Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 100

Todd Kerns On This Month’s Groove – The No Treble Podcast

Todd Kerns is this month’s conversation on Groove – The No Treble Podcast.

You can listen the new episode right here: Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #77 – Todd Kerns.

Who is Todd Kerns ?

One of the hardest working musicians in rock n’ roll is Todd “Dammit” Kerns. Currently, he’s the bass player for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, but I’ve known Todd since the late eighties when his band, The Age of Electric, was about to hit the scene. The band after AOE was Static In Stereo, but Todd would go on to do a solo album and then form Sin City Sinners with Brent Muscat (from Faster Pussycat). Todd is a dynamic Canadian (now living in Las Vegas). He took a bunch of his ex-Pat rocking buddies and formed, Toque, a band of former Canadians who cover Canadian bands. Todd grabs all kinds of interesting gigs and has managed to extend his work beyond bass duties. He’s got his own podcast, his own signature model bass (and guitar), he received a star on the B.C. Entertainment Walk of Fame, and his own clothing line (Dammitwear / Anti-Star). Beyond all of that, we get on so well because we’re both huge comic book/science fiction nerds. So, if you want to know what it’s like to rock with Slash from Guns N’ Roses or roll with with former KISS members on the KISS Kruise, you won’t want to miss this. Enjoy the conversation…

What is Groove – The No Treble Podcast?

This is an ambitious effort. This will be a fascinating conversation. Our goal at Groove is to build the largest oral history of bass players. Why Groove? Most of the content about the bass revolves around gear, playing techniques, and more technical chatter. For us, bassists are creative artists with stories to tell. They are a force to be reckon with. These are the stories and conversation that we will capture. To create this oral history of why these artists chose the bass, what their creative lives are like, and where inspiration can be found.

Listen in:  Groove – The No Treble Podcast – Episode #77 – Todd Kerns.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends ;). 

Airbnb And The Pending Trouble With Travel – Tech Tuesday In Two Minutes

Travel will never the same… and it’s not for the reasons that you might think.

Sure, along with the global pandemic and vaccine passports, there will be hurdles to what travel will be.
Many feel like this coming summer may be the first bright light at the end of a long tunnel.
It’s looking like it may be filled with as much frustration as sun.

What’s going on with travel?

Well, if you’re sticking close to home, many of the country spots are already booked.
Camping sites are either sold out or charging hotel-like prices.
Car rental companies are struggling to meet demands, and their prices are increasing dramatically as well.
Airlines are trying to reboot routes that were shut down, and it seems like flights are expensive too.

Are you sensing a trend here?

Limited quantity on the supply side.
Travel-related businesses have been on the sidelines, and they’re going to make a run at revenue.
Us consumers are going to pay a multiple for the luxury of travel, so the market will decide what is reasonable (and what is not).
I’ve heard stories of people renting U-Haul trucks because they can’t rent a car.

Airbnb is feeling it too.

Airbnb has over four million hosts.
Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky just said this to CNBC:

“To meet the demand over the coming years, we’re going to need millions more hosts. I think that we probably will have a high class problem where there will probably be more guests coming to Airbnb than we’ll have hosts for, because… we think there’s going to be a travel rebound coming that’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen. We are working our hardest to get more hosts on the platform”

Warning:

Before you make your summer plans, make sure you know how much the budget might have to increase.
Before you make your summer plans, understand that many people have already booked theirs, so you might be more stuck than ever before.
It also sounds like vacation destinations are going to struggle with enough employees to keep the traffic light – from the hotels and restaurants to the bars and camping grounds. 
We’re all going to have to be patient in a world where we will be paying a lot and, perhaps, not being services at the level with which we have become accustomed. 

The full story is here: Airbnb CEO says company will need millions more hosts to meet surging demand (CNBC).

This is what Heather Backman and I discussed this morning over on Jack 103 FM for a couple of minutes.

What is Tech Tuesday?

If you ever find yourself wondering… What, exactly, is the point of TikTok? How can I make myself look better on a Zoom? Reddit? What’s that about? How do I help my kids be safer online? Who’s the latest creator and streamer that I should be checking out?

You are not alone.

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM) on the air at Jack 103 (Rogers Sports & Media) to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture. We’re calling the segment Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Subscribe to get it free in your inbox right here.

