Jim hadn't just built a company; he had launched an entire movement of ethical, innovative mining contractors around the world.
The Mentorship That Transformed My Life
In 1993, during a major industry downturn, Jim faced a difficult decision: sell or shut down the engineering division that was losing money. The entrepreneur in me rose to the occasion. Between Jim and me, an idea emerged—I would buy two-thirds of the failing engineering business.
The rules were simple: I had put cash into the business, but Redpath wouldn't put in another cent. If I failed, I would lose my investment. But the real treasure wasn't the business opportunity—it was that Jim became my mentor.
Jim had pursued his passion for art and had an office on Main Street in North Bay, filled with amazing high-end art. I would bring sub sandwiches to meet with him, and he would ask questions in the way he always did—challenging me constantly. What a gift.
Jim met with me regularly during those early months, bringing submarine sandwiches to his art-filled office on Main Street in North Bay. He would ask his characteristic penetrating questions, challenging me to think differently about every aspect of the business. When I was running the engineering business while trying to do everything myself—including the accounting—Jim saw I was spread too thin. He told me I had to hire an accountant. When I said I couldn't afford to, he said, "You can't afford not to."
Jim understood something I was too close to see: I could do the accounting, but that didn't mean I should be doing the accounting. With a desperate need to generate revenue, I had much better things to focus on. His lesson wasn't really about accounting—it was about learning to build a team and recognizing that trying to do everything yourself is a recipe for failure.
He was right, of course. That lesson about building teams and focusing on what only I could do has governed every business decision I've made since.
The Steward of a Legacy
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I never felt like just a business owner. I felt like a steward of the legacy Jim had built. Even as we evolved from Redpath McIntosh to McIntosh Redpath to ultimately McIntosh Engineering, we maintained Jim's philosophy and guidelines for success firmly in place.
When we created our own mission and vision statement, we developed what we called the "McIntosh Engineering Commitments Statement"—a unique blend of purpose, values, and safety commitments. It embodied Jim's original philosophy while adapting to our specific mission. Our commitment statement became our culture, and I didn't realize the power of a strong culture until many years later.
When Stantec acquired McIntosh Engineering in 2008, something remarkable happened. Our commitments statement was on every employee's desk, and Stantec employees who integrated with our business wanted their own copy. Jim's influence had expanded to touch even more lives.
High-Performing Teams: Jim's Living Legacy
The lessons I learned from Jim continue to guide my work with MAC6 and Heroic Arizona, particularly in developing high-performing teams:
Trust: Jim built a culture that created deep trust. His focus on what was in the best interest of the customer long-term solved nearly every people issue we faced.
Productive Conflict: At Redpath, we had strong personalities who shared their opinions forcefully in meetings, sometimes with colorful field construction language. But it rarely got personal because we cared about each other and our customers. This productive conflict, grounded in shared values and trust, made us stronger.
Commitment: We were all committed to Jim and the culture he had built. We were going to compete and win, together.
Mutual Accountability: Everything was done as a team. We were accountable to each other, and with that philosophy, we couldn't fail.
Focus on Results: Behind all the caring and culture was a fierce focus on outcomes. The northern Canadian wilderness environment that shaped Jim taught us that obstacles make us stronger, and bottom-line results were necessary for survival and success.
The Ripple Effect Continues
My story is just one thread in the vast tapestry of lives Jim touched. Each member of the Redpath family has their own story of how Jim influenced their life, their career, their understanding of what it means to lead with integrity. Hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals—customers, employees, competitors who learned from him—carry forward his philosophy into their own lives and organizations.
Even though I separated from Redpath when engineering split off, I have always felt and been welcomed by many as part of the Redpath family. The values Jim instilled, the philosophy he created, the culture he built—these became part of who I am, regardless of where my career path led me. And I know I'm not alone in this feeling. Jim had a unique ability to make people feel they belonged to something bigger than themselves, something that transcended any single project or employment relationship.
This is the true power of heroism: the ripple effect of small actions, multiplied through hundreds of lives. Jim understood something profound about leadership—that our micro moments, those brief interactions where we touch another person's life with a thoughtful question, genuine care, or unwavering integrity, create waves that extend far beyond what we can see.
All of us who were shaped by Jim's leadership—whether we stayed with Redpath our entire careers or went on to start our own companies—became carriers of his philosophy. We learned to ask better questions, to put the customer first, to prioritize safety above all else, to be honest and fair and responsible. We took these lessons and applied them in boardrooms and underground construction sites, in our own businesses and in our relationships with our own employees and families.
Our Call to Continue the Legacy
We've seen how Jim's approach to business created not just successful projects but successful people. We've witnessed how his commitment to asking the right questions, caring deeply about outcomes, and never compromising on values created a culture that transcended any individual location or project. Many of us have taken these principles to other companies, other industries, other parts of the world—but we remain connected by the common foundation Jim gave us.
The mining industry today is better because Jim Redpath showed us all a different way to do business. The hundreds of people who learned from him directly, and the thousands more who learned from us, carry forward a tradition of excellence, integrity, and genuine care that extends far beyond any single company's success.
Jim's life teaches us that true leadership isn't about the size of your company or the scope of your influence—it's about how deeply you care, how consistently you live by your principles, and how many lives you touch with integrity and service. Whether someone spent two years or twenty years with Redpath, whether they're still there today or moved on decades ago, whether they're part of the Redpath family or simply aspire to create something similar—Jim's influence shows us what's possible when we lead with purpose.
We all have opportunities each and every day to touch the lives of others. Let's all think like Jim, act with curiosity and genuine care, and remember that our small actions can create massive ripple effects in the lives we encounter.
We honor Jim Redpath by continuing to live the philosophy he taught us. We celebrate his life by staying committed to the guidelines for success he established. In doing so, we ensure that his ripples continue to spread through our own careers, our own teams, our own families—creating waves of positive change that will touch generations to come.
