Tailwind
A compass for turning your setback story into your comeback legacy
By Jim Olson
Forward by Oscar Munoz
Former Chairman and CEO
United Airlines
Arriving This Fall!
Tailwind is a compass for helping individuals, leaders and organizations turn their setbacks into comebacks with destiny-fulfilling resolve, resilience and renewal. Regardless of the crises confronting us, Jim offers a flight plan for ensuring we emerge not victims but victorious, not doubtful but determined, not discouraged but encouraged, and not empty but abundant in hope.
About Jim
Jim Olson is one of the world’s most accomplished PR executives and corporate storytellers. Over the past three decades, he’s held senior leadership roles at Starbucks and United Airlines; advised many of the planet’s most admired leaders; and taught at several of the most prominent universities across the globe.
He is also a blind Cancer-slaying warrior.
Jim lost his sight, but he found his calling — to help others answer theirs. He wrote Tailwind to inspire others with his hard-charging turnaround story and equip readers with a compass for turning their setback story into their comeback legacy. Jim’s journey reminds us there is always blue sky on the other side of every storm — and no one is better prepared to lead us there than Jim Olson.
Early Praise
“I once had the good fortune of collaborating with Jim Olson when he was leading communications for United Airlines. From the start, I was struck by his sense of purpose for improving the wellbeing of others. Jim’s cancer-defeating journey, which cost him much of his vision, is a triumphant story of restoration, resilience and renewal. In a world hungry for hope and direction, Tailwind is a masterclass for turning life’s struggles into a life of significance. With his inspiring story, Jim lights the way forward for how to live a life of meaning.”
Arianna Huffington
Founder and CEO, Thrive Global
Founder, The Huffington Post
“In my life with Starbucks, millions of people have worn the green apron of the company. So many have honored the company’s heritage and offered the lessons of the culture around the world. I count Jim Olson among them. Jim’s book pays tribute to a remarkable journey and the wisdom earned over the years from mentors, colleagues and loved ones. It's a story of courage, of kindness, and of mind over matter that I lovingly recommend to friends, family, colleagues and anyone who believes in the power of personal transformation.”
Howard Schultz
Chairman Emeritus and Retired CEO
Starbucks Coffee Company
“Jim’s book is a treasure trove of resilience, strength, and character, all traits he has mastered. He lays out how to manage and how to survive life’s biggest challenges and come out on the other side, even when you don’t think you can. I am inspired by his courage and determination in facing his challenges, and in reading his book, you will be too.”
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger
Captain of US Airways Flight 1549 – The Miracle on the Hudson
“I consider Jim’s book a gift; not a memoir but a flight plan for how anyone can meet and master the ocean of storms that we all must navigate in our lives. When you pick this book up you will be unable to put it down – and equally unable to put it out of your mind long after you’ve finished. Perhaps this book is so powerful not in spite of Jim’s lack of sight but because of it. His medical hurdles have only sharpened his vision. These messages strike the reader like thunderbolts to the mind and heart, one after another.”
Oscar Munoz
Former Chairman and CEO
United Airlines
"Jim Olson’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary, and his willingness to share it with others is a genuine act of service. In the face of profound personal adversity, he channeled the courage, clarity, and deep sense of purpose to survive and inspire. His story is a powerful reminder resilience isn’t just about endurance — it’s about choosing to keep showing up and holding on to a belief in what’s possible.”
Michelle Gass
CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.
“Growing up in the frequent company of my airplane mechanic (and pilot) grandfather, he used to routinely say "life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to that." Somehow, my longtime friend and former colleague Jim Olson has managed to expand that math equation to 1%/99% -- this book is filled with lessons born of hardship turned upside down and then transformed into triumph. No matter your line of work or life's pursuit, you'll find something to love, learn and remember from this extraordinary book.”
Corey duBrowa
CEO, Burson
Former Chief Communications Officer
Google, Starbucks and Salesforce
Jim's Comeback Story
Elevate your leadership, fortify your culture and unite your team in purpose and plot with one of Jim’s inspiring, actionable and irresistible
topics. Every keynote experience is packed with unforgettable stories, practical insights and contagious inspiration.
