Learning my craft
The theme of this podcast (and this site, too) is “neighbors.” It’s my attempt to introduce you to your neighbors on the Internet. Imagine if someone new moves in down the street. You might see them leave for work in the morning, play basketball in the driveway, put up lights at Christmas, and walk their dog. At some point, you get the opportunity to meet them face to face.
You introduce yourself, they introduce themselves, and you start the never-quite-finished process of getting to know one another. Where do you work? Which school do your kids go to? I like your roses; what variety are they? Where did you come from? The questions start with the banal and get deeper as you build up trust and friendship.
You tell each other stories in answer to the questions. You learn from one another. You sometimes find out things that you’re not really comfortable with, or that make you angry. You might learn that you have very similar beliefs, or that you “agree to disagree,” to put it politely.
Story-telling is at the heart of human relationships. The most engaging stories start with the individual and the events that make them who they are. All I’m trying to do here is to help people tell their stories.
This week, I failed rather miserably. I interviewed a guest; she was very smart, very charming, and had a lot of interesting things to say about social media, and businesses, and brands. But after I finished, she very gently pointed out that I had missed some even better stories: the stories of who she is and how she came to this point in her life—the stories, in short, that are more important to her than her work.
Frankly, I had stayed safe. I stuck with the conventional, usual questions, and I didn’t take the opportunity that I was presented with. I was a bit intimidated just interviewing someone who was well-known in the industry. I tried to make myself fit the mold of the “professional interviewer.” I stayed superficial. Even when the opportunity presented itself, I didn’t even ask for those deep, intimate stories that help us to not only learn about someone else, but also help us to learn more about ourselves.
Now, I’m not about to go pressing my guests to reveal their deep, dark, dirty secrets. First of all, people don’t have to be pressured to talk about what’s important to them. Second, it ain’t neighborly.
I’m new at this, and I’m learning. I do appreciate the guidance, however, and I hope I do better next time, if the opportunity presents itself. And I’m pretty certain that there will be a next time.
The On Garner Road podcast has been accepted and is now available through the 