The University of Redpath never really closed. It just spread to wherever each of us landed. And that's exactly how Jim would have wanted it.
In memory of Jim Redpath - Founder, mentor, and inspiration to countless lives. His legacy lives on in every person who chooses to lead with integrity, serve customers first, and build others up along the way.
Some cities have a heartbeat you can feel before you see their skyline. Tucson is one of them. It’s a city defined not by towering skyscrapers but by something far more enduring—its people, its resilience, and the sense of connection that weaves through every neighborhood, from the foothills of the Catalinas to the murals of South Tucson. It’s a place where cultures, histories, and ideas intersect in ways that create a richness few places can match.
The desert itself teaches us what it means to thrive in the face of challenge. Here, life survives—and even flourishes—amid extremes. It adapts, endures, and evolves. Tucsonans know this instinctively. We’ve seen our city meet adversity with grit and ingenuity, whether it’s confronting economic shifts, navigating public health crises, or responding to the growing complexities of our world.
But resilience alone isn’t enough. In a time marked by polarization, burnout, and uncertainty, we need more than the ability to get through—we need the tools and the vision to rise. That’s where Heroic Tucson comes in.
Heroic is a global movement with an audacious goal: to help create a world in which 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. Flourishing is not a vague feel-good idea—it’s a measurable state of living in alignment with our highest values, building strong relationships, maintaining physical and mental vitality, and contributing meaningfully to something larger than ourselves. Heroic blends ancient wisdom with modern science to help individuals, leaders, and communities cultivate the virtues that make this kind of life possible—Wisdom, Discipline, Courage, Love, Hope, Gratitude, Curiosity, and Zest.
Heroic Tucson is the Southern Arizona chapter of this movement, serving not just the city of Tucson but communities throughout the region. Our principal endeavor is simple but profound: educate, connect, and inspire individuals and enterprises to live and lead heroically—together.
Tucson is a natural choice for this work. It’s a university city brimming with curiosity and research. It’s a military city where service, leadership, and sacrifice are lived realities. It’s an arts city that understands the power of beauty to shape how we see ourselves and one another. And perhaps most importantly, it’s a city rich in cultural heritage—especially the deep influence of Native American and Hispanic traditions—which gives Tucson its own distinct identity and soul.
Even though I’ve only lived here for just over a year, I’ve been struck by how deeply people are rooted to this place. Again and again, I’ve met Tucsonans who tell me they grew up here, left for college or a job, and couldn’t wait to return. Others came for work, fell in love with the city, and are determined never to leave.
Unlike many places that are a patchwork of transplants, Tucson’s culture runs deep—born of generations who have built their lives here, shaped by a blended heritage, and enriched by those who choose it as their forever home. In this way, Tucson stands in contrast to greater Phoenix, which—though vibrant in its own way—has a more transient, less cohesive cultural identity. Tucson’s cultural roots give it both stability and a sense of belonging that’s rare in today’s mobile world.
Heroic principles thrive in environments like this—where diversity of thought and experience are valued, where community is not just an abstract ideal but a daily practice. By bringing Heroic to Southern Arizona, we’re tapping into a region that already knows the importance of both individual excellence and collective well-being.
Because the challenges we face aren’t waiting. The pace of change is accelerating. Mental health challenges are on the rise. Trust in institutions is wavering. Many people feel disconnected—from themselves, from one another, and from a sense of purpose. In Southern Arizona, as in communities everywhere, there’s a hunger for something that can anchor us in turbulent times and remind us of what’s possible when we act with clarity and conviction.
Heroic offers more than inspiration—it offers a framework. Through practical tools, intentional community, and the shared pursuit of virtue, we can transform that hunger into action. We can equip people not just to survive the challenges of today, but to meet them with strength, optimism, and a willingness to lead.
The launch of Heroic Tucson is not the creation of just another networking group or professional association. It’s the beginning of a movement in Southern Arizona—a gathering of people who are ready to commit to living and leading at their highest potential, and to helping others do the same. Business leaders, educators, military veterans, nonprofit advocates, parents, students, creatives—every voice and every perspective adds to the strength of this work.
Through workshops, community gatherings, and collaborative action, we’ll translate the Heroic mission into tangible local impact. We’ll create spaces where people can challenge themselves and each other, share wisdom, and find ways to contribute to the flourishing of our region—not someday, but now.
We stand at a unique point in time. The old ways of working, leading, and living are no longer enough. The problems we face are complex, but so is our capacity for ingenuity and compassion. In Southern Arizona, we have the diversity, creativity, and resilience to be a model for what flourishing can look like—if we choose to build it together.
The desert teaches us that growth is possible in even the harshest conditions, but only if we work with intention. Heroic Tucson is here to help us do exactly that.
Tucson is ready. Southern Arizona is ready. The time is now. Let’s build something heroic—together.
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Angela McIllece is a Heroic Coach, certified Heroic Workshop Instructor, and founder of Soul Force Strategies, and Chapter Leader for Heroic Tucson. A military spouse of 30 years, she has moved 19 times to different places across the country and the world—including India and Colombia—bringing a lifetime of adaptability, community building, and leadership experience to her work. Since moving to Tucson in 2024, Angela has embraced the city’s rich culture and community spirit, and is committed to helping Southern Arizona flourish—one heroic day at a time.
From local chapter to global movement: scaling the teach-the-teacher model one community at a time
In our previous blog, we explored the beautiful paradox of human flourishing—how we can experience deep meaning and growth even while navigating pain, anxiety, and sadness. Understanding this intellectually is one thing. Living it sustainably? That almost always requires community.
The transformation from seeing emotions as problems to seeing them as information happens best in relationship with others who are on the same journey. This is where Heroic Arizona comes in—not just as a local community, but as a pioneering model for how the broader Heroic mission can scale globally.
