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Thinking With Mitch Joel

Thinking With Mitch Joel

By: Mitch Joel
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 Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast) is a podcast for curious minds. Mitch brings you weekly conversations at the intersection of technology, culture and business with the world's brightest thought leaders.Copyright 2025 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027

    The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027
    Mar 15 2026
    Welcome to episode #1027 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Will Storr is an award-winning author, journalist and storytelling researcher whose work explores one of the most powerful forces shaping human behavior… the stories we tell ourselves about the world. Over the course of a career that blends psychology, neuroscience, investigative journalism and narrative craft, Will has become one of the most compelling voices examining how stories shape identity, belief and culture. His bestselling books include The Science of Storytelling, Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed And What It's Doing To Us, and The Status Game, each offering a deeper look at the hidden forces driving human motivation and social behavior. In his latest book, A Story Is A Deal - How To Use The Science Of Story To Motivate And Persuade, Will explores how storytelling operates as a powerful psychological transaction… a kind of deal between storyteller and audience that shapes what we believe, who we trust and how we act. Drawing on research from neuroscience and psychology alongside examples that range from ancient rituals to modern brand campaigns, Will shows how narratives influence everything from the leaders we follow to the products we buy. In this conversation, Will explores why people so often believe stories before they believe facts, how identity and status shape the narratives we embrace, and why character-driven storytelling remains the most powerful way to influence human behavior. At the same time, he wrestles with the darker side of narrative… the way stories can fuel misinformation, reinforce tribal identities and manipulate audiences when used without care. As artificial intelligence begins to play a role in creating and distributing stories, the conversation also turns to questions of authenticity, creativity and the future of narrative itself. I'm a huge fan of Will's work and it was truly a honor to host him. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 54:58.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 - Thinking With Mitch Joel.Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.Check out ThinkersOne.Here is my conversation with Will Storr.A Story Is A Deal - How To Use The Science Of Story To Motivate And Persuade. The Science of Storytelling.Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed And What It's Doing To Us.The Status Game.Will's other books.Follow Will on LinkedIn.Follow Will on Instagram.Follow Will on X. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to Storytelling and Its Significance. (02:47) - The Power of Story in Belief Systems. (05:43) - The Role of Story in Climate Change Narratives. (08:56) - Navigating Complex Conversations and Identity. (11:45) - Storytelling as a Business Tool. (15:41) - Consciousness and Story: An Indivisible Connection. (18:18) - Persuasion vs. Manipulation in Storytelling. (20:29) - AI and the Future of Storytelling. (27:29) - The Emergence of AI-Generated Content. (29:36) - The Emotional Connection to Art. (31:31) - The Future of Cultural Art and AI. (32:54) - AI's Role in Creative Writing. (36:35) - The Formula of Storytelling. (40:39) - The Impact of AI on Writing Quality. (44:14) - The Science of Storytelling. (49:41) - The Role of Character in Business Narratives. (56:34) - Understanding Religion as a Status Game.
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    55 mins
  • Getting Your Strategy Right With Kevin Ertell

