How to become a great podcast interviewer with Kendall Breitman
Have you ever listened to a podcast interview and thought, "Wow, those questions are incredible!"
Or maybe you’re not thinking that deeply about the questions being asked because you’re so immersed in the conversation.
You feel like you’re eavesdropping on a private chat, and someone is going to find out about you any second and shoo you away.
Well, that’s the sign of well-crafted podcast questions and an interviewer who knows their stuff.
There's an art to crafting interview questions that go beyond the typical "So, tell me about yourself." As a podcast producer, working in this space for about a decade I’ve listened to thousands of podcast episodes at this point, and I’ve heard the differences between a good podcast interviewer and a great podcast interviewer.
So how do you do it? How do you become great?
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Kendall Breitman, community manager at Riverside.fm, who started her career as a journalist for the likes of MSNBC, Bloomberg News and Politico. Her background in political journalism was what intrigued me most and I knew she would have incredible insights into what makes a great interviewer.
Here are some key takeaways that will take your podcast conversations to the next level:
Forget the Script, Embrace the Conversation
The goal isn't to rattle off a list of questions you prepped the night before. Or even the questions that you’ve diligently researched. Although that is a good placed to start, and handy to have when you want to pivot the conversation, it's about using those questions as springboards for a natural dialogue. Think of yourself as a curious friend, eager to hear the interviewee's unique perspective.
Ask Questions that Make Them Think
Instead of "What do you do?" try, "What initially drew you to this field, and how has your perspective changed since then?" This reframes a basic question and opens the door for a thoughtful, insightful answer.
Similarly, if you’ve done some research and listened to previous episodes that your guest has been on, how can you ask questions that aren’t the same as what they have been asked before.
Even if you want to ask them the same question as another podcaster, how can you rephrase it to pique their interest and provide a more emotional answer. Something that entices them to tell more of a story, and provide more depth.
Listen Actively, Follow Up Authentically
There's a difference between hearing and truly listening. Pay close attention to what your guest is saying, and pick up on interesting tangents or follow-up questions that arise organically. This keeps the conversation flowing and shows your guest you're genuinely engaged. They want to feel like you’re interested in not only the answer to your questions, but to get to know them on a deeper level.
This isn't just about waiting for a pause to jump in with your next question. It's about truly being present in the conversation. Think about the best chats you have with friends – you're fully engaged, responding to what they're saying, not just waiting for your turn to speak.
Learn from Every Interview
Don't just hit record, send it through to your editor at the end and then never listen to the episode again. Take some time afterwards to listen back to your interview, even if you feel awkward doing so. Think of your journey like you’re a professional athlete who reviews their performances. If you don’t review yourself, you can’t improve as quickly. Reflect on what worked well, and identify areas for improvement. Maybe you could have gone deeper into a particular topic, or perhaps your questions were too rambly.
Remote Interview Hacks
Let's face it, video calls can make eye contact a bit tricky and distracting. Here's a surprising tip: sometimes, looking away from the camera can actually improve your listening. Research suggests that making direct eye contact can inhibit how well we take in information or focus. So, try looking down at your notes, focus on one thing (like your pencil) while you’re listening to the guest and you will find yourself taking in the conversation in more detail. This can help you develop a more intriguing line of questioning.
Research is Key, But Not the Only Key
Researching your guest is important, but it shouldn't overshadow the overall purpose of the interview. Tailor your research questions to the specific goals you have for the conversation. What key takeaways do you want your listeners to get?
By incorporating these tips, you can transform your interviews from one-sided Q&As into dynamic, engaging conversations that leave your listeners wanting more. Try to focus on ditching your script more often and engage in a more meaningful conversation with your guests.
Transcript:
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[00:00:00] Brianna: Today we have Kendall Brightman on the podcast, who is Community Manager at Riverside. fm. Riverside is a software that I personally have been using in our business for quite a few years, probably since they sort of launched. Do you remember when you launched?
[00:00:26] Kendall: Yeah, right before, right before the pandemic.
[00:00:28] So if you've been done for a few years, then yeah, probably you're one of the, one of the OGs.
[00:00:33] Brianna: One of the OGs. Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, we now recommend it to all our clients. In fact, a lot of our clients use it solely to record not only their guest episodes, but their solo episodes. And, uh, I was chatting to Kendall about some issue that we were having more generally earlier in the year. And. Kendall was such an interesting person just outside of what is happening in the business. So I felt like it was going to be a good conversation today, but I wanted it to focus on interview skills for people, for podcasters.
