Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 122

SPOS #725 – Mike Michalowicz On Mastering Entrepreneurship

Welcome to episode #725 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.

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 #518

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: 

The Tinkerings of Robert Noyce – Tom Wolfe – Esquire Magazine . “A wonderful piece from 1993 on the birth of the semiconductor industry, and Silicon Valley in general, written in Tom Wolfe‘s inimitable detail and flourish.” (Alistair for Hugh).
Figma In Quarantine: The Musical – Figma – YouTube . “I first met Dylan Field at Strata, when he was a data wunderkind most famous for being the first intern to present to the whole company at LinkedIn. He’s done amazing things since, not the least of which is launching browser-based design platform Figma. The company runs ‘maker weeks’ each year for employees to work on whatever tickles their fancy. So, it’s no wonder that they put out a full-blown musical, virtually. And it’s good.” (Alistair for Mitch).
The 500-million-year-old reason behind the unique scent of rain – New Atlas . “You know that smell of when rain first starts falling? Flinty, earthy? Because of bacteria trying to attract a bug, which helps it spread its spores, apparently.” (Hugh for Alistair).
White boy drops unbelievable freestyle rap – Chris Turner – YouTube . “Man, this guy’s mind must move fast, improv freestyle rapping on a random collection of topics suggested by the audience.” (Hugh for Mitch).
Why Remote Work Is So Hard – And How It Can Be Fixed – The New Yorker . “Good news: remote work can be fixed. Bad news: it’s not happening fast enough. This is not a fluff piece meant to get the clicks. This is a deep (and long) piece by none other than Cal Newport (who knows a thing or two about focus, concentration, productivity and how great work gets done). I would love for every leader to share this article with their team. I fear that they will not. Companies have a lot of work to do to get themselves working (well) remotely. Giving your employees a couple of hundred bucks to spruce up the home office doesn’t even get you to the starting line.” (Mitch for Alistair).
The New Model Media Star Is Famous Only to You – The New York Times . “The term ‘anything for a buck’ comes to mind when you read this article. On a positive spin, the tools, technology and distribution mechanisms are (finally) in place for anybody to connect with everybody. The more obscure, the more niche… the better. There’s a buck to made… and it’s happening in the strangest of places. I wonder what George Orwell, Marshall McLuhan and Andy Warhol would make of this…” (Mitch for Hugh).

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

The Heart of The Entrepreneur

Have an idea for a business.

Do more than have an idea.
Execute on it.
Build the business plan.
Figure out how to fund it.
Find a space to rent.

Start it in that spare bedroom.

Maybe on your living room floor.

Get a loan from a bank.
Get a loan from family and friends.
Get money from your credit cards.
Get a customer to believe in your idea.

Just one customer.

Fight for your idea.
Please that customer.
Find that first employee to believe in your idea.
Spend countless nights awake trying to make that first customer happy.
Do that while trying to build your own business, office, culture and nurture your team.

Do that while the ghosts at night question your every decision.

Spend money on hiring.
Spend money on culture.
Spend money on making your employees better people.
Spend money on a website.
Spend money on marketing.
Spend money on advertising
Spend money on rent.
Spend money on insurance.
Spend money on coffee.
Spend money on winning more customers.
Spend money on not losing the customers that you have.
Spend money.

Keep fighting for your ideas.

… for more traction.
… for more attention.
… for better products.
… for better services.
… for better relationships.
… for better team members.
… for a better future.

This is the heart of the entrepreneur.

The one who has to look an employee in the eyes and fire them.
The one who has to look at themselves in the mirror every morning.
The one who has to figure out what’s next (and how to get there).
The one who has to make it look like they knew what they were doing the whole way along.
The one who has to decide to keep the doors open.
The one who may be forced to close those doors.
The one who has to decide to sell their baby.
The one who has to decide to not sell their baby and keep at it.

The one who has to watch the dream…

… grow.
… fade.
… change.
… expand.
… contract.

… come true.

Year in and year out.

Don’t believe what you read.
There is no overnight sensation.
It is ten years (at least) in the making.
No matter how you slice it.

A decade.

A decade and it’s still a brand new baby.

Everyone wants to start something.

Everyone wants to be their own boss.
Everyone thinks that they can do it.
Everyone thinks that they know better than those that do it.

Everyone knows everything.

