Guest Guide

Equipment

The ideal equipment would be an omnidirectional studio mic with pop shield, shock mount and headphones for listening. But that’s for the seasoned podcaster.

Alternatively, a standard headset should yield good results with the mic close to your mouth but not in direct line (just above or below is good).

Earbuds are OK for audio but can come through quite distant and the cable can scratch on your clothing, face or hair causing annoying crackling in the recording.

If you need to use your mobile phone or tablet, let me know so I can provide access to suitable software that may require downloading in advance (although I try to use a web client where possible for maximum availability).

Environment

Try to find somewhere quiet and distraction-free with decent internet connection. Ideally, we will record with video to improve conversation and possible video syndication so let me know if this will be a problem.

Consider the acoustics of the room too. Try to find somewhere with less reverb/echo (bathrooms and kitchens aren’t great with the hard reflective materials, rooms with soft furnishings like rugs, curtains, cushions and low ceilings are better).

The call will take about an hour from start to finish so make sure you’re comfortable for the duration of the conversation. Sitting is good but I tend to prefer my standing desk for recording. Let me know if you need to take a comfort break during the recording too. We can easily edit out the gap.

## Software

Zencastr is the most convenient for hosting the call as it provides web access across all devices.

WARNING: the recording will stop if any devices drop connection. Make sure wireless devices are fully charged but I recommend a wired microphone or headset to minimise the risk.

Conversation

The format of the discussion is relatively free-flowing but there will be a standard outline we’ll use to navigate our conversation:

I’ll provide a personalised outline ahead of our call (along with a calendar reminder) so you’ve got an opportunity to be prepared with the structure but we are likely to go off on tangents or swap things around a little based on how it flows.

If there are any distractions or tech outages (they can happen), we may have to recap but I’ll let you know where we got to then edit in post-production. It’s a two-way thing too; if you experience glitches your end, please let me know. We can rewind and try again.

Gaps are actually good (and much easier to edit in post-production). Don’t feel uncomfortable if I take a moment to acknowledge or continue conversation. It’s a nice buffer to work with and avoid talking over you. Where possible, try to consider this your end too. It might feel a little unnatural but silence can be a powerful thing in some conversations.

Lastly, relax and enjoy it! This isn’t an interrogation but an insightful opportunity to offload and share your story. The audience loves authenticity and honesty so use this as a platform to relate to the listeners with your own personality.