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Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

By: Mitch Joel
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 Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast is the longest running business podcast. Mitch Joel brings you weekly conversations, insights and provocations on innovation, disruption and the future of work with the world's brightest thought leaders.Copyright 2024 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • SPOS #997 – Adam Brotman On Being AI First

    SPOS #997 – Adam Brotman On Being AI First
    Aug 17 2025

    Welcome to episode #997 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

    What happens when nearly everything a marketer or strategist does today becomes instant, automatic… and nearly free? That’s the premise of AI First, the new book from Adam Brotman (my guest this week) and his co-author Andy Sack, which confronts the existential shift that AI is bringing to brand strategy, customer experience and creative work. Adam, the former Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks and co-founder of the strategic consultancy Forum3, brings firsthand experience building digital platforms that changed how global businesses operate. In this episode, we dive into what it really means to become an "AI First” organization, not just layering on tools, but redesigning your business from the ground up. You’ll hear why OpenAI’s Sam Altman believes 95% of current marketing agency work will be handled by AI, and what that means for leaders, teams and the future of creative differentiation. We explore the difference between being AI-aware and AI-native, how to run internal pilots that create momentum, and what the future holds for customer loyalty and personalization in a post-human-first creative landscape. For anyone wondering what practical transformation looks like in an AI-saturated world and how to build companies that still feel human, this conversation maps the next five years and beyond. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 52:22.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • 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.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • or you can connect on LinkedIn.
    • ...or on X.
    • Here is my conversation with Adam Brotman.
    • AI First.
    • Forum3.
    • Check out his podcast.
    • Follow Adam on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - The Journey of Digital Transformation.
    (05:05) - AI First: Understanding the New Paradigm.
    (10:00) - The Role of AI in Business Strategy.
    (15:09) - Navigating the Future of Work with AI.
    (19:50) - The Promise and Challenges of AGI.
    (31:58) - The Rise of AI and Human Collaboration.
    (34:07) - Navigating the AI Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities.
    (37:27) - Intelligence vs. Imitation: Understanding AI's Capabilities.
    (40:57) - Creativity in the Age of AI: A New Frontier.
    (43:30) - The Role of Empathy in AI Interactions.
    (46:41) - Paradigm Shifts: Embracing Change in Technology.
    (49:01) - Responsible AI: Balancing Innovation and Ethics.
    (52:44) - The Future of Work: Adapting to AI Transformations.
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    52 mins
  • SPOS #996 – Christie Smith On Distributed Teams, Generative AI And Global Shifts

    SPOS #996 – Christie Smith On Distributed Teams, Generative AI And Global Shifts
    Aug 10 2025

    Welcome to episode #996 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

    Christie Smith is a former senior executive at Apple, Deloitte and Accenture with over three decades of leadership experience across industries including life sciences, consumer goods and finance. She holds a doctorate in Social Work and Organizational Psychology and now leads The Humanity Studio, a leadership advisory firm focused on redefining the future of work. In her new book, Essential - How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership (along with her co-author Kelly Monahan), Christie outlines a bold new framework for leaders navigating a post-pandemic, AI-driven, decentralized world. This episode explores the urgent need for management transformation - from command-and-control to people-centered leadership - and how today’s leaders must adapt to rising expectations around purpose, trust and equity. Topics include the power shift from corporations to individuals, the cultural cost of distributed work, and why organizations must stop measuring productivity and start cultivating human energy. The discussion also unpacks the psychological strain of "always-on" work cultures, the promise and peril of generative AI, and how leaders can build communities, not just companies. At its core, this conversation is about what comes after burnout… what it means to lead with humanity, design systems that elevate people, and use power responsibly in a time of profound disruption. For anyone rethinking what it means to lead, build and belong in the modern workplace, this episode offers a timely and hopeful reframing of what’s possible. Enjoy the conversation...

