My Worst Interview Ever

When you spend as many years on the radio as I have, you're bound to have embarrassing moments. The funny thing is--right now--I honestly can't think of any. Not a single one. I can, however, think of plenty for my long-time co-host, Pam...and let's be honest, telling other people's stories is way more fun anyway.

I'll narrow it down to two:

1. Pam once called the NCAA Tournament, the NAACP Tournament. (She's black, but still...those are two entirely different organizations.)
2. While collecting shoes for a non-profit, Christian organization, Pam exclaimed on the air, "We have a shipload of shoes here." (It's boatload or sh#!load...but I don't think shipload is a thing.")

Anyway, ship happens to all of us...though I'm not sure either of those examples quite compares to the embarrassment felt by Dr. Colin Gray during an interview for his podcast. The story is hilarious...and borderline unbelievable. Enjoy!

Colin Gray is a founder, a podcaster, an online educator, and has been teaching podcasting and online business skills for over 7 years. Colin's mission is to help businesses connect with their customers and to grow an army of fanatical fans through broadcast.

SHOW NOTES:

0:19 - Is Colin Gray a real doctor?

1:31 - So what does Colin do all day?

2:26 - This "worst interview ever" is one of our favorites. SO good.

5:46 - And the hits just keep on coming...Colin has TWO stories!

6:49 - Tim and Colin are connected (across the pond) on RINGR. Learn more here.

7:11 - Tim guesses where Colin and his cool accent are from. He is wrong.

8:48 - The good doctor shares a few tips and tricks for avoiding his past mistakes.

12:27 - Colin shares the moment in time that changed his life forever.

14:53 - Follow Colin on Twitter or visit his website "The Podcast Host."

I once had a boss tell me, "You haven't really worked in radio until you've been fired at least once." That made me a little nervous for two reasons: 1) I had never been fired before and 2) He had the power to fire me. Apparently, I left the company before he could get around to it.

The odd thing was, my boss was right. Broadcasting, as an industry, is notorious for its employment carousel...and it wasn't too many years before I found myself asked (nicely) to step off the spinning wheel of fun onto the steady (albeit scary) ground of unemployment.

I thought about that fateful day again while talking to Jeff Brown today. After more than a quarter century in radio, Jeff got fired...and (in hindsight) it was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Instead of getting up at 4am to work because he has to, Jeff now gets up at 5am to run because he wants to. Instead of sitting through four hour air-shifts and eternal staff meetings, Jeff now hosts a 30-minute (ish) podcast once a week and leads his own mentor and training sessions.

Plus, he'll never get fired again.

Jeff Brown is a podcaster, blogger, mentor and speaker who spent 26 years in radio before starting the "Read to Lead" podcast. He has interviewed a ton of big-name guests including Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, John Maxwell, Gary Vaynerchuck and Simon Sinek.

SHOW NOTES:

0:46 - Tim offends Jeff right off the bat.

2:28 - Jeff's worst interview ever was shallow enough and bad enough, that it never got heard. Ever.

6:30 - Learn more about how Tim and Jeff connected via RINGR, and try it for yourself.

7:24 - How do you successfully go after getting big guests to agree to be on your show?

11:26 - Jeff's life was forever changed by a former boss who unknowingly pushed Jeff to read again and, ultimately start the "Read to the Lead" podcast. Jeff even gets a little choked up talking about it.

13:01 - Find Jeff and the "Read to Lead" podcast here...or check out Podcaster Academy. You can connect with Jeff via email too.

Growing up, I considered my best friend's dad to be the nicest adult I knew. Gary was strict, to be sure, but he was always kind, polite, and generous. Plus, he and his wife always kept the house stocked with Dr Pepper and salami. Two staples for teenage boys.

Looking back, Gary always seemed to genuinely care about whoever it was he was talking to. He looked you in the eye, smiled, and didn't let anything distract him from the conversation. I also noticed that--despite being a rather influential and accomplished individual--Gary rarely (if ever) talked about himself. He was way too focused on the other person's well-being to be concerned with his own ego or achievements.