[00:01:12] And in order to get some context as to why we want to focus on interviews, I'd like you to describe briefly where you came from. So where were you before Riverside? And why does it make sense? about interviewing today.
[00:01:28] Kendall: Yeah, for sure. So, as you said, currently community manager at Riverside, but my background's not in community managing.
[00:01:35] It's not even in marketing, actually. it's in political journalism. So I was a journalist. my background was with, uh, places like MSNBC and Bloomberg News and Politico. And for a while I was covering presidential politics and then congressional politics, but part of that was traveling around the country, meeting with presidential candidates, interviewing them, helping set up interviews with [00:02:00] my bosses.
[00:02:00] my background, yeah, is really, is really in journalism and crafting interviews. So one of the things that I was saying when I actually pivoted over to marketing was like, what is more of a marketing campaign than the presidential election for the U. S. You know, like, everyone's positioning themselves.
[00:02:19] You're trying to, get questions out of people. They're trying to position themselves. So, yeah, it's, uh, it's a real craft. It's a real art to be interviewing people.
[00:02:29] Brianna: Yeah. Isn't that interesting to come from where you've been? And so I think, obviously based on your history, I think one of the most common questions that I get from our clients when they're looking to improve.
[00:02:44] So they get to a certain level where, you know, they feel like they've got their solo episodes pretty down pat. They can do that fairly easily. They have started or they, their focus is on guests, having guests on their show and it's going okay. And they ask okay questions. I often sit there, and our editors often sit there going, Oh, if you just reframed that.
[00:03:09] Kendall: Yeah, for sure. You could
[00:03:10] Brianna: pull a really different answer out of that person.
[00:03:16] I think the question that I have for you then around that is, what makes a good question versus a eh one.
[00:03:24] Kendall: Yeah. I think what makes a good question is It's not asking what everyone else is asking. Like, there are questions that somebody has been asked multiple times, and they will probably give you a pretty rehearsed answer.
[00:03:37] they're like, oh great, I've got that in my brain bank. Like, I'm just going to tell you exactly what I've told this person and that person, right? But when you have a, like, a good question, it allows for somebody to actually, like, dig inside of themselves and come up with an authentic new answer that they haven't given before.
[00:03:57] an example of a question that [00:04:00] I like to turn a question into a better question. So for one could be what makes a good podcast? Okay, so you're saying that and then you're like, okay, well, a good podcast is this and that, but to kind of flip it and change it to say like, what do you think most podcasters are getting wrong?
[00:04:17] You know, because yeah, like that kind of question could be like, that's also a great social clip. If that's something that you're focusing on, like, if you're saying that kind of thing, it makes somebody say, okay, I know it's a good question, but like, what are people doing wrong? Then they start to think, and then you want to really get to a point where somebody's like, wow, I've never been asked that question.
[00:04:38] Wow, I really love that question. It's because you're actually getting something out of them and they feel like they're kind of exposing a new part of themselves to you in a way that they can like really open up to you as a host. So I would say that that's one thing. I would also say that the ability to go off of the, the script of your questions, also makes a good interviewer and, it yields great questions, even though it's pretty, it's pretty scary to do that because you're like, I hope this goes in a direction that I want it to go.
[00:05:08] And I hope that like my question isn't five minutes long because I'm forming it in my brain actively. But those kinds of things, I mean, that makes people more connected to you as a host. It makes people understand where you're thinking. So I would say, um, flipping the questions, trying to ask them something new, and then, second point that has now left my brain.
[00:05:30] Brianna: Yeah, I think making someone think more deeply about the answer that they're trying to give you. Is going to be something that immediately opens you up. I think the scary thing that you were talking about that second point of like having a script and having these questions that you want.
[00:05:46] That was the
[00:05:46] Kendall: second point. Yeah, you
[00:05:47] Brianna: got it. Having these questions that you have already like rehearsed, you already kind of know them and then going away from that. You feel like maybe you might lose track they might not give you [00:06:00] an answer that is any good, or you just get scared to connect with someone more deeply.
[00:06:05] It's so good to experience that when you're interviewing someone, to feel like they could give you any answer. And you're just gonna run with it.