Mitch Joel · Airbnb And The Pending Trouble With Travel – Tech Tuesday – Jack 103 – May 4th, 2021

How Big Tech Thrived During The Pandemic And More On CHOM 97.7 FM

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am on air at CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – to decode the future. We discuss everything that is happening in the world of technology, digital media and culture. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more about what’s happening in the transformation of our digital world. I’m really excited about these weekly hits, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

While many businesses struggled during the pandemic, big tech thrived (see YouTube/Netlfix below). Small business? It has been brutal. And, it’s not just small business. 80,000 retail stores (9% of all stores) will close in the U.S. by 2026, according to a new report from UBS. E-commerce sales are projected to account for 27% of all retail sales by 2026, up from 18% now. Amazon? Their earnings more than tripled. Shopify has done fantastic as well (which bodes well for the newer small businesses). What a strange recovery this will be. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion. I remember it well. The world lost its collective mind. YouTube was video on a small screen, shaky cameras publishing user-generated content, buffering issues (the Internet struggled to make video clear and flowing back then). Alphabet/Google just released their quarterly earnings. YouTube made close to $7 billion in one quarter. YouTube’s ad revenue is similar to Netflix’s total revenue. App of the Week: LinkTree – Connect audiences to all of your content with just one link (here’s mine).

You can also listen in via I Heart Radio. 

Mitch Joel · CTRL ALT Delete – CHOM 97.7 FM – May 3rd, 2021

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

Minter Dial Wants You To Lead – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #773 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

After a long and successful career at L’Oréal, Minter Dial returned to his entrepreneurial roots to become an author, consultant and speaker. Minter has spent over a decade helping senior management teams and boards to adapt to the new exigencies of the digitally enhanced marketplace. Minter’s focus is on brand strategies, technology integration and digital tools. He is the author of five books, producer of one award-winning documentary film, as well as numerous white papers, eBooks and contributions to countless media outlets. Minter’s newest book is You Lead – How Being Yourself Makes You A Better Leader. In 2016, Minter wrote and produced the award-winning book and documentary, The Last Ring Home. It’s a moving personal story that returns our focus on the important values of love, courage and honor. The film has won ten prizes. Minter is a true renaissance man with a penchant for making business better. Now, we discuss how to stand for something, radiate your purpose, and lead by example. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #773.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

SPOS #773 – Minter Dial Wants You To Lead

Welcome to episode #773 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #773 – Host: Mitch Joel. After a long and successful career at L’Oréal, Minter Dial returned to his entrepreneurial roots to become an author, consultant and speaker. Minter has spent over a decade helping senior management teams and boards to adapt to the new exigencies of the digitally enhanced marketplace. Minter’s focus is on brand strategies, technology integration and digital tools. He is the author of five books, producer of one award-winning documentary film, as well as numerous white papers, eBooks and contributions to countless media outlets. Minter’s newest book is You Lead – How Being Yourself Makes You A Better Leader. In 2016, Minter wrote and produced the award-winning book and documentary, The Last Ring Home. It’s a moving personal story that returns our focus on the important values of love, courage and honor. The film has won ten prizes. Minter is a true renaissance man with a penchant for making business better. Now, we discuss how to stand for something, radiate your purpose, and lead by example. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 54:55.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.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 Minter Dial.You Lead – How Being Yourself Makes You A Better Leader.The Last Ring Home.Follow Minter on LinkedIn.Follow Minter on Instagram.Follow Minter on Twitter.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #773 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #566

