The 7-Eleven CEO: The One Skill That Makes You Smarter & More Confident Than 99% of People

Anyone can build up their confidence by doing the work.

>> Anyone. You don't have to be born confident.

>> Prepare to win. There's some real bangers. There's some prepared to win.

bangers. There's some prepared to win.

If you can imagine yourself there and imagine yourself succeeding, like what a powerful image it is to have in your brain. In your honest opinion, do you

brain. In your honest opinion, do you feel like Americans are becoming dumber?

>> Think we're becoming lazier? Material

things are just things. They can take those things from you, but they can't take your knowledge. I couldn't change the fact that I was born into kind of a screwed up situation, but I could and

did have the agency to change the way I responded to that situation. And rather

than become the victim of it or let others determine who I would be and what I could do, I said, "No, it's up to me.

I can control my own destiny."

>> We talk about money, power, and love.

>> Yeah. So, let's go to the love thing.

>> Let's go there. Let's Let's hear it.

Yeah.

Today's episode is presented by SoFi, the all-in-one finance app that allows you to bank, borrow, and invest your money in one place. Today, we have a

true Americana success story here with us in person. Jim Keys. From a three- room house with no plumbing to running two Fortune 500 companies, 7-Eleven and

Blockbuster, Jim's story is proof that education can truly transform a life.

And Jim isn't just a CEO. He's a

lifelong learner and the author of Education is Freedom. His journey proves that curiosity and grit aren't just traits. They're superpowers that can be

traits. They're superpowers that can be learned and that can rewrite any story.

>> Jim, welcome to Tiger Sisters.

>> Thank you. It's great to be with you.

>> Ra, he was waiting for that. He was

ready to do that one. Jim, you've

developed a life framework philosophy for a thriving and happy life. Yes.

>> And it's built around what you call the three C's, which are change, confidence, and clarity. So, can you walk us through

and clarity. So, can you walk us through all three C's and then tell us why they're so important?

>> Sure. I I call it my gift. And you know, people say, "Oh, well, you're just lucky to be able to go from, you know, a house with no running water to running two

Fortune 500 companies." And I say, "No."

Well, were you smart? Well, no. I mean,

not necessarily. I'm okay, but I don't think I'm a rocket scientist or anything.

>> But what I have done is harness the power of learning. And these three ways.

>> The first is change. And the first three words that I wrote down in the book >> were that change equals opportunity.

>> If you think about and then I stepped back and I looked at it and went, "Oh, look at that acronym CEO, right?"

And it is the role of the CEO to be able to embrace change because all commerce begins and ends. Something changes.

>> So change really is opportunity if if you realize that there's nothing that we can do about what happens in the environment.

>> When I took on the role of CEO of Blockbuster, it was to take it to digital streaming to be able to embrace technology. I couldn't have predicted

technology. I couldn't have predicted one of the largest economic meltdowns in the world with layman brothers collapsing etc. And my role I had to

embrace that change and pivot from transforming the company and now saving the company taking it through a restructuring selling it to Dish Network to give it a chance of success.

>> It's kind of like you know it's quite a nuanced message that you're saying is that it's there's two parts to it. It's

like you have to be able to be almost like evolved enough to recognize that >> the world is what it is. Right. Things

will happen in the world all the time that you cannot control.

>> Exactly.

>> Right. So, but you need to be able to be okay with that. Like you cannot be stressed out and like freaking out all the time because of things that are happening around you. But then at the same time, you're saying you have this I

don't know what do you call it? Like

self-determination. Yeah.

>> Right. You can determine your agency within what is happening around you. You

can control your own reaction to that change. You can't you can't

change. You can't you can't >> I couldn't change the fact that I was born into kind of a screwed up situation.

>> Yeah.

>> But I could and did have the agency to change the way I responded to that situation. And rather than become the

situation. And rather than become the victim of it >> or let others determine who I would be and what I could do, >> I said, "No, it's up to me."

>> I can control my own destiny.

>> Okay. So that's the first seat change.

There's always change going on around you. You have to be okay with it. And

you. You have to be okay with it. And

then two, you can always change yourself.

