During junior year, I applied and received the National Horatio Alger Scholarship– a prestigious award that flew me out to a National Scholars Conference in D.C. for five days. During that time, I met with James W. Keyes, a former CEO of Blockbuster and 7-Eleven. We talked during a breakfast meeting, and I want to share some important information about life from our coffee chat!
NOTE: This isn’t fully grammar checked and only serves as revised notes taken during the interview. This is also intentional, since it makes things more personal and conveys a casual tone. Take interpretations to your own liking, and apply this knowledge passed down from one of America’s most brilliant masterminds to your heart’s content.
My involvement with Horatio Alger Scholars:
https://horatioalger.org/new-scholarship-recipients/ (search up my name! Representing not only Vestal but NYS :D)
Information about James W. Keyes:
https://horatioalger.org/members/detail/james-w-keyes/
- One phrase I’d like to share with you is “Delusional optimism”, and I think this is a theme that resonated with me after our talk at the breakfast meeting. Do you have anything to share related to that aspect?
James shared experience as a pilot, where attitude is essential to keeping afloat. You cannot be pessimistic and be a pilot; you have to have an optimistic outlook to make the best judgements. Carry joy with you. That joy is reflected with everyone you encounter and it goes back to you. Snoop Dogg endorsed his book and knew his son, gave a copy of his book, and sent a picture of him reading it: ”When you come from nothing, you appreciate everyone”.
2. I asked him about the glass bottle metacognition phenomenon, the idea that the negative or positive words you talk into the bottles cause the molecular structure to differ.
Flying, pilots can’t be scared.. Why? When he first learned to fly, it was scary. It’s unnatural, what if it breaks, scary… rewire your brain away from that fear, bad in the cockpit, so you don’t panic and crash. You have to be different from normal humans, fight or flight. Simulator, professionals… learning how to fly. Throwing crisis after crisis, stay in the mode instead of reverting to normal human stay pilot… no typical human. Understand your own thoughts to a high level of self awareness, apply this to everywhere like classrooms… Everyone can control their own thoughts. For instance, someone says something stupid at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s how you react to that, that matters.
3. How was work at Keyes Development, LLC?
Drifting project to project, advising Chinese companies, nonprofits, books, speeches, etc… Drift from opportunity to opportunity. Compared to traditional roles at work, I wanted to do something else.
4. If you had any superpower, what would it be?
Fearlessness. Fear is the biggest obstacle… everyone’s growth, time as a kid, “if I fail, I fail…” move on afraid to act, don’t shut yourself down.
5. When did you get into Horatio Alger, and what was your involvement?
Keyes Got in Horatio Alger in 2005, going since 2002, working in Horatio Alger member meetings. Biggest change to the program? Money. Lots of donors, and a massive upscaling of the whole organization.
6. Underrated advice about college people don’t usually talk about?
FORGET ABOUT THE MONEY. Get into the best school, money comes later. Dividends for the rest of life, people forget and just think that “Oh, college? I can’t afford this”. College is a discounted cash flow on future earnings if you make the most of this education.
7. What is one thing you want to talk about college?
Year one, most people leave the house. WOOOOO!!!!! Social = important, but block out the sun. No partying. Be a nerd and be the best in your grade, everything gets easier. But during the years after, people struggle. But we’re sailing because we did most of the heavy lifting.
8. Advice for youth?
People are so freaked out by AI taking our jobs…
More you learn, the more you can do. If I were in your shoes, be a SPONGE. Portal of unlimited learning in my hand (phone). Just learn as much as you can. AI is gonna go deep on some subjects, be an engineer, take your job but if you know all kinds of stuff you got a BROAD range of knowledge and pivot. The wealth of the next 30-40 yrs is going to only grow, you should be of the highest intellectual capacity. Most jobs are gone to waste, and the average person is not as motivated to thrive. Lots of people just learn the required minimum. Just learn as much as you can while you’re here. We’re all products. He’s the business. Going to hire then its the breadth of knowledge. Your brand.
