My Latest Interview - The Process

As part of my role as a presenter I often interview interesting people and report on exciting topics or events, one of my first interviews as a presenter for Mecho.com.au is to interview a very interesting, passionate and incredibly intelligent gentleman among the Melbourne intellectual scene.
I'm not just talking book smart, this person is a visionary of sorts whose compassion and drive to help others and make our world a better place is priceless. He is also an entrepreneur and is set to bedazzle the Melbourne social scene with his very own contribution that is on the cusp of getting grande attenzione and applause.
Stay tuned and I will tell you who and what shortly!

So it was off to De Clieu Cafe in Fitzroy to meet my assignment and conduct a pre-interview. I should mention that De Clieu has since become one of my favorite cafes to hang out at. Get there early on a sunny day and get yourself a window ledge to stretch out on under the big, shady trees that decorate the sidewalk.
As usual, my eagerness and neurotic organisational habits caused me to arrive a whole hour early so I used my time wisely and scoped out the boutique shopping on Gertrude St. I found the most gorgeous Dior Homme sneakers. Favorite store was Porters Paints, I still have a thing for home decor!

I should probably mention a little about the lead up to De Clieu and my pre-interview, well, quite simply put it all happened in the clasps of a marvelous cafe on High St Northcote called Penny Farthings. If you care to stalk me you should probably start there.
My friend, colleague, fellow producer, actor and presenter Mr. Nick Teoh and I spent many hours sitting and sipping single origin coffee (he more than I) whilst we brunched and discussed our new assignment and video interview for Mecho.com.au and true to life that is how this particular featured interview came about.
It sounds easy breezy, right? Well, just for the record, I seem to have a knack for making things seem a lot simpler and easier than they really are.
Of course, I should also mention that prior to De Clieu and Penny Farthings the initial assignment was delivered by Mecho.com.au to our very own Executive Producer Nghi Huynh who placed us on the yellow brick road and directed us home. Thanks Nghi!

Just to recap, we have Penny Farthings (coffee, many hours and origins of interview), De Clei (Coffee and pre interview). Let's go with De Clieu.
After my shopping excursion on Gertrude St I began to head back towards De Clieu to meet my interview assignment, it was here that I realised I had never met the man I was waiting for and I began to feel a little nervous. How would I recognise him, would he recognise me? It was out with the IPhone to search for google images. I felt like I was on a blind date via an Internet dating website!
When my assignment did show up he walked straight up to me and introduced himself, maybe he too had used the aid of google images?
We sat down to coffee (I think it might be an industry thing) and began to discuss who he was, what he was doing, where he had been and how he got there. A little over an hour later and a quick discussion about the lemon meringue he needed to get home to bake - we deemed the pre-interview finito.
As we trailed outside the cafe he unlocked the lock on his push bike (ultra cool retro design) and he was off like a bullet. I wish I had taken a photo, such a tall man on a pushbike looked odd but at the same time suited him perfectly!

I now had all the info I needed to go back and make this interview happen, as I was close-by to my grandmothers house I decided to head  back there and sift through all the information I had collected and put it in order. Her house is my 'zone' and is really close to Penny Farthings!
Sitting in my grandmothers light filled living room I realised that a lot of the information I had was about my assignment and who he was, rather than my assignment and his exciting new venture that was to take Melbourne by storm. I liked the idea of talking about my assignment and his new venture but after a quick discussion with Mecho.com.au, the producer and executive producer, it was clear that we were going to lean towards my assignment and who he was. Truth be known he is a damn interesting person so there will be no lack of information or entertainment.
Once the information had been collected and collated all that was left was to form interview questions and format the interview. I brainstormed questions and formats together with Nick the producer and once they had been approved by Mecho.com.au and our executive producer it was all systems go!

The interview will take place at the very trendy CBD bar Section 8 on Tuesday 11th January and will be live on Mecho.com.au by early Feb! I will be sure to write about the interview itself and discuss our process in detail as well as all the other stuff you guys will want to hear about!

I might even divulge the name of our subject too..

Hooroo!