>> Exactly.

>> Okay. Got it.

>> But but there's a prerequisite to being able to change yourself.

>> Okay.

>> You have to have confidence.

>> Okay.

>> Right. And so that's where a lot of us fall down. We say, "Okay, I can do this.

fall down. We say, "Okay, I can do this.

I I'll embrace that change. It's not me.

It's the It's the environment. I I've

got this. No, maybe I don't cuz I'm not good enough. I'm not smart enough." you know that that that

enough." you know that that that >> natural insecurity that we have too often as humans or we're listening to other people or listening to others tell

us that we're not good enough >> we're not smart enough and we believe it as opposed to recognizing that we can do

whatever we wish to do because learning is the path to being able to accomplish virtually anything. a

friend of mine named Harvey McKay, very famous author, wrote Swimming with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. And I

said, Harvey, I'm writing this book and I'm I've got a chapter on confidence. I

can't just say be confident.

>> Yeah.

>> Right. I have to say, here's some steps.

You can learn to be confident.

>> Yeah.

>> And this is the big thing. People think

you're either born confident or no, I'm I'm just not. It's not true. And he

said, well, okay, I'll give you I'll give you my gift. He said, three words for being confident.

Okay. Simple as that. Said, "Yep.

Prepare to win."

>> I was like, "Okay, I'm ready. I'm I'm

I'm prepared. What are you going to tell me?" And he said, "No, that's it. Those

me?" And he said, "No, that's it. Those

are the three words. Prepare to win."

And I said, "Harvey, that's kind of simple." And he said, "But that's the

simple." And he said, "But that's the point. The more prepared you are, the

point. The more prepared you are, the more confident you can be and the better chance of winning you'll have. You think

Tom Brady was born confident? No. He

worked his butt off >> and prepared. And when he walks into that big game, he has reviewed

game tapes and studied and prepared until he can walk on that field with absolute confidence. Not something he

absolute confidence. Not something he was born with, something he learned how to develop.

>> Yeah.

>> And then he can win.

>> Being prepared is one way you can take agency in your life. Even if you're like, "Oh, I'm not confident." But if you have the determination to be more prepared than the other person, then you will become more confident.

>> Exactly. Exactly. You want another uh analogy? Because it's it's easy to use a

analogy? Because it's it's easy to use a sports hero and say, "Oh, they're they're confident." But when you're

they're confident." But when you're flying and you have turbulence, you ever wonder why the pilot is not nervous?

>> You probably hope he's not nervous, right?

>> Lots of simulation time.

>> Exactly. I love that example only because it shows that you can train confidence.

>> A pilot isn't naturally born >> that way. They learn how to be confident in the cockpit. And we can apply that same skill to virtually any situation we encounter.

>> I love that. Yeah. So, like the way that you learn to be more confident and less fearful is that you have to be be more prepared and also you have to trick your brain into believing that you've been

here before even if you actually haven't been there before or in that situation.

>> Exactly. Let me change one thing though.

We're not really tricking our brain.

What we're doing is exercising something called neuroplasticity.

Because your brain is basically a series of electronic impulses that are working off a preset of patterns. Some that

we're prepackaged right out of the box.

We come with, you know, fear built in.

But you can use neuro neuroplasticity. I

sound like a a neuroscientist.

>> I'm learning. But you can use that to truly reprogram your mind. Uh not even just tricking it, but reprogramming it.

So it establishes a new set of patterns.

And if you apply this, think about applying this to relationships.

>> Mhm.

>> I know you guys spend a lot of time on other stuff.

>> We talk about money, power, and love.

>> Yeah. So let's go to the love thing.

>> Let's go there. Let's hear it. Yeah.

>> No, I mean, how often do you revert to the same patterns, the bad patterns >> in relationship?

>> Yeah. And it causes turmoil and strife and anguish and heartache and fights or whatever as opposed to learning to not

react, >> but instead respond with your own agency, not be not be pushed into a response by your partner perhaps.

>> And if you can do that, and hopefully if they can do that too, you know, maybe that's the answer to a happy life, right? Easier

right? Easier said than done.

