Netflix DIDN'T Kill Blockbuster w/ Former CEO Jim Keyes (LST #169)

Learn Speak Teach Episode #169 with former 7-Eleven and Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes on the Real Business Connections Podcast. Most people think Netflix killed Blockbuster. Jim Keyes says the real story is bigger than that. In this episode, Ben Albert sits down with Jim Keyes to talk about leadership, reinvention, education, and what really happened inside Blockbuster during the 2008 financial crisis. Jim shares how he went from growing up poor in a three-room shack with no running water to leading two Fortune 500 companies. He also explains why his new book, Education Is Freedom, is about more than school. It is about knowledge, perspective, opportunity, and changing the direction of your life. They talk about Jim’s time leading 7-Eleven, what Blockbuster taught him about timing and change, and how leaders decide when to protect the core business versus when to reinvent it. If you’ve ever wondered why Blockbuster really failed, how education creates freedom, or what it takes to lead through crisis, this episode will give you a different perspective. Timestamps: [00:00] Trailer + Intro [01:15] Snoop Dogg, MrBeast, and Education Is Freedom [05:19] From No Running Water to Fortune 500 CEO [11:27] The Teachers Who Believed in Jim [14:02] Saying Yes to Opportunity [17:28] The Career Miracle That Led to 7-Eleven [23:45] Becoming CEO of 7-Eleven [26:12] Why Salary Won’t Make You Wealthy [30:25] Netflix Didn’t Kill Blockbuster [32:08] The 2008 Financial Crisis [32:51] Jim’s Plan to Rebuild Blockbuster [36:39] Why Jim Wrote Education Is Freedom Key Takeaways: • “Education is freedom. It sounds like a book about school. No. It’s a book about life.” ~Jim Keyes • “I grew up with no running water in a three-room shack, and I led two Fortune 500 companies.” ~Jim Keyes • “It was purely the power of knowledge.” ~Jim Keyes • “Thank God for teachers who believed in me, libraries that opened their doors, books that opened my eyes to a world I never would have understood existed out there.” ~Jim Keyes • “If you move for money, you’re making a big mistake. It’s never, ever, ever about the salary.” ~Jim Keyes • “You’re gonna get wealthy through equity. And equity comes with tenure.” ~Jim Keyes • “Change equals opportunity.” ~Jim Keyes • “You can kick yourself forever, but you can also step back and realize no one could have predicted the 2008 financial crisis.” ~Jim Keyes Keep In Touch with Jim Keyes: Website: https://www.jameswkeyes.com/ Education Is Freedom: https://www.jameswkeyes.com/ Order Education Is Freedom: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Education-Is-Freedom/James-W-Keyes/9798888452493 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-keyes-a0947215 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Jkeyesauthor — Follow Balbert… Facebook: www.facebook.com/realbusinessconnections Instagram: www.instagram.com/realbenalbert/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realbenalbert/ Website: https://www.realbusinessconnections.com/ – LST is made possible by www://balbertmarketing.com/