    • Running time: 56:23.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • 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.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • or you can connect on LinkedIn.
    • ...or on X.
    • Here is my conversation with Christie Smith.
    • Essential - How Distributed Teams, Generative AI, and Global Shifts Are Creating a New Human-Powered Leadership.
    • The Humanity Studio.
    • Follow Christie on Instagram.
    • Follow Christie on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - The Evolving Role of Leadership.
    (03:06) - Emotional Maturity in Leadership.
    (05:51) - The Impact of the Pandemic on Leadership.
    (08:55) - Employee Expectations and Organizational Change.
    (11:54) - The Shift Towards Purpose-Driven Leadership.
    (15:05) - Navigating Challenges in Large Organizations.
    (18:11) - The Rise of Entrepreneurship and New Work Models.
    (21:03) - Community and Connection in the Digital Age.
    (33:24) - The Human Element in AI and Workplaces.
    (39:10) - Agency and Connection in Leadership.
    (45:51) - Legacy and Leadership in a Changing World.
    (52:10) - Building a New Organization: Culture and Purpose.
    (58:28) - Curiosity and Hope in the Face of Challenges.
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    56 mins
  • SPOS #995 – Nelson Repenning On Delivering Real Results At Work

    SPOS #995 – Nelson Repenning On Delivering Real Results At Work
    Aug 3 2025
    Welcome to episode #995 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. Nelson Repenning has built his career at MIT Sloan and Shift Gear by asking a simple but haunting question: why do so many smart, capable organizations fail to get the right work done? In his new book, There’s Got to Be a Better Way, Nelson (along with his co-author, Don Kieffer) introduces dynamic work design: a practical framework that helps leaders move beyond broken systems and toward better execution. In this conversation, we explore the five principles behind this approach: solving the right problem, structuring for discovery, connecting the human chain, regulating for flow and visualizing the work. We talk about how businesses become addicted to heroics and strategic ambiguity, and how this culture often traps people in cycles of fire-fighting and busywork that look productive but deliver little. Nelson shares stories from his experience applying these principles in casinos, hospitals, biotech labs, and even homeless shelters (environments where urgency is real, resources are stretched and clarity can make or break outcomes). We also discuss how leadership often overcomplicates productivity with reorgs and top-down mandates, instead of fixing the structural design flaws that block meaningful progress. Nelson is quick to point out that the work isn’t just about doing more: it’s about doing it better… and that better means aligning actual workflow with the outcomes organizations care about. He reflects on his early days as a student at MIT and why dynamic work design is less a management fad and more a necessary shift in how modern teams operate. If you’re tired of watching your best people get burned out chasing KPIs while nothing fundamental improves, this episode offers a clearer path. We also get into the tension between change management and change design, and why the latter matters more in a world flooded with noise, complexity and well-intentioned but ineffective solutions. This is a sharp and focused take on work culture from someone who’s spent a lifetime challenging the systems beneath it. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 1:00:22.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.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.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn....or on X.Here is my conversation with Nelson Repenning.There’s Got to Be a Better Way.Shift Gear.MIT Sloan.Follow Nelson on LinkedIn. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to Nelson Repenning. (02:55) - The Journey to System Dynamics. (05:55) - Bridging Theory and Practice in Organizations. (09:14) - The Challenge of Success and Anomalies. (11:54) - Dynamic Work Design: From Manufacturing to Knowledge Work. (15:06) - The Role of AI in Knowledge Work. (18:12) - Manufacturing's Future and National Security. (20:58) - The Integration of Design and Manufacturing. (32:01) - The Complexity of Manufacturing and Supply Chains. (33:14) - Dynamic Work Design: A New Approach. (35:34) - Identifying and Solving the Right Problems. (39:28) - The Disconnect Between Management and Ground Realities. (42:14) - Adapting Management Practices for Hybrid Work. (45:33) - Visual Management in Knowledge Work. (52:44) - Regulating Flow to Prevent Overload. (58:41) - The Psychological Hurdles of Change.
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    1 hr
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