Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 97

Doug Stephens On Resurrecting Retail – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #780 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Prior to founding Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens spent over 20 years in the retail industry. He is the author of two groundbreaking books, The Retail Revival – Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism and Reengineering Retail – The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World. Doug is passionate about retail and what the future of shopping should be (just like me). He is a keynote speaker, writer and general thinker about all things retail and shopping. His new book is called, Resurrecting Retail – The Future of Business in a Post-Pandemic World. This book was researched in real time from inside the crisis, and provides a comprehensive and surprising vision of how it will reshape every aspect of consumer life, including the very essence of why we shop. 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 #780.

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 #780 – Doug Stephens On Resurrecting Retail

Welcome to episode #780 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #780 – Host: Mitch Joel. Prior to founding Retail Prophet, Doug Stephens spent over 20 years in the retail industry. He is the author of two groundbreaking books, The Retail Revival – Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism and Reengineering Retail – The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World. Doug is passionate about retail and what the future of shopping should be (just like me). He is a keynote speaker, writer and general thinker about all things retail and shopping. His new book is called, Resurrecting Retail – The Future of Business in a Post-Pandemic World. This book was researched in real time from inside the crisis, and provides a comprehensive and surprising vision of how it will reshape every aspect of consumer life, including the very essence of why we shop. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:02:34.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 Doug Stephens.Resurrecting Retail – The Future of Business in a Post-Pandemic World.The Retail Revival – Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism.Reengineering Retail – The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World.Retail Prophet.Follow Doug on Instagram.Follow Doug on Twitter.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #780 – 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 #573

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:

An incomplete list of skills senior engineers need, beyond coding – Camille Fournier – Medium. “Camille Fournier packs a lot of wisdom into everything she writes. Her blog is basically a book on managing technical resources; this list should be part of an interview for every senior technical candidate.” (Alistair for Hugh). Astroturfing, Dr. Evil, and N.Y.C.’s Elite Schools – z3dster – Medium . “I skimmed Ryan Holiday‘s book Trust Me, I’m Lying as part of research for Just Evil Enough. It’s a pretty simple thesis: The economics of blogging means it’s easy to get a shocking, and likely untrue, story covered by minor bloggers; and then you can work your way up the PR food chain to get larger sites—desperate for clicks—to use those smaller ones as references. Here’s a great dive into uncovering a fake grassroots campaign, because it turns out content management systems like WordPress are leaky as hell.” (Alistair for Mitch). Evergreen, Ever Sun, Ever Moon – tumblr . “If you like (or hate) Jane Austen books/movies/TV, you may well get a kick out of this. (This is – I think – images from a Discord conversation posted on tumblr? Or whatever, something internetty. It’s funny anyway).” (Hugh for Alistair). Nokia’s Collapse Turned a Sleepy Town in Finland Into an Internet Wonderland – Quartz . “How the collapse of Nokia unleashed thousands of smart engineers to work on other cool things, in a small city 120 miles south of the arctic circle.” (Hugh for Mitch). Modern Music’s Death By Auto-Tune – Rick Beato – YouTube . “I spend a lot of time listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos about creativity, culture and how people breakdown their process. Part of it is that it inspires me. A bigger part of it is that I believe (maybe foolishly) that within these dissertations and conversations I will finds answers that will unlock where the world is going. So, will understanding auto-tune change the future of business? Maybe. This is great breakdown of how a technology used to make a product better (and by product, I mean ‘music’, in this sense) has actually removed the humanity from it while also creating something else. Fascinating. Take a watch…” (Mitch for Alistair). Leonard Cohen’s Legacy With Adam Cohen – Broken Record Podcast . “I will admit that I was never a huge fan of Leonard Cohen (which, I know is heresy for a Montrealer who loves art, music and culture), but I have been turning the corner in the past few months like a full 180 degrees). From watching documentaries, to listening to his music, to exploring conversations about Cohen and his life. In this podcast, his son, Adam Cohen, sits down with famed music producer and record label big wig, Rick Rubin. There’s so much in here about creativity, expectations, how we live, how the world sees us, how we see the world, and so much more. This is a very rich conversation about a musical and poetic legend and the shadow it can cast. Listen to this… and I hope you find the same Leonard Cohen rabbit-hole that I’ve been digging down deep into…” (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 ;): 

Ready. Set. Studio On The Go…

The great return to work has begun.

Slow for some.
A few days a week for others.
Raging back almost as quickly as the pandemic shut it down for others.

Choose your poison.

As travel tweaks back.
As the office calls.
As things return to the way that they were.
As things will never be the same.

Here’s the best studio for great video (and audio) on the go:

Criteria: Small, light, compact, and with the best quality.
Main Criteria: Always carry-on. Gear you don’t need to make (too much) more room for.