Heroic's audacious goal is to help 51% of humanity flourish by 2051. The strategy isn't top-down programs—it's the patient work of building local communities where people can embody these principles and naturally teach them to others. One person becoming a teacher at a time. One local community at a time.
Heroic Arizona serves as both a thriving regional network and a crucial testing ground for this global vision. As one of the first formalized regional entities, we're developing the blueprint that informal Heroic meetups worldwide can use to evolve into sustainable local communities.
From Local Paradox to Regional Strategy
Heroic Arizona represents something unique: a regional entity designed to support multiple local communities rather than being a single local community itself. We began with our own paradox—calling ourselves "Heroic Arizona" while hosting primarily in-person events in Tempe, in the East Valley of Greater Phoenix.
As we've evolved, we've discovered our real function is serving as backbone infrastructure for true local communities wherever they naturally form: in Tempe, Central Phoenix, Tucson, at Arizona State University, or any other location where groups gather around shared geography or interests.
Hybrid Model, Global Learning
Our weekly roundtables and monthly meetings operate in hybrid format—both in-person and virtual. People from Tucson regularly participate virtually in our Phoenix-area gatherings. Individuals from other states and countries join our sessions to experience what we're building and consider adapting these approaches to their own contexts. Our quarterly workshops provide deeper structured learning environments.
This hybrid model creates a learning laboratory where emerging communities worldwide can witness our experiments in real-time and adapt our lessons to their unique circumstances.
This October, we're expanding our regional support to include Tucson and Southern Arizona. This represents our evolution from a single local community to regional infrastructure that can support multiple local communities across Arizona.
The most powerful transformation happens in genuine local communities—groups small enough for real relationships, geographically close enough for consistent connection, and culturally coherent enough for deep trust. Our role becomes supporting these communities: providing facilitator training, sharing curricula, creating connections between communities, and maintaining the larger vision.
This expansion lets us test crucial questions: How do we support the birth of new local communities? How do we maintain connection between Tempe, Central Phoenix, Tucson, and future communities without losing the intimacy that makes local community powerful?
Every person who learns to navigate life's paradoxes becomes a teacher for others. Heroic Arizona members are showing up differently in their workplaces, families, and broader communities, creating ripple effects that extend far beyond our formal programming.
The parent who learns to hold space for their teenager's anxiety without rushing to fix it. The manager who creates psychological safety for their team to discuss challenges without shame. These are the multiplier effects that make community-based transformation so powerful.
Meanwhile, virtual participants from around the world witness these transformations and consider how to build similar local communities in their own regions. Every challenge we navigate in supporting multiple local communities becomes part of the playbook for other regional entities worldwide.
What we're building in Arizona is infrastructure for supporting local community transformation at scale. We're developing systems for:
Our evolution from single-location community to regional support infrastructure becomes a crucial model for the global network, directly informing how other regional entities develop worldwide.
As we expand our support to Tucson and Southern Arizona, we're looking for pioneers who want to help build local communities within our growing regional network. This is an opportunity to be part of foundational work: building local community infrastructure that connects to regional support and global mission.
Whether you're in Greater Phoenix, Tucson, or anywhere else in Arizona (or joining virtually from around the world), there are ways to engage: attending our hybrid programming, helping launch new local communities, or learning from our model as you consider what might be possible in your own region.
Heroic Arizona's role extends far beyond state boundaries. As one of the first regional entities in the Heroic network, we're pioneering sustainable infrastructure for local community support. When we reach the goal of 51% of humanity flourishing by 2051, it will be because we learned to build local communities where people can embody life's paradoxes and teach others to do the same—supported by regional infrastructure that provides training, resources, and connection.
And it starts with what we're building together right here in Arizona—one local community at a time.
Ready to be part of pioneering community-based flourishing? Join us for our weekly roundtables or monthly meetings in Phoenix, help us launch our Tucson expansion this October, or connect virtually to learn from our model. Because changing the world happens one local community at a time, and every great movement needs its pioneers.
Visit [link to Tucson expansion info] to learn more about getting involved in Southern Arizona, or reach out to discover how you can help develop the model that's scaling globally.
I'll be honest with you—this question has been keeping me up at night. How can we possibly be happy while experiencing pain, anxiety, and sadness? The very idea seemed contradictory, almost insulting to anyone going through real struggle. Yet the more I've wrestled with this paradox, the more I've realized it holds the key to understanding what human flourishing actually looks like.
This blog is my attempt to work through this puzzle, not just for my own understanding, but because I believe that grappling with these ideas openly—and learning to teach them effectively—is essential for anyone serious about helping others thrive. If we're going to help people live meaningful lives, we need to get comfortable with complexity, with paradox, and with the messy reality of what human thriving actually looks like.
Our culture has sold us a bill of goods about happiness. We've been taught that suffering and joy are opposites, that a good life minimizes pain, and that feeling sad means something has gone wrong. This binary thinking doesn't just limit our personal growth—it actively undermines our ability to live fully and support others in their growth.
But what if we've been asking the wrong question entirely? What if the goal isn't to choose between happiness and sadness, but to develop a more sophisticated relationship with our entire emotional landscape?
What We're Really After
When we talk about helping people flourish, we're not talking about perpetual sunshine and rainbows. We're talking about developing the capacity to live meaningfully through whatever life brings. Happiness, in its conventional sense, is like weather—temporary, changeable, dependent on circumstances. Flourishing is like climate—the underlying conditions that support growth over time.
Think about the people who inspire you most. Chances are, they're not the ones who've avoided all hardship. They're the ones who've learned to transform their struggles into wisdom, their pain into compassion, their challenges into strength. They've figured out how to be deeply sad about real losses while simultaneously feeling grateful for what remains. They experience anxiety about things that matter while staying grounded in their values and purpose.
