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New episode: Kathleen deLaski On A Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter

As the founder of the Education Design Lab and board chair of Credential Engine, Kathleen has been at the forefront of reimagining learning pathways for the new generation, particularly for those who feel sidelined by traditional institutions.

Her latest book, "Who Needs College Anymore?" offers an optimistic yet provocative take on the future of education.

Topics:
- The diploma divide
- Friction between what college teaches and what employers expect
- AI's transformative impact on jobs and training

Drawing from her extensive career in journalism, tech, and education reform, Kathleen shares pragmatic ideas on how to steer colleges, businesses, and societal norms towards a skills-based future.

🎧 Tune in to challenge what you think college is for and envision what meaningful learning might look like in the years ahead.

Show notes:
https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/kathleen-delaski-on-a-future-where-degrees-wont-matter-this-weeks-six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/id157616278?i=1000709772389

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2zcA7omAnt4dp2lQBPNMx6?si=2d01ac853fee4f91

Kathleen deLaski On A Future Where Degrees Won't Matter - This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - Six Pixels of Separation Episode #985 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen

Why do some of us cry during movies? According to Thinker Dr. Paul Zak, it’s all about oxytocin. Known as the “trust hormone,” oxytocin helps us connect with others and feel empathy—key traits for building relationships and fostering collaboration.

When a story moves us to tears, it’s a sign that we’re deeply engaged. Our brains are responding to powerful narratives, releasing oxytocin, and strengthening our emotional intelligence.

For leaders, marketers, and communicators, this insight is a reminder:

Stories that evoke emotion aren’t just entertaining—they’re transformational. They connect people on a human level, driving trust and influence.

Read more: https://tiranapost.al/politike/te-qash-duke-pare-filma-eshte-nje-lajm-i-mire-i537877

—
Professor Paul Zak is one of the top 0.3% of most cited scientists. Bring him into your next meeting for personalized insights on marketing and the science of persuasion for your brand.
Schedule a 15 minute video: https://thinkersone.com/paulzak

What is ThinkersOne?
Much like celebrity video-greeting platforms, ThinkersOne provides short, customized video messages from high-profile thought leaders, for teams at companies like Google. These affordable, convenient videos can be used for team meetings, events, conferences, or even one-on-one inspiration.

Paul Zak Dr. Paul J. Zak is University Professor at Claremont Graduate University and is in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists. Paul’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. His most recent book, Immersion: The Science of ...

More than 70% of strategies fail to deliver their intended results.

The issue isn’t usually the strategy itself. It’s what happens—or more often doesn’t happen—after strategy design ends.

Strategy fails not because it’s poorly crafted, but because it’s poorly executed. Ex*****on includes aligning people, systems and capabilities so that your strategy becomes a lived reality, not a 400-page slide deck.

Let’s unpack why strategy so often falls apart—and how the Ex*****on Edge can prevent that from happening.

👀New article by Thinker Alex Brueckmann

The Strategy-Ex*****on Gap: Where Good Intentions Go To Die https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/05/21/why-strategy-fails-and-how-to-make-sure-yours-doesnt/

Alex Brueckmann is the founder and CEO of Brueckmann Executive Consulting, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Strategy Legacy and Secrets of Next Level Entrepreneurs.

He’s a sought-after speaker and facilitates strategy processes for executive teams and boards of directors.

His clients include Fortune500 and Inc5000 companies including Alphabet, Ammega, BMW, Getida, Prospera Credit Union, Roche, and Telefonica.

📆 Schedule Alex to join your next video meeting for advice on your business strategy: https://thinkersone.com/products/alex-brueckmann

Why Strategy Fails—And How To Make Sure Yours Doesn’t The Ex*****on Edge—the outer circle of the 9EOI framework—is what keeps your strategy upright, visible and actionable across the organization.

The numbers don’t lie: More than 70% of strategies fail to deliver their intended results.

The issue isn’t usually the strategy itself. It’s what happens—or more often doesn’t happen—after strategy design ends.

Strategy fails not because it’s poorly crafted, but because it’s poorly executed. Ex*****on include The numbers don’t lie: More than 70% of strategies fail to deliver their intended results.

The issue isn’t usually the strategy itself. It’s what happens—or more often doesn’t happen—after strategy design ends.

Strategy fails not because it’s poorly crafted, but because it’s poorly executed. Ex*****on includes aligning people, systems and capabilities so that your strategy becomes a lived reality, not a 400-page slide deck.

