Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 128

Space And Time

Don’t make it about you.

Make it about us.
If need be, make it about me.
Deflect the desire to talk about what you offer.
Deflect the desire to create a moral and intellectual high ground between yourself and those who are connected to you.
Offer ways to make it easier on me.

Offers way to make us all better and more comforted.

Remember what my brother (a criminologist) told me years ago about the difference between someone like him and the people that he tries to help: The only difference between you and me (or us and them) is space and time.
The businesses that thrive today (and into tomorrow) will be those with this at their true brand core.
If you think that today is the day to be pitching and selling, you may be thinking only about yourself (and your own needs).
If you’re worried about yourself more than the collective “us” step away and look for a different perspective.

The brands of the future will be the ones who were built with the soul of helping communities to improve today.

Now is not the the time to promote your privilege.
The only difference between you and me is space and time.
That’s luck.
That’s the generic lottery.

Be of service not of self-promotion.

It’s also fine to simply sit it out for a bit.
Silence can be a great strategy in such a noisy world.
Start thinking and creating today for what you may have to be in the future.

Space and time.

Digital Survival During Covid 19 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 – about 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 of me blathering on about what’s happening in the 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:

What a difference a few weeks make. We’re suddenly in an entirely other world dealing with Covid 19.
A big congrats to Terry DiMonte who got married during his break to Jessica Dione… an amazing power couple.
We’re home. We’re all home. Lots of great resources for online learning. How about free drawing classes from famous illustrators or downloading over 300,000 books from the New York Public Library for free. Don’t forget about your local library as well (shout-out to the Westmount Public Library).
Don’t just was your hands. Clean you smartphones and tablets. It used to be a no-no to use wipes on your iPhone. Now, Apple says that you can (and you should) use disinfectant wipes on your iPhone.
App of the Week: No app. Go and check out the amazing musicians who are doing increadible livestreams. Folks like the Indigo Girls, Chris Martin from Coldplay, Kim Mitchell, Chick Corea, Mike Masse, and countless others. Look for them on Facebook and Instagram (mostly).

You can also listen in via I Heart Radio.

Melanie Deziel On How To Generate Unlimited Stories – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #715 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Melanie Deziel is the founder of StoryFuel and a keynote speaker on the topics of native advertising and branded content. She’s taught professionals around the globe to brainstorm better, think like journalists and tell better brand stories. Melanie was the first editor of branded content at The New York Times, where she wrote the native ads that won the Best Native Advertising Execution OMMA Award in both 2014 and 2015. Prior to founding StoryFuel, Melanie worked full time doing content strategy, business development and branded content creation for The New York Times’s T Brand Studio, helped found HuffPost Partner Studio, and served as the Director of Creative Strategy for Time Inc’s portfolio of 35+ media properties. She also served as an Expert in Residence at Gary Vaynerchuk’s BRaVe Ventures, where she provided native advertising and content strategy insights, training and information. More recently, she is the author of the recently published, The Content Fuel Framework – How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas. 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 #715.

SPOS #715 – Melanie Deziel On How To Generate Unlimited Stories

Welcome to episode #715 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #715 – Host: Mitch Joel. Melanie Deziel is the founder of StoryFuel and a keynote speaker on the topics of native advertising and branded content. She’s taught professionals around the globe to brainstorm better, think like journalists and tell better brand stories. Melanie was the first editor of branded content at The New York Times, where she wrote the native ads that won the Best Native Advertising Execution OMMA Award in both 2014 and 2015. Prior to founding StoryFuel, Melanie worked full time doing content strategy, business development and branded content creation for The New York Times’s T Brand Studio, helped found HuffPost Partner Studio, and served as the Director of Creative Strategy for Time Inc’s portfolio of 35+ media properties. She also served as an Expert in Residence at Gary Vaynerchuk’s BRaVe Ventures, where she provided native advertising and content strategy insights, training and information. More recently, she is the author of the recently published, The Content Fuel Framework – How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 59:42.
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 Melanie Deziel.
The Content Fuel Framework.
StoryFuel.
Follow Melanie on Twitter.
Follow Melanie on Instagram.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #715 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #508

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, 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: 