The Ancient Wisdom We're Rediscovering
The Greeks understood this distinction through two powerful concepts: hedonia (the pursuit of pleasure) and eudaimonia (flourishing through virtue and meaning). Hedonic happiness asks "Do I feel good right now?" Eudaimonic flourishing asks "Am I living in alignment with what matters most?"
A parent staying up all night with a sick child experiences exhaustion, worry, maybe even frustration—but they're also experiencing one of the deepest forms of human flourishing: showing up with love when it matters most. This is the paradox we need to embrace.
Sadness as Depth and Connection
Sadness signals loss, which means we have loved something enough for its absence to matter. It connects us to our values, deepens our empathy, and often motivates us toward what we care about most. The person who grieves deeply often loves deeply. The capacity for sadness is inseparable from the capacity for meaning.
Anxiety as Care and Preparation
Anxiety, while uncomfortable, often reflects our investment in outcomes that matter to us. It can sharpen focus, motivate preparation, and signal that we're pushing beyond our comfort zones in ways that promote growth. The entrepreneur feels anxiety precisely because they care about their mission. The parent feels anxiety because their child's wellbeing matters profoundly.
Pain as Teacher and Guide
Physical and emotional pain serve as crucial feedback systems. They tell us when something needs attention, when boundaries have been crossed, or when healing is required. A life without pain would be a life without the navigation system that keeps us oriented toward what serves our long-term flourishing.
The Both-And Principle
Replace "I can't be happy while I'm sad" with "I can feel sad and still be moving toward flourishing." This isn't toxic positivity—it's emotional sophistication. It acknowledges that human beings are complex enough to hold multiple emotional truths simultaneously.
Meaning as the Container
Viktor Frankl observed that we can endure almost any suffering if we can find meaning in it. Flourishing creates a larger container—a sense of purpose, values, and direction—that can hold all of our experiences, pleasant and painful alike. The question shifts from "How do I avoid pain?" to "How do I live meaningfully through whatever arises?"
The Growth Mindset Applied to Emotions
Just as we can view intellectual challenges as opportunities for growth rather than threats to our competence, we can approach emotional challenges as opportunities for deeper wisdom, compassion, and resilience. The person who has never faced anxiety may lack the empathy to help others through their struggles.
Flourishing while experiencing difficult emotions isn't about pretending everything is fine. It's about developing what we might call "emotional sophistication"—the ability to hold complexity without collapsing into simplicity.
It looks like saying "I'm grieving this loss and I'm also grateful for what it taught me about love." It's feeling anxious about a presentation while staying connected to your excitement about sharing something meaningful. It's experiencing frustration with slow progress while maintaining faith in the direction you're heading.
It's learning to ask not "How do I get rid of this difficult emotion?" but "What is this emotion here to teach me, and how can I honor both its message and my larger purpose?"
My own struggle to understand these concepts has taught me something crucial: the best teachers aren't those who have transcended difficulty, but those who are learning to dance with it more skillfully. Every time I wrestle with anxiety about whether I'm explaining these ideas clearly enough, I'm practicing the very integration I'm trying to understand.
We're all learning to become better at this—not through perfecting ourselves first, but through practicing these principles in real life and sharing what we discover along the way.
The path forward isn't about choosing happiness over sadness or flourishing over struggle. It's about developing the capacity to hold all of it—the pain and the joy, the anxiety and the excitement, the grief and the gratitude—within a larger framework of meaning and growth.
This understanding transforms everything: how we support our families through difficult times, how we show up for friends in crisis, how we navigate our own challenges, and how we think about what it means to live well.
The paradox isn't something to solve—it's something to embody. And while this understanding can be cultivated individually, it's infinitely more powerful when practiced in community with others who are on the same journey.
In our next blog, we'll explore how communities can support this kind of flourishing and what it looks like to build networks of people committed to embracing life's full complexity together. Because while understanding the paradox is the first step, living it sustainably almost always requires the support of others who get it.
Bottom Line Up Front: Imagine every leader on your payroll showing up with 20% more energy, 30% sharper focus, and a protocol for antifragile confidence—all by next quarter.
You know the scenario: You've invested years developing high-potential talent, but a single behavioral bottleneck is capping their ROI. The fearful high-achiever who freezes under pressure. The brilliant but arrogant leader whose team keeps churning. The perfectionist who misses deadlines analyzing every detail.
The hidden cost? You're already paying for these patterns through slow cycle times, duplicated work, team turnover, and lost market opportunities.
The Executive Challenge: Unlocking Underperforming Talent
Here's what we see repeatedly across organizations:
Why Traditional "Training" Fails
Executives don't buy training—they invest in risk mitigation and performance leverage. Most development programs are too slow, too theoretical, and lack accountability systems for lasting change.
The Heroic difference: We compress six months of habit change into 48 hours using the same science-backed protocols trusted by US Special Ops and Fortune 100 teams.
What Leaders Walk Away With
Immediate Deliverables:
Measurable Outcomes Our Clients Report:
Two Opportunities This August
For Individual Leaders & Entrepreneurs: Heroic Arizona One-Day Workshop - Perfect for business owners, nonprofit leaders, and emerging executives ready to architect their next level of performance.
For Leadership Teams & Corporations: Unlock Your Team's Potential: 2-Day Heroic Corporate Workshop - Designed for organizations ready to systematically develop their high-potential talent pipeline.
Both workshops feature certified Heroic instructors and include the Areté book, one-year Heroic AZ premium access, and comprehensive app-based follow-up.
The Risk-Reverse Guarantee
If the agreed-upon KPIs we set together don't move within 12 weeks, we refund the tuition. We're that confident in the transformation our participants experience.
Join the Movement
This isn't just about individual development—it's about creating a world where 51% of humanity is flourishing by 2051. When you invest in Heroic, you're joining a global community of leaders committed to elevating themselves and others.