[00:06:15] Kendall: Exactly. that takes time, I feel. Because, so I suggest that to people. I suggest, like, kind of going off of script and asking the follow up questions when you start to feel more comfortable.
[00:06:25] It's okay. I think when you first start out to come in with your list of questions and kind of stick to that. I mean, as long as it doesn't break conversation, you know, like you can kind of tell when you have an interviewer and they come with their list because it kind of takes a left turn, takes a right turn.
[00:06:40] Like they'll go right from answering the one question and they're like, okay, next question is, and it kind of breaks up the flow. But I think that when you're starting out, that can be important just for getting your confidence up. And then you listen back to those interviews and you're like, Ooh, I could have asked this follow up question, or I could have said that and then kind of building off of yourself from there.
[00:07:01] So I'm not saying it's a day one process to say like, go off your script, who cares about your questions? Ask all the follow ups, like, that's something that will come with time. But that should be the goal.
[00:07:12] Brianna: Yeah, that is very important to to make sure. Make people aware that it's okay if you don't feel comfy to begin with, just start there, but do have that overall goal to get there.
[00:07:24] I think Kendall's made a really good point there is saying listen back. Mm hmm to what you've done. That is really key to anyone that excels in anything if you look at professional athletes, for example, you know, they Record everything they do and then they watch themselves to the point like ad nauseum probably To establish what they did wrong and then work on it or what they could improve on maybe wrong is the wrong word So just think about that for a second and Next time you have an edit that is being presented to you, or maybe you're editing it yourself.
[00:07:59] [00:08:00] Listen back to it, not with the audio production, how does it sound hat on, it should be what's the overall flow, and could I have asked a different question?
[00:08:10] Kendall: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, as painful as it is to sometimes hear your voice when you listen back, you're like, I feel like sometimes I'm cringing, being like, oh my god.
[00:08:17] Gosh, this is what I sound like, but still, I glean a lot of really great tips out of it. Like, every time that I interview somebody or that I do an interview, I feel like I, once I listen back, I feel more confident that I can go into the next one and build upon them.
[00:08:31] Brianna: What made you leave? where you were then.
[00:08:35] Why did you decide to do that? It sounds like it was a pretty great role for you.
[00:08:40] Kendall: So it was a really, it was a really cool role. So I did a few roles. I would say that my favorite one was when I was at Bloomberg. We were, as I was saying, like kind of living out of a suitcase covering the 2016 presidential election.
[00:08:52] And what was cool is we were also working for a Showtime documentary series, called The Circus. And so instead of going to the normal campaign rallies and then kind of, you know, going from one to the other. we would get on the campaign buses with the presidential candidates and it was just very behind the scenes, an incredible experience that kind of felt once in a lifetime.
[00:09:13] Then, to be honest, I met my wife, and she lived abroad and basically I just had to re establish, like, I couldn't move to another country and cover their politics because it was by definition foreign to me, you know? So I had gone from like, really learning all this American political, like, the American political system and all of the, the politics behind it, to be honest, and so kind of going into something else, I was like, okay, maybe I'll, Go to there's a there's a joke in journalism that everyone kind of funnels into marketing and PR.
[00:09:52] Guilty. So I was like, okay, maybe I want to do some marketing. I'll just do some marketing and do some writing. I started doing writing, I realized that it [00:10:00] really wasn't for me. I love to write. I did not like the process of marketing writing and like the Going over specific words making like editing the same page kind of over and over again It just kind of took something that I loved and made it a bit too technical.
[00:10:16] So instead I Ended up talking to Riverside and they had reached out about a community manager job And what I realized was that what I loved about journalism was wasn't specifically the fact that I was writing, it was actually the fact that I was talking to a bunch of different voters or hearing a bunch of different people talk about a topic and figuring out what's the story.
[00:10:38] And I feel like that's really the role of a community manager, speaking with a bunch of different people, understanding their needs and saying, okay, what's the story here? How do we deliver that? How do we make sure that people can get that? And so that's kind of how I ended up making a pivot from, from journalism into, into community managing.
[00:10:55] Brianna: And so it all really stemmed from Just meeting the love of your life, really, which is kind of cool. Yeah, which was wild.
