Video and Podcasting · George B. Thomas
The Art of the Interview
Valley questions, then peak questions, then land the plane.
George has interviewed hundreds of guests, more than 400 on Marketing Smarts alone. On Women of HubSpot, a show born from a Super Bowl Sunday LinkedIn post, he runs every conversation through the same arc and names each stage on air: the valley questions, the peak questions, then "let's land the plane." This talk opens that method up: start with the guest's origin story, walk into the hard moments with care, turn toward what empowers them, and close on a line that sticks.
Who should be in the room
Podcasters, hosts, journalists, researchers and anyone who interviews customers or experts.
You'll walk away with
- The three-part arc, and why the valley comes before the peak
- George's time-machine opener: "If we could go back in time... and we met young [Name] just starting out..."
- Sharing your own setback after the hardest question so the guest feels safe
- The closer he uses every time: "Finish this sentence for me. Success to me means..."
Formats: Keynote · Workshop · Virtual
Let's talk about what you're building.
AI consulting or a keynote. Tell me where you are and where you want to go.