James Keyes

Want to learn more and more and more. And if we can learn as adults also to keep asking why, there's just so much more richness that we can enjoy. Why just look at art? Why not practice it? And then the next time you go to a museum after you had a canvas and played around with some paint and mixing colors, the next time you go to a museum, you look at a great masterpiece.

Want to learn more and more and more. And if we can learn as adults also to keep asking why, there's just so much more richness that we can enjoy. Why just look at art? Why not practice it? And then the next time you go to a museum after you had a canvas and played around with some paint and mixing colors, the next time you go to a museum, you look at a great masterpiece.

It's so much more meaningful when you've actually done it yourself.

It's so much more meaningful when you've actually done it yourself.

Well, I'll share a story with you. I use this story sparingly because honestly, it sounds a little flaky. Shortly after being named CEO, I ended up with a dream. Now you see why I don't tell the story very often. But it was an incredibly powerful dream.

Well, I'll share a story with you. I use this story sparingly because honestly, it sounds a little flaky. Shortly after being named CEO, I ended up with a dream. Now you see why I don't tell the story very often. But it was an incredibly powerful dream.

And I was probably having that natural hesitation that we all have, maybe a little imposter syndrome, whatever it is that says, oh my gosh, I'm the dog that caught the car. Now I... Worked my whole career to try to be a CEO. Now I am one. Am I able to do this? Am I capable of doing this? And in this dream, I was told I was going to get a gift.

And I was probably having that natural hesitation that we all have, maybe a little imposter syndrome, whatever it is that says, oh my gosh, I'm the dog that caught the car. Now I... Worked my whole career to try to be a CEO. Now I am one. Am I able to do this? Am I capable of doing this? And in this dream, I was told I was going to get a gift.

And I was given tasks and I was sent off to do these tasks. And I came back from every task. Then I woke up. Darn it. I woke up too early. I didn't get my gift. And I write down three words, change, confidence, and clarity. I said, what the heck does that mean? The next morning I'm thinking about it and this, I didn't get my gift. And then I started talking about it.

And I was given tasks and I was sent off to do these tasks. And I came back from every task. Then I woke up. Darn it. I woke up too early. I didn't get my gift. And I write down three words, change, confidence, and clarity. I said, what the heck does that mean? The next morning I'm thinking about it and this, I didn't get my gift. And then I started talking about it.

Virtually everybody that I shared that story with said, that is your gift. How do you think you got there? You were able to take the worst kinds of change from the time you were a little kid and turn that into a positive. So you've recognized that change equals opportunity. That is the very acronym CEO. Change equals opportunity. That's the role of a CEO.

Virtually everybody that I shared that story with said, that is your gift. How do you think you got there? You were able to take the worst kinds of change from the time you were a little kid and turn that into a positive. So you've recognized that change equals opportunity. That is the very acronym CEO. Change equals opportunity. That's the role of a CEO.

And you're the best person we know at being able to deal with change, good or bad. And you've got this weird sense of confidence that you can do anything. I realize now that all it is is a matter of learning. I don't learn to do anything.

And you're the best person we know at being able to deal with change, good or bad. And you've got this weird sense of confidence that you can do anything. I realize now that all it is is a matter of learning. I don't learn to do anything.

And then they said the third thing is you've got this weird sense of clarity that you break complex things into really simple terms that you can then communicate it out Clearly, change, confidence, and clarity, that was the gift of those three things that I didn't even know I had, I think anyone can use to find their own personal or professional success.

And then they said the third thing is you've got this weird sense of clarity that you break complex things into really simple terms that you can then communicate it out Clearly, change, confidence, and clarity, that was the gift of those three things that I didn't even know I had, I think anyone can use to find their own personal or professional success.

Well, I've hit a lot of walls in my career. People forget that 7-Eleven was bankrupt back in 1991, shortly after I joined the company. And I thought, Man, what a bad career decision. I went from a major oil company to 7-Eleven thinking that it was going to be a great career trajectory, and I find them now bankrupt. This is one of those things that change equals opportunity.

Well, I've hit a lot of walls in my career. People forget that 7-Eleven was bankrupt back in 1991, shortly after I joined the company. And I thought, Man, what a bad career decision. I went from a major oil company to 7-Eleven thinking that it was going to be a great career trajectory, and I find them now bankrupt. This is one of those things that change equals opportunity.

The company had 10 years of same-store sales declines, was really on a difficult trajectory. It was growing still, but it was having trouble keeping up with competitors, and it ultimately had to file for bankruptcy. But That gave it the opportunity to reinvent itself.

The company had 10 years of same-store sales declines, was really on a difficult trajectory. It was growing still, but it was having trouble keeping up with competitors, and it ultimately had to file for bankruptcy. But That gave it the opportunity to reinvent itself.