James Keyes
π€ SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
That's a really good question. I literally grew up in circumstances where I didn't even know what options were out there. Business to me was the factory my dad worked at, and I didn't want any part of that. So business was kind of dark and dirty and hard. Or the alternative was it was typing class. I remember in high school, we had typing class, no frame of reference whatsoever.
That's a really good question. I literally grew up in circumstances where I didn't even know what options were out there. Business to me was the factory my dad worked at, and I didn't want any part of that. So business was kind of dark and dirty and hard. Or the alternative was it was typing class. I remember in high school, we had typing class, no frame of reference whatsoever.
But I was inspired by the space program at the time. As a kid, I grew up watching the Apollo missions and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon and Charlie Duke and guys like that. And so I thought, okay, these guys came from nothing and they've become astronauts. So maybe that's a path for me. I want to be an astronaut and I can do really cool things. So that was my first dream to be an astronaut.
But I was inspired by the space program at the time. As a kid, I grew up watching the Apollo missions and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon and Charlie Duke and guys like that. And so I thought, okay, these guys came from nothing and they've become astronauts. So maybe that's a path for me. I want to be an astronaut and I can do really cool things. So that was my first dream to be an astronaut.
Set out to do that. Fell a little bit short of the astronaut thing, at least so far in my life. You never know though. Yeah. What did that even look like? Well, Adam, that would imply I even knew the path to be an astronaut. All I knew is that to be an astronaut, I'd better be smart.
Set out to do that. Fell a little bit short of the astronaut thing, at least so far in my life. You never know though. Yeah. What did that even look like? Well, Adam, that would imply I even knew the path to be an astronaut. All I knew is that to be an astronaut, I'd better be smart.
And so literally I said, well, if you really want to be an astronaut, you better study because they have to be smart. I dove into learning and I dove into school and I loved science. You know, I was trying to learn as much as I could. One of my failures, I said, I'm going to learn how to be a rocket scientist and that will be my path to being an astronaut.
And so literally I said, well, if you really want to be an astronaut, you better study because they have to be smart. I dove into learning and I dove into school and I loved science. You know, I was trying to learn as much as I could. One of my failures, I said, I'm going to learn how to be a rocket scientist and that will be my path to being an astronaut.
And a guy named Robert Goddard, like the father of modern rocketry, grew up in this town not too far from where I grew up. So I was kind of inspired by him. And I said, I'm going to work on my own rocket. So I took an old flashlight and I put some fins on it and a nose cone on it. I had the body of the flashlight and I took a baggie and I put gas in it.
And a guy named Robert Goddard, like the father of modern rocketry, grew up in this town not too far from where I grew up. So I was kind of inspired by him. And I said, I'm going to work on my own rocket. So I took an old flashlight and I put some fins on it and a nose cone on it. I had the body of the flashlight and I took a baggie and I put gas in it.
I thought, well, if I put gas in it and if I control the flow of gas, I maybe make it fly. Pretty silly. I was like seven years old or eight years old, something like that. So, I set this thing off, almost blew myself up, didn't manage to get off the ground but it did create quite a little fire.
I thought, well, if I put gas in it and if I control the flow of gas, I maybe make it fly. Pretty silly. I was like seven years old or eight years old, something like that. So, I set this thing off, almost blew myself up, didn't manage to get off the ground but it did create quite a little fire.
So, I snuffed out the fire and then left, came back and discovered I had nearly burned down half the neighborhood. Fire took off. So, here's a kid trying to learn, trying to be a rocket scientist and I was dubbed a bad kid in the neighborhood because I almost burned the place down.
So, I snuffed out the fire and then left, came back and discovered I had nearly burned down half the neighborhood. Fire took off. So, here's a kid trying to learn, trying to be a rocket scientist and I was dubbed a bad kid in the neighborhood because I almost burned the place down.
I am a commercially rated pilot. I don't fly commercial airlines. I fly a Citation, which is I'm at 40 to 45,000 feet above most of the commercial airlines. Wow. Without a need for a co-pilot.
I am a commercially rated pilot. I don't fly commercial airlines. I fly a Citation, which is I'm at 40 to 45,000 feet above most of the commercial airlines. Wow. Without a need for a co-pilot.
Yeah, it's curiosity. Creativity, interestingly. Einstein called creativity intelligence having fun. Yeah. And it's so true. I mean, think about it. Playing music is actually a form of mathematics. People don't think about it that way, but if you look at a score, it is mathematically correct in terms of beats and notes and structure and the way it comes together.
Yeah, it's curiosity. Creativity, interestingly. Einstein called creativity intelligence having fun. Yeah. And it's so true. I mean, think about it. Playing music is actually a form of mathematics. People don't think about it that way, but if you look at a score, it is mathematically correct in terms of beats and notes and structure and the way it comes together.
It's almost a subliminal use of mathematics when you learn how to play an instrument, but it's also fun. And so it's kind of, it makes learning fun. And curiosity is that innate. that we all have as children. I mean, how many kids do you know that don't run around asking why? And they're just curious about everything because their minds are just developing and they just can't get enough.
It's almost a subliminal use of mathematics when you learn how to play an instrument, but it's also fun. And so it's kind of, it makes learning fun. And curiosity is that innate. that we all have as children. I mean, how many kids do you know that don't run around asking why? And they're just curious about everything because their minds are just developing and they just can't get enough.