>> Yeah. Okay. So, so then to wrap up confidence, I feel like basically you're delivering us some good news and some bad news. So, the bad news is it would

bad news. So, the bad news is it would take it does take a lot of work. It

takes a lot of reps. It takes a lot of learning and commitment to build up your confidence. But the good news is that

confidence. But the good news is that you're saying anyone can build up their confidence by going through the work, by doing the work.

>> Anyone. You don't have to be born confident.

>> Yeah. Prepare to win.

>> Prepare to win.

>> Maybe we'll adopt that, too.

>> That's another quote. You're There's

some real bangers here.

>> Prepare to win. I love that.

>> It's also I like it because the way that I interpret it is that in your mind's eye, you are seeing yourself winning and and you can feel the confidence like >> can if you can imagine yourself there

and imagine yourself succeeding like what a powerful image it is to have in your brain.

>> Exactly. Exactly.

>> Okay. So then tell us about the last C, >> the third C, clarity.

>> Why is that important for a thriving and happy life? Why is that the key?

happy life? Why is that the key?

>> Yeah, because simplicity is ultimately elegance. Da Vinci used to say there's

elegance. Da Vinci used to say there's elegance and simplicity. I think Koko Chanel said it better probably.

But it's so true because we complicate and especially in this world of information, we complicate everything.

But if you can break things down into simple terms, it's so much easier. And

we have the ability to um not be overly complicated but instead break things down into simple terms by listening effectively. So it's inbound com in

effectively. So it's inbound com in inbound clarity and then outbound clarity in how we communicate.

I've never thought of it that way of like clarity almost being like a force field >> for yourself like protecting your goals and protecting your space from all the

sort of like negative inputs that >> exactly >> you come across in day-to-day life.

>> Exactly. But it applies in so many elements of our life.

>> I believe that so deeply down to my core. I've been told I'm a very positive

core. I've been told I'm a very positive person and I think like I'm I do skew that way like very naturally but I think relentless positivity like not toxic positivity but relentless positivity is

such a good way to live because it helps you focus on what you want to do.

>> Exactly.

>> And also like the world is already like neg so negative as it is is that like if you can control your own positivity and how you see situations it helps you keep on track.

>> Exactly. Well, and the difference there's an important difference because you're right. There is this thing toxic

you're right. There is this thing toxic positivity. Well, you can fake

positivity. Well, you can fake positivity, but that can be very toxic because it's not genuine. It's not

coming from within. It's not a result of you just blocking out all the noise and genuinely being happy, being positive.

People have a tendency to think no one should be that happy, >> right?

So Jim, to wrap us up, can you give us an explanation of how to use all three C's together?

>> So we got these three C's, right? And if

you put it in a package, any one of them alone is pretty important, but it's really that combination of being able to embrace change, have the confidence to do something about it, and the clarity

to then be able to execute on it.

Because if you don't have that clarity, if you're not listening, you won't have the confidence. you won't be able you

the confidence. you won't be able you won't see the change coming. So they all work together in this beautiful harmony that eliminates fear and gives you the

confidence truly to accomplish anything you want to accomplish with the power of those three things.

>> So Jim, when you say education is freedom, which is the title of your book. Yes.

book. Yes.

>> What do you actually mean? And can you give us three reasons why education actually equals freedom? Well, I I can and and I'm going to take you back to my

childhood experience growing up. Um my

my dad didn't know what to tell me. He

he had never made it past the sixth grade >> uh himself.

And he knew though it wasn't about money because I used to I remember saying, "Do you want me to go have a job and make money so we can put plumbing in the house?" And

house?" And >> and he said, "No, it's really not. It's

it's material things are just things.

They can take those things from you, but they can't take your knowledge. And that

was his dream to one day be able to experience other cultures around the world that were so different from his.

>> And he wanted that for me.

>> Now, he obviously never had a chance to do that because he was so tied to his job and his machine in the factory that he would never have that freedom. But

that is the best definition of freedom that I took with me. That this idea of it's yeah, money is a great enabler. But

it's really about being able to do whatever you want to do and wherever in the world and experience all that the world has to offer.

