James Keyes shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
James , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
There is no “normal” day for me…and never has been. Every day is a new adventure. There is always something new to learn and a new experience around every corner. Monday always begins with a prayer or meditation focused on gratitude and joy…trying to channel the universe to let others see those characteristics in me and to feel inspired to experience the same.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As the former CEO of two fortune 100 companies (7-Eleven, Inc and Blockbuster, Inc.) I have had the privilege of leading global enterprises with responsibility (directly or indirectly) for over 1 million team members along the way. These experience a have given me a unique world view, one that recognizes the opportunities for humanity to work together toward mutual success and the betterment of mankind. Recognizing the transformative power of education, that lifted me from poverty to professional success, I’ve written a book called Education is Freedom, The Future is in Your Hands. My goal….to inspire people all over the world to recognize that learning is the antidote to fear. If we replace ignorance with knowledge…we replace fear with confidence, anger with understanding and despair with hope. Ultimately, the ability to advance the knowledge of mankind is our greatest hope for the continued evolution of humanity and the achievement of a better world.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My father taught me the importance of education. He never made it past the 6th grade, but recognized the transformative power of learning. His advice: they can take your money, your house, your material things….but no one can take away what you know. He recognized that knowledge wasn’t about money or power, it was about freedom! I now have the freedom to be whoever I wish to be and to do whatever I wish to do….all because of a commitment to lifelong learning that was inspired by my dad.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Growing up in poverty and facing many challenges from a broken home to the death of a parent to a series of crises that made me wonder….why me….i came to realize that adversity became my superpower. I developed a sense of resilience and an inner strength with a recognition that we can’t control the forces that cause negative events around us, but we are completely in control of our response to those forces. By seeing change as opportunity and adversity as a change to build strength, I realized that I would never fail. I would win or I would learn.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
As a champion of the transformative power of learning, I have often struggled with understanding why very smart people can sometimes do some very foolish things. I turned to history to understand this conundrum and discovered a concept called “militant ignorance”. This behavior is caused by the very human instinct cause by fear, triggering the amigdala…the portion of our brain that leads to a fight or flight reaction. Today, humans have no neutral predators but this human reaction to fear will sometimes show up in the boardroom or even the halls of congress. I fear triggers reaction and causes people to put their values aside and to seek safety in the “herd”. The result can be a tribal behavior that will sometimes make very smart people do some very stupid things because their fear causes them to go along with the sentiment or actions of their “group”. The antidote? Our ability to use critical thinking to replace fear and tribal mentality is the ultimate answer to such behavior. It reflects the critical importance of education and a commitment to lifelong learning. It also requires a personal commitment to taking responsibility for our own beliefs and actions versus going along with the wishes of the pack.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I am traveling the world, inspiring others to recognize the transformative power of education and advocating for the use of technology to change the way we teach and learn, uplifting humanity across the globe. I am oroposing the creation of an “Internet of education technology”, a walled in, safe environment for people of all ages to access the best teaching and learning tools in existence today. With AI enhanced tutoring, we can make individualized learning available to the far corners of the globe, making illiteracy and ignorance a thing of the past and elevating the potential of all humans to achieve their full potential. This is what I wish my legacy to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Jameswkeyes.com
- Instagram: Jkeyesauthor
- Linkedin: James Keyes
- Twitter: Jim Keyes
- Facebook: James Keyes
- Youtube: James Keyes
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