Let’s unpack why strategy so often falls apart—and how the Ex*****on Edge can prevent that from happening.

👀New article by Thinker Alex Brueckmann

The Strategy-Ex*****on Gap: Where Good Intentions Go To Die https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2025/05/21/why-strategy-fails-and-how-to-make-sure-yours-doesnt/

Alex Brueckmann is the founder and CEO of Brueckmann Executive Consulting, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Strategy Legacy and Secrets of Next Level Entrepreneurs.

He’s a sought-after speaker and facilitates strategy processes for executive teams and boards of directors.

His clients include Fortune500 and Inc5000 companies including Alphabet, Ammega, BMW, Getida, Prospera Credit Union, Roche, and Telefonica.

📆 Bring Alex into your next meeting for advice on your business strategy: https://thinkersone.com/products/alex-brueckmann

Why Strategy Fails—And How To Make Sure Yours Doesn’t The Ex*****on Edge—the outer circle of the 9EOI framework—is what keeps your strategy upright, visible and actionable across the organization.

Steve Pratt knows how to earn attention – and not in the algorithm-chasing, trend-hopping way most marketers talk about it. As the co-founder of Pacific Content (the first agency dedicated to branded podcasts), Steve helped pioneer a model for long-form brand storytelling that respected the audience as much as it served the client.

Before podcasting was a thing brands took seriously, Steve was guiding companies like Slack, Facebook, Shopify, BMW, Adobe, and Charles Schwab into a new kind of media – one built on trust, consistency, and real creative value.

There’s insight here on the difference between being loud and being relevant, on why the future belongs to brave brands with a point of view.

Discover:
- Why short-term marketing can harm long-term brand success.
- The significance of content built on trust, creativity, and consistency.
- How AI will flood the market with content – but only humans can make it remarkable.

Gain a new perspective on brand content strategy and the future of media.

New episode of Six Pixels of Separation:

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/id157616278?i=1000708876621

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/74aiL6L1by72NvKsqs7ahl?si=98c3b9dc32824207

📝 Show notes: https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/steve-pratt-on-podcasting-and-unconventional-marketing-this-weeks-six-pixels-of-separation-podcast)

Steve Pratt On Podcasting And Unconventional Marketing - This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - Six Pixels of Separation Episode #984 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen

“Great ad, great marketing, and … a crazy, low-priced EV truck that’s kind of like Mr. Potatohead (you can configure it how you like, now or later). I kinda want one.”
(Hugh McGuire for Mitch Joel)

Meet Slate
👀: https://youtu.be/mxMd3SNEKCA

From this week’s Six Links That Make You Think: https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/six-links-that-make-you-think-776/

Six Links That Make You Think #776 - Six Pixels of Separation Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know

Matthew Weinzierl is not just thinking about the future of the economy – he’s thinking about the economy of the final frontier. As a professor at Harvard Business School and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, Matt brings the analytical rigor of economic policy to a space sector that’s shifting from sci-fi to IPO.

In the latest episode of SPOS, we unpack the big thesis behind his new book Space To Grow – Unlocking The Final Economic Frontier (co-authored with Mehak Sarang Rousseau), which reframes space as something more than spectacle or science – it’s a place where real economic value is being created right now.

Whether you're eager to understand the space economy or the profound questions shaping our cosmos, this episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the next big economic frontier.

🌠 Episode highlights:
- Market forces and sustainability in outer space
- Microgravity manufacturing and broadband access
- The role of SpaceX and the future of space competition
- The debate between centralized control and decentralized innovation

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/id157616278?i=1000707979366

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TFksLrBr5TcAUNFfTWdA6?si=9700e9c8d846460f

📝 Show notes: https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/matthew-weinzierl-on-space-and-new-economic-frontiers-this-weeks-six-pixels-of-separation-podcast

Matthew Weinzierl On Space And New Economic Frontiers - This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - Six Pixels of Separation Episode #983 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen

Ask these 3 questions to solve any work problem.

A deceptively simple way to work smarter.

These questions—”What if?”, “So what?”, and “Now what?”—form a natural progression that guide you from creative ideation to practical ex*****on. Let’s explore how each question serves as a crucial waypoint in your problem-solving journey.

New article by Thinker Natalie Nixon:

Ask these 3 questions to solve any work problem How "What if?," "So what?," and "Now what?" can help you problem solve

“Fifteen years ago, we were going through the social media wave, telling the world there was a new influencer in town—bloggers, YouTubers, and now TikTokers.