Until…

It’s time to be the one who is supposed to know everything.
It’s time to really run at that dream.
It’s time to make difficult decisions.
It’s time to realize how little is left in the bank.
It’s time to open up a new office in a different city.
It’s time to open up a new office in a different country.
It’s time to find more team members to grow this up.
It’s time to find someone to partner with.
It’s time to make decisions you never imagined making.

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of heart…

… and brains.
… and guts.
… and courage.
… and empathy.
… and talent.
… and learning.
… and asking for help.
… and asking for forgiveness.
… and seeing a future that did not exist before.

That’s the heart.

The heart of the entrepreneur.

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. 

Business Events Grind To A Halt

I left the marketing agency world close to two years ago.

My plan was to invest.
My plan was to advise.
My plan was to create content.
My plan was to speak to audiences all over the world.

A continuation of what I had done for over 15 years.
A continuation on my own.

Then this.

Now what?
What’s next?
When’s next?

We don’t know.

When you ask me: “how are you doing?”
This article answers that question.

I spent about a third of time being an Itinerant.
Speaking in hotels.
Speaking in conference halls.
Speaking in boardrooms.
Airports.
Hotels.
Convention centers.
Everywhere.
All over the world.

As you think about working from home.

As you think about going back to the office.
Just remember…

There are plenty of people just like me.
People who can’t even imagine doing the job that they used to do.

That’s strange.

It’s not about who has it worse.
It’s about having that thing that you do get taken away.
Especially when that thing that you do is the right thing that you should be doing.

It will come back.

It will take time.
It will be hard.

With that…

We need to stay safe.
We need to wash our hands.
We need to keep our distance.
We need to stay in when possible.
We need to care for those who are our most vulnerable.
We need to watch out for one another.
We need to be the gatekeepers of our thoughts.

Looking forward to seeing you soon… on a stage… somewhere….

 So nice to see my agent, Martin Perelmuter, from Speakers’ Spotlight featured in this article. 

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.

Simon Sinek On Great Revealers And Infinite Games – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #724 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

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…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #724.

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 #724 – Simon Sinek On Great Revealers And Infinite Games

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’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #724 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #517

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: 

Behind The Scenes: Making ‘Circular’ with Páraic McGloughlin – Max Cooper – YouTube . “One of my favourite musicians right now is Max Cooper, a former engineer who makes incredible aural soundscapes. He works closely with digital artists to make stunning visuals—from videos to live events—partly because, as a technologist himself, there are amazing synergies. He’s also been recording some of his stuff using binaural mastering, which, on headphones, is positively transcendent. This is a look at how they made the video for Circular, which is a wonder to behold. Watch this, then go see his videos, and you’ll be hooked.” (Alistair for Hugh).
The Virtual Economy – Atelier . “This is a masterful use of the web to make something interactive and enjoyable—while shining a light on the incredible scale of the virtual economy in Second Life, Fortnite, and more. Lots of good facts here, delivered in a stunning layout. (Alistair for Mitch).
Newly released footage from 1935 captures last-known thylacine – CNN . “Extinctions happen all of the time, but there is something about the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) that has always fascinated me. And something heartbreaking about seeing this newy-released video footage of the last known living Thylacine, from 1935.” (Hugh for Alistair).
9 Remarkable Rooftop Garden Designs Around the World – Architectural Digest . “I don’t have a back yard, but I have a roof and in this pandemic time, I think maybe planting a bunch of veg on the roof wouldn’t be a bad idea.” (Hugh for Mitch).
Arena – Brian Eno – Another Green World – Jakob Thiesen – YouTube . “This pandemic has also been a time of discovery. Music. Art. Books. Poetry. Documentaries… and more. When this happens to me, my default is to dig deeper into the thinking of Brian Eno. Thankfully, the good people at DLD hosted him in a live virtual event, this past week (Listen To the Nuzik: Brian Eno on Art, Earth And Humanity). Still, that wasn’t enough. So I went YouTubing for more, and came across this amazing documentary. Also note the presence of Malcolm Gladwell. This is a great one…” (Mitch for Alistair).
Elizabeth Gilbert’s Creative Path: Saying No, Trusting Your Intuition, Index Cards, Integrity Checks, Grief, Awe, and Much More – Tim Ferriss Podcast . “There are simply too many great moments in this episode to count. I’m a huge of Elizabeth Gilbert (read: Big Magic). This show is about writing, writers, books, and creativity. If I share it here, it’s because it’s important. This is a lot of that. You don’t have to like Elizabeth Gilbert or Tim Ferriss to recognize that this is one hell of a conversation about writing and creativity. There are a ton of insights and gems in this podcast. ‘Great writing has to be surprising and inevitable’ – that one stopped me in my literal tracks. I had to stop my walk in the woods and write it down. Enjoy the listen…” (Mitch for Hugh).

