Jim Craig
- Olympic Gold Medalist Goalie,
- 1980 USA “Miracle on Ice” Hockey Team
- Owner, President & CEO of Gold Medal Strategies
- Board Member of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation
In Person-Fee 🛈
Fee Range
$30,000 - $50,000
Virtual Fee:
$20,000 - $30,000
Travels From
Florida
Jim Craig Speaker Biography
Jim Craig is best known as the backbone of the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team, whose ‘Miracle’ win was voted by Sports Illustrated as the greatest moment in sports history of the 20th century. Craig, who started every game in goal, was a leading figure in the team’s success. One of the enduring images of the 1980 Games was of Craig, wrapped in an American flag, searching the stands for his widowed father in order to share the gold-medal-winning victory.
Before the Olympics, Jim was an All-American goalie at Boston University, leading his team to a NCAA national championship. After the ‘Miracle’ game, Jim went on to play professionally for three NHL teams, where he sustained a career-ending injury while playing for the Minnesota North Stars. He is enshrined in the Boston University Hall of Fame, the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and is a co-recipient of both the Lester Patrick award and the Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" award. He is also a graduate of Boston University and earned his doctorate in humane letters from Mercy College.
Following Jim’s professional hockey career, he transitioned his success into the corporate world as a motivational speaker, powerful salesman and corporate consultant. He has been inducted into the Sales Halls of Fame for two different companies, having increased a sales territory from $300,000 to $50 million in annual sales. Following this role, Jim moved on to become the Vice President of a promotional marketing agency. Under his guidance, the agency increased annual dollar sales by 80 percent and its number of clients by 30 percent in just two short years.
For more than 35 years, Jim has inspired, instructed and provided strategic and winning direction to some of the most prestigious companies across the world, including Kellogg's, Bayer, Deloitte, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and Disney, as the successful owner and president of his company, Gold Medal Strategies. Jim has been selected three times as one of the top five speakers on team building in the United States, and has evolved to not only deliver motivational speeches, but host immersive corporate training programs that teach participants how to think differently and believe in their possibilities. Jim is the co-author of the highly acclaimed business book, Gold Medal Strategies: Business Lessons from America's Miracle Team and recently released his newest book and legacy piece, We Win! Lessons on Life, Business & Building Your Own Miracle Team. In addition to his role with Gold Medal Strategies, Jim serves as a board member of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and he has a passion for leveraging his athletic and business success to help others achieve their full potential and lives in integrity with his mission every day!
How and Why Great Companies Win
The impossible becomes possible when you believe. Jim knows what it takes to be a winner and will explain what it really means to be a true professional. He will talk about winner’s character, how they prepare, their priorities, and how to handle victory & defeat. As Jim often tells audiences, “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Jim shares the elements and fundamental components of goal setting, defining missions – and then going confidently … and smartly … in the direction of your dreams.
The Difference Between Loyalty & Leadership:
Not everyone has the talent to be a true leader. Jim will explain what it takes to be a great leader and how leaders have the ability to make or break the team. Leaders always do what is right for the betterment of the team. They have the ability to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and put them in positions to succeed.
The Power of Teamwork
Very few things great are done alone. Epic achievement is almost always the result of successful and enduring collaboration. Jim explains and details the elements of winning teamwork. He provides specific examples from the experience of the U.S. “Miracle on Ice” hockey team, and how it confounded the experts, made history … and made it to the top of the podium.
Meticulous Recruiting
Jim will provide you with insights on how to recruit the right people, how to put them in the right positions, and how to pull greatness out of each individual to contribute to a bigger goal.
Transformational (Change) Management
Jim believes that getting comfortable is being uncomfortable. He will talk about how he and his teammates had to change the way they thought, trained, and played under the guidance and vision of Herb Brooks. He will show you how transformation change can be executed and how this can aid your organization to perform more effectively.
Staying Young to Create the Future
Don't confuse being busy with being productive, success can be your biggest enemy. Jim believes that you should not limit yourself to small goals or underestimate your personal ability to become more successful.
Commitment to Excellence
Jim has studied … and continues to study and research … what inspires the pursuit of excellence in those who achieve greatness. He describes what is it that separates those content with good enough, and with all right, and with the okay … and those who have an unquenchable thirst and drive to make history and establish the highest standards.
Shared Dream
Success happens when you believe in winning then you prepare to make it happen. Great Teams accomplish more than great individuals, no one is bigger than the team. Jim shows you how to win collectively vs. individually.
Managing Through Ego & Conflict
Let Jim show you how ego can be swagger. With conflict comes change, let Jim teach you how to manage both of these important ingredients for success.
Real or Invented Enemy
Jim believes that the main rival you should compare yourself to is the performer that you were yesterday. He will challenge you to have to make your team every year.
Winning Underdogs
Jim uses his past experiences in both the athletic and business worlds to show how to use the underdog status as a powerful tool. He explains why failure isn't fatal but being afraid to fail is.
Victim or Victor
You are what you see, you always have a choice to be the victim or the victor. Jim will make you understand that intense discomfort is the price tag for personal greatness.