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

Earth Restored – Toby  Ord. “Amazing photos of our planet from space. The other day I was listening to music on a Bluetooth speaker. I thought about what made that happen: Sunlight, warming water to power hydroelectrics, or trigger a reaction in a solar panel, or creating a plant that wound up as a complex hydrocarbon, turning into electricity, coursing through miles of cable and transformer, powering the speaker, which ultimately turned energy into motion. Or the fingers of a musician, on mouse and instrument, atop a software stack, sent to Spotify. Or the speaker itself, hewn from extracted minerals and delivered through a global supply chain. All for my eardrums to hear a series of vibrations I found pleasing. Look at these photos of our small, finite bubble of life, its only real external power the fusion of the sun. We have built incredibly complex systems to basically consume our planet, and these restored photos are a testament to how finite that is.” (Alistair for Hugh). I Made A Water Computer And It Actually Works – Steve Mould – YouTube . “Steve Mould and Matt Parker are amazing science communicators. In this video, they show how computers—basically a series of switches that add, subtract, and combine things—can be made from physical components. Like pipes and water. Watch this, and then think about how that’s happening, trillions of times a second, to deliver the pixels you’re seeing on your screen.” (Alistair for Mitch). . “Whoops, someone let their domain registration expire!” (Hugh for Alistair). The beauty of the ampersand and other keyboard symbols – The Spectator . “Oh, to have a world where the only thing that matters is typography!” (Hugh for Mitch). A Song For You – The Austin City Limits Story . “This week I am sharing two documentaries. Both are available on Kanopy (which is an amazing streaming service that I get free through my local library membership. Maybe you can as well?). I’m a music nerd (no news there). A huge part of what makes up my very diverse and quirky taste in music comes from my family. I never really cared much for Austin City Limits, but I have recollections of my dad watching it (and when this doc played a clip from B.B. King’s appearance, it brought back a flood of memories). As I grew up, my love and passion for that show (and that city) knows no bounds. I had no idea that this documentary existed, and it had me smiling the entire way through. If you love music, you can trust that you do not love music as much as the people who put on Austin City Limits. What a treat this was.” (Mitch for Alistair). Creem – America’s Only Rock N’ Roll Magazine – The Movie . “As promised, I have two amazing documentaries to share this week. Here’s the second one. Creem Magazine was part of my monthly reading when I was younger (and much more impressionable). Did I want to be a rock star? After reading Creem, Circus, Hit Parader, Metal Edge, and others? You bet that I did. It’s also what inspired me to become a writer, journalist, publisher, and someone very passionate about the media and culture. The true chaos that was Creem Magazine? I had no idea. This is a crazy documentary from a different time, and it’s proof that every generation finds its art and culture in different ways (but, it’s usually comes from the street and disenfranchised).” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends ;): 

Substack And The Future Of Your Inbox – Tech Tuesday In Two Minutes

Your news and information is getting more personalized than ever.

I’ve been a fan of newsletters long before they were cool.
It makes my inbox that much better (and smarter).
It can make your inbox that much better (and smarter).
It has come to the point that I look forward to email.
It has come to the point that I don’t really buy (or subscribe) to any magazines.
This should shock you as much as it shocks me.

Yes, I look forward to email newsletters.

One company that is powering this new and powerful shift in the media is Substack.
Substack is to newsletters what Medium has become to blogging.
There are other options, but Substack has done a great job of attracting journalists to leave the big publishing houses.
Substack has encouraged these writers to build a direct (and profitable) relationship with their readers.

Is Substack working? Is it the future of newsletters?

The full story is here: What Substack Is Really Doing To The Media (Slate).

This is what Heather Backman and I discussed this morning over on Jack 103 FM for a couple of minutes.

What is Tech Tuesday?

If you ever find yourself wondering… What, exactly, is the point of TikTok? How can I make myself look better on a Zoom? Reddit? What’s that about? How do I help my kids be safer online? Who’s the latest creator and streamer that I should be checking out?

You are not alone.

Every Tuesday – for just a few minutes – I join Heather Backman (my old buddy from her days on CHOM FM) on the air at Jack 103 (Rogers Sports & Media) to give a quick blast about the current state of technology, media and Internet culture. We’re calling the segment Tech Tuesday (and we do it in just a few minutes).

Mitch Joel · Substack And The Future Of Your Inbox – Tech Tuesday In Two Minutes – Jack 103 FM – April 27th, 2021

Subscribe to get it free in your inbox right here.

Once the segment goes live on Jack 103, I will post it here for you to listen in, learn, share and engage….

Never Lose Anything With Apple’s AirTag And More On CHOM 97.7 FM

Every Monday morning at 7:10 am, I am on air at CHOM 97.7 FM radio out of Montreal (home base). It’s not a long segment – about 10 minutes every week – to decode the future. We discuss everything that is happening in the world of technology, digital media and culture. The good folks at CHOM 97.7 FM are posting these segments weekly on i Heart Radio, if you’re interested in hearing more about what’s happening in the transformation of our digital world. I’m really excited about these weekly hits, because this is the radio station that I grew up listening to, and it really is a fun treat to be invited to the Mornings Rock with Terry DiMonte morning show. The segment is called, CTRL ALT Delete with Mitch Joel.