[00:11:02] Kendall: It was, it was cool. It turned out cool, because we got married and we're happy. But like, I will say that a lot of my friends, when I was like, I'm going to quit NBC and move across the world, they're like, what are you doing?
[00:11:13] But, you know, it was, uh. Especially when you
[00:11:15] Brianna: get a job like that, like when you get a role like that, and it's a position that is probably really sought after, to then jump ship is a huge leap of faith.
[00:11:25] Kendall: Yeah, but I mean, to look back, like, no pun intended, Hindsight's 2020, in the way that like 2020 elections in the U.
[00:11:32] S. was terrible. I would have, if I would have stayed in the U. S. covering politics to watch, like, Joe Biden on Zoom, like, there were no campaigns. There was nothing going on. I would have been, like, beside myself. So really, like, everything, everything aligned. But, it was definitely a leap of faith, and a, crazy one at that that just turned out to have worked well, but could have gone south.
[00:11:56] I'm glad that it didn't.
[00:11:57] Brianna: So if we think about the [00:12:00] thing and, you know, asking good questions and trying to get the best out of the person that you're interviewing. Is there any podcast that you listen to that you feel like the person does that really well or you find yourself getting really sucked in without realizing that it's actually the question that has helped form the conversation?
[00:12:21] the actual flow of that podcast.
[00:12:23] Kendall: I am not usually such a huge fan of like the pop culture podcasts. I will say that I think that Call Her Daddy, I really think that her interview style is. Great, because she comes in with this like level of curiosity, you could tell that she's done her research, but it really does feel like a conversation.
[00:12:42] And she does a lot of time setting things. So she'll go, take me back to this moment. What did you feel when this was all happening? And then they'll like tell how they were feeling. She's like, I want to stop you there. Didn't you think about this, that and this? Like, you can tell that she did a research, but that she didn't come in with this huge list of questions.
[00:13:00] It feels more like she came in. with a list of topics that she wanted to hear more about, and then really wanted dig into that, to dive into that. So I would say that I admire her interviews for their level of, like, research and curiosity. She doesn't over research. Like if she had a question that she's like, I wonder how they felt there.
[00:13:20] Some, some interviewers would be like, okay, let's see what they've said. And they'd go, I've heard that you felt X, Y, and Z, but what do you have to say about that? For her, it's just like, she leads with a genuine curiosity that I, that I really admire and that it's fun to listen to. I would also say from the Riverside community, I was speaking with, uh, somebody from our community.
[00:13:40] His name's Matt Gilhooly. He's the host of the Life Shift podcast. And the podcast is all about like pivotal moments that change your life. It's like your life was different one day than it was to the next. it was based off of, um, his experience with, uh, the death of his mother. when he goes into those interviews, what I love about them is he really just like, [00:14:00] I've spoken with him about this.
[00:14:01] He just focuses on listening. He really just like, listens to what his guest is saying and reacts on that. He goes in knowing what like, the outline of what the story is, but he, He tries to go in with as little research as possible to be able to direct the conversation and then genuinely react. I wouldn't, I don't know if I would say as little research as possible, but he tries to leave a lot open so that he can learn actively during the recording, which I think is great.
[00:14:31] And he gave me a really great, tip last time that I spoke with him. He said that his interview started getting better when he allowed himself to forget the follow up. We were talking about how, like, in the corporate world, your currency, a lot of the time, is what you're going to say next, how you're going to respond.
[00:14:50] You, like, you, he was saying, like, I'm waiting for my moment to be able to tell my, my grand idea or my thought after the person wraps up, but I'm not listening to them. while they're speaking because I'm like, Oh, I have something that I want to share. Right. So I think that that was like, really helpful for me was his idea of giving yourself permission to forget the follow up, let the guest finish the rest of their answer while you're sitting there being like, Oh my God, what was that follow up?
[00:15:18] Because you're, you're not going to remember it. And then you're not going to be able to think of another follow up because you didn't listen to what they were saying. Right? Yeah. Like, let it go in one ear out, like, let it, or not in linear at the other, let like the thought kind of get out of your head to clear it so that you can create the next one.
[00:15:34] Brianna: it makes me think about in person conversations that we have with people and with our friends and maybe with our mothers and people that know us really well. There are some people that do that. All the time as in they're actually never listening to you where you say something and It's like all they're doing is it's just a holding pattern until they can then speak again.
