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# Lessons from Larry Miller
- URL: https://www.antoinebuteau.com/lessons-from-larry-miller/
- Published: 2026-03-14T14:43:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-18T22:07:33.000Z
- Description: Larry Miller, Chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board and former Portland Trail Blazers president, pairs experience in global brand expansion and corporate leadership with a transformative journey from incarceration, illuminating the value of authenticity and second chances.
- Author: Antoine Buteau
- Tags: Profile, Personal Development, Personal Development & Psychology Profiles

Larry Miller is the Chairman of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board and former President of the Portland Trail Blazers, whose career is a masterclass in global brand expansion and corporate leadership. His life story, marked by a transformative journey from incarceration to the highest levels of the footwear industry, offers profound insights into the power of second chances and the importance of authenticity in business.

![Infographic for "Lessons from Larry Miller".](https://www.antoinebuteau.com/content/images/2026/07/lessons-from-larry-miller-optimized.webp)

### Part 1: The Path of Redemption and Second Chances

1. **On Personal Growth:** "Redemption is possible when a path is provided and you have the will to take it." — *\[Source: Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom\]*
2. **On Defining Identity:** "You shouldn't be judged by the worst thing that you’ve done in life." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
3. **On the Weight of Secrets:** "The burden of keeping a secret for decades was like carrying a heavy backpack every single day; letting it go allowed me to finally breathe." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBS News)\]*
4. **On Human Potential:** "A person can change their life if they are given the opportunity and the tools to do so." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*
5. **On Overcoming the Past:** "There is no shame in overcoming obstacles, no matter how large or how dark they may seem." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Highsnobiety)\]*
6. **On Transparency:** "Coming clean wasn't just about my past; it was about being my whole, authentic self in every room I entered." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with HBS Cold Call)\]*
7. **On Forgiveness:** "Meeting the family of the person I hurt and receiving their forgiveness was the most powerful moment of my redemption." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with The Guardian)\]*
8. **On Social Stigma:** "We have to stop writing people off forever just because they made a mistake at sixteen or seventeen." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Black Enterprise)\]*
9. **On Internal Peace:** "I used to have migraines and nightmares every night; once I shared my truth, they vanished." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBC)\]*
10. **On Future Hope:** "My story is proof that your beginning does not have to dictate your end." — *\[Source: Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom\]*

### Part 2: The Architecture of Brand Building

1. **On Brand Mission:** "Our mission at Jordan Brand isn't just about selling shoes; it's about inspiring people all over the world to achieve greatness." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBC)\]*
2. **On Consumer Authenticity:** "If a brand’s message isn’t real or authentic, consumers today will see right through it." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
3. **On the Power of Storytelling:** "The best brands are built on stories that people can see themselves in." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Aurum Bureau)\]*
4. **On Brand DNA:** "Everything we do must reflect the characteristics of Michael Jordan: hard work, determination, and a refusal to lose." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Footwear News)\]*
5. **On Evolving After Retirement:** "We realized the Jumpman could stand alone; the brand had to become bigger than the man playing on the court." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Masters of Scale)\]*
6. **On Emotional Connection:** "A brand is successful when it creates an emotional connection that goes beyond the physical product." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with House of 1212)\]*
7. **On Global Appeal:** "Greatness is a universal language, which is why the Jordan Brand resonates in China just as much as it does in Chicago." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Temple University)\]*
8. **On Strategic Growth:** "Expanding into women's sports and lifestyle apparel was about recognizing that the spirit of the brand wasn't limited to a single demographic." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
9. **On Consistency:** "Consistency in your brand promise is what builds long-term trust with your community." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Ebony)\]*
10. **On the Jumpman Logo:** "The logo represents excellence; our job is to ensure every product that carries it lives up to that standard." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Highsnobiety)\]*