This week we discussed:

Montreal is opening up free wi-fi access points across the city. I’m proud that our city is doing this. The city has set-up nine free wifi access points to help those less privileged. Let’s face it, more and more of our world is digital. How can we get these people to sign up for vaccines, etc.? These access points are located in community centers and other municipal buildings. Let’s get more of these going in every other city in the world! Apple made many announcements at their event last week. The big one? AirTag. Creepy? A little. Much needed? I think so. It’s a Tile-like tracker (looks like a large coin) that will allow you to track your wallet… and your kids? While this may not be revolutionary… it’s a technology that people have wanted for a long time (including me).What is the path back to “normal”? Are we able to see beyond our own situation? How will we travel again? Will it be easy? Extremely complex? App of the Week: Meme Generator – This is great… take a popular meme and make it your own!

You can also listen in via I Heart Radio. 

Mitch Joel · CTRL ALT Delete – CHOM 97.7 FM – April 26th, 2021

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

Luvvie Ajayi Jones On Being A Professional Troublemaker – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #772 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

I was really excited about the opportunity to spend some time with Luvvie Ajayi Jones. She is an author, podcast host, speaker, and someone who has been blogging just a little bit longer than me (there are not many of us left). Luvvie thrives at the intersection of comedy, media, and justice. Her debut book, I’m Judging You – The Do-Better Manual, was released to critical acclaim, and her new book, Professional Troublemaker – The Fear-Fighter Manual is another bestseller. It’s hard to fathom, but Luvvie has been blogging for 18 years and covers all things culture with a critical yet humorous lens. That same razor-sharp voice spurred her wildly popular TED Talk, Get Comfortable with being uncomfortable, to almost six million views. Luvvie also connects with her audience through her social network, LuvvNation, where she is the go-to source for elevated conversations about all things buzzworthy and doing better at life. It serves as a safe space in a dumpster fire world, and has over 15,000 members. She has received numerous accolades including being chosen by Oprah Winfrey as part of her inaugural SuperSoul100 list as someone who “elevates humanity.” She hosts a podcast called, Professional Troublemaker, where she has conversations with incredible people who have committed to living life loudly, with courage and conviction. Enjoy the conversation….

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #772.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.

SPOS #772 – Luvvie Ajayi Jones On Being A Professional Troublemaker

Welcome to episode #772 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #772 – Host: Mitch Joel. I was really excited about the opportunity to spend some time with Luvvie Ajayi Jones. She is an author, podcast host, speaker, and someone who has been blogging just a little bit longer than me (there are not many of us left). Luvvie thrives at the intersection of comedy, media, and justice. Her debut book, I’m Judging You – The Do-Better Manual, was released to critical acclaim, and her new book, Professional Troublemaker – The Fear-Fighter Manual is another bestseller. It’s hard to fathom, but Luvvie has been blogging for 18 years and covers all things culture with a critical yet humorous lens. That same razor-sharp voice spurred her wildly popular TED Talk, Get Comfortable with being uncomfortable, to almost six million views. Luvvie also connects with her audience through her social network, LuvvNation, where she is the go-to source for elevated conversations about all things buzzworthy and doing better at life. It serves as a safe space in a dumpster fire world, and has over 15,000 members. She has received numerous accolades including being chosen by Oprah Winfrey as part of her inaugural SuperSoul100 list as someone who “elevates humanity.” She hosts a podcast called, Professional Troublemaker, where she has conversations with incredible people who have committed to living life loudly, with courage and conviction. Enjoy the conversation….

Running time: 52:33.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.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 Luvvie Ajayi Jones.Professional Troublemaker – The Fear-Fighter Manual.I’m Judging You – The Do-Better Manual.LuvvNation.Professional Troublemake.Awesomely Luvvie.Follow Luvvie on Instagram.Follow Luvvie on LinkedIn.Follow Luvvie on Twitter.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #772 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Before you go… if you enjoyed this, please subscribe (all new content arrives in your inbox). It’s easy, it’s free and it’s right here.