You vs. Your Guest

We need to talk about your control issues ...

You are in charge of your podcast. That’s not up for debate.

But smart hosts let their guests guide them to areas of an interview that won’t happen if you approach your interviews worrying about your ability to keep control of them 100% of the time.

So don’t worry about your guest not knowing an answer. Or things getting awkward. And don’t think you have to lead a guest in a specific direction, because it fits your tight schedule/plan for the interview or you’ve got a certain message you want to deliver.

These things will work themselves out.

Your guests possess very specific knowledge and experiences that can guide you through intriguing terrain, pointing out things you never would have discovered otherwise—different opinions, powerful stories, and frameworks that will be beneficial to your listeners.

Don’t miss great opportunities because you’re too scared to hand over control to your guest. Skilled hosts can always regain control, if not during an interview, in the post-interview edits.

This also applies to co-hosting, by the way …