Aloha Flow Riders,

Ever had a guest who was electric during your pre-call, but the moment you hit record, they turned into a one-word-answer machine?

Yeah. We've all been there.

This week's mailbag episode tackled one of the most frustrating situations every interviewer faces—and Doc dropped some truth bombs that might sting a little, but will absolutely transform how you approach your interviews.

IT'S NOT THEM, IT'S YOU

When Lou asked how to "rescue" an interview with a guest who suddenly becomes a wallflower on camera, Doc didn't sugarcoat it:

"That's a you problem. That is 105% you. It is not them."

Here's why this matters: Your guest isn't failing you. Your questions are failing them.

Think about it like this—Doc shared a perfect example with his niece Emma.

When his sister-in-law picks Emma up from school and asks "How was school?" she gets silent and starts scrolling on her phone.

When Doc picks her up and asks "What's the hot gossip?" or "Which teacher made you want to slap the [stuffing] out of them today?"—he gets a full hour of conversation.

The difference? One approach invites closed answers. The other invites stories.

HOW TO ASK BETTER QUESTIONS

Transform wallflower guests into captivating storytellers:

1. Replace Closed Questions with Open Invitations

❌ DON'T ASK: "Are you a Star Wars fan?"
​✅ DO ASK: "Tell me about your Star Wars collection—what's the story behind your favorite piece?"

2. Use Power Questions

• "Tell me about a time when..."
• "What's something you believe that most people in your field would strongly disagree with?"
• "What's the worst advice you've ever followed?"

3. Pull the Thread

When someone mentions anything—follow up with:

• "Why that specifically?"
• "How did you figure that out?"
• "Tell me more about..."

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE

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This newsletter just scratches the surface. In the full mailbag episode, Doc and Katie also cover:

• The great Zoom vs. Ecamm Interview Mode debate
• How to rescue audio when Chrome decides to eat your memory
• Why recording your pre-show and after-show creates content gold
• The enhanced Zoom media add-on
• The Zettelkasten note-taking method

Plus, the community dropped FIRE questions all episode long—from WhatsApp video interviews to virtual camera troubleshooting.

NEXT WEEK: INTERVIEW LAB WITH DOC & PAUL

​Mark your calendars, Flow Riders!

Monday, March 31st 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT

Doc and moderator extraordinaire Paul are hosting a special LIVE INTERVIEW PRACTICE LAB via Zoom (not livestreamed. This is just for the Flow fam).

This is your chance to:

• Practice your interview techniques in real-time
• Get feedback from Doc and the community
• Test your tech setup
• Ask ALL your burning questions about interviews

Plus, Ken and Glen have a major announcement at 2 PM ET the same day. March 31st is a BIG day for Ecamm!

Mahalo,​
​The Flow Team

P.S. — Want Doc's complete streaming checklist? Grab it at https://docrock.live/checklist​