Hi, I’m Jamie Kennedy, the executive podcast producer at Brave Moon Podcasts. In this episode, I’m excited to share my insights on mastering podcast interviews with guests. I’ll guide you through the essential steps for researching your guest, crafting impactful questions, and avoiding common mistakes. You’ll learn how to set up your interviews for success, make your guests feel comfortable, and ensure your conversations truly resonate with your audience. I cover strategies like effective questioning, active listening, and how to keep the discussion engaging.
Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just getting started, my tips are designed to help you elevate your interviewing skills and make every conversation count.
In this episode, we talk about…
Essential steps for researching and preparing your guest to ensure a smooth and engaging conversation.
Techniques for crafting questions that captivate your audience and elicit meaningful responses.
Common pitfalls in podcast interviews and how to avoid them for a more professional and engaging show.
Transcribed Podcast Episode
It’s happening. You have your dream expert guest coming onto your podcast. Whoa. They said yes. You’re thrilled. Now it’s time to figure out how to actually interview them!
The good news is we’re about to dive deep into the art of interview preparation, crafting compelling questions, and avoiding those cringe-worthy new-host mistakes.
But before we dive in, let's take a moment to breathe. Inhale the excitement of podcasting and exhale any doubts. As an open-minded and supportive coach, you're already on the path to podcasting greatness. Having these dream guests on your podcast is just a notch in your belt, another opportunity to shine and show off to your ex how far you’ve come. You were made for this. So let’s dive in.
I’m just going to mention really quickly who I am and why I’m in your ears. I'm Jamie Kennedy. The other Jamie Kennedy. Surprisingly no affiliation with John F Kennedy that I know of. And yes, I am a podcast expert and producer behind the podcast production company Brave Moon Podcasts.
Today, I'm excited to let you in on some behind-the-scenes magic and spill the beans on how I make podcasting dreams come true, all from the cozy comfort of my home.
You see, this podcast that you’re listening to right now is all recorded from the comfort of my own home. It’s just me, my Rode Podcaster mic, and my dog Riggs resting at my feet. I’m already thinking about the tacos I’m eating tonight - yes it’s my favorite night of the week.
And I’m thinking about how cool it is that I’m able to do all of this from home. And the reason I’m doing this is so I can show YOU exactly how to podcast from home too. Podcasting from home is totally achievable! You don't need a fancy studio or a bank-breaking budget. The equipment I'm using right now cost me less than $400, and the software and programs I rely on to create, record, edit, and publish my podcast are less than $30 a month.
Everything you hear today is a result of countless hours of research and experimentation, so I can handpick the best tools and techniques for you. No guesswork involved! I'm all about setting you up for podcasting success, whether you're a busy creator, small business owner, or a wellness 'preneur. I'm here to make your podcasting journey smooth and enjoyable.
So, how can you dive deeper into this podcasting adventure with me? Hop onto my website and grab my free Start-a-Podcast guide. It's a treasure trove of wisdom, featuring a comprehensive start-a-podcast checklist and my top-notch recommendations for audio equipment, podcast hosts, and recording platforms.
When you download the guide, you'll also join my email crew, where I send you fast, fun, and free updates on the latest podcast news and industry tips. But hey, you can unsubscribe anytime, no hard feelings.
Now, I know you're eager to explore and discover the tools you need to kickstart your podcasting journey. So, what are you waiting for? Visit those show notes and get started!
I’m just going to do a quick little experiment for you. It was an ask from one of my listeners and I thought it sounded fun. So I’m going to turn off my sound mastering for one second because I want you to hear the difference.
This is me without any sound mastering happening. You’re probably hearing background noise and the sound levels are probably off and you might hear some heavy breathing - yep, that’s me. Now I’m going to turn it back on.
Phew. There we go. What you just heard was me using the exact same mic and setup I always use but the difference is I’m always apply Podcastle’s Magic Dust to sound better. Yep, that’s all it takes. Just a click of the button and a $12 a month subscription.
Anyway, on with today’s show. It’s funny that I just said that because on one of the podcasts I help produce, The School of Wellbeing, the host Meg Durham always says that! So I know exactly how I got that wording.
Alright, so let's talk about preparation. Just like you plan your workouts or meal plans for your clients, preparing for an interview is crucial. Think about the guest's expertise and how it aligns with your audience. Remember, you're here to support your listeners with authentic and real conversations that resonate with them.
