The Brand Power of Education: Jim Keyes on Turning Learning into Legacy

The Brand ON! Show

In this episode of The Brand ON! Show, Brandon Coleman Jr digs into the powerful story of Jim Keyes—former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster—who proves that education isn’t just a credential, it’s a launchpad. From humble beginnings to leading billion-dollar turnarounds, Jim shares how learning, reinvention, and personal brand shaped every chapter of his success. This isn’t theory—it’s lived experience. Whether you're building a business or building a life, Jim makes it clear: change equals opportunity, and education is freedom. Tune in, take notes, and turn your Brand ON!

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Grab a copy of Jim’s book “Education Is Freedom”

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Education-Freedom-Future-Your-Hands/dp/B0CH6X6BVB

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Email: [email protected]

Website: www.brandoncolemanjr.com

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Connect and Follow Jim Keyes

Jim is a global business leader, philanthropist, educator, artist, musician, commercial pilot, and modern renaissance man. He is the former CEO of two internally recognized Fortune 500 companies, 7-Eleven, Inc, and Blockbuster, Inc. His other business interests cover a broad range of industries including retail, consumer products, technology, new space, energy, and advanced nuclear. He sits on several public company boards and serves as a board adviser to a venture capital firm and a number of start-up companies.

Website: https://www.jameswkeyes.com

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Transcript (with chapter marks)

00:01:48 The Apollo Inspiration

Jim Keyes: It started with personal experience. I grew up in a world where opportunity was the farthest thing from my scope of vision. No one in my family went to school... I was inspired by the Apollo program and guys like Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon. And I looked at them and said, you know, here are ordinary guys doing extraordinary things, and what made this possible for them? And it was education. And it was a pretty simple formula. It was like, well, if they can do it, I can do it.

00:06:39 Education is Freedom

Jim Keyes: There's no such thing as done with learning, and I literally doubled down on the idea that the more I learned, the more I can do, and applied it in my career, and it really paid off in spades.

00:10:11 The Million Dollar Question

Jim Keyes: Most of us have to, at some point, apply for a job. And the very first thing that they're going to ask you when you apply for a job is, “Where did you go to school?” It's pretty simple. It's all about differentiation. Now, if you're cut out of that mold as an entrepreneur, and you think you can make it on your own without the credentialing, go for it.

00:19:42 Convenience, The Japanese Way

Jim Keyes: 7-Eleven Japan really set the stage. And then I give them all the credit in the world for reinventing the whole concept of convenience and using technology to really be cutting edge on what they could do. People in America have a hard time imagining this, but restaurant-quality sushi is available at 7- Eleven three meals a day there.

00:30:07 It’s Not Coffee, It’s Experience

Jim Keyes: (On Starbucks) The coffee, at the end of the day, wasn't the difference. It was the experience that people had. They felt good about the environment. They felt good about the other people in the store. It was an experience that they were selling well beyond just the coffee.

00:36:18 Be Your Own CEO

Jim Keyes: The future is in your hands. If you embrace change, you can be CEO of your own life.