[00:15:54] Kendall: Yeah So you don't actually thought yes,
[00:15:57] Brianna: that's right. You don't feel like you've actually had [00:16:00] any real connection with the person It's just They've said something to you, then you've said something else, then they've gone back to what they were going to say. So actually listening to people is huge. And I think one of the only ways to do that really effectively, as you've said, is forgetting or not having this big list of questions that you're going to ask and keep referring to them.
[00:16:23] Because as soon as you do that, it takes you away from actually doing it. The person that's in front of you, but I will say something. It's, it's much harder to do that when you're not physically with someone. You and me here on Riverside. I mean, Riverside's great, but it's like, I have to look at my camera to make sure that my eyes are looking at the camera at the person when we're doing the video edit, but I also want to look at you, but you're not actually there, you know?
[00:16:53] So I'm listening to you, but I'm not looking at you as much as I would in person. Yeah. So there's that. layer of complexity that You don't expect to have, like, it's a, it's a harder thing to get over, I think, when you're interviewing someone to connect with them without maybe not looking at them because you're trying to focus.
[00:17:12] Kendall: I completely, yeah, I completely agree. I would say for me, I have like some Experience doing it just from like being on tv and you look at the camera and just go. Yep. Yep back to you You know, but I would say that if that is something that's like getting in the way of your of your podcast for anyone Give yourself permission to, like, look away and look at the person on the screen.
[00:17:35] Like, I know that people want to look at the camera, and that's great, your audience wants to hear like, a great interview out of you, and if that means taking your eyes away from the, the camera that you have, like, the webcam that you have positioned and looking at your screen, people will forgive that, you know, like, it's not gonna make or break for me.
[00:17:53] is what I, what I feel. So I think that if that's gonna be enough that like, I was speaking with another podcast the other day and he [00:18:00] said that he had this really great, he was talking about business and he saw this bobblehead over the shoulder of, uh, of one of his guests and he mentioned this bobblehead and it lit the fire.
[00:18:09] the guest up. He wouldn't have gotten that unless he was able to look at the screen and actually like observe the person. And that yielded this really incredible moment in his interview. People want to hear a great interview. They're not going to be like, Oh my gosh, I hate this podcast because Kendall wasn't looking at her camera the whole time.
[00:18:26] You know, like that's not what's going to make or break it. Your questions are so That should be where you're leading from. And then as you continue to build yourself up, you can be looking at the camera more. But that's something that you can kind of continue to build up over time.
[00:18:39] Brianna: There's also something, I think it was for Huberman Lab podcast, maybe, quite a while back, but he was talking about To really listen, you, shouldn't be looking at the person, which I found odd. I was like, what are you talking about? how can that be? But apparently the research around it is you actually listen more deeply if you are not looking at the person. So I've, I've been trialing that myself. Like, am I more in tune with what someone's saying if I'm not looking at them?
[00:19:09] And. I probably am. And when you think about when you're on landline back in the day on, on the phone with someone, You were really listening because there was nothing to look at. Yeah. As well. And so maybe that actually would really help people to just go, you know what, I'm actually not going to look at them because I want to really listen to them.
[00:19:30] Kendall: Yeah. I mean, I think that everybody has a different style that works for them. I think that there are definitely tips, like listening is the biggest tip that I have for being a better interviewer. And it's funny because it's kind of okay, obvious, like, yeah, you have to listen to have a good interview.
[00:19:45] But half of it is. When you think about interviewing, a lot of the time it's about the talking, you know? So you don't actually think that the moment that you be quiet is actually the most important part of your interview.
[00:19:56] Brianna: A hundred percent. Oh my gosh. The [00:20:00] last question I think I'd like to ask you is around research.
[00:20:04] And a lot of the time that seems to be a barrier for people to go, well, I don't know how. Like, I don't know how to research a person. Like, what should I be looking for?
[00:20:14] Kendall: First is kind of like I would say like, research yourself. Like, what is your goal? Like, why are you bringing this person to the show?
[00:20:21] What do you want out of this? And that should be kind of your driver. Is the goal because you think This person is a great podcast host and you want to know how they became this podcast host. And then you can lead with that curiosity, like I was talking about before. So I think first is establishing your goal.
[00:20:40] Like, why did you bring that person to the conversation? The conversation can go to a completely different place, but like, being driven by your why and what's making you curious enough to bring somebody. Okay. show. Then I would say that what I would do, when I was a journalist is I would look at their past interviews.
