Jim Keyes | Former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster on What Always Happens Before a Company Crash and How He Ran Multi Billion Dollar Busines
School of Hard Knocks PodcastShow Notes
Jim Keyes led some of the most iconic companies in the world, including serving as CEO of 7 Eleven during one of the most volatile periods in its history. He breaks down how growing up dirt poor shaped his leadership edge, why 7 Eleven’s bankruptcy nearly ended the company, and how seeing crisis as opportunity changed the trajectory of his career. We also cover what actually saves companies in free fall, why fear kills more businesses than bad strategy, how equity creates real wealth, and the leadership decisions most CEOs avoid when the stakes are highest. This episode is a blueprint for navigating collapse, leading at scale, and building a career that turns chaos into opportunity.
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Bob Duggan is a billionaire entrepreneur and investor best known for helping transform Pharmacyclics from a struggling biotech company into a cancer-treatment powerhouse that sold for $21 billion.
Kim Perell is a nine-time entrepreneur, angel investor in more than 100 companies, and the founder behind a business that grew from a $10,000 loan from her grandmother to a $235 million exit.