As a creative professional, it's not always easy to balance the "creative" and the "professional."


Have you had those days - you show up at your workspace on time with a long list of projects and calls for the day, but things never quite click? Producing podcasts for Spartan is unrelenting. I have 7 shows coming out every week. I need to do more than just check the boxes, on those off days the focus and creativity never really show up. But if I do these three things before breakfast I know the day will kick into high gear.


1. Go outside
I take 10 minutes to take the dog to the river.  I know that's not possible for everyone.  The key is to rip yourself out of the digital force field that is an inevitable part of our lives and hit pause. There's no mental agenda for this time.  Just be. Walk, look, listen, smell, feel and let your mind wander. Nature is a powerful force and we've evolved to be a part of it.  Let it work its magic on you.

2. 10 minutes of Yoga
I found a great morning Yoga routine on YouTube that is suitable for beginners.  From the moment I wake up my daily to-do list starts spinning, and it's too easy for me to feel I don't have time for Yoga.  The 10-minute routine helps me overcome that.  In that short 10 minutes it works the physical kinks out, includes some breath work, and a tiny taste of mindfulness.  (I use this one)

3. Journal
When I was a teenager I had a journal that I wrote in every now and then, but it was always looking backward.  I wrote about what had I done, experience, or felt in the day or week gone by.  This journal is different.  I write about how I want to be and set the tone for the day to come. Not a to-do list but a to BE list.  It's also an opportunity to work through ideas I'm processing.  New techniques or philosophies I read about or hear about in podcasts. These prime the pump for a more creative, focused, productive day.

How do you start your day? Is it working for you?

What questions should I ask? It's a common question new interviewers ponder.  Most questions need to be carefully tailored to each unique interview based on the goals and style of the interviewer, the interview type they've chosen, and the unique qualifications of the guest. But there ARE some questions you can ask just about anyone to deepen the conversation.

In a recent conversation on the "Podcast Movement" forum podcasters talked about their favorite questions.  I found 11 great interview questions among them that you can ask almost anyone. These questions will open new doors to conversation no matter who you are speaking to.  Keep them in your back pocket when you need a conversation starter:

This is the third in a series of articles on Interview Lessons' 5 kinds of interview: testimonial, conversational, exploration or curiosity-driven, journalistic, and story focused.

What is a curiosity-driven interview?
The third type of interview in our Interview Lessons system is the curiosity-driven interview.  The curiosity-driven interview is all about listening.  What makes this style unique is that the interviewer does not begin the conversation knowing exactly what the discussion will cover.  Success at this style of interview requires the interviewer to be completely present, to be curious, and to be willing to ask simple questions.

There are only two ways to become a better interviewer.  Practice and study of the greats.  Here are some quotes from the great interviewers to help you get started.  Then read about the 5 Interview Lessons Interview Types to find your next steps.

There's no question that Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential conversational interviewers ever (read about the 5 Interview Lessons interview types here,) her talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show" was the highest rated TV show of its kind in history. Today she hosts the successful "Supersoul Conversations," a TV show and a podcast. What can we learn from her? There are four things she does in every interview.

#1 The most important question
The most important question comes BEFORE the interview.  Oprah says "I approach every interview by asking, "What is my intention? What do I really want to accomplish?"" It's something podcasting trailblazer Pat Flynn puts another way, he says the most important thing to determine in your interview prep isn't what or how but WHY. A clear understanding of the goal that guides your questions and your reactions, that's what will set your interview apart.  

This is the second is series of articles on the Interview Lessons 5 kinds of interview: testimonial, conversational, curiosity-driven, journalistic, and story focused.

You'll hear conversational interviews most often on podcasts or talk shows.  In a conversational interview, your audience is interested in hearing you and the guest interact. The goal is to build rapport, to think on your feet, and keep a good sense of balance between remarks, questions, and follow-ups. A great conversational style interview will be informative, entertaining, and thoughtful.

So how do you achieve great conversation?

AT Interview Lessons we've developed a system of 5 interview styles: testimonial, conversational, curiosity-driven, journalistic, and story focused. Today we're digging into the testimonial style interview.

You'll find other articles telling you what microphone to use, or what digital recorder, but those are just the tools and the tools will keep changing.  If you want to get powerful convincing testimonials that will drive new business your way you need to understand the tactics and strategy, the art, of great interviewing. 

Get Comfortable​
You ask your customer or client for a testimonial, they say yes but they've never done a recorded interview before.  To get good, authentic testimonials the first thing you need to do is help them feel comfortable.  Let them know that you are on the same team, your goal is to make them look and sound good because if she looks good, you look good.  Next help him understand the process.  Do all this in a casual conversation away from the camera or microphone.

A few of you have mentioned that you struggle with using too many filler words, words like "ummm" and "like" when you interview for podcasts or testimonials.  There are a few techniques to remove them from your speech, but none work overnight.  Habits are hard to break, but it can be done.  Below I talk about several of the techniques, everyone's different, try the ones that work for you.  But be open-minded and persistent, if one doesn't work .. try another.