Thinking With Mitch Joel

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SPOS #729 - Steven Levy On Facebook And Tech's Greatest Challenges Jun 28, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #729 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #729 - Host: Mitch Joel. At the beginning of the commercialization of technology, Steven Levy was there and reporting on it. He still is. Steven is Wired's editor at large. The Washington Post has called him "America's premier technology journalist." His previous positions include founder of Backchannel and chief technology writer and senior editor for Newsweek. Steven has written seven previous books and his work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Harper's Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, and everywhere in between. He is the author of incredibly insightful books like Hackers - Heroes of the Computer Revolution, Insanely Great - The Story of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything, In the Plex - How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives and many others. Most recently, he published, Facebook - The Inside Story, where he had unprecedented access to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg for three years. This book is the definitive history of one of the world's most powerful and controversial companies, especially these days. How should we see Facebook and other technologies? What does the future have in store for us? Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 59:10.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Seven Levy.
Facebook - The Inside Story.
In the Plex - How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives.
Insanely Great - The Story of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything.
Hackers - Heroes of the Computer Revolution.
Wired.
Steven on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #728 - Alex Osterwalder On Building Invincible Companies Jun 21, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #728 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #728 - Host: Mitch Joel. I've been following his work for many years. Books like Business Model Generation, The Team Alignment Map, Value Proposition Design, Testing Business Ideas and more, are not just jam-packed with ideas, but are also visual stunning and hyper-graphical. Alex Osterwalder's passion for both making business better and business model creation is contagious. It's hard not to think differently about business after spending any amount of time with his content. His company is called Strategyzer and they've also deployed the Business Model Canvas (along with many online courses). Most recently, Alex and I both took part in a multi-day online event called, SpeakAid 2020 (put together by another great thinker, Dan Pontefract). Out of the multi-day/many speaker event, I found Alex's to be the best presentation (by far). With his latest book, The Invincible Company, Alex (along with his regular co-author and business partner, Yves Pigneur) are digging deep into how to constantly reinvent your business with inspiration from the world's best business models. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 55:47.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Alex Osterwalder.
The Invincible Company.
Business Model Generation.
Value Proposition Design.
Testing Business Ideas.
The Team Alignment Map.
Strategyzer.
Business Model Canvas.
Follow Alex on Instagram.
Follow Alex on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #727 - Emily Heyward On Building Brands That People Love Jun 14, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #727 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #727 - Host: Mitch Joel. I didn't blink. I saw the title of Emily Heyward's new book, Obsessed - Building a Brand People Love From Day One, and I knew it would be right for me. I wasn't wrong. During Emily's 12+ years building and running Red Antler (a branding agency for startups and new ventures), Emily has not only witnessed the landscape of business evolve, she has helped shape it. Now with Obsessed, she demonstrates why brands big and small have a hugely significant role to play in driving our culture, through times of great uncertainty and beyond. Since 2007, she's worked closely with founders to develop purposeful, strategic visions for their companies and has led branding efforts for some of the most disruptive brands on the planet such as Casper, Allbirds, Boxed, and Prose. After beginning her career in advertising, Emily started Red Antler along with her co-founders to directly apply consumer insights and brand positioning to launching and growing new and beloved businesses. In 2018, Red Antler made Fast Company's list of Most Innovative Companies in Marketing and Advertising and was dubbed the "cult brand whisperer." Emily was named among the Most Important Entrepreneurs of the Decade by Inc. Magazine, and has also been recognized as a Top Female Founder by Inc. and one of Entrepreneur's Most Powerful Women of 2019. Let's get obsessed… Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 54:51.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Emily Heyward.
Obsessed - Building a Brand People Love From Day One.
Red Ant ler.
Follow Emily on Instagram.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #726 - Mike Walsh On Rethinking How And Where We Work Jun 07, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #726 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #726 - Host: Mitch Joel. For over a decade, I have been a fan of everything that Mike Walsh has created. From the genuine and beautiful aesthetic of his brand, style and design, to how his brain thinks so rapidly about our rapidly changing work space. He moves so quickly (and fast) that whenever I was at the airport (remember airports?), I would wonder if I would run into him. Mike used to travel over 300 days a year, researching trends, collecting case studies and presenting on the future of business and leadership. Now, we both sit and wait for the stages, conferences and associations to come back to life. With that change comes opportunity. Mike is the CEO of Tomorrow, a consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. The Futurist and author recently published, The Algorithmic Leader, which digs into digital transformation, disruptive innovation and machine intelligence. Mike's other books include Futuretainment (winner of the design award by the Art Director's Club in New York), published by Phaidon, and The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas. Most recently, he has been sharing his thoughts on YouTube with his highly visual and instructive vignettes, New Rules For A New World. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 52:27.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Mike Walsh.