Marketers and advertisers had to figure out how to cater to them—and they did. What I’m here to tell marketers today is that there’s a new influencer in town, and it’s not a human—it’s an AI agent.” -Jeremiah Owyang

A VC, former CMO, industry analyst, and tech evangelist, Jeremiah has predicted and shaped five major tech waves, from Web 2.0 to AI.

In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Matt Britton sits down with Jeremiah
to discuss:

-The rise of AI agents
-The shift in digital advertising
-Why human agency and empathy are the real power skills in an AI-driven world

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/artificial-influencer-blitzscaling-ventures-jeremiah/id1617896513?i=1000705675833

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4W31IUb0HqNGCl7WikbHbw?si=w-YyXYaYSTShODLdN41LWA

Artificial Influencer: Blitzscaling Ventures' Jeremiah Owyang on the age of AI influencers Podcast Episode · The Speed of Culture Podcast · 05/01/2025 · 28m

Is "the loneliness epidemic" truly an epidemic? According to Ethan Kross's study, the impact of being alone is largely influenced by perception:

For individuals who've been conditioned to view solitude as detrimental, loneliness may indeed pose a mental health threat. However, for those who perceive alone time as an opportunity for rest or creativity, the effects can be positive.
💡 Media diet impacts beliefs, which impact emotional health.

Ethan Kross is a distinguished authority on emotional dynamics and one of the sharpest minds in psychology today. As a professor at the University of Michigan and author of acclaimed works like "Chatter" and "Shift – Managing Your Emotions – So They Don’t Manage You," Ethan opens the door to transformative insights on our emotional landscape.

In this conversation with Mitch Joel, Ethan dispels emotion myths and explores:

- The counterintuitive benefits of avoidance
- Why anger has a place in your emotional toolkit
- How a diverse emotional toolkit can be customized for context-specific challenges
- How emerging AI could revolutionize mental wellness
- Why regulating your news consumption might be as crucial as counting your steps for overall well-being

For those seeking a deeper understanding and control over their emotions, this conversation offers both clarity and empowerment. SPOS #982

📝 Show notes: https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/ethan-kross-on-management-for-your-emotions-this-weeks-six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spos-982-ethan-kross-on-management-for-your-emotions/id157616278?i=1000706142309

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/41iNtRe2cNT56Evqaxwr2S?si=051192d489b64ae8

Ethan Kross On Management For Your Emotions - This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast - Six Pixels of Separation Episode #982 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen

We thought AI was going to come for our jobs.

But that’s not what’s happening (…yet).
AI is coming for the tasks inside every job (…now).
That’s a huge difference (…for now).

And it forces a better question:

What does it mean to be good at your work – when the hard parts are now the easy parts?
AI isn’t the end of human work.
It is the beginning of a new kind of work.
Not humans vs. AI (…yet).
Humans with AI (…for now).
We’re not being replaced (…yet).
We’re being repositioned (…for now).

…

How do we humans thrive in this new economy?

I’ve built a mini-framework (maybe more of a mindset?).

It’s called: P.A.C.E.

…

Read more in Mitch Joel’s new article:

Will AI Take My Job? That’s The Wrong Question…

https://www.sixpixels.com/articles/archives/will-ai-take-my-job-thats-the-wrong-question/

Will AI Take My Job? That’s The Wrong Question... - Six Pixels of Separation We thought AI was going to come for our jobs. But that’s not what’s happening (…yet). AI is coming for

Maybe your marketing is trying to be too clever. Maybe you skipped Curiosity and went straight to Commitment, which never works.

🎙New episode: a wake-up call for your messaging and brand story.

Donald Miller, the creative mind behind and author of Building a StoryBrand 2.0, shares actionable insights for marketers and business leaders.

💡 Key takeaways:

• Clarity beats cleverness: Why a simple message is your biggest advantage.
• AI in marketing: Accelerating efficiency while creating new challenges.
• The power of curiosity: How it sparks great customer journeys.
• Creative process secrets: Writing ideas worth finishing and avoiding communication pitfalls.

Whether you’re growing a business, launching a product, or sharpening your pitch, Donald’s conversation with host Mitch Joel is packed with insights to improve your strategy.

📝 Show notes: https://www.sixpixels.com/podcast/archives/spos-981-donald-miller-on-building-a-story-brand/

🎧 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/six-pixels-of-separation-podcast/id157616278?i=1000705112939

🎧 Spotify:

SPOS #981 – Donald Miller On Building A Story Brand Six Pixels of Separation · Episode