SPOS #981 – Donald Miller On Building A Story Brand
Release Date: 04/27/2025
Modern Marketing With MichaelAaron Flicker - TWMJ #1035
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1035 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when marketers have more data, more technology and more precision than ever before… consumer trust, attention and loyalty somehow feel more fragile than ever. Few people are exploring that paradox more deeply than . An entrepreneur who started his company at just fourteen years old, Michael has spent years studying the intersection of marketing, behavioral science and human decision-making (he runs an agency, vventure capital firm and leads several other businesses). His book, (along with...
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The Business Of Culture And Art With Douglas Woodham - TWMJ #1034
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1034 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when the lines between culture, commerce and identity feel increasingly blurred, few people understand how value is actually constructed… and reconstructed… better than . A former President of the Americas at and a longtime advisor through his firm , Doug brings a rare dual lens to the conversation… equal parts economist and art obsessive. With a PhD in economics and decades spent inside the machinery of the global art market, he has seen firsthand how artists move from obscurity to icon...
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Revolutionizing Humanity And Tech With Pablos Holman - TWMJ #1033
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1033 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). We spent the last twenty-five years calling software “technology,” which was convenient, profitable and just a little bit delusional. Apps got smarter. Feeds got stickier. Ads got creepier. Dashboards got dashboards. Meanwhile, the real world kept asking harder questions. How do we produce enough clean energy for eight billion people? How do we build things again? How do we manufacture without waste? How do we use AI for science, not just better chatbots and faster slop? has spent his career living...
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Unlocking Creativity And Productivity With Natalie Nixon - TWMJ #1032
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1032 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when productivity is still measured in speed, output and constant motion, few voices are pushing for a more human… and ultimately more effective… way of working than . A creativity strategist, keynote speaker and founder of , Natalie has built her career helping leaders unlock the business value of imagination… not as a soft skill, but as a strategic capability. Her work sits at the intersection of design thinking, anthropology and business innovation, and her previous book, , positioned...
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New Business Transformations With Joseph Pine - TWMJ #1031
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1031 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when businesses are still trying to wrap their heads around “customer experience,” few thinkers have shaped that conversation… and pushed it forward… as much as As cofounder of , Joe has spent decades helping organizations understand how economic value evolves… from commodities to goods, to services, to experiences… and now, to something far more ambitious. Best known for , Joe didn’t just introduce a concept… he gave leaders a new language to describe how businesses compete for...
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Thinking At The Edge Of What's Possible With Avinash Kaushik - TWMJ #1030
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1030 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when marketing (and AI) feels both hyper-measurable and strangely uncertain, few voices bring as much clarity… and lived perspective… as . A longtime friend (and he’s also available for your next meeting at e) of the show and one of the most influential thinkers in marketing and technology, Avinash first rose to prominence as the analytics evangelist at , where he helped bring web analytics into the mainstream and reshape how businesses think about measurement and decision-making. He is...
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Navigating The Near Future With David Armano - TWMJ #1029
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1029 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). These days, technology feels both familiar… and completely unrecognizable. Few voices bring the kind of clarity and grounded perspective that does. A longtime digital strategist, advisor, self-proclaimed futurist and friend, David has spent decades at the front lines of transformation… helping organizations navigate everything from the rise of social media to the mobile-first revolution, and now the seismic shift of artificial intelligence. In his current role at , he works directly with enterprises...
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Belief, Potential And Breakthroughs With Nir Eyal - TWMJ #1028
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1028 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). In a world increasingly defined by information overload and ideological certainty, the ability to change one’s mind may be the most undervalued skill of all… and few thinkers have explored that terrain as deeply as my friend, . A bestselling author, behavioral design expert and former lecturer, Nir has built a career examining how habits are formed, how attention is controlled and how human behavior can be shaped both externally and from within. His previous works, and , established him as a leading...
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The Science Of Storytelling With Will Storr - TWMJ #1027
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1027 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). 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 , , and , each offering a deeper look at the hidden forces driving...
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Getting Your Strategy Right With Kevin Ertell
Thinking With Mitch Joel
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… has spent a career focused on the harder question: why execution so often fails. Kevin is the Founder and CEO of and a veteran operator whose three decades of experience include leading large-scale retail and e-commerce operations at global brands like , , , and . Over the years he has developed a reputation as a...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #981 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.
Donald Miller is one of the most influential voices in modern marketing - a bestselling author, business strategist, and the creative force behind StoryBrand (a framework that has reshaped how leaders and organizations communicate). In our conversation, Donald breaks down the timeless power of story and why clarity - not cleverness - is the most underrated competitive advantage in business today. His new book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0 - Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen, expands on his original seven-part storytelling framework with sharper tools and practical applications for the modern marketer. Donald is also the author of several bestselling books, including the spiritual memoir Blue Like Jazz, the personal development reflection Scary Close, and A Million Miles In A Thousand Years (loved that one!), alongside business classics like Marketing Made Simple, Business Made Simple, Coach Builder, How to Grow Your Small Business, which have collectively shaped how individuals and organizations think about story, purpose, and growth. We explore why curiosity is the secret starting point in every great customer journey, how AI is accelerating both efficiency and confusion in marketing, and why simple messages are often the hardest to write. Donald also opens up about the creative process behind writing, how to chase ideas worth finishing, and why businesses fail not from a lack of creativity - but from poor communication. Whether you're leading a brand, launching a product, or refining your personal pitch, this conversation is a masterclass in messaging. Enjoy the conversation...
- Running time: 55:49.
- 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 Donald Miller.
- Building a StoryBrand 2.0 - Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen.
- StoryBrand.
- Marketing Made Simple.
- Business Made Simple.
- Coach Builder.
- How to Grow Your Small Business.
- Blue Like Jazz.
- Scary Close.
- A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.
- Follow Donald on X.
- Follow Donald on Instagram.
- Follow Donald on LinkedIn.
Chapters:
(00:00) - The Power of Storytelling in Branding.
(12:46) - Understanding Consumer Relationships with Brands.
(26:02) - The Art and Science of Effective Marketing.
(29:00) - The Ineffectiveness of Modern Advertising.
(32:42) - The Importance of Clarity in Messaging.
(36:46) - The Role of Creativity in Marketing.
(41:15) - The Impact of AI on Marketing.
(46:24) - The Future of Marketing and Strategy.
(49:45) - The Creative Process and Writing Books.