The Algorithmic Leader.
Futuretainment.
The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas.
New Rules For A New World.
Follow Mike on Instagram.
Follow Mike on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #725 - Mike Michalowicz On Mastering Entrepreneurship May 31, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #724 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #725 - Host: Mitch Joel. It's hard to grow a business. It's hard to build a business. I wrote about the struggles (and the glory) this past week (The Heart of The Entrepreneur). When I speak to those who are starting up, there is always a book. A secret weapon. I can't tell you how many times, I've heard an entrepreneur or small business owner say: "Have you read Profit First?" The author of that book is Mike Michalowicz, and many people consider him the horse whisperer for startups and small businesses. As we all grapple through this pandemic, Mike's work couldn't be more profound. Over half a million people have read Mike's books (other gems include: Surge, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur). Mike's mission is clear: "Eradicate entrepreneurial poverty. I have devoted my life to fixing those struggles for you, for myself, and for every entrepreneur I have the privilege to connect with. Successful entrepreneurship is not easy, but it can be a whole lot simpler. That is what I am here to do with you, right now." His latest book is titled, Fix This Next - Make The Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business. Mike has built and sold many businesses - in good times and in tougher times. Thinking about what's next for you? Your business? Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 56:12.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Mike Michalowicz.
Fix This Next - Make The Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business.
Profit First.
Surge.
Clockwork.
The Pumpkin Plan.
The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
Follow Mike on Instagram.
Follow Mike on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #725 - Host: Mitch Joel.

SPOS #724 - Simon Sinek On Great Revealers And Infinite Games May 24, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #724 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #724 - Host: Mitch Joel. This is how Simon Sinek's website begins: "We imagine a world in which the vast majority of people wake up inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work they do." Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together - even during this crisis. Described as "a visionary thinker with a rare intellect," Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist. Simon is the author of multiple bestselling books including, Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and his latest, The Infinite Game. Simon may be best known for popularizing the concept of "why," which he described in his first TED Talk in 2009. That talk went on to become the second most watched TED Talk of all time, and is still in the top five with over 50 million views. His interview on millennials in the workplace broke the internet in 2016. With over 80 million views in its first week, it has now been viewed hundreds of millions times. This led to Simon being YouTube's fifth most searched term in 2017. Simon is very busy with his live online classes and rethinking how to work beyond speaking on big stages for conferences, organizations and other live events. With that, there is no one else that I wanted to speak to on the topic of the day, how to be a great leader and how to live with optimism. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 56:09.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Simon Sinek.
The Infinite Game.
Start With Why.
Leaders Eat Last.
Together is Better.
Simon's famous TED Talk.
Simon's live online classes.
Simon on Instagram.
Simon on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #723 - John S. Couch On The Art of Creative Rebellion May 17, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #723 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #723 - Host: Mitch Joel. How do we make career choices that make our life (and business) that much more creative? John S. Couch is Vice President, Product Design for Hulu where he led the redesign of the Hulu Experience. Now he is leading the design of the future of next generation storytelling in emerging platforms and formats at Hulu. His first job out of college was curating an art show in London of Beat writer William Burroughs' Shotgun Paintings (as implied, shotguns and exploding cans of spray paint were involved) and then, in classic young starving artist mode, he ambulated to Paris, Vienna and Tokyo before finally settling in San Francisco. He launched his design career at Wired Magazine, where he shared an office with Douglas Coupland and developed a love for technology, design and tech and, as he is fluent in Japanese and could write copy, he helped launch Wired Japan. Then he moved to LA, taking leadership roles at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), CBS and eBay before landing at Hulu. John is a true artist, and writing is one of his metier. He has written fiction in the past, but most recently published, The Art of Creative Rebellion - How to champion creativity, change culture and keep your soul. In this episode we discuss the difficult and delicate balance between art, commerce and fulfilling life. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 59:15.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with John S. Couch.
