In this powerful episode of The Business of Thinking, Richard Reid speaks with Aaron Burros, an ordained minister, coach and author whose story redefines what resilience really looks like. Aaron’s journey is not simply about physical endurance. It is about trauma, identity, emotional healing and the determination to keep moving forward when life gives you every reason to stop.
Aaron’s story begins with sport. As a young man, he was on track to play quarterback at university before a serious car accident ended that dream. Like many people, life then took over. Work, marriage, children and the pressure of providing pushed his own wellbeing to the background. By the age of 40, a doctor told him he needed to lose 40 pounds or risk losing his life. That warning became a turning point.
What followed was an extraordinary physical transformation. Aaron began by walking to work, then running, then building up gradually until he was running for hours at a time. Over five years, he lost 178 pounds. But the real power of this story lies in what happened next.
Just as Aaron was preparing to step into ultra-endurance competition, he was caught in a workplace shooting while trying to save his colleagues. He was shot multiple times and thrown into a long and devastating struggle with PTSD, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression and a profound sense of disorientation. To make matters worse, he describes being failed by the very systems that should have supported him.
One of the most striking insights from Aaron in this conversation is the distinction between what is therapeutic and what is actually therapy. Running, he says, was deeply therapeutic for him. It gave him relief, clarity and purpose. But it did not heal the root causes of his pain. At some point, he realised he had to deal with the source, not just the symptoms.
That truth has relevance far beyond trauma recovery. Many people use work, fitness, success or busyness as coping mechanisms. They help us feel better temporarily, but they do not always address what is driving our behaviour beneath the surface. Aaron’s story is a reminder that true growth often requires us to face the deeper wounds we would rather avoid.
Another central message from this episode is ownership. Aaron speaks passionately about becoming “the CEO of your own healthcare.” In other words, do not wait for someone else to save you. Take ownership of your physical health, your emotional wellbeing, your support systems and your recovery plan. That mindset helped him begin rebuilding his life, even after years of setbacks.
For leaders, professionals and anyone under pressure, this episode offers a simple but profound challenge: do not wait until crisis forces change. Build your resilience before you desperately need it. Address the source, not only the symptoms. Make a plan. Ask for help. And keep moving forward, even if progress feels painfully slow.
Aaron’s story is raw, honest and deeply human. Above all, it is a reminder that resilience is not about pretending you are fine. It is about choosing to fight for your life, your health and your future, one step at a time.
Listen to the full podcast episode now.
