In Episode 03, Erin interviews Jim Keyes, former CEO of 7-11 AND Blockbuster (and pilot, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author!)
Jim climbed out of poverty, being the only person in his family to go to college. He graduated with an MBA from Columbia and went on to climb the ladder to become CEO of both 7-11 and Blockbuster during the 90's into the 2000s. In this episode, Erin discusses Jim's career and the differences between their two generations—Erin straddling Gen Z and Millennials and Jim, a Baby Boomer. They discuss the importance of education, being strategic and adaptable, imposter syndrome, and what the heck happened to Blockbuster. There is so much to learn in this episode for the average worker—but especially anyone looking to forge their own path and create a new life for themselves.
➞ In this episode:
0:00 Intro
2:04 Rapid fire Q&A
6:11 From poverty to Columbia MBA in NYC
9:09 First job to 7-11
11:26 Climbing the Ladder to CEO
17:35 CEO of 80,000+ Stores
18:41 The IDEAL Slurpee
19:56 Selling 7-11 (and cashing out $$)
21:51 Jim almost BOUGHT Blockbuster!?
23:54 Taking on Blockbuster as CEO
28:09 What Could Have Saved Blockbuster?
29:10 Day in the Life of a CEO (+ leadership tips!)
31:12 Why Jim Wrote a Book about Education
33:01 What's at stake here?
35:31 The price of college in 1980 vs. 2020
38:45 Should 18-year-olds Go to College?
40:06 Jobs Don't Require Degrees? "It's a Bubble."
42:16 How Jim Would Fix Education System in America
44:53 Tuition-Free University: Yay or Nay?
46:41 Having Beliefs & Being Open-Minded