How a Team is Forged
From NFL to Initiatory Rites
To my Brothers,
I’ve long known the power of doing hard things together. It’s what forges unbreakable bonds and creates the foundation for a team. When our collective aim is towards something greater than the individual “I,” we access a deeper reservoir of grit and determination that allows us to create something more powerful than we could ever dream of doing alone.
This is what training camp was really for in the NFL. We spent 6 weeks in absolute hell (this is where I mastered the power and resiliency of my mind), and where the team was forged. We would go from 90 players to 53. Every man there is competing to earn a spot on the roster, not just with the other men at their position but with themselves.
My alarm would ring at 5:30am. I made it a habit to roll out of bed before my awareness came fully into my body and took an inventory of how I was feeling. I knew if I did, I wouldn’t make it to the facility on time. The first thing I’d do is get into the hot tub to warm my body up. At 28 years old, believe it or not, I was one of the oldest guys on the team. The treads on the tires wear quickly in the NFL. After about 20 minutes, I’d get out and hit the training room to get ready for the day.
Training Camp in Tampa came with a very unique challenge, one that probably took years off my career (and life). The heat was unbearable, and the humidity was inescapable. Within minutes of walking outside, I was drenched in sweat. Imagine having to compete at the highest level, under the most intense scrutiny, everything you do being judged, at all times, to decide whether you are going to make it on the final roster, all while you’re practicing in what feels like a steam room.
I’d spend the day blocking the most athletic 300+lb men on the planet, pushing through discomfort and pain, just so I could have an opportunity to be a part of the team, and go on the journey the season provided–to compete for a championship.
The day the season started, and you made it on the roster, it was go time. This is how the “team” was forged, by doing something challenging together. When there is so much on the line–it’s hot, you’re uncomfortable and your body is telling you to quit, how are you going to show up? That’s when your true colors show, when there is nowhere to hide.
When you see the way other men show up in these situations, it reveals their true character, what they’re really made of. And that’s what creates bonds that last a lifetime, and allows the team to accomplish things greater than any individual could accomplish alone.
Since walking away from the NFL, my desire has been to create a team that can impact the world in a positive way, not just to win a “championship,” but to become champions of our own lives while co-creating massive impact in the world.
I’ve come to know over my time in the NFL and through facilitating initiatory experiences over the last 6 years, that these types of experiences create a potent portal for not only personal transformation, alchemy, and higher perspectives (all required on the journey toward mastery), but the real value comes from the codes that are shared between brothers who get outside of their comfort zone together. It creates life long bonds that are stronger than family. This is how real teams are forged, by doing hard things together.
We have a Men’s pilgrimage going to the Sacred Valley of Peru from January 29th – February 10th, 2026. If you are a man that wants to become a champion of your own life and forge a team that has the ability to move mountains, then it’s on you to answer the call. If you have a group or 2-3 men that you want to forge this type of bond with, share this invite with them. Spots are limited to 15, and we’re already ⅓ full.
This is a special invite going out to the most aligned, heart-centered and impact-focused men I know. A call to gather in the sacred mountains of Peru; to join forces, collaborate and pour ourselves into the shared mission placed on all of our hearts–to create a more harmonious and regenerative future.
You will walk down the mountain a changed man with a tribe of brothers ready to co-create by your side.
Soul Mission Activation: Peru 2026
Note: we also offer two co-ed pilgrimages to Peru for men and woman who desire to do this work together. Check out the link above for more information.
With love and gratitude,
In service to the mission,
Joseph Hawley