Why We're All Digitally Exhausted With Paul Leonardi - TWMJ #1017
Release Date: 01/04/2026
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...
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What Is Happening With AI With Ann Handley - TWMJ #1025
Thinking With Mitch Joel
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 . A pioneering digital marketing strategist (), bestselling author ( and ), longtime champion of writing that actually means something and dear friend (also, if you’re not susbscribed to her newsletter, , 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, , she pushes back against the apocalyptic...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #1017 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).
At a time when technology promises limitless capability yet leaves so many people mentally depleted, the question is no longer whether digital tools are powerful, but whether we know how to live with them. Paul Leonardi is a leading expert on digital transformation, the future of work, and organizational networks, with more than two decades of research and advisory work focused on how technology reshapes collaboration, innovation, and human behavior. A professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he holds the Duca Family Endowed Chair and chairs the Department of Technology Management, Paul has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits on navigating the people side of technological change. His work has shaped global conversations, translating rigorous research into practical frameworks leaders can actually use. His latest book, Digital Exhaustion - Simple Rules For Reclaiming Your Life, confronts a growing paradox of modern work and life: technologies that make everything possible are also wearing us down. Drawing on years of research and real-world observation, Paul explains why digital exhaustion isn’t simply about screen time, but about constant task switching, inference-making in data-saturated environments, and the emotional toll of being perpetually reachable. He examines how capitalist incentives and addictive design amplify fatigue, why generational differences don’t offer immunity, and how the collapse of clear boundaries between work, home, and identity has created a new baseline of psychological strain. Rather than advocating withdrawal or digital detoxes, Paul offers a more realistic path rooted in intentionality, clearer norms, and conscious choices about which tools deserve our attention. His work reframes exhaustion not as personal failure, but as a systemic condition that can be managed through better design, better habits, and a more humane relationship with technology. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 1:02:56.
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- Here is my conversation with Paul Leonardi.
- Digital Exhaustion - Simple Rules For Reclaiming Your Life.
- The Digital Mindset.
- Follow Paul on LinkedIn.
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Digital Exhaustion.
(02:48) - The Dark Side of Technology.
(06:13) - The Role of Capitalism in Digital Overwhelm.
(09:00) - Generational Perspectives on Technology.
(11:55) - The Search for Baselines in Digital Interaction.
(14:54) - The Psychological and Physical Aspects of Exhaustion.
(17:46) - Addiction to Technology.
(20:55) - Strategies for Managing Digital Tools.
(23:52) - The Complexity of Productivity in the Digital Age.
(26:51) - The Future of AI and Digital Interaction.
(32:37) - The Data Arms Race and Human Representation.
(34:58) - The Shift from Attention to Intimacy Economy.
(38:02) - Default Urgency and Social Norms in Communication.
(42:19) - The Power of Intentional Response.
(46:00) - Attention Span: Short vs. Long.
(53:02) - The Joy of Missing Out vs. Fear of Missing Out.
(56:35) - Parenting in the Age of Social Media.