Early bird pricing ends September 15th. Seats are intentionally limited to ensure deep, personalized work.
As Stanford graduate and successful coach Stephanie Clerge shared: "Heroic gave me something I hadn't found elsewhere—a thriving community and transformative protocols that helped me lose 25 pounds, refine my systems, and connect with others deeply committed to becoming their best selves."
Your high-potential leaders are already costing you through inefficiency and friction. Two days can flip that liability into your greatest leadership asset.
Ready to unlock your team's true potential?
→ Unleashing Your Best Self with Heroic Arizona’s NEW Workshops
→ Heroic Arizona One-Day Workshop for Entrepreneurs and Nonprofit Leaders
→ Unlock Your Team's Potential: 2-Day Heroic Corporate Workshop
Questions? Contact Scott McIntosh at Scott.McIntosh@heroicaz.us
The best time to develop your leaders was yesterday. The second best time is now.
Scott
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." - Marcus Aurelius
TL;DR - Key Takeaways
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Personal Context: My 33-Year Canadian Experience {#personal-context}
Before diving into this analysis, let me share why this matters to me personally.
I am American through and through, but I have been working in and out of Canada since the early 1980s. In the 1990s, my wife and I lived in North Bay, Ontario for four years, where I grew a global-scale business with Canadian headquarters. Some of our closest friends in the world are here in North Bay—relationships that have endured for 33 years as we spend most summers in Canada.
Why This Essay Matters: My wife and I just spent three weeks in North Bay, and it's clear that while our friendships remain strong, many friends are feeling genuinely hurt by how President Trump has treated Canada and Canadians. I completely agree with their sense of being disrespected.
These past weeks, I've been navigating these issues with deep empathy and curiosity—seeking first to understand what my friends are feeling. This essay stems from the total respect and love I feel for Canada and represents my attempt to work through these complex dynamics with the people I care about most.
The Heroic Framework: Building Toward Global Flourishing {#heroic-framework}
My perspective is shaped by deep involvement in the heroic movement. I am a large investor in Heroic Public Benefit Corporation and founded Heroic Arizona as the first of what will become many global/local communities working toward the ambitious goal that 51% of humanity will be flourishing by 2051.
The Stoic Foundation
This movement is grounded in ancient Stoic philosophy and modern positive psychology, teaching that obstacles, when properly approached, become the pathway to growth and strength.
The heroic philosophy teaches us that growth requires facing difficult truths with courage and wisdom. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do—whether as individuals, friends, or nations—is to have the difficult conversations that comfortable relationships often avoid.
The Scale of American Global Subsidization {#subsidization}
Here's the uncomfortable truth: American taxpayers effectively subsidize global prosperity across multiple critical sectors. The numbers are staggering.
Pharmaceutical Innovation: Funding the World's Medicine
The Reality:
The Dynamic: American consumers effectively subsidize global drug development through higher prices, allowing other countries to access these life-saving innovations at substantially lower costs.
European R&D spending growth has been outpaced by both the US (5.5% annually) and China (20.7% annually), creating a growing innovation gap that further concentrates the burden on American investment.
Maritime Security: Protecting $14 Trillion in Global Trade
The Numbers:
The Reality: The US Navy pays a steep price keeping aircraft carriers with escorts on station to protect critical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, benefiting the entire global economy while American taxpayers bear the costs.
Maritime security operations include counterpiracy, drug interdiction, environmental protection, and law enforcement measures that benefit every trading nation worldwide.
Technology Infrastructure: The Foundation of Modern Life
What America Provides for Free:
The Pattern: These technologies were developed through massive US government investment, yet the world benefits while bearing none of the development costs.
✈️ Aerospace and Defense: Dual-Use Technology Development
2023 Numbers:
The aerospace industry benefits from massive US defense spending that develops technologies later used commercially worldwide.
China's Systematic Exploitation {#china-exploitation}
The global subsidization problem becomes exponentially worse when you factor in how China systematically exploits American-funded innovations.
Intellectual Property Theft: Trillions Stolen
The Scale:
The Method: This isn't opportunistic theft—it's a systematic, state-directed transfer of wealth from innovating companies to their competitors.
Forced Technology Transfer: Market Access as Leverage
How It Works:
The Result: American companies invest billions in R&D, only to have innovations appropriated by Chinese companies that then compete globally without bearing original development costs.
This targets advanced technologies like AI, biotechnology, and virtual reality—technologies with dual military and civilian applications.
️ International Organization Manipulation
The Problem:
The Warning: Without vigorous democratic response, Chinese, Russian, and other authoritarian influence in multilateral institutions will grow significantly.
Canada: A Case Study in Comfortable Dependency {#canada-case-study}
This brings me to the most delicate part of this analysis. Canada is among the world's strongest democracies and shares fundamental values with the United States. However, the relationship has developed asymmetries that mirror the broader global pattern.
️ Energy: The Perfect Example
The Current Reality:
The Opportunity: Current pressure is finally catalyzing the diversification and infrastructure development that should have happened decades ago.
The Alberta Parallel: Canada's Internal Imbalance
Here's an uncomfortable parallel my Ontario friends might recognize:
Alberta's Frustration with Ontario/Quebec mirrors Canada's relationship with the US:
Recent Alberta sentiment (actual polling quote): "Stop transferring money to Ottawa for Quebec and Ontario. We are a have not province since all our federal politicians are doing nothing for oil and gas."
The Pattern: Power concentration—whether in Ontario/Quebec within Canada, or the US globally—creates resentment among those who bear disproportionate costs while having limited voice in decisions.
Trump's Approach: Right Issues, Wrong Execution {#trump-approach}
This is the most challenging part of this analysis. I must be absolutely clear:
❌ What I Completely Reject
Trump's language and tone with Canada are unacceptable:
My Position: Canada has been America's steadfast partner through countless challenges. Canadians share our values, have fought alongside us, and consistently demonstrate commitment to democracy and human rights. They deserve respect, not public hectoring.
