This episode was sponsored by Signal Hill Insights.

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Visit measureyourpodcast.com for a free 4-part email series that will tell you how and why to measure the unique impact of branded podcasts. Go beyond counting downloads. Instead, obtain real responses from real listeners to demonstrate the ROI of branded podcasts. You’ll learn how research generates practical insights to optimize your production and drive renewals.

Kelly Corrigan is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, the host of PBS’ long-form interview show Tell Me More, and the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders, which just crossed 13 million downloads. O Magazine calls her "the voice of a generation" and Huffington Post says Kelly is “our Poet Laureate of the Ordinary.”

Read her books:

Tell Me More: Stories About the Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say

The Middle Place

Glitter and Glue

Hello World!

Other books by Kelly’s guests mentioned on this episode:

The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

If you liked this episode, you’ll love Sound Judgment Episode Season 1, Episode 5, “Finding Your Voice with Shelter in Place Host Laura Joyce Davis.”

Takeaways from my conversation with Kelly:

1. The thing we  are asking for when we put our podcast, our book, or our speech out there is attention. And there is no more exquisite currency than attention. So how can we reveal something, or elicit something from our guest, that will make the listener feel like the time they spent with us was worth it? That’s Kelly’s guiding principle.

2. Carefully time the three questions you’re a little afraid to ask. Don’t ask your toughest ones first – and feel for the opening, like Kelly did with Samantha Power.

3. The purest motivation to start a podcast is to follow your curiosity. When it’s there, it’s evident to the listener. And it’s evident when it’s not there.

4: Kelly knows when an interview is going great when she’s saying something she hasn’t said before or when she knows that her guest is saying something they haven't said before.

Visit Kelly online:

www.kellycorrigan.com

Instagram: @kellycorrigan

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellycorrigan

Facebook: kellycorriganauthor

Twitter/X: @corrigankelly

Improve your storytelling Check out our popular workshops on interviewing, story editing, story structure, longform narrative, audience engagement, guesting, scriptwriting and more.

Hire Elaine to speak at your conference or company. Subjects include: Effective Storytelling; Communicating for Leaders; Communicating about Change; Mastering the Art of the Interview; Success in Guesting, and much more.

Discover our strategic communication services and coaching for thought leaders using storytelling tools to make the world a better place. Serving writers, podcasters, public speakers, and others in journalism & public media, climate change, health care, policy, and higher education. Visit us at www.podcastallies.com.

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Credits

Sound Judgment is a production of Podcast Allies, LLC.

Host: Elaine Appleton Grant

Podcast Manager: Tina Bassir

Production Manager: Andrew Parrella

Audio Engineer: Kevin Kline

Production Assistant: Audrey Nelson