MEET CRAIG SOTKOVSKY

"Your story is not defined by what happened to you. It is defined by what you choose to do next."

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Some speakers study resilience.

Craig Sotkovsky survived it.

Craig's journey has taken him through childhood abuse, addiction, financial collapse, divorce, personal loss, cancer, and the difficult process of rebuilding a life more than once. Twenty-five years ago, he answered a call that would forever change the course of his life: volunteering at Ground Zero in the aftermath of September 11, 2001.

Like thousands of responders, Craig never imagined that his service would continue to impact him decades later. The exposure he experienced at Ground Zero ultimately led to a cancer diagnosis, forcing him to confront mortality, identity, purpose, and what it truly means to persevere when everything you thought defined you has been stripped away.

But Craig's story didn't begin at Ground Zero.

It began with adversity.

Throughout his life, Craig has faced abuse, addiction, bankruptcy, divorce, financial devastation, loss of purpose, and countless moments where walking away would have been easier than continuing forward. Instead, he made a decision that has become the foundation of his life's mission:

To grow through pain rather than simply survive it.

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Today, Craig is a speaker, author, advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of the Gro-Win Through Pain initiative. As America approaches the 25th Anniversary of September 11th, Craig is traveling across the country sharing a message that resonates with people from every walk of life:

Resilience is not something you are born with. It is something you build.

Through powerful storytelling, humor, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom, Craig speaks to audiences about trauma, recovery, reinvention, service, mental toughness, purpose, and the extraordinary capacity of human beings to rebuild their lives after unimaginable setbacks.

His message has inspired:

• First responders

• Veterans

• Cancer survivors

• Entrepreneurs

• Students

• Business leaders

• Individuals navigating personal adversity and transformation

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What audiences experience when Craig speaks:

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• A renewed belief that their circumstances do not define them.

• Practical lessons in resilience, perseverance, and personal responsibility.

• A deeper understanding of trauma, recovery, and reinvention.

• Permission to begin again—regardless of age, failure, loss, or past mistakes.

• Hope grounded in experience, not theory.

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Craig is also the author of Everybody Pays a Vig, a raw and honest examination of entrepreneurship, adversity, and the personal costs often hidden behind success.

His story has been featured through national media, podcasts, articles, documentaries, and digital platforms reaching audiences across the United States.

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Craig's message is simple:

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"We all pay a price in life.

The question isn't whether you will suffer.

The question is what you will become because of it."

Whether speaking on the legacy of 9/11, overcoming addiction, surviving cancer, rebuilding after bankruptcy, recovering from trauma, or finding purpose after devastating loss, Craig delivers more than a presentation.

He delivers proof that no matter what has happened to you, your next chapter can still become your greatest one.

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Craig Sotkovsky
9/11 Ground Zero Responder | Cancer Survivor | Author | Speaker | Founder, Gro-Win Through Pain