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

Ideas, Systems, Credibility, and Connections

Things are changing.

We are going to have to change.
I am going to have to change.
It’s not the pandemic.
Things are always changing.
We just want to believe that we’re controlling things.
Then outside forces have their way.

I am a speaker.

No.

No I am not a speaker.

I help leaders decode the future.

Sometimes that happens on a stage at a conference.
Sometimes that happens here in the words.
Sometimes that happens on the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast.
Sometimes that happens during my media appearances.
Sometimes that happens in a book.
Sometimes that happens in an article for another publication.
Sometimes that happens on social media.
Sometimes that happens when I am investing in a company or fund.
Sometimes that happens when I am advising a startup.
Sometimes that happens when I am advising a larger corporation.
Sometimes that happens when I help community organizations.
Sometimes that happens when I help out a family member or friend.

I decode the future.

If the stage goes away, the platform remains.

This is not the new normal.

This is the new narrative.

For me.
For you.
For all of us.

Why we are is not how we do it.
Don’t confuse the two.

They are different.

I recently had an in-depth conversation with one of my favorite people, Jenny Blake, on her show: Pivot Podcast.

We don’t know how our work impacts others. Sometimes, it changes people. Here’s what Jenny posted:

“Seth Godin recently described Mitch Joel (in celebration of his 700th episode) as ‘in the pantheon, one of the greats.’ I couldn’t agree more.

Mitch is a well-respected friend and colleague to so many of us in the business, writing, and speaking communities. He sees trends and platforms coming long before they hit mainstream, and his output, ideas, and incisive interviewing style consistently leaves me with inspiration and new information.

He was gracious to have me on his Six Pixels of Separation Podcast when Pivot launched, and the conversation (among dozens and dozens) left such a mark on me that I quoted him in the afterword for the paperback edition of Pivot in 2017 the following year. Here’s an excerpt:

‘My guiding principle now is faith in flow, a reminder that helps me trust the natural cycles of tension and release, hustle and flow, grit and grace. I listen for what’s next, but try not to rush the answer.

If the Plant stage involves putting a pin in one’s desired destination a year from now, entering my post-pivot rest mode was like hitting the ‘current location’ button in a maps app—it spun me back and helped me zoom in on where I was right now, not someplace off in the future where I should be.

In the words of my friend and fellow author Mitch Joel, instead of only focusing on what’s next, we’d do well to reflect on the equally important question: what’s now?’ — Pivot – The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One.”

In this conversation, Jenny guided and we jammed on ideas, systems, credibility and connections. All critical aspects of what the new narrative must be.

Listen in… jump in…

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.

Find The Music

Everything you need right know is in the music.

Trust me on this.
Trust yourself on this.

Get lost in the tunes.

If you’re looking for a story…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for inspiration…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for sadness…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for love…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for love lost…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for power…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for suspense…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for escape…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for someone else’s shoes…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for a different story…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for hope…
It’s in the music.
If you’re looking for nothing…
It’s in the music.

Our lives are a storybook of songs.

Whether it’s your family.
Whether it’s your friends.
Whether it’s your profession.
Whether it’s your community.

There’s a song for that.

A song to give you hope.
A song to get your through.
A song to be a shoulder to cry on.
A song to run alongside of you.

If you want to tell better stories…

If you want to be a better leader…
If you want to be a better entrepreneur…
If you want to be a better marketer…
If you want to be a better parent…
If you want to be a better friend…
If you want to be a better lover…
If you want to be better….

Listen to more music.

Build that playlist.
Make a list to play with.

Just listen.

Just listen to music.
Just listen to the lyrics.
Just listen to the rhythms.
Just listen to the instruments.
Just listen to the production.
Just listen with your heart.

Just listen to yourself.

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.

John S. Couch On The Art of Creative Rebellion – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #723 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

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…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #723.

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.