ABOUT JIM OWEN, FOUNDER

After a successful 35-year business career, Jim Owen reinvented himself as an author, film producer and social innovator. He also created the Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation, to help spread the message that “we can all be heroes in our own lives.” Jim’s book credits include Cowboy Ethics (2004), a best seller with more than 130,000 copies sold to date, and Cowboy Values (2008).     

Jim found his calling in 2003 when he was so dismayed by the country’s spreading epidemic of corporate scandals and social discord that he felt compelled to speak out, urging a return to the basic core values that all Americans can share. Inspired by his life-long interest in Western history and lore, Jim coined the phrase “Cowboy Ethics” and wrote his book distilling the unwritten Code of the West into “Ten Principles to Live By.” In 2010, the state of Wyoming adopted the Ten Principles of Cowboy Ethics as its official state code.       

Now, with the publication of his latest book, The Try, and a companion DVD, Jim is tackling the issue an entire generation is facing: What does it take to succeed in America today? Says Jim, “It’s all about the Try—that blend of passion, attitude and effort that enables ordinary people to do extraordinary things and rise above the crowd.” The Center’s newest program, Be Somebody!, helps young people set personal goals and reach for the best in themselves.                

Jim is a summa cum laude graduate of Regis University. He and his wife, Stanya, have two grown children and reside in Austin, Texas.

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