>> Freedom of time, freedom of choice, and of exploring opportunity.

>> Exactly. Exactly. And I and I've been blessed to do that. I've I've been able to do business all over the world.

>> Yeah. And I am just fascinated by other cultures. I've got a a chapter in the

cultures. I've got a a chapter in the book that you may have seen called cultural literacy. And um I am very

cultural literacy. And um I am very fortunate that even during college I was able to get uh into another cultural

experience in in the UK in this case.

But it it taught me the importance of cultural literacy and the importance of embracing people who are different because I've learned so much from all of those people that I've been able to

interact with over the years. But this

ability to go anywhere in the world and to be comfortable with the people of any culture is really a blessing and that's my definition of freedom. I think the

reason why, you know, we were so excited to have you here and why your book resonated with us is because we very much ascribe to a lot of what you said.

Like it's just we have never expressed it in a book the way you have yet.

>> Yeah.

>> Um but like a phrase that we say all the time that has kind of been become a catchphrase on Tiger Sisters is we say information is power which is kind of a variant of education is freedom.

Absolutely. It's more just like a distilled down into more like discrete packets of information, right? Because

like if you don't have education, if you don't have um information, you're not able to make decisions, make informed decisions.

>> Exactly.

>> In your honest opinion, do you feel like Americans are becoming dumber?

>> Ouch.

>> Good question.

>> Yeah, I know. It's kind of scary. I'm

going to give you a yes and a no.

>> Okay.

>> I think we're becoming lazier, >> but not dumber. lazier in the sense that it's so easy to get access to information that perceptions

have taken the place of perspective.

>> Important difference. Perception is when you see something, take it at face value. Don't engage your critical

value. Don't engage your critical thinking, which is really what separates humans from all other species. and to be able to use that critical thinking to

determine truth rather than take at face value something that you read or saw on the news.

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In this next section, Jim, I want to talk a little bit more about fear.

Blockbusters become a case study in many grad school programs of a company that saw change coming but missed the boat.

If you could rewrite that story, what would you do differently?

>> There were several things that I could have done if I had a crystal ball.

>> This is the big difference because no one saw the financial crisis of 2008 happening.

>> Blockbuster had a billion dollars of debt going into that crisis and was virtually unable to refinance that debt.

Much of it due in 2009 >> uh when the banks were virtually shut down. Mhm.

down. Mhm.

>> So what would I have done? Step one,

when I approached Blockbuster, it wasn't for a job. I had had quite a successful run at 7-Eleven after literally 20 years there and uh use technology very

successfully to turn around that company. I wanted to accomplish the same

company. I wanted to accomplish the same thing for Blockbuster and my intent was to take it private. Mhm.

>> So >> really what we were what I was trying to do was partner with private equity, take Blockbuster private, do the transformation to digital as necessary

and then reemerge as a public company maybe 5 years later. That was the plan.

>> Patrick.

>> Yeah. Yeah. It would have been. It would

have been. But uh the challenge was I ran into uh I was out selling that program and one of the investors called up Carl Icon, one of the board members

for Blockbuster. Carl convinced me to

for Blockbuster. Carl convinced me to just join the company as CEO, not try to take it private. And his logic was, "Look, Jim, I'm I'm the financial guy.

You're the operator. Um public private, you've run a public company very successfully. You know how this works.

successfully. You know how this works.

we have confidence that you can do this in the public environment. Just join us as CEO, chairman and CEO, which I did.

Now, in hindsight, had I refused and instead pressed on with taking it private, we would have refinanced 100% of that debt,

>> it would not have come due in '09. It

would have come due >> in >> 2012. if we would have sailed right

>> 2012. if we would have sailed right through the financial crisis without a a disruption.

So again, uh would I have done it something differently? Absolutely. But

something differently? Absolutely. But

that I have a crystal ball to know.

>> No, I didn't unfortunately.