There’s a few key things you’ll want to do before the interview. First and foremost, you want to obtain as much information as you can about the guest. You’ll want a photo of them to use in promotional assets and you’ll want a short bio you can also use for promotional assets as well as for the episode show notes. I offer a comprehensive Be My Guest template bundle on my website, which includes all guest questionnaire that houses everything you need to send them,
and it even includes instructions on how to set up their remote recording space for the best sound quality possible. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Before the interview, you’ll want to start researching your guest. Who are they, what do they love to do, what is their expertise? What do they want to talk about? Once you have a general idea of the things they feel most confident speaking to, you want to narrow down your interview questions so that you keep your listeners engaged. And this requires framing your interview questions in the right way.
You may not know this about me but I’ve studied storytelling structure for years and, it’s clear to me there is a structure to setting up your interview questions well. Why structure them? Because if you structure your questions well, your listeners will be able to follow along and also stay engaged. Which is key.
Right off the bat, you always want to start with a strong opening and setup questions that grab attention and set the tone. For example, "What inspired you to study [episode topic]?" Or “What is [episode topic] and why is it important to talk about?” The key here is to introduce the topic of your episode and what you’ll be covering, and lead your guest to share their overall expertise in this particular topic.
Notice I did not start with “Tell me about yourself.” This is a big no-no, which I’ll go into more detail in a minute or two.
Once you’ve covered the setup questions, you want to talk about the struggle related to the episode topic. These types of questions resonate deeply with your audience, because oftentimes the struggle is exactly what attracted your audience to listen to that episode in the first place. For example, if you’re going to listen to an episode about Podcast Guest Interviews, there’s a huge chance you’re thinking about the struggles already. How do I get the right podcast guests? How do I get them to say yes? What do I talk about with them? All struggles. It’s where our mind naturally goes, because - not to get deep here - but as descendents of cavemen, we are ultimately looking for ways to survive. And the ways we learn to survive is through hearing what not to do. That’s the struggle part. Learn the hard stuff so that we can be prepared to avoid it ourselves. Does that make sense? So for this next portion of your interview, try asking, "Can you share a hurdle most clients face when experiencing [episode topic]?" Or, “What is a common struggle people experience when faced with [episode topic]?
Once you’ve gone through a couple of struggle questions, it’s time to figure out the how. How to overcome these struggles. Because - cavemen cap back on - this is what we came to learn. We want to know what we need to do to overcome these struggles. Think of yourself as the supportive coach guiding your listeners through challenges, and your guests can help you do the same by answering your question. Examples of questions could be, "What strategies helped you overcome your obstacles?" or, “What is the #1 thing you’d recommend to a listener who struggles with [episode topic]?”
Last but not least, close with… closing questions. Just like winding down a yoga session, you want to leave your audience feeling refreshed. Questions to ask during this part would be things like, "What advice would you give to someone starting their health journey?" and, “Where can people find you to connect about this topic?” Your listeners will appreciate these actionable takeaways!
Now that you’ve written out your interview questions, it’s time to send them to your guest. Personally, I think it’s really important to send them ahead of time. It helps your guest prepare ahead of time, which ultimately means less editing time for you. Why? Because the guest will come to the interview more prepared and hopefully spend less time hemming and hawing over how to answer questions. Their answers will also be more concise, which helps keep the listener engaged.
This is the time when you also want to send them that bio, questionnaire and ways to sound great from wherever they’re recording.
Another great idea is to have a pre-interview chat. It can’t hurt to get on the phone prior to your call and talk through the setup of your podcast and what they can expect. Like I mentioned in the last episode, make sure that your guest knows to act as if this is the first time you’ve spoken. If a guest keeps referring to a previous conversation you had prior to hitting start, it can unconsciously turn off the listener because they no longer feel they’re part of the conversation. It’s better if all 3 people involved (meaning you, the guest and the listener) feel they’re part of the very first conversation you’re having and that they haven’t missed anything important.
When you’ve chosen an interview date, be sure to send an invite to your podcast guest. You know I’m in love with Podcastle so I’ll just mention that Podcastle actually lets you schedule in interviews with dates and times, which you can send to your podcast guests directly. It’s so much nicer to have Podcastle do the heavy lifting for you! So invite your guests via Podcastle or via your recording link in any other platform, and then get ready to hit play on the big day.
