Meet Jim Davidson

​Jim Davidson is a resilience expert, professional speaker, expedition leader and best-selling author who shares lessons distilled from a lifetime of mountain adventures. Blending his epic adventures with two decades of successful business experience, Jim shares uplifting messages of resilience that inspire organizations and audiences to be resilient and to overcome the difficult crevasses in their lives.

In 1992, Jim survived a snow bridge collapse that dropped him and a partner into an 80-foot crevasse on Mount Rainer forcing him to climb out alone.

On April 25, 2015, Jim was at Camp 1 on Mount Everest when the earthquakes tragically struck Nepal. His intense reporting, photos and videos from Everest were closely covered by CNN, CBS, BBC, ABC and other news agencies. Jim's passion for teaching resilience and his aptitude for storytelling will inspire you.

He is the co-author of the national bestselling adventure memoir called The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival, which won the National Outdoor Book Award and was selected one of the Best Books of The Year by Amazon. His amazing survival story was also featured nationally and internationally on the hit TV show I Shouldn't Be Alive (Discovery Channel/Animal Planet).

Speaking Topics

Everest Resilience

Climbing Mount Everest requires resilience and it teaches resilience. Striving for Everest-sized goals demands planning, commitment, and tenacity. Engaging with a great challenge increases your persistence, adaptability and capacity. And whether or not you reach that lofty goal, once the hard work is over, you are forever gifted with enhanced resilience that will help you overcome any challenge. Jim Davidson is a dedicated climber and a professional speaker. In this exhilarating presentation, Jim shares practical lessons from his 2015 Everest expedition including: Preparing your organization and yourself for big goals Harnessing and building resilience before & during great challenges Converting adversity into growth Distilling strength and wisdom from intense experiences to become even more resilient for life’s next adventures

Rally Your Resilience – Reach Your Summits in Business and Life

Buried alive inside a glacier. Trapped alone 80 feet down inside a dark crevasse, with no rescuers coming. Jim Davidson barely survived after a snowbridge suddenly collapsed beneath his feet, dropping Jim and his partner deep inside a hidden glacial crevasse. Somehow, he had to climb up an overhanging ice wall of the crevasse before time ran out. How does someone face tremendous challenge? How can you overcome adversity? When you experience Jim’s compelling, inspirational presentation, you learn valuable lessons about: Persevering through overwhelming difficulties Rallying resilience to overcome adversity Confronting setbacks as you reach for your summits in business and life From this epic experience, Jim shares an uplifting message that inspires organizations and audiences to be resilient and triumph over life’s crevasses. As Jim’s Rainier keynote, this riveting story is now featured in a one-hour TV episode of I Shouldn’t Be Alive and in his best-selling adventure memoir called The Ledge (2011).

The Power of Partnership

On icy mountains all over the world, strong climbing partnerships accomplish great deeds and fuel incredible survival feats. As a high-altitude climber for 33 years, Jim Davidson knows first-hand about powerful partnerships. Come hear compelling adventure tales and learn mountain-tested techniques for being a solid partner, so that you and your teammates can reach your highest goals. You will be energized and inspired to develop great partnerships.

Resilient Leadership & Engaged Teamwork

High-altitude expeditions and rescues face rapidly changing conditions, limited resources and uncertain team dynamics – just like today’s fast-paced business world. By examining some exhilarating mountain rescues that Jim and his teammates did in Colorado and Alaska, Jim facilitates a unique, interactive leadership presentation on: Developing resilient leadership skills Promoting engaged teamwork Adapting to change while reaching your goals Jim shares stunning mountain photos and riveting stories to set the stage, then the participants work in groups to “be the rescue team”. They analyze the complex situation, identify key leadership and teamwork skills, and develop solutions to intricate resource problems. Jim facilitates energetic discussions and brief self-reflections that help attendees expand their capacities and apply the lessons to their careers and personal lives.

Surviving Storms

In life, business and mountaineering, there are storms. Mountain storms bring sudden wind and white-out blizzards. Life’s storms can be struggling with economic issues or facing a personal crisis. After 29 years of climbing high peaks around the world, Jim knows what it takes to endure such storms and he shares stories and insights to show you how to: Adjust your plans, attitudes and actions Engage problems through drive, direction, and discipline Endure stormy times and resume ascending once good conditions return It is certain that all storms end. Remembering this is crucial for surviving tough times, maintaining momentum, and thriving in spite of unexpected setbacks. In this thrilling presentation, Jim will share tips and techniques to help your team survive storms, and thrive afterwards.

Expedition Execution – Reaching BIG Goals

Struggling and succeeding on BIG expeditions requires focused goal setting, self-discipline and commitment. Jim has reached dozens of soaring summits, including the sixth highest in the world (26,906-foot tall Cho Oyu in Tibet). From his many expeditions, Jim distills mountain-tested techniques for reaching BIG goals in life and in business. His adventure stories, vivid photographs, and exhilarating videos bring to life his practical methods for how to: Create plans for reaching BIG goals Implement successful execution strategies Reach your BIG goal, no matter how high Through hard-won wisdom gained during expeditions from Alaska to Nepal, you’ll discover how to reach your BIG goals. 

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