>> Well, Blockbuster is actually something that Gene and like it's also very close in our heart. We had one close to our house, maybe a 5-minute walk away. And

we would I remember spending like Friday nights going to Blockbuster, walking down those aisles and like looking at all those movie, you know, those movie titles and also the snacks at

Blockbuster, too. I was a candy fiend, a

Blockbuster, too. I was a candy fiend, a sour candy fiend. And it made me feel like I was at the movie theaters >> with just being at home.

>> And just the memory of being like, "Oh, I hope they have this movie. I hope it's available. I hope it's available."

available. I hope it's available."

>> The new release wall. Remember?

>> I know.

>> No, it was iconic. And you know what's really sad about the blockbuster situation is that um well there's a lot of sad things I I wish we could have had

a different outcome. But um the perception is Blockbuster didn't keep up with technology. So false.

with technology. So false.

>> Seven years before I arrived in the year 2000, Blockbuster was partnering with Enron.

>> Uh now Enron had a whole different set of problems, but one thing they did have was bandwidth. They had acquired

was bandwidth. They had acquired Spectrum more than anyone else in the world. This would have been a beautiful

world. This would have been a beautiful partnership that would have dominated streaming had it been successful. So

they were way ahead of their time.

>> And even in 2007 when I arrived, the first thing I did was to buy a streaming video company from the studios. Five of

the six major studios created an entity called Movie Link.

>> People forget this. So the case studies, even the Harvard case study is actually quite wrong >> because it attributes Blockbuster's challenges to not keeping up with

technology and it completely misses the real learning. The best part of the or

real learning. The best part of the or the most important learning from the case study is cash management >> and managing the balance sheet. It's not

keeping up with technology.

>> It really should be in the accounting course. Exactly.

course. Exactly.

>> Not the change management course. Well,

in the in the in the general management because for any entrepreneur, cash flow >> is basically their oxygen.

>> Let's rewrite the case study.

>> Yeah, we should.

>> I mean, yeah, we actually could.

>> There you go.

>> Tiger sisters take on Harvard Business School.

>> I like that.

>> I like it, too.

>> We also have another question about another company where you were at the helm at 7-Eleven. And so you helped steer 7-Eleven through its transition to full Japanese ownership and you were

leading across two cultures which you talked about earlier. What did that teach you about humility and adaptability?

>> Yeah, I've learned a lot a lot and I I spoke about it earlier. Cultural

literacy was so important. Um I tried to learn a little Japanese. I'm not fluent by any means, but I learned enough. If I

I'd characterize it as really good taxi cab Japanese, you know, I can get around.

>> Yeah. Right.

>> Ah, but that's an important word. So, so

>> that's an such an important word because many Americans in doing business with the Japanese come away with a really bad experience because they are looking at a very

literal translation. And as you know,

literal translation. And as you know, Chinese Japanese non-Latinbased languages don't have a direct translation. Mhm.

direct translation. Mhm.

>> So in Japanese the the response hi means I acknowledge you.

>> Mhm.

>> It does not mean I agree with you.

>> But in English of course yes implies a much stronger level of agreement.

>> So you can be doing business with someone in Japan and they say you're sitting in a meeting and you've worked on a contract and they say hi. And it's

interpreted by the interpreter as yes, they agree. M

they agree. M >> and then you walk in the next day and you're renegotiating the same point.

>> An American often will look at that as an integrity issue. Not at all. It's a

cultural difference >> and a language interpretation difference. So once you learn the

difference. So once you learn the language, even a little of another country, you can help much much better

understand the uniqueness, the those those very different cultural elements that allow you to do business

in a much more productive fashion.

>> And that was one of my learnings from working with 7-Eleven Japan.

>> I love that. Do you have a a Japan 7-Eleven favorite go-to snack?

>> Oh, >> from the the Kini.

>> Yeah. I mean, all over the world, it's uh they're fascinating. The unique thing about 7-Eleven is unlike Starbucks or KFC, we don't have one menu.

>> Instead, we were fortunate to partner many, many years ago with local uh lenses who would develop a very local products for their customers.

So, my favorite product in 7-Eleven Japan is a um product called Onugiri.

>> Oh, >> isn't that amazing? I I wanted to bring that to the United States so badly. And

I'm shocked that they haven't yet.