✅ The Uncomfortable Reality: Legitimate Underlying Issues
However—and this requires heroic honesty—many of Trump's underlying concerns about imbalances are legitimate:
The Parenting Analogy: When Tough Love Becomes Necessary
I've witnessed this dynamic with two close friends whose children went completely astray. After every gentle approach failed—encouragement, reasoning, incentives, counseling—these parents ultimately had to use the toughest form of tough love: refusing to let destructive behavior continue in their homes.
The children's reaction: Felt their parents were cruel, unreasonable, even bullying.
The result: Forced development of independence, responsibility, and adult life skills that gentler methods had failed to achieve.
The European Example: When Gentle Approaches Fail
What Happened:
Current Result: European nations are finally taking greater responsibility for their own security and trade relationships.
The Learning: Sometimes disrupting comfortable but unsustainable equilibriums forces the strategic thinking that should have developed decades ago.
The Canadian Response: Growth Through Challenge
From a heroic perspective—the Stoic principle that obstacles make us stronger—this pressure is producing positive results in Canada:
Infrastructure Development
The Fragility of Comfort
The uncomfortable truth: Canadians have become comfortable—perhaps too comfortable—with the existing US relationship.
Business Reality: Depending on a single customer is clearly suboptimal.
The Growth: Current pressure is catalyzing the diversification that should have happened years ago.
Heroic Insight: A truly strong and independent Canada should thrive with diversified markets, robust infrastructure, and the ability to contribute substantially to global systems from which it benefits.
Obstacles as Strength-Builders for Nations
This Stoic principle applies to nations and relationships between nations:
Current Pressure Will Make Countries Stronger:
The Heroic Vision: The 51% of humanity flourishing by 2051 depends on nations embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.
The Path to Stronger Partnership {#path-forward}
The Goal: Heroic Partnership Based on Mutual Strength
Not ending the relationship but evolving it into something far stronger and more sustainable.
This means:
Enhanced Partnership Opportunities
Where Canada Can Lead:
️ Addressing the Language Problem
The Heroic Approach would involve:
Future Leadership Lesson: Address necessary issues that previous administrations avoided, but do so with the respect that shared values and friendship require.
My Strong Belief: A Far Stronger Future Relationship
I have deep conviction that once this difficult recalibration period concludes, the USA-Canada relationship will be far stronger than ever before.
Why I'm Confident:
The Heroic Vision: Global Flourishing by 2051
The heroic movement's goal of 51% of humanity flourishing by 2051 depends on creating sustainable partnerships between democratic nations that can collectively address global challenges while resisting authoritarian exploitation.
This requires:
Conclusion: The Heroic Path Through Obstacles
The relationship between the United States and Canada stands at a crucial juncture. While I completely reject the harsh language and disrespectful tone that has characterized recent pressure for change, I must acknowledge that many underlying issues are legitimate and long-overdue for address.
The heroic approach: Face difficult truths with courage and wisdom, seeking solutions that strengthen all parties.
The obstacles currently facing Canada—pressure to diversify energy markets, develop independent infrastructure, and take greater global responsibility—will ultimately make the country stronger and more resilient.
For My Canadian Friends: I hope you understand this analysis comes from a place of deep love and respect, informed by decades of shared experience and unwavering belief in the strength of our friendship. The goal is not to diminish Canada or defend indefensible behavior, but to work together toward a future where both our nations can thrive as equal partners.
When this period of difficult but necessary adjustment concludes, I believe we will see a partnership between two strong, independent, democratic nations that is far more capable of promoting global flourishing than the comfortable but unbalanced arrangement of recent decades.
The heroic path is never the easy path, but it leads to genuine strength, sustainable relationships, and partnerships that can achieve the essential goal of global human flourishing. The obstacles we face today are not impediments—they are the very challenges that, properly navigated, will make that achievement possible.
What do you think?
Have you experienced similar dynamics in your relationships—personal or professional—where comfortable arrangements needed difficult recalibration? How do we balance loyalty to friends with honest assessment of challenging situations?
Share your thoughts below, and if this resonates, please share with others navigating similar complex relationships in our changing world.
Learn more about the heroic movement at heroic.us and connect with our Arizona community at HeroicAZ.us
"Want the full story?
This blog only scratches the surface of a much larger pattern of global subsidization that most people never see—dive into the comprehensive essay with detailed research, extensive statistics, and the complete case for why these uncomfortable truths about US-Canada relations actually point toward a far stronger partnership ahead.
I’m thrilled to share some exciting news from Heroic Arizona (heroicaz.us) about two transformative workshops we’re rolling out in partnership with Three Pillars Performance and led by Certified Heroic Workshop Instructors Bradley Lewis and Kelly Dean Yagelniski. If you’re ready to take your personal and professional growth to the next level, these workshops are designed to help you do just that, building on the incredible foundation of the Heroic Public Benefit Corporation’s Heroic Clarity and Antifragile Confidence Workshop.
The Foundation: Heroic Clarity and Antifragile Confidence
For those unfamiliar, the Heroic Clarity and Antifragile Confidence Workshop is a globally celebrated half-day experience that’s impacted thousands through the expertise of hundreds of certified instructors like Bradley and Kelly. This 3-to-4-hour session distills ancient wisdom, modern science, and practical tools from over 600 of the world’s best personal development books. It’s a proven process to optimize your Energy, Work, and Love, helping you become more energized, productive, and connected than ever before.
Participants walk away inspired, but many ask, “What’s next?” The depth of wisdom packed into this half-day workshop is profound, yet it often leaves attendees hungry for more time to fully integrate its life-changing insights. That’s where Bradley and Kelly come in, stepping up to address this need with an innovative solution.