[00:21:00] a lot of it with, as far as news is I would find moments that they weren't asked to follow up and think about what my follow up would be. So if it's like, if I'm sitting there watching a news anchor and they didn't ask to follow up, I'm like, Oh my God. low hanging fruit, why didn't they ask that?
[00:21:17] And you can take that question and say, I saw that you were on a podcast that said X, Y, and Z, but I'm actually wondering what you think about this. It makes somebody feel flattered that you've, like, really listened to what they've said, but also it pushes them a bit further. so I recommend doing that.
[00:21:34] I also recommend looking for moments, like I will go on Twitter, I'll go on Facebook, or LinkedIn, or Instagram, and I'll try to find things that they're talking about that aren't related to my goal. So I know that sounds counterintuitive, but if the guy that I'm going to be, interviewing is posting all the time about baseball, I'll And I want to talk to him about business or [00:22:00] something, then having those moments where I like, can throw a baseball reference or like, I hear your baseball fans tell me about this, like, even if I cut that out of the interview later, it's relax that person, like it brings them to something that they feel comfortable with.
[00:22:13] So including in your research, like a little bit, that's about them, rather than about their position or the reason that you're having them on. I know those two points sound counterintuitive, but you want to have your goal, but your goal should always also be to kind of have them bring their walls down a little bit.
[00:22:29] Right? I would also say that a big thing that I love to do, it's called the green, like a green room conversation. So when I was in, journalism, we would do like, I was in television news. We would have a green room as most news organizations do. And that's where the guests would sit before they'd go on.
[00:22:50] What we would do is we'd have a producer come in and just talk with them before they went on set. Because if you're sitting there and you're quiet, you're going on your phone, you're texting, whatever, and then you go on to a news set, like, that is such a switch in your brain and you have to suddenly turn it on.
[00:23:08] If you are having a conversation that's fun and engaging and light, and then they're like, alright, you're on, like, you immediately go on happier, more excited to talk, you're feeling better. more comfortable with the crew and the staff. So I would always recommend meeting with people maybe like five, 10 minutes before, or like, let's say that a conversation starts at nine, go on at nine.
[00:23:31] I usually will have my, Riverside studio already recording. And. And then we'll just kind of start talking and then I'll let them know when the interview really starts. But it's just it's not about like, let's here's what we're going to talk about. Here's what I'm going to ask you. Of course, we'll mention that.
[00:23:47] But it's also like, how's your day going? Oh, my God, and like, kind of lead off the vibe you want, like, Oh, my God, I had a crazy morning. Like, if you want somebody to be authentic in themselves, then like you lead that way [00:24:00] and be that way. So I would say that that's also really important for for the interview.
[00:24:04] But as far as research, I would say looking at their social media and past interviews, and then I would say knowing your goals and kind of crafting your interview around those goals. And my last tip that I will give what I used to do is we used to put questions on one side of a piece of paper, and then we'd draw a line in the middle of it.
[00:24:26] And then on the other side of the piece of paper, we'd do like the push questions. So for example, it could be, what makes a good podcast? And the push question could be, what do you think podcasters are doing wrong? So take the questions that are just like, tell me about your life growing up.
[00:24:42] Brianna: Yeah. Tell me about your childhood.
[00:24:44] Yeah,
[00:24:44] Kendall: to be how do you think your hometown may like changed you? Like what about your hometown still still
[00:24:50] Kendall: sits with you today? just trying to make a small pivot 90 degrees, you know, and And trying to push those on, on one side of the paper and the other is really, really helpful.
[00:25:01] Brianna: It's essentially the same question too, you know, but it's just a totally different frame that you're putting it in that then breaks down the barrier of that person answering it in a way that they've always answered it. Because when you think about the amount of podcasts that maybe if it's a really good guest that they've been on, And they're always getting asked the same things.
[00:25:23] As Kendall said, part of your research is going back and listening to what people have asked them before. And if you want to ask kind of the same question, how can you ask it differently to get a better, hopefully, response out of it? I also really like that thought on, having the green room.
[00:25:43] certainly from my experience as a podcast producer, been doing this for over a decade, the amount of conversations that I've listened to is in the thousands. Some of the best stuff comes from before, when they've hit record, but they haven't [00:26:00] actually started. Some of the best stuff is there. Or at the very end of the episode, when they go, cool, okay, that wraps the episode.