>> No.

>> Because you could Americanize it.

>> Uh Americans, if you think about pizza, that's not Italian. What we have here, don't we?

>> It's very different. We Americanized it.

>> Um nor is the taco Taco Bell, right?

That's not really like a Mexican taco.

We Americanized it. I believe the opportunity is to Americanize on a giddy and put inside you could put barbecue beef, >> right? Why not? Toasted on a giddy with

>> right? Why not? Toasted on a giddy with barbecue beef on the inside. Be

delicious.

>> Both sacrilegious and delicious.

>> Well, that's kind of comical because I presented this to my board and I had a lot of Japanese members on the board and I I presented two product opportunities.

I said, "Look, I'm going to have an American oniri." And and then I I'm

American oniri." And and then I I'm going to have an American bento.

>> And the bento was, you know, barbecue, um colelaw you know, some sausage. And they looked at me like, "You idiot. Don't you

understand? A bento is fish and rice."

And I was like, "No, no, no. Americanize

it." Anyway,

>> um I'm I'm I'm actually surprised that 7-Eleven hasn't yet done that in the US because >> every country in Taiwan, they have tea eggs, very popular.

>> Uh in 7-Eleven, in in Korea, they have uh kimpop, >> which is a Korean version of oniri.

>> Uh there it's very they'll have kimchi inside uh of a of a rice ball. So, every

Thailand has their own unique products and everywhere in the world when you go into 7-Eleven in Sweden, they have some amazing breads that they bake right in the store.

>> Yeah.

>> But very localized things that you probably wouldn't find here in the United States.

>> It's a cultural experience in and of itself to visit the 7-Elevens of the world.

>> It is. It is. In fact, one of the things you you guys should come with me. We

could do a >> I would love to.

I mean, >> I want to go shoot a video in every 7-Eleven.

>> We haven't mentioned that like when we go to Japan, like 60% of our meals are 7-Eleven.

>> Oh, they're they're the oniri. The tuna

mayo on.

>> That's my lunch. Maybe my breakfast.

>> And the egg sandwich.

>> Oh my gosh. So good. The bread there is just But they have a different I tried to copy their bread for the United States. We have a whole different set of

States. We have a whole different set of laws here in the US for food safety >> um that that won't allow the same uh

richness of um butter content in the bread that makes it so soft in Japan.

>> Yeah. What

>> and the refrigeration requirements here in the United States are much more strict. So, you can you can carry uh

strict. So, you can you can carry uh refrigerated products in Japan at, you know, let's say 55° and I I can't remember the actual numbers, but at a

lot higher temperature. They're still

chilled, but they're not the United States, we have to keep them at like between 35 and 40° and so that dries out the bread.

>> Cold chain management.

>> Cold chain. It's what it is, man.

>> It is. Exactly. It is.

>> It'll catch you every time.

>> It is. But it's also being able to work with uh with local authorities to relax the standards if you can. For example,

the reason that our standards are so strict is refrigeration wasn't over the years managed electronically. So you had to have some some buffer there to

protect the consumer. But when you can electronically measure it >> and have someone dispatched immediately to correct it if the temperature falls

um below a certain threshold, then you could basically petition to allow a little higher >> um refrigeration rate or or level which

would end up producing much higher quality product for the consumer. So all

of these things are fixable.

>> That's why we can't have nice things.

That's why we can't have oniri at 7-Eleven in America. and the the egg sandwich. One day you will. Yeah,

sandwich. One day you will. Yeah,

they'll come.

>> Okay. So, we're going to Japan. We have

We have a lot of >> We're going to Japan with you, Jim.

Going to Japan with I helped bring I helped to uh bring 7-Eleven to to Beijing before the Olympics, the first Olympics.

>> Wow.

>> They actually the Beijing government actually came to Dallas, Texas to ask us. Now most at the time most companies

us. Now most at the time most companies were begging for the privilege of going to China and we had already had stores in Hong Kong and then of course across

the border in Guangdong province and Shenzhen um but none in you know the bulk of uh of China. And so the Beijing government came to Dallas. We were

shocked and said we'd like 500 stores in time for the Olympics. This is like a year and a half before >> and we said and it's probably impossible

and they were like hold my beer >> and they made it happen. I mean it was it was pretty incredible. Yeah. It was

fascinating experience doing business.

