Looking Back: A Year of Interviews
With a New Year upon us, I take this moment to reflect on 2006. My brightest moment is when I accidentally became an interviewer, launching the growing Interviews Podcast in January 2006. The first guest I interviewed was Mark Spencer, President of Digium and developer of the popular open source PBX, Asterisk.
Aside from a love for technology, astronomy, science, and music, I have to admit that journalism has always intrigued me throughout the years. Thanks to the Internet, I rediscovered something I never dreamed would be so enjoyable. In the beginning, there wasn’t a roadmap, vision, or purpose. However, with successive interviews, it was obvious that I was destined for something special in social and traditional media.
So, just what has been accomplished in the past year? A lot! Let’s start with the interviews:
Upcoming
- Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist
- Matt Cameron and Dr. Doug Harris, Engage
- And more!
Past
- Mark Spencer, President, Digium
- mIKEY, MeetIn.org
- Alex Tew, Creator, Million Dollar Homepage
- Kem, Motown Recording Artist
- Sherelle Cary Smith, Recording Artist
- David Mandelstam, President, Sangoma
- Linda Rutherford, VP of Public Relations, Southwest Airlines
- Kate Bell, President, BoardFirst
- Dawn Mikkelson, Director, “The Red Tail” (an upcoming Northwest Airlines documentary)
- Jeremy Garcia, Founder, LinuxQuestions.org
- William Boehlke, CEO, Signate
- Aaron Keogh, Director of Business Development, MatrixStream
- Jim Baxter, VP of Engineering, MooBella
- Industry Perspective: VoIP
- Rakesh Mathur, Brad Husick, Beerud Sheth; Co-founders, Webaroo
- Kyle MacDonald, Creator, One Red Paperclip
- Jody Gnant, Recording Artist
- Kevin Rose, Founder, Digg
- Alec Saunders, CEO, Iotum
- Stephen Meer, CTO and Co-founder, Intrado
- David Friend, President and CEO, Carbonite
- Gemini Waghmare, VP of Sales and Marketing, Casero
- Victoria De Mare, Actress
- “Simone,” Former United Airlines Flight Attendant
- Kevin Johnson, TheFamousGuy.com
- Scott MacDonald, ChooseMyName.com
- Allison Smith, Voice Over Artist
- Dr. David Farber, Carnegie Mellon University
Press
- Boulder County Business Report
- E-Commerce Times
- Mac News World
- Know More Media
- TMCNet
Whew! So, how did I pull this off? I think it goes all the way back to the time I was a kid. At 13, I started corresponding with CEOs like Bill Gates, J.B. Hunt, and others. They were individuals I admired and respected in business. People I one day hoped to emulate. To my surprise, these people were writing back, extending tour offers of their headquarters, etc. So, I see the Interviews Podcast as an extension of something I started years prior. The only difference this time around is that I can now share this experience with the world.
Here’s an interesting secret: I don’t produce interviews just for fun or recognition. I produce them to learn and share, which is why part of my strategy has been securing some of the most sought after individuals in business, technology, entertainment, etc. All of these people have a tremendous asset: Knowledge. By listening to these people, I learn things which I may not have known before. They help define my interests and passions in life, for they are already accomplished in their respective professions and industries. This is the driving point of the podcast. This is what excites me about landing a big name — because even if it’s only one time, I’ve had an opportunity to receive priceless insight on the world at large. No amount of money can buy such wisdom and insight.
So here’s to another year of great accomplishments. My hope is that 2007 will be the best year yet for my transition into social media and other Internet related interests. Exciting times are ahead! I wish to thank all of the listeners and supporters of the podcast. And a big “thank you” to all of the guests who have appeared.
Let’s make 2007 an incredible year!
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