[00:26:08] And then they don't stop recording and they keep talking. I'm still listening all the way through that going, Oh, that's actually a really good question and answer. And I'll obviously always ask the client, like, Hey, this was actually really good. Is it okay if we put this in? And I think it comes back to that feeling of relaxing, like feeling like you can just Be comfortable.
[00:26:31] And as soon as you're comfortable, then you ask much better questions and you get much better responses from your, like the people that you're interviewing as well. So those are, those are extremely good tips. And then the other one, which I just wanted to hit on as well was when you were talking about that green room and pumping people up and, I even just remembered, because I was quite famous for a while, I was on Australian Idol here in Australia and got all the, got all the way to the top 12, like top 10.
[00:27:04] I lived in Sydney. I'm googling this
[00:27:06] Kendall: immediately after. Please don't.
[00:27:09] Brianna: Opens
[00:27:09] Kendall: new tab. Yeah,
[00:27:10] Brianna: yeah, yeah, exactly. But the, The thought I had there was that exact situation where because you'd be coming onto the stage just before knowing that there were a heap of people in the audience. And then as well as that, there were millions of people that were tuning in to watch live beforehand.
[00:27:30] Like you had your quiet time. Where you were just alone with your thoughts and maybe thinking about what you were going to sing or whatever. But before you got on, just before, the team was always really hyped up. So there'd be the producers, there'd be make up artists, there'd be everyone to to there.
[00:27:50] Getting everyone in a space where you felt like that energy was matching what you were actually about to step into. And that's something for [00:28:00] podcasters to take away as well, to go, how can I hype myself up? Not with caffeine, perhaps, because you might go a bit too far, but how can I hype myself up, get myself to an energy that is going to connect well.
[00:28:13] Kendall: Yeah, I mean, even if you think about people like, uh, I was gonna say people in sports such as how sporty I am. Athletes is the word. Um, so even if you think about that, like the locker room, like the speech that coaches make before, like you really, it's about mindset. And so you need to go in with the right mindset, but it's also about Making sure that your guest has the right mindset.
[00:28:35] And so you can make the best list of questions, but if you aren't making your guests feel comfortable, you're still not going to get the best interview possible. So it's just as important to craft great questions as it is to make your guests feel like they can have a comfortable and authentic conversation with you.
[00:28:55] Brianna: Yes, yes, yes. All the good things. This has been such a good conversation. I've had a wonderful time chatting with you. Me
[00:29:03] Kendall: too. If
[00:29:04] Brianna: anyone wants to check out Riverside, then I will put a link in the show notes for that. We are an affiliate of Riverside, so just know that as well. If you click on anything and purchase, then you will be giving us a little kickback, which is always lovely.
[00:29:18] And, uh, any final thoughts?
[00:29:21] Kendall: I would just say as far as Riverside we also as community manager, I lead a community of like thousands of creators who are helping each other become better podcast hosts. That's really what I feel like the community is geared towards is asking each other questions, being able to, you know, bounce ideas off of each other.
[00:29:39] So if that is something that you're interested in and really want to tap into that, then I'll send you over a link for the, for the Facebook community. And we'd love to have you there. And it's just a really supportive community where we talk about things like this. So would be happy to have you there.
[00:29:54] Brianna: Great. Okay, cool. Yeah, we'll definitely include the link to that as well. Thank you so much for [00:30:00] joining me here on Pump Up Your Pod today and guys, I hope you have really enjoyed this. I hope that you feel like you can take some really good insights away from this and think about the questions you're going to ask in future.
[00:30:12] Write down the boring version. And then put a line in the middle, and then what's the better version of that? What's the, uh, I'm gonna really get them with this question.
[00:30:22] Kendall: And keep your goal in mind when you're doing it. When you see that boring question, you're like, what is the answer that I want to get from this?
[00:30:29] Like, the hometown one. Oh, I want to hear how they changed, like how, how their hometown made them who they are. Then why don't you ask them, you know? Why did this place make you who you are? Rather than tell me about your childhood. You know? Keep those goals in mind.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Podcast - Call Her Daddy
Podcast - Life Shift
Riverside Conversation Creators Facebook Community
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