>> This is early in China's >> new approach. True. You know, in fact, I remember doing business the first time and and driving through Beijing and

seeing more bicycles than cars. And I'd

go back five years later and >> cars are all Mercedes and >> Yeah.

>> bikes are gone, you know. It's pretty

amazing.

>> That's like an iconic time in in history in like business history.

>> It is. It is. It's been fascinating to watch.

>> So, Jim, you are 70 years young.

>> Oh. Is this correct?

>> Yeah, let's reward that.

>> All right, let's just say >> I'm just kidding. I'm kidding.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Going on 12.

>> There you go. Um, so you now invest in frontier sectors like space, advanced energy, AI, AR. How can older leaders today stay ahead of that curve?

>> I think that we have to all engage our inner child. M

inner child. M >> um in all seriousness, I've never grown up and that can be a bad thing or a good thing. I'm probably very immature at

thing. I'm probably very immature at times.

Yeah.

Can be a little embarrassing.

>> You mean joyful.

>> Joyful. Yeah. It's what it is. I have

fun. But in all seriousness, I I um never lost that wideeyed curiosity of a child. I never lost it. And I I don't

child. I never lost it. And I I don't know why. I think it was just never

know why. I think it was just never beaten out of me.

>> Um, as in many cases people will, they'll they'll stifle that that curiosity uh of children. And then

creativity is another thing that I think allows me to engage that curiosity. It

lets me um get out and explore. So I

paint and I and I sculpt and I write music and I do this other stuff. I'm

never going to be any good at it.

>> But again, it's intelligence having fun.

Mhm.

>> And I think those things help me defy the normal conservatism that creeps in with age over time.

>> Maybe the point isn't to be good at it.

Maybe the point is just in the process of doing.

>> I think you're exactly right because it's it's in those things that are outside of your comfort zone. That's

when that's when learning really happens and that's when the fun happens. As long

as you can overcome that fear, >> there's no such thing as failure and there's no such thing as bad when it comes to trying, you know, something

new.

>> And so for our viewers today, where can they find you online or social media?

And education is freedom.

>> So, uh, jameswkeys.com.

>> Yes.

>> Uh, they can also follow me on Instagram at jkeykeys. Jke ke author. Um, and I've

at jkeykeys. Jke ke author. Um, and I've got some fun uh some fun clips out there, as you know, on Instagram and Tik Tok. Uh, and I'm also out there, of

Tok. Uh, and I'm also out there, of course, LinkedIn and and and other places. So, I look forward to uh having

places. So, I look forward to uh having your audience check it out.

>> Perfect. Yay.

>> Thank you so much for chatting with us today.

>> Thank you.

>> This was fun.

>> Yeah, this is really fun. It's been a party.

>> So, am I am I an official Tiger brother yet?

>> Yes, you are. And then as a a thank you for being on our podcast, we have a little gift for you.

>> Oh, wow.

>> This is our matcha brand.

>> Oh, awesome.

>> Um and actually, I mean, since you've been to Japan so many times, you'll I think you'll appreciate this. This is

our brand. It's called Sisters Matcha.

>> I love it.

>> It's from a small family farm um outside of Kyoto in the town of Wazuka next to Uji. And um this is a farm that I've

Uji. And um this is a farm that I've lived on for over a month. And Gene has worked and lived there as well. And it's

from I mean familyowned. It's my boss, the farmer, his wife, and they're like four full-time employees. So, and this batch specifically, we actually went back at the end of May for harvest

season, and we manually participated in harvesting this matcha, these leaves.

>> So, I have a gift coming for you.

>> Oh, that just I and and I didn't think about it, but this triggered this thought.

>> Yay.

>> Amazing.

>> I've got one for you.

>> Yay.

>> That'll be fun. Yeah.

>> Okay. Okay, thank you.