The Next Step: Expanded Workshops for Lasting Impact
Recognizing the demand for deeper engagement, Bradley and Kelly have developed a comprehensive set of workshops that expand on the half-day experience. Ultimately, this will be a 4-day program, but it’s designed to be flexible, offering 1, 2, 3, or 4-day experiences tailored to specific groups like CEOs and their leadership teams, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, educators, adults, and youth. These workshops dive deeper into the core principles of the original, giving participants the time and tools to fully embed this wisdom into their lives.
Here’s what you can expect from these workshops:
Two Exciting Opportunities to Engage
Heroic Arizona is proud to launch two new workshops to bring this transformative experience to our community:
Hear from Bradley and Take Action
Curious about what makes these workshops so special? I encourage you to visit the splash pages and click the links below to hear directly from Bradley and Kelly. Their passion and insights will give you a glimpse into the transformative power of these experiences. Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, or nonprofit leader, these workshops are your chance to unlock your potential and lead with Areté.
Heroic AZ Workshops | Bradley Lewis on Purpose, Energy & Performance
HeroicAZ Workshops: Kelly Dean: Learn how leaders and teams benefit from Heroic Workshops in this video
Join Us on This Journey
I’m personally so excited about these workshops because they represent a bold step forward in helping Arizonans live their best lives. Bradley and Kelly’s vision, combined with Three Pillars’ expertise and Heroic Arizona’s mission, creates a powerful opportunity for growth. Don’t miss out—visit the Tucson or Phoenix splash pages to explore the details, sign up for an information session, or register for a workshop today. Let’s activate our best selves together!
Struggling with pain—physical, emotional, or otherwise? Discover how I found relief from chronic back pain through purposeful action and meditation. Learn 3 simple steps to transform any pain into a path to flourishing. Read my story and join Heroic Arizona’s mission at www.heroicaz.us! #PainRelief #Purpose #Flourish
Relieve Pain of All Kinds with These Three Simple Steps
As a 75-year-young member of the Heroic community, I’ve been navigating a challenging chapter of my life: chronic lower back pain. This pain, not caused by injury but by the natural process of aging, has been a significant disruption. Five weeks ago, I underwent major back surgery—a “double cage” procedure to immobilize affected spinal joints. The hope is that, after a six-month-plus recovery involving bone growth to stabilize the joints, the pain will significantly reduce or even disappear. Yet, post-surgery, I’m experiencing more continuous pain than before, though it feels different—a pain tied to healing, I hope. This journey, steeped in uncertainty, has led me to a profound awakening, one I want to share with you through the lens of Heroic’s mission and the wisdom of Phil Stutz, mentor to our founder, Brian Johnson.
Phil Stutz teaches that we are never exonerated from three things: pain, uncertainty, and hard work. For me, this resonates deeply as I confront not just physical pain but the broader spectrum of human pain we all endure. Beyond physical discomfort, we face emotional pain (grief, sadness), existential pain (questioning life’s meaning), social pain (rejection or isolation), psychological pain (shame or guilt), moral pain (witnessing injustice), spiritual pain (disconnection from higher purpose), and intellectual pain (grappling with uncertainty or complex ideas). These pains, like my chronic back pain, can feel fixed, eternal, and unending. But through my decade-long practice with Headspace, particularly a 30-day meditation series I’m on day 7 of, I’m learning to shift how my mind perceives pain—physical and otherwise.
This morning, during my daily meditation, I had an awakening: when I’m deeply engaged in activity—especially purposeful activity—my pain fades. Writing this blog post right now, I feel no pain. Curious, I wondered, how can that be? The Headspace series is teaching me that while chronic pain signals may persist (nerve signals traveling to the brain), how we process those signals is largely in our control. This insight applies not just to physical pain but to all forms of pain. Whether it’s the ache of loneliness, the weight of moral injury, or the disquiet of existential doubt, our minds can learn to reframe these experiences through purposeful action.
My chronic pain, while less severe than what others may endure, has been disruptive enough to reshape my daily life. Yet, as Stutz and Heroic wisdom suggest, I’m leaning into it. The surgery may or may not fully resolve my physical pain—life is uncertain, as Stutz reminds us. But I’m bringing tools like meditation to bear, exploring how to manage my pain rather than control it. This distinction feels important: management implies working with pain, not fighting it. Purposeful action—like writing this post, engaging with the Heroic community, or pursuing meaningful work—seems to quiet the pain, shifting my focus from suffering to creation.
This brings me to Heroic’s ancient wisdom about human flourishing, which I see as boiling down to three pillars: health (managed as best as circumstances allow), purposeful work, and meaningful relationships. I’m not yet certain if any action reduces my pain, but I’m convinced that purposeful action does. When I’m aligned with my purpose—whether through writing, connecting with others, or contributing to Heroic Arizona’s mission—the pain recedes, and I feel alive.
Some may hear Stutz’s quote about pain, uncertainty, and hard work and find it depressing. “If life is just pain and struggle, where’s the joy?” they ask. That’s the key to understanding flourishing. Joy and happiness emerge from leaning into the hard work, from embracing obstacles—whether physical pain, social rejection, or existential uncertainty—and transforming them into opportunities for growth. By doing the hard work to understand our pain, fostering meaningful relationships (which can sometimes bring their own pain), and pursuing purpose, we find fulfillment. My meditation practice, guided by Headspace, is helping me explore my pain, not eliminate it, but reframe it as a teacher.
To anyone experiencing pain of any kind—physical, emotional, existential, or otherwise—here are three key steps to modify, if not eliminate, the pain you feel:
Lean into the pain, uncertainty, and hard work. Through purpose, action, and community, we find joy. Join me, and let’s flourish together.