SoftBank Owned Patent Troll, Using Monkey Selfie Law Firm, Sues To Block Covid-19 Testing, Using Theranos Patents – TechDirt . “It’s a bad look to be profiteering off of a pandemic. And patent trolls, who sue for patent licenses without intending to build things from those patents, are basically idea parasites. So, when you put those two together—and then add Elizabeth Holmes‘ fraudulent biotech startup Theranos, well—you have a delicious cocktail of humans at their worst.” (Alistair for Hugh).
Zero Trust Information – Stratechery . “Stratechery is an amazing blog; I wish I could articulate things are clearly and carefully as Ben Thompson. In this post, he tackles the question of whether the Internet, full of disinformation, is a net gain or loss for human knowledge. He’s used news around the Coronavirus as a case study. He makes a good case that while there is definitely fakery, the net result is more, better knowledge for humans.” (Alistair for Mitch).
Surprised Kitty – rozzafly – YouTube . “Everyone needs a lot of surprised kitty in their lives right now.” (Hugh for Alistair).
Bernice bobs her hair – Nicholson Baker . “I have a motto, which is: ‘read any article by Nicholson Baker, especially during a pandemic.’” (Hugh for Mitch).
Coronavirus: The Hammer and the Dance – Tomas Pueyo – Medium . “Like you, I’ve big one big cascading panic attack over the past few weeks. I feel like I am living in a movie. As I reflect on the past week, what has bothered me the most? Smart people (that I know, like and respect) doing stupid things. Saying stupid things. Posting stupid things. Not following the recommendations of healthcare providers and our government. Take a read. Think about the words in this article. Social distancing and isolation are the only things that will get us out of this mess. It’s not time to be a rebel. It’s not a good look. Don’t be on the wrong side of history. Be the solution. Take a read. Share it. Special hat-tip to Hugh for pointing this one out.” (Mitch for Alistair). 
Kids at home? Here are a few tips from a successful homeschooling family – Without Bullshit . “There’s a lot of crazy and ’new normal’ in our lives – very suddenly. One of the biggest challenges has been our kids. Most of us (including me) aren’t teachers (or any good at teaching). Some schools are using technology and trying (some aren’t – they’re just closed). What’s a family to do? My friend, Josh Bernoff, provides an amazing article – not just about how to do it, but how think about it (which is the most important part). If we add stress to the parent’s life, it will add stress to the kid’s life. That kind of added stress is not going to work for anyone these days. We don’t need more stress.” (Mitch for Hugh).

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

Michael Bungay Stanier on Humble And Curious Leaders – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #714 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

My friend, Michael Bungay Stanier, is at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership behavior and competency. His book, The Coaching Habit, has sold over 700,000 copies and has over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. In 2019, he was named the #1 thought leader in coaching, and was shortlisted for the coaching prize by Thinkers50. Michael was the first Canadian Coach of the Year and has been named a Global Coaching Guru since 2014. If you still don’t think that he’s all that smart, he was a Rhodes Scholar. Michael is the Founder of Box of Crayons and a hyper-compelling keynote speaker. He’s been on the show before, but is back to talk about his newly-published book, The Advice Trap – Be humble, stay curious and change the way you lead forever. It’s another sure-to-be bestseller. 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 #714.

SPOS #714 – Michael Bungay Stanier on Humble And Curious Leaders

Welcome to episode #714 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #714 – Host: Mitch Joel. My friend, Michael Bungay Stanier, is at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership behavior and competency. His book, The Coaching Habit, has sold over 700,000 copies and has over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. In 2019, he was named the #1 thought leader in coaching, and was shortlisted for the coaching prize by Thinkers50. Michael was the first Canadian Coach of the Year and has been named a Global Coaching Guru since 2014. If you still don’t think that he’s all that smart, he was a Rhodes Scholar. Michael is the Founder of Box of Crayons and a hyper-compelling keynote speaker. He’s been on the show before, but is back to talk about his newly-published book, The Advice Trap – Be humble, stay curious and change the way you lead forever. It’s another sure-to-be bestseller. Enjoy the conversation….

Running time: 58:20.
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 Michael Bungay Stanier.
The Advice Trap.
The Coaching Habit.
Box of Crayons.
Follow Michael on Instagram.
Follow Michael on Twitter.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #714 – Host: Mitch Joel.

Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #507

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, 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: 

Covid-19, your community, and you — a data science perspective – Fast.ai . “Two of the smartest data scientists I know—Jeremy Howard and Rachel Thomas—spent some time explaining the idea of exponential growth, inevitability, and applying scientific thinking to the spread of a pandemic. It’s a good, difficult read, but cuts through a lot of the fake news and hyperbole. And includes some practical, and frankly scary, ways to think about it. ‘By the time you notice that the hospital beds are full, community infection is already at a level that there will be 5-10 times more people to deal with.’ Yikes.” (Alistair for Hugh).
The Maraschino Mogul’s Secret Life – The New Yorker . “Cerise Mayo, red honeybees, and a secret weed farm. Just another day in New York. But also a story of a life lived to the fullest; they don’t make them like that any more.” (Alistair for Mitch).
Preparing for Coronavirus to Strike the U.S. – Scientific American . “A level-headed rationale for why you should change your behaviour to help curb the spread of COVID-19.” (Hugh for Alistair).
Let’s Colonize Titan – Scientific American . “If we’re not wiped out by COVID-19 and climate change, maybe we should all move to Titan?” (Hugh for Mitch).
Lonely, scared and very bored — Brit writer in Italy reveals what life’s like in coronavirus lockdown – The Sun . “We’re on the topic. It’s hard not to talk about it. Here’s one of the most compelling stories that I have read about the virus. I am seeing way too many people on my social feeds saying stupid things, making jokes or sharing a lot of false (or, worse, old) information. Read this article, then think a little bit about what you are really doing to ensure that you’re a part of the solution (and not the problem). Stay clean. Stay safe.” (Mitch for Alistair).
Between Books – Steven Pressfield . “If you have been thinking about writing a book (or your next one), what’s the holdup? Now, it would seem like many of us are going to be spending much more time in our homes and in front of our computers. With that… get writing… and keep writing… Here’s some great thoughts on the topic from one of my favorite and most prolific writers, Steven Pressfield.” (Mitch for Hugh). 

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

Stephen Shapiro On Solving Difficult Business Problems – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #713 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Innovation comes from solving hard business challenges. When it comes to thinking like that, there is no-one like Stephen Shapiro. This is the work that he does. Stephen cultivates innovation by showing leaders and their teams how to approach, tackle and solve their business challenges. Applying the knowledge he accrued over decades in the industry, Stephen is able to see what others can’t: opportunities to improve innovation models and the cultures that support them. Stephen spent 15 years at Accenture co-leading their business process reengineering practice and a thriving 20,000+ person process and innovation practice focused on growth and job creation. In 2001, after publishing his first book, 24/7 Innovation, Stephen left Accenture to become a full-time innovation speaker and advisor. Since then he has published four more books: Goal-Free Living, The Little Book of Big Innovation Ideas, Personality Poker, and Best Practices are Stupid. His sixth (and latest) book, Invisible Solutions, just came out. As a Speaker Hall of Fame Member of the National Speakers Association, Stephen just finished serving a six-year term on the Board of Directors of National Speakers Association and is the recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional designation, NSA’s highest earned designation. In 2015 he was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. In this episode, we explore Stephen’s 25 lenses that reframe and help solve difficult business problems from his book, Invisible Solutions. 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 #713.

SPOS #713 – Stephen Shapiro On Solving Difficult Business Problems

Welcome to episode #713 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #713 – Host: Mitch Joel. Innovation comes from solving hard business challenges. When it comes to thinking like that, there is no-one like Stephen Shapiro. This is the work that he does. Stephen cultivates innovation by showing leaders and their teams how to approach, tackle and solve their business challenges. Applying the knowledge he accrued over decades in the industry, Stephen is able to see what others can’t: opportunities to improve innovation models and the cultures that support them. Stephen spent 15 years at Accenture co-leading their business process reengineering practice and a thriving 20,000+ person process and innovation practice focused on growth and job creation. In 2001, after publishing his first book, 24/7 Innovation, Stephen left Accenture to become a full-time innovation speaker and advisor. Since then he has published four more books: Goal-Free Living, The Little Book of Big Innovation Ideas, Personality Poker, and Best Practices are Stupid. His sixth (and latest) book, Invisible Solutions, just came out. As a Speaker Hall of Fame Member of the National Speakers Association, Stephen just finished serving a six-year term on the Board of Directors of National Speakers Association and is the recipient of the Certified Speaking Professional designation, NSA’s highest earned designation. In 2015 he was inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. In this episode, we explore Stephen’s 25 lenses that reframe and help solve difficult business problems from his book, Invisible Solutions. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 57:13.
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 Stephen Shapiro.
Invisible Solutions.
Best Practices are Stupid.
Personality Poker.
The Little Book of Big Innovation Ideas.
Goal-Free Living.
24/7 Innovation.
Follow Stephen on Instagram.
Follow Stephen on Twitter.
This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #713 – Host: Mitch Joel.