Interviews

What are they for? Who are they for?

• I will talk on your behalf, to those who have achieved success in their chosen (or chanced-upon) field, businesses, art, writing, design and more.
•  Why? To inspire and instruct about the ways people have overcome barriers, tough times or periods, persisted, been creative in finding solutions and created a successful result.
• Rather than talk in generalities, I encourage expression of actual examples and steps taken – landmark moments, hard work, luck, persuasion, going beyond the norm, the real action stories each person has, the day to day real events and actions – to give you an insider’s look, the one you would get if you have conversation with that person yourself.

Format:

• 20-30 minute versions of each interview, and as the journey proceeds, we will offer different time lengths per episode.

Location:

• The interviews mostly take place at the business/workspace or home of each interviewee, but sometimes, at a local café or while walking in the neighborhood if it seems the best idea!

Who might be a suitable interviewee?

• Th person who has built an art gallery to high repute, a founder of a software company, an artisan, an architect, an engineer, a writer, an actor, the creator of a festival as a fixture on the annual calendar – someone about whome  we turn around and say “that’s an interesting story, work well done, informative”. We can learn from what they have to tell us. We can feel inspired and and be enthused with the will to do more ourselves .

If I take an example from my own life (if I were interviewing myself!), starting an online travel business in Greece in 2001 from zero – with all the technical, cultural, business and bureaucratic hurdles it took – knowing nothing previously, about the travel business – making a successful company from that starting point – would be one interview that would be of benefit and interest to you.

The Interviewer – Who – Why?
A few of the things that have led me to be The Interviewer now:

• I have lived, worked and created businesses in the USA, Greece and the UK. I have travelled to numerous countries, under varied circumstances. I have always attracted magical meetings with people who had fascinating and thought-provoking stories to tell. A company’s driver in the traffic chaos of Lagos – Nigeria, to the president’s brother in Peru, to a conversation with President Ramos of the Philippines while we happened to travel on parallel escalators after a conference, to helping a frightened Japanese electronics company’s sales director whilst he was visiting Africa and crossing a border post – whilst stones were threateningly being hurled at us by local kids, to a two hour conversation with musician Frank Zappa – a few meetings to kindle the spirit of  inquiry and learning. Oh to have recorded those conversations!
• I write, I paint vibrant and colorful, abstract canvases and I create business ventures. So what? Well those should help me draw out the core experiences others had in the courses of their lives.
• I comment on the economies of Greece and the world, technology startups and the travel business. So I can listen and then add to what, ask questions based upon. what I have just heard.
• I created a charity benefit event for Disabled Children’s Horse-riding centres across the USA, a three week drive from coast to coast, with scheduled stops at these special centers en route. At each stop, TV and press representatives were present for my “grand arrival”, helping those centres raise funding and more importantly, attract volunteers. Driving an Alfa Romeo Spider (rare in California – unknown in most other states, thus a major attention-getter), loaned for the adventure by the car manufacturer – this event begot the title “An Englishman, A horse and A Spider”.
• I have spoken, giving featured talks at universities, about subjects ranging from the market for music videos to International Studies.

Quality, informative, educational, entertaining and inspiring programming!

If you are that person or know someone you believe I should interview, please contact me. Let’s enjoy a rewarding conversation.