    Getting Your Strategy Right With Kevin Ertell
    Mar 8 2026

    Welcome to episode #1026 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    At a time when strategy has become a kind of corporate theater… carefully crafted presentations, ambitious roadmaps and bold declarations that rarely survive first contact with reality… Kevin Ertell has spent a career focused on the harder question: why execution so often fails. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Mistere Advisory and a veteran operator whose three decades of experience include leading large-scale retail and e-commerce operations at global brands like Nike, Sur La Table, Borders, and Tower Records. Over the years he has developed a reputation as a straight-talking advisor who helps leaders turn complexity into clarity and ambition into measurable results. His work spans industries including technology, healthcare, retail, consumer goods and manufacturing, where he focuses on helping organizations align teams, simplify priorities and build the operating rhythms required to deliver on their plans. In his new book, The Strategy Trap - Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right, Kevin draws on decades of frontline experience to tackle a frustrating reality of modern business: most strategies don't fail on paper… they fail in the real world. Through practical frameworks like his Six Cs of Execution (Co-creation, Clarity, Capacity, Communication, Coordination and Coaching) he argues that strategy and execution must begin in the same room, with teams co-creating the plan and committing to disciplined follow-through. Kevin explores how incentives shape behavior, why organizations must slow down to create clarity before accelerating, and how leadership cultures built around coaching and collaboration can unlock real momentum. Grounded in operational experience rather than theory, his work reframes strategy not as a planning exercise but as a team sport that requires alignment, accountability and relentless focus on execution. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 58:44.
    • 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 - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Kevin Ertell.
    • The Strategy Trap - Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right.
    • Mistere Advisory.
    • Get The Strategy Trap newsletter.
    • Follow Kevin on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Introduction to Kevin Ertell and his Expertise.
    (02:51) - The Evolution of E-commerce and Digital Strategy.
    (06:03) - Understanding the Strategy Trap.
    (08:57) - The Importance of Execution in Strategy.
    (12:02) - Communication and Team Dynamics in Strategy.
    (14:47) - Co-Creation and Employee Engagement.
    (17:55) - The Role of Customers in Strategy.
    (21:04) - Defining the Strategy Trap and Its Implications.
    (30:01) - Navigating Change: The Role of Detractors in Strategy.
    (32:47) - The Rise and Fall of Retail Giants: Lessons from JCPenney.
    (40:58) - Harnessing AI: Transforming Strategy and Productivity.
    (49:01) - Coaching Mindset: The Key to Effective Leadership.
    (53:06) - Anticipating the Future: Understanding Change and Context.
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    59 mins
  • What Is Happening With AI With Ann Handley - TWMJ #1025

    What Is Happening With AI With Ann Handley - TWMJ #1025
    Mar 1 2026
    Welcome to episode #1025 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when panic travels faster than proof, few marketers are as clear-eyed… and as human… as Ann Handley. A pioneering digital marketing strategist (MarketingProfs), bestselling author (Everybody Writes and Content Rules), longtime champion of writing that actually means something and dear friend (also, if you're not susbscribed to her newsletter, Total Annarchy, you really should be), Ann has built a career reminding businesses that the point of content isn't velocity… it's connection. In her recent essay, Something Messy Is Happening: On AI, Panic, and Asking Better Questions, she pushes back against the apocalyptic certainty surrounding AI job displacement and challenges the framing that faster always wins. Responding to venture capitalist Matt Shumer's argument, Something Big Is Happening, that AI will eliminate half of white-collar work within a few years, Ann dissects the seductive panic embedded in exponential curves and racing metaphors, arguing that technological capability does not equal economic inevitability. She reminds us that adoption is human-shaped, that judgment compounds when speed becomes cheap, and that friction is often where thinking actually happens. Rather than choosing between "adapt or die," Ann advocates for a steadier path: use the tools, reject the hysteria, protect the work that builds trust, expertise and meaning over time. Grounded in curiosity rather than fear, her perspective reframes the moment not as a race to outrun machines but as an invitation to ask better questions about what we're building… and why. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 56:04.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 - Thinking With Mitch Joel.Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.Check out ThinkersOne.Here is my conversation with Ann Handley.Total Annarchy.MarketingProfs.Everybody Writes.Content Rules. Something Messy Is Happening: On AI, Panic, and Asking Better Questions.Something Big Is Happening by Matt Shume.Follow Ann on LinkedIn.Follow Ann on Threads.Follow Ann on Instagram. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction and Context of AI's Viral Impact. (01:21) - How Ann Uses AI to Strengthen Thinking. (03:43) - The Limitations and Human Control of AI. (05:09) - Content Structure and AI's Role in Creativity. (07:11) - AI's Proximity to Human Work and Its Implications. (11:09) - Extrapolating AI's Impact on Jobs and Society. (13:58) - The Emotional and Societal Response to AI. (18:45) - The Surprising Capabilities of AI in Judgment. (21:35) - The Role of Human Judgment and Creativity. (27:20) - The Impact of SEO and Content Homogenization. (29:58) - AI's Ability to Mimic Human Taste and Judgment. (36:40) - Balancing AI Use with Human Integrity. (39:36) - The Race for Content and Creativity in AI Era. (42:58) - Speed Culture and Its Discontents.. (50:34) - Navigating AI's Role in Society and Creativity. (52:50) - The Future of Creativity and AI's Impact. (54:24) - Personal Reflections on AI's Transformative Power.
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    56 mins
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