I thought about Gary today as I was talking to Shawn Smith. Shawn comes in a close second for "nicest person on the planet." (And honestly, he's just a Dr Pepper and package of thinly-sliced salami away from a tie for first.) Whether it's through his role in the business world or the mission field, Shawn's goal is to better other people's lives. He'll better yours today. He did mine.

Shawn Smith may be better known as "The Mobile Pro"...spending his days equipping, training and inspiring entrepreneurs to create content and manage their businesses from anywhere in the world. Shawn and his wife spend an average of three months per year in Guatemala, serving children and their families who live in poverty.

SHOW NOTES:

0:45 - Tim is forgiven.

2:07 - Shawn tells the story of his worst interview ever...with his former music teacher.

7:10 - Learn more about how Tim and Shawn connected for their interview on RINGR.

7:30 - The importance of authenticity.

9:16 - Shawn's tips and tricks for successful interviews...especially newcomers to the industry.

10:53 - A lesson Shawn learned from his dad that changed his life forever.

13:32 - Shawn is giving MWIE listeners a free copy of his e-book, "5 Ways to Record Podcast Interviews with an iPhone." Get yours by going here.

When they were younger, my boys used to ask me "why" a lot. Why do we have to go to the store? Why are clouds white? Why can't I stick my sandwich in the DVD player? Stuff like that. If you're a parent, I'm quite sure you can relate.

And while some of my kids' questions had perfectly logical and easily explainable answers...many of them did not. For example, I was never really sure how to respond to "why is our car blue" or "why is the cat's tail so fluffy" or "why does the bathroom at Target smell like Fruit Loops" other than with, "just because."

When it comes to Brant Hansen, I find myself trying to explain his likability in similar ways. He's funny and relatable and real, but there are other people who are those things too. Brant is different. And despite my best efforts, I can't articulate exactly why he's so stinking enjoyable to listen to and interact with. So, I'm forced to leave it as, "just because."

You'll see.

Brant Hansen is a nationally syndicated radio host heard on more than 200 radio stations across the country. He is an author, a speaker, an advocate for Cure International…and he also loves toast. A lot. His talents include playing the accordion and telling amazing stories (including the one you'll hear on this episode).

SHOW NOTES:

0:24 - Brant is slightly offended at being the "worst interview ever."

2:23 - The story of Brant's interview with the National Whistling Champion.

6:36 - Learn more about RINGR.

7:08 - Brant's tips and tricks for rescuing a bad interview.

10:01 - What moment in Brant's life changed him forever?

13:01 - Get in touch with Brant at his website.

Most of us like to pretend that "the worst" doesn't happen to "the best." The Kardashians never get pimples. Lebron James never misses a layup. Seinfeld never tells a joke that falls flat. Right? Despite knowing that our assumptions are largely incorrect, our brains are reluctant to let us fully comprehend the truth: celebrities are humans too. And if ever there was a celebrity in the podcasting and entrepreneurship worlds, it's John Lee Dumas. On the debut episode of "My Worst Interview Ever," John pulls back the curtain a bit to let us see what really happens (at least from time to time) behind the scenes of his top-rated podcast, Entrepreneur on Fire. His story involves an international superstar. A near-missed connection. And an attitude about it all. John Lee Dumas is the host of Entrepreneur on Fire and founder of Podcaster's Paradise. From his new digs in Puerto Rico, JLD is also an author, speaker, and champion of podcasting worldwide. On his award-winning show, John has interviewed more than 1,500 entrepreneurs about their lives and businesses. SHOW NOTES: 2:04 - John shares the story behind his worst interview ever, a few memorable minutes with rock legend Gene Simmons from the band KISS. 6:59 - Learn why JLD decided to play the bad interview anyway, and hear how he managed to use it to help his audience. 8:38 - Tim and John are connected on RINGR. Learn how it works and how you can get a free 30-day trial. 9:36 - Get a few tips and tricks on how to rescue a less-than-stellar interview. 11:37 - What was the one moment in time that changed John's life forever? (It was actually a quote!) 13:30 - Get JLD's new book, "The Mastery Journal", here.

