Thread by @ImiMorgan

A thread on podcast interviews: Always be curious.

I've had guests on @WannaBePodcast who start the interview really guarded and hard to talk to. Being curious helps. So does research and anchor questions.

I rarely speak to someone that I'm not genuinely curious about. Sometimes I start digging and it's shallow sometimes it's deep. The big things can be little things and vice versa. Follow your curiosity.

Always listen. Listen listen listen!!!!

Sometimes I trip up during interviews because I'm genuinely listening to learn and NOT TO RESPOND 😠. Never listen to respond it's not cool.

I'm learning to react and transition faster though.

Great transitions include:
'i love that you said that...'
'i wanted to pick up on'
'let's switch gears/directions'
'i want to circle back on'
'huh, that's interesting.'
'i never thought of it like that....'
'that's wonderful.'
Google for more.

Stay ready. There hasn't been one episode that's happened the way I planned it. I like to pull the thread that they might not expect me to pull and we end up talking about something very different.

Be formulaic in your approach I have 6 anchor questions to ensure I have an episode. The rest is bonus material.

Find common ground and give yourself freely. Personal anecdotes and stories of how you relate are key to building a relationship. Be genuine always.

I'm basically networking with a mic. If they're well connected or a celebrity don't bring it up. Be interested in them as a person. Let it come up organically or not at all.

My anchor questions are rooted in nostalgia and sentiment so it's about transporting guests to happier/aspirational times. My first question works well and is optimised for time limitations.

I technically only need 30-40 mins to get everything but I've recorded for 1-4hrs (!) because it's a nice conversation. My feedback is always about relief and how nice it was. Again it's curiousity and listening.

I don't call myself an interviewer because I don't think I'm great at interviewing tbh. I get sweaty at the thought of a methodical Q&A. I'm a conversationalist. It needs to be a back and forth for me personally.

If in doubt, when speaking to someone for the first time, start with a feeling or emotion. How did you feel about X? Emotions ALWAYS lead to actions and results.

Practice. Listen to other shows, observe conversations. Watch interviews and find questions you like and try them out. I love 'What are you working on getting better at right now?' it has mixed results though. So I'll have to refine it.

I hope this helped somebody. I wish someone had told me this when I first started tbh. But growth is messy, uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing so enjoy it. Feel free to share thoughts and tips you've learned.