About the Guest:
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 21st 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 30 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. Jim serves as a board member of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. Craig 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.
For more information, follow Jim on his social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Personal Instagram, GMS Instagram
About the Host:
Aryaka's SVP of Global Channels, Craig Patterson, is a seasoned Channel professional with over two decades of experience in leadership roles within the technology industry. He has successfully built global sales and marketing organizations and award-winning Channel programs that surpass traditional standards.
Since joining Aryaka in 2021, Craig has made it a priority to cater to the unique requirements of Partners and alternative channels across North America, EMEA, and APAC. He has implemented disruptive go-to-market strategies that embrace his passion for Channel advocacy, fostering a culture that prioritizes results-based outcomes.
Craig's leadership style is centered around innovation, integrity, culture, diversity, and creating opportunities for his team. He is a multi-award winner, including 2022-2023 CRN Channel Chief, 2022 Channel Futures Circle of Excellence, and Top 20 Channel Leader.
In his spare time, Craig enjoys spending quality time with his family and indulging in his love for ice hockey (Go, Avs!). He also serves on the Colorado Amateur Hockey Association Board, where he supervises adaptive hockey programs.
Connect with Craig:
LinkedIn
Aryaka Podcast Series