The best conversations in life always seem to be the ones where you learn something new about the person you're talking to. Whether it's the cashier at the grocery story store, a colleague at work, or even your spouse...getting to a level you've never gotten to before is good. Special even. Today, while talking with Rob Walch from Libsyn on My Worst Interview Ever, we got to that level. It was unexpected (for both of us, I think), but it was good. After discussing his "worst interview ever", Rob shared a story that few people have heard before. It involved an airplane. And anger. And a stupid decision that almost cost him everything. It changed his life, and I'll bet it could change yours as well.

Rob Walch is the VP of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn (the world's largest podcast network). He hosts or co-hosts several podcasts himself (including Podcast411), co-wrote the book "Tricks of the Podcasting Masters", and has been the podcast consultant for a number of big names including Tim Ferriss, Senator John Edwards, Jack Welch, and many others.

SHOW NOTES:

1:05 - What does Rob Walch do all day?

1:31 - Is Rob really that terrible of a basketball coach?

3:36 - Rob cheats and has TWO worst interviews ever!

7:48 - A couple tips and tricks for a successful interview.

8:39 - Learn more about RINGR.

9:23 - You've got a great interview...now how do you best promote it?

10:39 - Rob nearly thrown off an airplane and arrested. Learn how it changed him forever.

13:09 - Email Rob at rob (at) libsyn (dot) com or connect with Libsyn here.

Like Richard Gere in "Pretty Woman" or Tom Cruise in "Jerry McGuire", certain people have lives made for movies. You look at the places they're going and the things they're doing and think, "Man, that can't even be real, right?!" Paul Kemp is that guy.

Imagine a young man living in London, working for the Queen's stock broker. He's wearing pinstripe suits, living downtown, making bundles of money (for himself and Her Majesty), and living the dream. Now imagine that same young man willingly walking away from it all...and starting a podcast. Today, he's a family man, working for himself (both from home and from exotic locations around the world), and on occasion fending off wild monkeys.

Paul Kemp is better known as "The App Guy", and his podcast has featured more than 500 interviews with app founders around the world. He lives in the U.K., but has been known to podcast from the sparkling shores of Bali every once in awhile (thanks to RINGR).

SHOW NOTES:

1:26 - Paul tell us about recording and producing his podcast from around the world.

1:55 - Monkeys! (Seriously.)

2:59 - The App Guy's worst (and first) interview ever.

4:09 - The dumbest question Paul asked his first guest was...?

5:28 - Paul shares the tips and tricks he uses to avoid repeating his original mistakes.

6:52 - RINGR mention

7:33 - Where would The App Guy be if not podcasting?

9:08 - What one moment in time changed Paul forever? He tells us...

11:59 - Want to get ahold of Paul? Start here!

All of us have had an "interview gone wrong." Probably more than one. Connection issues. The wrong bio information. A guest who wouldn't stop talking. The "yes/no" guy. Prima donnas. Terrible content. Weird distractions. Heck, I once interviewed a guy for my radio show who was running on a treadmill! At RINGR, our goal is to make your recorded interviews sound better and connect easier...but we fully realize that there are plenty of elements out of our (and your) control which can totally derail a conversation. So, rather than sweep that stuff under the rug and ignore it, we thought it might be fun to talk about it. Three times a week. In our very own podcast. That's why we've launched "My Worst Interview Ever"...a podcast where I talk with the world's all-time greatest interviewers about their all-time worst interviews. Our first guest is none other than Entrepreneur on Fire's John Lee Dumas, who tells an incredible story about his worst interview (with a legendary rock star)...and then shares some personal details on why he is who he is today. All in less than 15 minutes. In the coming days and weeks, we'll also talk to Podcast Answer Man Cliff Ravenscraft, The Mobile Pro Shawn Smith, The App Guy Paul Kemp, XM Radio's Doug Hannah, Blubrry's Todd Cochrane, Libsyn's Rob Walch, syndicated radio host Brant Hansen, Dave Jackson, Dan Franks, Jeff Brown, Daniel J. Lewis, and dozens of others. You won't want to miss their stories! In addition to listening to the debut episode of MWIE, please be sure to follow My Worst Interview Ever on Twitter and Facebook...and then share the podcasts you like. We trust you will have many favorites. You'll also find us on iTunes, Stitcher, and many other fine podcast distributors. Happy recording (and listening)... Tim