Who says you can’t have it all? Serial entrepreneur Adam Jones has built the life he once dreamed of, balancing multiple thriving businesses and a happy family at home. Crediting a strong work ethic and a solid support system, Adam says he’s created a life many people label as “having it all.” Still, he says success doesn’t insulate anyone from struggle – and everyone needs help getting through difficult times.
“The more pressure you have, the more stress you have, the harder it is to handle things,” says Adam Jones, Founder and CEO of MAXgreen Windows, Siding and Roofing, Luxotic Auto Boutique, Citrus Insurance and Authentic Sales Mastery. “We want to make sure everyone has that skillset and mindset of how to get to where you want to be, with gratitude and appreciation, and to live every day.”
The journey toward better mental health is one Adam knows firsthand. He hit what he calls his “rock bottom” – a period marked by depression, anxiety and overwhelming guilt – after a life-altering accident involving his infant daughter. At the time, Adam says he wasn’t being the father, husband, friend or businessperson he wanted to be.
What changed his path was the support network around him. With the strength from his loved ones, guidance from therapists and a commitment to doing the hard work, Adam found his way out of that dark place. Now he wants to share the light with as many people as possible.
“We feel that there’s a big, missing link in the market,” he says, “There’s a lot of resources but they are not covered by Alberta Health Care unless you have a crisis and get admitted. It’s a very rigid program that doesn’t provide proactivity and doesn’t really help people before they desperately need it.”
Adam says the problem lies in the gap between need and affordability. He advocates for therapy and counselling to be part of base health care coverage, or at the very least make those costs tax deductible. But while the government catches up, Adam decided to bridge the gap himself through MAXgreen’s MAXcommunity initiative.
In addition to planting trees for every job completed, MAXgreen donates $10 for every window and door installed and $50 for every roofing or siding project to the MAXcommunity fund. Half of the donation amount goes to the customer’s favourite charity, while the other half supports causes selected by the MAXgreen team.
Over the years, the company has planted more than 17,000 trees and donated more than $400,000 to organizations including Calgary Counselling Centre, Calgary Distress Centre, Kids’ Help Phone, Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids and Cerebral Palsy Kids and Families. Since 2023, however, the company’s primary focus has been to remove barriers to immediate mental health support.
“Mental health and physical health are the most important things. All the other stuff follows. If you don’t have your mental health, you’re not going to be able to be your best in every other area,”
The MAXcommunity fund now contributes approximately $30,000 per year to counselling for people in need who otherwise couldn’t afford therapy. To offer this program, Adam partners with Your Counselling. This clinic reduces the hourly rate from $220 to $140 and bills MAXcommunity directly for treatment. By eliminating the financial burden, Adam hopes to encourage more people to take their first step toward healing.
“We have people who come to us and say, ‘you saved my life’, or ‘you made a huge difference in how I look at things’,” Adam says. “It gives me goosebumps. It’s so rewarding to know we are making a difference.”
That commitment extends to his own employees as well. Many workplace benefit plans offer minimal mental health coverage, so Adam added a $2,500 health spending account to stretch the paid amount. If employees exhaust their counselling coverage, they can continue treatment through Your Counselling, with costs covered by the company. As awareness of this program grows, Adam hopes to expand MAXcommunity’s network of psychologists and therapists as well as host fundraisers to help even more people access support before they reach a crisis point.
“Mental health and physical health are the most important things. All the other stuff follows. If you don’t have your mental health, you’re not going to be able to be your best in every other area,” he says.
For Adam, mental health advocacy is also about changing the conversation around success. He hopes to inspire other entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to view offering mental health support as part of their responsibility to employees and communities alike. Adam truly believes that business can be a force for good, and that philanthropy and capitalism don’t have to exist in opposition. In fact, the more support MAXgreen receives from customers who value its quality service and social mission, the more the company is able to give back.
Adam is using his position to make a positive impact on his community, and people are noticing; he and business partner, Jayme Minor, were awarded the Social Entrepreneur Award, and both were named to the Top 40 Under 40 list for their business approach and commitment to community.
For Adam, however, the real measure of success isn’t awards or recognition or his name on the door. True success comes from knowing he helped someone grasp a lifeline, because support was there when they needed it most. And success means little without wellbeing, connection and community. For Adam, sharing these gifts with others proves you really can have it all.