I really want to call out 3 common mistakes I see new podcast hosts make, as I think it will really help you as you prepare for your guest interviews.
First, the dreaded "tell me about yourself." question which I mentioned a bit earlier in the episode. As someone who's all about authenticity, let's skip the broad and dive into the specific. Your guests are here to share their unique stories, not recite a generic bio. I’ve heard this so many times on podcasts and it’s just painful, isn’t it? Tell me about yourself turns into a long-winded 10-minute response that just drones on and on. It’s not that the person’s life is boring. It’s just that when you’re asked this question, it’s really hard to answer it quickly and concisely! And it’s not even that a person will dive into their personal life, or maybe they will, but even just answering from a career perspective can take ages and is boring. So instead, even if you just add something like, “Tell me about how you got involved in [episode topic]” - that subtle difference will help the guest answer much more quickly and concisely.
I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this. When you’re referring to your listeners, stop referring to them as plural. 85% of listeners tune into their favorite podcasts alone. This means you’re connecting one-on-one with each individual, just like you do with your coaching clients. People don’t want to hear things like, “Can you tell the listeners about…” Instead, word questions like, “For a listener who might experience A, B and C, what do you recommend?”
It's that personal touch that keeps people coming back for more.
The third common mistake I hear new podcast hosts make is forgetting to practice active listening. Okay I get it; you have your list of questions. You’re nervous. You’re not even sure if you paid attention to how the guest answered your last question. I get it. But the more practice you have, the more you’ll realize just how important it is to practice active listening. This helps keep you engaged and therefore your listener engaged, and it allows you to follow up with your guest in real time. For example, what if your guest opens a can of worms you never considered when you were writing your interview questions? Allow for space to add questions as needed. Your guest will appreciate it, as will your listener. Another way to practice active listening is to pick out something the guest shared in their last answer and say, “I love what you just shared about…” And then continue on with your next question after that.
Alright, coach, here's the juicy part – my 5 hacks for leading engaging conversations.
Hack #1: "The Mirror Technique" – Reflect your guest's emotions. If they're sharing a triumphant moment, show your excitement. If they talk about struggles, convey empathy. Your humorous nature will shine through as you naturally react to their stories.
Hack #2: "Be the Thread Weaver" – Like a yoga instructor builds a yoga sequence that ultimately leads to a peak pose, weave your questions with meaning, like you’re building toward something. And connect their answers to previous topics. If they mentioned what they ate for breakfast this morning, bring that back in at the end with a lighthearted ask if they plan to have it tomorrow morning. Show them you're genuinely listening and steering the conversation in a purposeful direction. This will be approved by the guest and the listeners alike.
Hack #3: "The Power of Repeating" – Embrace the power of repeating. This is a gold technique for letting insights sink in and encouraging deeper revelations. If you hear something the guest says that’s really special, let them finish what they’re saying and then say, “Okay, I just have to repeat that for the listener. You said A, B, C.”
Hack #4: "The Personal Share" – Don't be afraid to share your own experiences, whether it's about those beloved tacos or your favorite road trip playlist. This builds trust and shows your authentic side. Plus these stories become part of your personal brand and can be things you can continually come back to, which creates familiarity between you and your listeners.
Hack #5: "The Musical Bridge" – No matter how hard you try, sometimes Q&A can get boring. Try bringing part of your music theme before the beginning of a couple questions so that your listeners’ attention is caught and they tune back in.
Okay, it’s time. Embrace your strengths and let your personality shine. Don't let those overthinking tendencies hold you back; embrace the beauty of imperfection.
So, let's raise a virtual glass of wine to your brave and authentic podcasting adventure. Remember, each episode is an opportunity to inspire, support, and connect.
Until the next episode, keep those conversations flowing, and keep being the amazing creator that you are. Stay real, stay open-minded, and happy podcasting.
For You, On Us
Ready to take your podcast production to the next level? We’re giving you our Podcast Producer's Trello Template for free! This easy-to-use template will help you keep your episodes organized, your team aligned, and your production running smoothly.
Whether you're planning interviews, managing show notes, or coordinating with guests, Trello’s template ensures everything stays on track. Say goodbye to production headaches and focus on what matters most—creating amazing podcast content.
Happy podcasting.
