Welcome to episode #985 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Kathleen deLaski is one of the most important voices rethinking the purpose, structure, and future of higher education. As founder of the Education Design Lab and board chair of Credential Engine, she’s spent the last decade helping over 1,200 colleges, organizations, and regional economies reimagine learning pathways for next-generation students - particularly the new majority learners often left behind by traditional institutions. Her new book, Who Needs College Anymore? is a provocative and optimistic look at how postsecondary education must evolve, drawing on over a decade of field research, human-centered design, and more than 150 interviews with educators, employers, learners, and policymakers. In this conversation, we unpack the diploma divide, the rising cost of education, the friction between what college teaches and what employers expect, and how AI is rewriting the script for entry-level jobs and professional training. Kathleen - whose career spans time as a journalist at ABC News, a Pentagon spokesperson, working at AOL in the early days of the Internet, and a philanthropic force behind education reform - brings not just perspective but practical ideas on how colleges, businesses, and society must adapt. This one challenges what we think college is for, and what meaningful learning might look like in a skills-based future. Enjoy the conversation…

• Running time: 51:11.
• 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 Kathleen deLaski.
• Who Needs College Anymore?.
• Education Design Lab.
• Follow Kathleen on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

(00:00) - The Rise of Human-Centered Design in Education.
(02:45) - Challenges in Higher Education and the Need for Innovation.
(06:00) - Cultural Shifts and the Value of College.
(08:53) - The Diploma Divide and Its Societal Implications.
(11:54) - Affordability and Access to Education.
(14:47) - The Disconnect Between Degrees and Job Market.
(18:06) - The Importance of Experience Over Degrees.
(21:13) - Networking and Its Role in Career Success.
(29:38) - The Impact of AI on Job Markets.
(32:36) - The Future of Entry-Level Jobs.
(36:05) - Reevaluating Professional Education.
(41:35) - The Value of Trades in Modern Society.
(43:06) - Digital Learning and Its Challenges.
(47:17) - Generational Perspectives on Work Ethic.

Welcome to episode #984 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.

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 Schwabinto a new kind of media - one built on trust, consistency, and real creative value. That experience forms the foundation of his new book, Earn It - Unconventional Strategies For Brave Marketers. In this conversation, he unpacks why so many marketers are stuck in short-term thinking, how performance marketing is cannibalizing brand, and what it really takes to build content worth someone’s time. 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, and how AI may flood the market with content - but only humans can still make something remarkable. Steve’s career started in TV production, moved through digital innovation at CBC, and has now landed at the intersection of creativity, business strategy, and media design with his newest venture, The Creativity Business. His message is simple: the only brands that win long-term are the ones willing to put in the work, respect the audience, and be consistently great over time. For anyone wrestling with content strategy, podcasting, or how to think like a media company - this one’s a masterclass. Enjoy the conversation...

• Running time: 1:00:53.
• 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 Steve Pratt.
• Earn It - Unconventional Strategies For Brave Marketers.
• The Creativity Business.
• Follow Steve on Instagram.
• Follow Steve on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

(00:00) - The Journey of Podcasting.
(02:58) - Consistency vs. Relevance in Content Creation.
(06:05) - The Landscape of Media Companies vs. Individual Creators.
(08:58) - Audience Development in the Digital Age.
(11:49) - The Nature of Podcasts vs. Video Content.
(15:09) - The Evolution of Podcasting and Video Strategies.
(17:49) - The Role of Sensationalism in Media.
(20:52) - Quality vs. Mediocrity in Content Creation.
(33:37) - The Challenge of Earning Success.
(34:44) - The Longevity of Podcasting and Audience Engagement.
(39:01) - Niche Marketing and Brand Media Companies.
(42:59) - The Pressure of Performance Marketing.
(50:00) - The Role of AI in Content Creation.
(01:03:16) - Red Bull: A Case Study in Media Innovation.