The Interview

When I’m not creating content (aka writing), I’m getting content from those who know it best: entrepreneurs. That’s the heart of the routine as your content creator & strategist. I ask you an open ended question, you tell me your entire story, which then becomes blog fodder for your content marketing calendar.

If only it were that simple. That’s what it looks like from 100,000 feet, but down here on good ole terra firma, it’s a little different.

  1. Introduction (email, phone, LinkedIn, Twitter)
  2. “Who are you again? Oh, ok.”
  3. Set the playing field: content is king and you must blog.
  4. Arrange the first session.
  5. Reschedule first session due to conflicts.
  6. First session. Light bulbs go on.
  7. Create one-page strategy doc.
    • Content buckets
    • Voice, Message, and Mix (60-20-20 rule)
    • Schedule / Frequency
  8. Set interview schedule.
  9. Interview.
  10. Blog.
  11. Repeat steps 1 – 11 until success
So, like most professions, there’s a lot of other stuff that has to get done and surrounds the best part of the entire process: interviewing and blogging. Or, said another way, learning your story and telling your story. That is the joy of this business. That’s what doesn’t feel like work. The interview is by far the most fun, because I’m learning something brand new. I may have an insight or two from a business or experience angle, but nobody knows your stuff better than you.
The interview. It’s kinda like going back to school every day to learn something completely new.

Comments

Leave a comment

More from Kevin

  • What’s Your Ted Lasso Talent?

    What’s Your Ted Lasso Talent?

    Ever drive home and realize you have no memory whatsoever about driving home? You’re on auto-pilot, completely lost in your thoughts, yet successfully navigating your car in Atlanta (or wherever) traffic? Yeah, me too. Happened just the other day. When I got home, I went out into the yard to do some much needed yard…

  • Search + Rescue Graduation

    Search + Rescue Graduation

    From November through April, these state guard soldiers endured freezing cold temperatures, inclement weather, and the grueling topography of the north Georgia mountains around Dahlonega to earn what we commonly call “The SAR Tab”. It starts with the understanding that “Search is an emergency!” Everything that follows that mindset is part of the training to…

  • Consistency is King

    Consistency is King

    I used to say often, “Content is King.” Now I believe consistency is more important. Just like physical exercise: doesn’t matter how much you do, just show up and don’t put up a “0”. Do it. Last Tuesday, our weekly Bible study group completed our “season” of Bible study. Our season is generally the school…

  • Do Hard Things: Why?

    Do Hard Things: Why?

    “Do hard things.” I hear that a lot lately. Actually, that message has probably been pointed at me all my life, but I only started hearing it “lately”. My first instinct upon hearing those 3 words was, “why?” What’s your first gut reaction? Because my first question is “why?”, I pursued that question, and I…

  • Choose the Adventure

    Choose the Adventure

    Always choose the adventure. That’s a rule for me. Not that every decision has an adventure attached, but many do. When adventure is an option, choose the adventure. ✔️ 2001 – I chose the adventure of building a startup (CWNP) from $250. 13 years later, we were acquired by a P/E firm, and CWNP thrives…

  • I Heart Coffee

    I Heart Coffee

    I drink 30 oz of coffee every morning. That’s 2 servings from a Yeti rambler. Hot, black, and strong. My wife buys the Costco brand. It’s got an orangy-red label that I’ve never read, because I don’t care. I know a lot of people – my daughter comes to mind – who wouldn’t drink this…

  • Sharpen Your Axe

    Sharpen Your Axe

    There’s an old tale about a tree felling contest. The two contestants were charged with chopping down a large tree, and the contest was to be won or lost based on the time it took to chop the tree down with an axe. The first contestant was a young man of 24 years, 6’4″, 225lbs…

  • What’s Your Dream?

    What’s Your Dream?

    Is “The American Dream” dead & gone? Yes or no? Why? I’m a hard “no.” Here’s why. The American Dream, in the late 1800s and throughout most of the 20th century was something like this: * Move to America (or be born here)* Grow up in a community that you remember with fondness and joyful…

  • LV: The Forgotten Trade

    LV: The Forgotten Trade

    We had an intro/discovery call with a prospective low voltage client today. We do these calls all the time. Every call, just like every client, is completely different. This one was different because the client had a plan; an LV spec document. Wow. That’s rare indeed. The spec called for different colored Cat6 cables for…