The Basics.
The laptop must be powerful.
Look for the best graphics card possible.
Max out on memory (hard drive space is different).
If possible, have the ability to plug directly into the Internet modem/router wherever you may be.
That’s the big one.
Wifi is fine.
Direct is best.

The software.
If you’re on a Mac, ECamm Live.
OBS for others.
Both can be learned fairly quickly through YouTube tutorials.

The camera.
You can get away with the built-in webcam, but they usually suck.
Logitech Brio will be your best option.

The microphone.
You can get away with the built-in microphone, but they usually suck.
Shure MV7 will be your best option.
It is USB and XLR.
Make sure it has all of the cables that you need.
Don’t forget to buy a light and portable mic stand as well.

The lighting.
Natural lighting is great.
Natural lighting is impossible to control.
I use one LituFoto N126 (but you might need two).
These do not include stands and cables.

That should get you across the finish line.

The extras.
In-ear monitors: MEE audio Sport-Fi M6 Noise Isolating in-Ear Headphones with Memory Wire (Clear).
These will block and stop the usual sound issues that come from using speakers, and are not visible while you’re on camera.
USB Hub. I prefer the self-powered ones like the CalDigit TS3 Plus, but you may have to sacrifice that kind of power and go for something with a smaller and lighter profile.
When it comes to USB Hubs, I prefer the ones that allow for Ethernet and ensure that it has enough ports for all of your accessories (something like this).
Elgato Stream Deck. I use this to switch scenes for my presentations and add some spice. If there’s room, I’ll be tossing this in the carry-on as well.

Anything else that I’m missing?

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.

Bret Kinsella On The State of Smart Audio, Clubhouse, Podcasting And Beyond – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #779 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

You never know who you are going to meet and become friends with online. Going back to the early days of Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Siri and beyond, the idea of apps (or skills, as they are called) for these interactive audio platforms has always interested me (so much so, that I was an investor in a voice skills company, and became interested in running it for a short period of time). At the forefront of this space (and other audio platforms and technologies) is Bret Kinsella. Bret is founder, CEO, and research director of Voicebot.ai. He was named commentator of the year by the Alexa Conference in 2019 and is widely cited in media and academic research as an authority on voice assistants and AI. He is also the host of the Voicebot Podcast and editor of the Voice Insider newsletter. I reached out to him several times back when I was investing in the space, but he was too busy to connect. Then, through the power of Clubhouse, we met and became fast friends. Our world continues to evolve. Smart audio, podcasting, bots, and more are becoming a powerful tool for businesses smart enough to understand the potential, opportunity and inevitability of it all. 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 #779.

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 #779 – Bret Kinsella On The State of Smart Audio, Clubhouse, Podcasting And Beyond

Welcome to episode #779 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #779 – Host: Mitch Joel. You never know who you are going to meet and become friends with online. Going back to the early days of Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, Siri and beyond, the idea of apps (or skills, as they are called) for these interactive audio platforms has always interested me (so much so, that I was an investor in a voice skills company, and became interested in running it for a short period of time). At the forefront of this space (and other audio platforms and technologies) is Bret Kinsella. Bret is founder, CEO, and research director of Voicebot.ai. He was named commentator of the year by the Alexa Conference in 2019 and is widely cited in media and academic research as an authority on voice assistants and AI. He is also the host of the Voicebot Podcast and editor of the Voice Insider newsletter. I reached out to him several times back when I was investing in the space, but he was too busy to connect. Then, through the power of Clubhouse, we met and became fast friends. Our world continues to evolve. Smart audio, podcasting, bots, and more are becoming a powerful tool for businesses smart enough to understand the potential, opportunity and inevitability of it all. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 59:11.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 Bret Kinsella.Voicebot.ai.Voicebot Podcast.Voice Insider newsletter.Follow Bret on LinkedIn.Follow Bret on Twitter.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #779 – 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 #572