Are you ready to transform challenges into opportunities? Join us for the MAC6 Book Club Lunch and Learn on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, from 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM at MAC6 (in-person or virtually) as we explore The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday. This powerful book distills Stoic philosophy into practical wisdom for navigating life’s challenges, making it a perfect fit for the Heroic Arizona community, where Stoicism forms a cornerstone of the ancient wisdom championed by Heroic (heroic.us) and its Heroic Premium App.
Mark your calendars, as registration will open soon! This event, led by MAC6 Vice President Al Loveland, a lifelong practicing Stoic, promises to spark meaningful discussions and inspire you to live with resilience and purpose.
At Heroic Arizona (heroicaz.us), we believe in harnessing ancient wisdom to become our best selves. Stoicism, a core philosophy behind Heroic’s mission, teaches us to focus on what we can control, embrace adversity, and act with virtue. The Obstacle Is the Way brings these principles to life, offering actionable insights to turn obstacles into stepping stones. Whether you’re a Heroic Premium App user or new to Stoicism, this book club is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and deepen your practice of living heroically.
Ryan Holiday’s The Obstacle Is the Way draws on the timeless teachings of Stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus. Here are three core ideas from the book that resonate deeply with Heroic’s mission:
Perception Is Everything Holiday emphasizes that obstacles are not inherently good or bad—it’s our perception that shapes their impact. By choosing to see challenges as opportunities, we can reframe setbacks as chances to grow. This aligns with Heroic’s call to master our mindset and focus on what’s within our control.
Action Over Inaction Stoicism isn’t about passive acceptance; it’s about disciplined action. Holiday encourages relentless persistence, breaking problems into manageable steps, and moving forward with courage. This mirrors the Heroic Premium App’s focus on small, consistent actions to build a virtuous life.
Embrace Adversity as a Teacher Obstacles aren’t roadblocks; they’re the path to strength and wisdom. Holiday shows how embracing adversity builds resilience and character, a principle at the heart of Heroic’s philosophy of thriving through challenges.
For a quick dive into these ideas, download the Philosophers Note on The Obstacle Is the Way—a concise 6-page summary perfect for preparing for the book club, especially if you’re short on time to read the full book. Download the Philosophers Note here (link to be provided).
Engage with Stoic Wisdom: Led by Al Loveland, a lifelong Stoic, this session will unpack how The Obstacle Is the Way applies to modern life and aligns with Heroic’s mission.
Connect with Community: Join fellow Heroic Arizona members and MAC6 community members to share insights and build meaningful connections.
Flexible Participation: Attend in person at MAC6 or join virtually from anywhere.
Inspiration for Your Heroic Journey: Discover practical tools to embody Stoic principles and live with greater purpose, both personally and professionally.
What: MAC6 Book Club Lunch and Learn discussing The Obstacle Is the Way
When: Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 11:45 AM–1:00 PM
Where: MAC6 (in-person) or virtual
Led by: Al Loveland, MAC6 Vice President and practicing Stoic
Registration: Opens soon—stay tuned for details!
Haven’t read the book yet? No problem! The Philosophers Note on The Obstacle Is the Way is a fantastic 6-page summary that captures the book’s essence. Download it from the link just above to prepare for a rich discussion. For those diving into the full book, you’ll find Holiday’s insights both accessible and profound, offering a modern lens on Stoic wisdom.
As partners with MAC6, Heroic Arizona invites you to join this book club to connect with Stoic principles that empower us to live heroically. The ideas in The Obstacle Is the Way echo the ancient wisdom woven into the Heroic Premium App, helping us overcome obstacles and become our best selves. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and grow.
Mark your calendars for August 13, 2025, and prepare to turn obstacles into opportunities. We can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you HeroicAZ Member Dr. Mohamed Hilali for this blog...
Too often, debates about human rights, social policy, and economics get stuck in the same old binary: scarcity or abundance. Are we doomed to fight over a limited pie, or can we grow it so everyone gets a bigger slice? While this “two-dimensional” thinking is common, it misses a much deeper truth—a truth that nature, faith, and experience teach us every season.
The Corn Kernel Lesson: Nature’s Law of Multiplication
Consider the humble grain of corn. In a typical season, one kernel might yield a single stalk, with a modest harvest. But under the right conditions—nourished by rich soil, water, sunlight, and care—one seed can sprout into seven stalks, each with a hundred kernels. In just one generation, the original seed multiplies a hundredfold. In the next generation, the multiplication repeats, expanding exponentially. This is not just arithmetic growth, but geometric flourishing.
This lesson isn’t unique to corn. It is seen in fruit trees, ecosystems, and the cycles of life. It is even immortalized in scripture: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a grain [of corn] which grows seven ears; in every ear there are a hundred grains...” (Qur’an 2:261)
From Nature to Society: The Power of Regeneration
What if we applied this natural, regenerative logic to our society? Instead of viewing resources, opportunity, and dignity as things to be divided or even simply “grown,” we could recognize their potential for multiplication—across generations and communities.
A Regenerative Approach to Human Rights
This three-dimensional, regenerative view urges us to move beyond the limits of zero-sum thinking. Yes, some resources are finite—but human potential, knowledge, creativity, and compassion are not. When we build systems and policies that empower people, nurture talents, and support each seed of potential, we create a virtuous cycle: flourishing that grows, multiplies, and compounds.
True flourishing, then, is not just a matter of what we have or even what we share—it’s about what we enable to multiply.
Policy Implications: Planting for the Future
Conclusion: Let Us Multiply Goodness
The challenge for leaders, educators, and communities is to adopt this regenerative mindset. Let us not be trapped by the fear of scarcity, nor lulled by simplistic dreams of abundance. Let us instead cultivate systems—economic, ethical, and spiritual—that turn each act of investment, generosity, and care into a harvest multiplied for generations to come.
Let us, like the grain of corn, become the start of flourishing beyond what we can count.