The Art of Creative Rebellion - How to champion creativity, change culture and keep your soul.
Hulu.
Follow John on Instagram.
Follow John on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #722 - Rana Foroohar On The Economy And Big Tech May 10, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #722 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #722 - Host: Mitch Joel. I had not heard of Rana Foroohar until I saw her most recent book, Don't Be Evil - How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles And All of Us, hit the shelves. Rana is the Global Business Columnist and an Associate Editor at the Financial Times. She is also CNN's global economic analyst. Her first book, Makers and Takers - The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business, was about why the capital markets no longer support business. Prior to joining the FT and CNN, Foroohar spent six years at Time, as an assistant managing editor and economic columnist. She previously spent thirteen years at Newsweek, as an economic and foreign affairs editor and a foreign correspondent covering Europe and the Middle East. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and sits on the advisory board of the Open Markets Institute. In this episode, we discuss the current economic situation in the world, the future of business and whether or not we will excuse the past issues we had with big tech because of how we've all shifted towards more screen time. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 52:54.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Rana Foroohar.
Don't Be Evil - How Big Tech Betrayed Its Founding Principles And All of Us.
Makers and Takers - The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business,.
Financial Times.
CNN.
Follow Rana on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #721 - Fireside Chat With Henry Mintzberg May 03, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #721 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #721 - Host: Mitch Joel. I've known Henry Mintzberg for as long as I can remember. I went to elementary school with his daughter. You don't really know (or understand) who or what your friend's parents are at that age. As I transitioned from post-secondary education into the business world, I was quickly exposed to the writing and thinking of Henry. It didn't take me long to make the connection back to elementary school, but it did take a while for Henry and I to be connected. We first recorded a podcast about five years ago (Six Pixels of Separation #470 – Henry Mintzberg On Management) and became fast friends. Over the past five years, I've had the pleasure of attending events with Henry and meeting with him about his current work/thinking. Henry Mintzberg is responsible for much of the management concepts that are in practice today. A true legend. You can't use those words lightly when it comes to the business world. Henry Mintzberg is a true legend. He is an internationally renowned academic and author on business and management (over twenty books). He is currently the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, where he has been teaching since 1968. Most know him for his 1989 book, Mintzberg On Management. Mintzberg also runs a business called, CoachingOurselves. Most recently, he published a book called, Rebalancing Society. Henry wants to rethink capitalism and manage us towards a better world. He would also love for you to check out his Declaration of Interdependence. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:06:20.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Henry Mintzberg.
Rebalancing Society.
CoachingOurselves.
Declaration of Interdependence.
Mintzberg On Management.
Follow Henry on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

SPOS #720 - Harley Finkelstein On Shopify And The Future of Commerce Apr 26, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to episode #720 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation - Episode #720 - Host: Mitch Joel. The official bio of Harley Finkelstein is beyond impressive. In 2009, Harley went from being one of Shopify's first merchants (selling t-shirts) to become their Chief Platform Officer. Now, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Shopify. He is on the board on of the CBC and advisor to Omers Ventures and Felicis Ventures. He is also a Dragon on CBC's Dragon's Den - Next Gen Den. He was inducted into the Order of Ottawa in 2016. Shopify is now a beast. What Amazon is to retail, Shopify is to entrepreneurship. To put the magnitude of Shopify into perspective, their stock has shot up over 190% since last year, with over one millions merchants using their commerce platform (selling over $160 billion in goods). Even during this pandemic, Shopify's stock continues to soar (it now has a market cap of over $100 billion - that is double that of eBay's, and has the third largest market cap out of all public Canadian companies). The unofficial bio of Harley is a personal one. We have been friends for close to fifteen years, and watching his ascent has been of the most special moments of my life. I have always wanted to have him as a guest on this show, but didn't want to bother him with it. Well, we finally made it happen. Shopify, commerce and the future of business. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 1:01:19.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Subscribe over at iTunes.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Six Pixels of Separation.
Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.
or you can connect on LinkedIn.
...or on Twitter.
Here is my conversation with Harley Finkelstein.
Shopify.
Follow Harley on Instagram.
Follow Harley on Twitter.
This week's music: David Usher 'St. Lawrence River'.

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