Nothing prepares you (or forces you) to be more confident talking about what you do for living, like being interviewed about it. Isn’t it odd that just ten years ago, being interviewed would be limited to a very specific format, most likely print, or if you were super famous, then broadcast, for like, Johnny Carson? Okay maybe I’m thinking fifty years ago. I’ve been watching too much Mad Men.

Tara here, and I think it’s pretty neat that Kathleen and I get to talk about what we do, teach others what we’ve learned, and get to feel mini-famous, at least for thirty minutes when other creatives want to have a conversation with us, because they found us online, and believe in our vision, or just think it’s really cool what we get to do – even when we live right smack dab in the middle of middle-America.

We work and live in a city that’s not always on the radar, but it’s still a city where we run into other creatives every single day. Meanwhile we’ve worked with creatives who live in the middle of nowhere, who still run into other creatives (there’s more of us than you will ever know) every single day, too, and are getting more than just mini-famous on platforms of their own.

But who’s to say that anywhere is nowhere? When we’re all made of the same stardust, who’s to say we can’t all be stars? I’ve also been watching too much Cosmos.

If someone has a passion and is able to tap into what they really do best, and have a platform for sharing it – maybe they don’t have to move to the coast or the big city, they can bring the bigger and better, and the next chapter of what they want to do… to them. Before I start getting all Parks & Rec on you (if you saw the last episode Leslie Knope knows what I mean, it’s only a semi-spoiler if you haven’t), let me share how I get ready for an interview, but I’m going to share in the “we,” as I speak for Kathleen, too, who gets interviewed way more than I do, as she is quickly moving out of the mini-famous into the almost-famous, ha!

Because Creatives Can Have a Voice from Anywhere. How to prepare for your next creative interview:

1. First off, you can not watch too much awesome TV as proved by above. No, this has nothing to do with being interviewed, just getting that point out of the way. Unless you like to pretend you are Don Draper, Neil deGrasse Tyson, or Leslie Knope while you’re being interviewed – which actually, is actually a pretty awesome confidence booster on all three counts.

2. No, we don’t like listening to our own recorded voices. And you won’t either. This is a universal law of astro-physics. Everyone hates their own voice. Neil deGrasse Tyson is about to do an upcoming episode all about it. Not really. Okay, maybe.

3. If you’re about to be interviewed, jot down one or two stories, and three points you’d like to make, then cut that list in half.

4. Go for a walk or run and try to remember the points in your head without looking at anything.

5. If you want to look extra crazy. hold an interview with yourself while you’re walking and see where the rabbit hole takes you, if anything you’ll just wear out your inner over-talker and know which tangents to not go down during the real thing.

6. Then just wing it! Have confidence, and hope that you’re interviewer is a great editor, and they’ll always make you sound good (like ours have been!).

7. Yes, we do love the clarity that comes out of being put on the spot to say what you mean, or at least say something in your own voice and style. It’s scary for about one second, and then you just gotta enjoy it.

If you want to listen to or read some of our recent interviews, check them out here:

How to Connect With Your Audience with Kathleen Shannon and Erin Anacker of Pixology and her Below The Fold Podcast, about the stories and voices of women in design.

Kathleen’s talking about how your process should be delighting customers every step of the way, while asking the question – do your customers want to know exactly what it is you do or just how you’re enabling them to do what they want to do?

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With Purpose Episode 10 with Tara Street and Erin Haslag and Katie Dalebout of With Purpose Podcast, for feeling, fulfilling and working toward that big sense of purpose with your life.

Tara’s talking about what it means to have that sparkly inspiration mixed with the logical process and how both of these sides of your creativity are how creatives can sell themselves as experts.

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Braid Creative | The Sisters with Kathleen & Tara and Aimee Adams of OkieMama magazine for connecting the lives and stories of those pioneering people who have chosen to grow roots in the heartland.

Both of us sharing about what it means to grow up in a small community in Oklahoma, and now growing a business here, while sticking close to family.