### Part 3: Leadership and Corporate Culture

1. **On Empowering Teams:** "Leadership is about cultivating a culture where every individual feels valued and motivated to perform at their highest level." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Aurum Bureau)\]*
2. **On Learning from Failure:** "Failure is a critical part of building a high-performing team; you have to create a safe space for people to make mistakes." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with House of 1212)\]*
3. **On Strategic Focus:** "You have to be able to say no to good ideas so that you can focus all your energy on the great ones." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Masters of Scale)\]*
4. **On Street-Smart Leadership:** "The resilience I learned on the streets of Philly actually prepared me for the pressures of the corporate boardroom." — *\[Source: Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom\]*
5. **On Trust:** "Building trust requires open dialogue and a shared mission that everyone believes in." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with HBS Cold Call)\]*
6. **On Influence:** "Use your influence to build infrastructure and create tangible solutions rather than just giving speeches." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*
7. **On Collaboration:** "There is no greater reward than seeing a team develop a bold strategy and then watching it succeed in the marketplace." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Temple University)\]*
8. **On Professional Demeanor:** "I learned early on to maintain a hard shell and focus on getting things done; in business, you have to take care of the work first." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
9. **On Culture of Excellence:** "If you set the bar high and provide the necessary support, people will almost always rise to meet it." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Aurum Bureau)\]*
10. **On Mentorship:** "My role now is to reach back and provide the guidance for the next generation that I wish I had when I was starting out." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Black Enterprise)\]*

### Part 4: The Transformative Power of Education

1. **On Education as an Escape:** "I realized early in prison that education was a way out—that I could literally learn my way into a new life." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Masters of Scale Podcast)\]*
2. **On the Impact of a Degree:** "Earning my accounting degree was the first time I felt I had a legitimate path to the corporate world." — *\[Source: Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom\]*
3. **On Reducing Recidivism:** "Statistics show that if an incarcerated person earns a degree, the chance of them returning to prison drops nearly to zero." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Black Enterprise)\]*
4. **On Lifelong Learning:** "You never stop being a student; the moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop growing." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Temple University)\]*
5. **On Skill Acquisition:** "Giving people a trade or a skill while they are inside gives them a reason to stay outside once they are released." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*
6. **On Intellectual Curiosity:** "I used my time in the library to expand my world far beyond the prison walls." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBC)\]*
7. **On Educational Reform:** "We need to focus our prison systems on education and counseling rather than just punishment." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
8. **On Credibility:** "Education gave me the credibility to stand in rooms where my background otherwise would have kept me out." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with HBS Cold Call)\]*
9. **On Self-Worth:** "Learning that I was capable of academic excellence changed how I viewed my own value as a human being." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with The Guardian)\]*
10. **On the JUMP Project Goal:** "One of our main goals is to ensure that education is accessible to everyone, regardless of their past involvement with the system." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*

### Part 5: Social Impact and Systemic Change

1. **On Systemic Bias:** "The criminal justice system is fundamentally broken and disproportionately affects poor people and people of color." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
2. **On Second-Chance Hiring:** "Companies like JPMorgan Chase and Lowe's are proving that second-chance hiring is good for the community and good for the bottom line." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBS News)\]*
3. **On Rebuilding Lives:** "Coming out of prison is an incredibly difficult transition; we need to build systems that support people during that first year." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*
4. **On Collective Responsibility:** "We all have a responsibility to help fix the parts of society that we know are not working fairly." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Ebony)\]*
5. **On the Goal of Incarceration:** "Prisons should be places where people go to become better versions of themselves, not worse." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview via YouTube)\]*
6. **On Economic Mobility:** "Creating jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals is the most effective way to strengthen families and communities." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Black Enterprise)\]*
7. **On the Power of Advocacy:** "I’m using my platform at Nike to speak for those who don’t have a voice in the corporate world." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with Footwear News)\]*
8. **On Long-term Impact:** "JUMP's goal is to reduce recidivism by 50% by 2040; we are playing the long game for systemic change." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Justice and Upward Mobility Project)\]*
9. **On Legacy:** "I want my legacy to be about more than shoes; I want it to be about opening doors that were previously locked shut." — *\[Source: Larry Miller (Interview with CBC)\]*
10. **On Human Resilience:** "The human spirit is incredibly resilient; with the right support, anyone can make the 'jump' to a better life." — *\[Source: Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom\]*