What do you want to talk about?

By James Newcomb | July 7, 2021

Whenever someone books an interview for my show, I have a question in the scheduler that asks a rather simple question:

I don’t have a list of 10 questions I’m going to ask, nor do I have an agenda on how I think the interview should go.

In my humble yet accurate opinion, the best shows are those where both host and guest are in their “zone of genius.”

I would say especially in those cases. Those types of people make the best interviews.

The rock stars who are constantly being hounded by everyone who just started a podcast, and won’t make it past 7 episodes, if they even get started at all?

Not so much.

To them, I’m just another guy with a podcast who lacks the creativity and initiative to create a show that people actually like. Just ask them where they went to college, get a few tips on this and that and call it a day. In their minds, I want to simply ride on their coattails to easy success.

And truth be told, they’re not wrong.

So I leave it open-ended, because when people talk about that one thing that really excites them, we’ve struck gold. By we, I mean myself, the guest, and the listeners.

There’s no replacement for someone who’s truly dedicated to something. You hear the passion and excitement in their voice, and that’s attractive, even if to 99.999% of the population whatever it is they’re dedicated to is akin to chewing on sawdust.

It also keeps things a bit unpredictable, and anyone who’s done more than 7 episodes of a show can tell you that predictability is the death-knell to a show.

The end result is the guest feels gratified that someone actually takes an interest in what they’re saying, and I’m happy because I have an interesting and engaging (dare I say it, entertaining) episode for my three listeners whenever it releases.

At any rate, we’re having a great time putting these episodes together, and we’ve got big names and small names alike coming up in the near future. If you want to subscribe to the show so you’re not left out of the loop when they release every Tuesday and Friday, click this here link, and you’re all set: https://jamesnewcombontrumpet.com/podcast.

Posted in James' Daily Emails

“I cannot overlook James’ great speaking voice. His tone is clear, articulate, and pleasant to the ear, making it easy for listeners to stay engaged and absorb the content of the interview. His vocal qualities undoubtedly contribute to the success of his podcast.” Laura Davidson – Author of The Logic of Freedom

“I really enjoyed being interviewed by James. He made me feel very comfortable, asked thought provoking questions and his demeanor reveals the passion he has for his work” –Gary Greenfield (Serial entrepreneur)

“James navigated the conversation with ease. It was a delight to delve into the creative process and the hurdles of the performing arts.” –Tamra Grace Jones (Classical vocalist)

“It was lovely chatting with James about the concept of unschooling and self-directed learning. He asks the hard questions that people ask when they hear of “unschooling” for the very first time. It was great to have the chance to delve in deep and unpack this newest alternative form of education.” -Judy Arnall (Child education and development advocate)