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 Snitch – Atavist. “Who doesn’t like a good True Crime story? This Atavist piece on the risks and compromises of public informants is a good read that could just as easily be the next Netflix doc.” (Alistair for Hugh). The Herd – This American Life . “As we slowly crawl out into public, we’re realizing that we have fundamental differences with many around us. Some are compliant; some flout order. And when the consequences of those differences affect others in visible, tangible ways, we don’t like each other much. ‘You can’t get herd immunity until you deal with the herd and get enough of the herd moving together in the same direction, which has been difficult this past year in a way that it’s never been during any epidemic in our history.’ This American Life does a great job of putting epidemic management and herd mentality in context, looking at what’s worked and what has failed in the past. But it applies just as much to changing public opinion about anything, really.” (Alistair for Mitch). River Runner – Sam Learner . “Using data from the US Geological Survey’s Hydro Network-Linked Data Index, someone has built a mindblowing visualization that lets you click to drop a raindrop anywhere in the contiguous United States and watch where it ends up.” (Hugh for Alistair). Artificial Intelligence Will Do What We Ask. That’s a Problem – Quanta Magazine . “You know, one of the things I keep thinking is that our worries about AI should have very little to do with AI. Humans do awful things to each other all the time – is there any reason to believe they won’t use AI to engineer ever more awfulness, better? Perhaps we can train AI to not make mistakes by doing what we command, and instead do what we intend. But, is there a lot of evidence that ‘what we intend’ isn’t, often, terrible enough?” (Hugh for Mitch). Brian Eno – The Innovator – Broken Record Podcast . “I’ve said before, and I will say it again: Listening to musician and technologist, Brian Eno, answer questions about creativity, music, culture, technology and more inspires me deeply. Brian is currently doing a handful of interviews to promote his new radio station (through Sonos Radio HD) called, The Lighthouse. His perception on musical space and how humans and technology should think about music is also… inspiring. You don’t have to be a fan of his music in the 70s (Roxy Music) or the countless artists that he has produced (U2, Coldplay, Devo and beyond). Just know this: listening to Beyonce through a wall may something that might make your day. Enjoy the listen…” (Mitch for Alistair). Susan Orlean – Design Matters with Debbie Millman . “One of my favorite writers is Susan Orlean. I’ve been fortunate to have her as a guest on my podcast many years back (which you can check out right here: SPOS #434 – Understanding Creative Non-Fiction With Susan Orlean). Susan is an amazing creative non-fiction author and journalist. She will take topics that might not seem exciting (orchids, a library, her dog, etc…) and weave them into page-turning stories that will melt you – both in the phrasing and context of her work. This is a new conversation with design expert, Debbie Millman, and it’s another tour du force of creativity and inspiration. Listen and enjoy…” (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 ;): 

Amazon Wants To Share Your Internet With Everyone And More On Jack 103 FM

Your digital media catch-up is right here.

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).

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.

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

Amazon devices will soon automatically share your Internet with neighbors (via ars Technica).

“…consider the wealth of intimate details Amazon devices are privy to. They see who knocks on our doors, and in some homes they peer into our living rooms. They hear the conversations we’re having with friends and family. They control locks and other security systems in our home. Extending the reach of all this encrypted data to the sidewalk and living rooms of neighbors requires a level of confidence that’s not warranted for a technology that has never seen widespread testing.”

Will you allow Amazon to track even more of your life and share your wifi with your neighbors?

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

Mitch Joel · Amazon Wants To Share Your Internet With Everyone And More On Jack 103 FM – June 8th, 2021

Subscribe to get it free in your inbox right here.

Erica Dhawan On Digital Body Language – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #778 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

Lost in translation. I fear there is no better phrase to explain what has happened to our ability to better communicate since the pandemic took hold. Zoom meetings, using emojis, and cultural shifts have turned an already complex world of communications into one that is ever-more complex (it’s amazing how badly a message can now be received simply because the speaker’s lighting is off). Thankfully, management thinkers like Erica Dhawan are around. Even better, she’s tackled this topic in her latest book, Digital Body Language – How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. Whether it’s emails, being ghosted, or trying to understand if that “lol” is really a laugh or sarcasm, Erica has decoded most of this for the rest of us. Erica also wrote, Get Big Things Done – The Power of Connectional Intelligence, back in 2015. Erica is a leadership expert and keynote speaker that helps organizations and leaders innovate faster and further, together. She is the founder of Cotential – a company that has helped leaders and teams leverage twenty-first-century collaboration skills globally. 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 #778.

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 #778 – Erica Dhawan On Digital Body Language

Welcome to episode #778 of Six Pixels of Separation.

Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #778 – Host: Mitch Joel. Lost in translation. I fear there is no better phrase to explain what has happened to our ability to better communicate since the pandemic took hold. Zoom meetings, using emojis, and cultural shifts have turned an already complex world of communications into one that is ever-more complex (it’s amazing how badly a message can now be received simply because the speaker’s lighting is off). Thankfully, management thinkers like Erica Dhawan are around. Even better, she’s tackled this topic in her latest book, Digital Body Language – How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. Whether it’s emails, being ghosted, or trying to understand if that “lol” is really a laugh or sarcasm, Erica has decoded most of this for the rest of us. Erica also wrote, Get Big Things Done – The Power of Connectional Intelligence, back in 2015. Erica is a leadership expert and keynote speaker that helps organizations and leaders innovate faster and further, together. She is the founder of Cotential – a company that has helped leaders and teams leverage twenty-first-century collaboration skills globally. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 56:39.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 Erica Dhawan.Digital Body Language – How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance/Get Big Things Done – The Power of Connectional Intelligence,.Follow Erica on LinkedIn.Follow Erica on Twitter.Follow Erica on Instagram.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – Episode #778 – 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.