The Back Catalog | Peter Verdone Designs

I’ve been doing audio interviews surrounding the bicycle space for the past few years. In that time, I’ve built up a back catalog of over 65 recordings. I wanted to get them all together so that folks could hear them if they haven’t.

The blog format that I use inspires me to create new posts but leaves something to be desired for indexing content. Thus, the index post.

Just recently, I’ve been suggesting that students consider doing a few formal interviews if they have not. This would be something that will be shared so that there would be external accountability. I believe that one can learn some great practices by going through this exercise.

As an interviewer, a few things are going on:

Active listening. For most people, we aren’t really listening to people that we are in conversations with. We are thinking about what we will say when it is our turn to speak. This closes us to their words and ideas. We learn less. Active listening is about really paying attention to what the person is saying and reflecting on what those words mean. This take up a lot of processing and thought.
Quality responses extremely quickly. Because we are actively listening, we don’t have a lot of time or preparation to respond to the interviewee that will keep the rhythm of the conversation going and be relevant. …but we have to! A skill has to be developed that generates good responses and prompts without getting in the way of listening. This is very hard.
Knowing who you are talking to… or not. I’ve found two types of interviews that attract me; Those where I’m very intimately informed about most of the details of someone’s work or those where I know very little. In one case, I can burrow into very deep and theoretical concepts and fine points of the interviewee’s craft. An example of this is my recent interview with Brad Bingham. In the other, I’m learning new thematic concepts in real time with the audience. My Brian Chapman interview is a great example of this. Both are fun.
Ask more questions. When in an interview, we should be asking more questions or setting the guest up to elaborate. We want to learn about them and what they know. Just having them talk isn’t that.
It’s not about me. I’m digging out what THEY need to say, not what I want to say. I have plenty of opportunities to give my perspective. I have my blog for that. This is my opportunity to share space with someone else’s world. If I have something detailed to add, I can accompany the interview with a preface or epilog of my choosing when I post the blog.
Mapping. An interview needs an arc. It’s a story. As an interviewer, you need to be able to direct the flow in ways that will uncover what you know is important. You also need to hear something in what people are saying that may take things in a different direction or sidebar than had originally been planned. Rigidity is your enemy but so is aimlessness.
Knowing when to end it. Some interviews are short. Some are long. Recognize when to wrap it up. Don’t just fill dead air.
Filler words. When we speak, it’s easy to use filler works like, ‘uhm’, ‘that’s interesting’, ‘nice’, whatever is just tossed in to fill up space. That needs to be minimized. It sounds terrible and it communicates nothing. Don’t waste the listeners time.
The hard interviews. I’ve had one terrible interviewee. Two that deeply challenged me for very different reasons. Of the others, most were really fun but a few were just them selling something. All were hard work for me on some level. It’s not easy.
Be greatful. You are given a gift when someone sits down with you and gives their uninterrupted attention. Thank them.

I’m sharing all of the recordings that I have on my site here. I show the address of the file so that it can be copied, downloaded, and shared easier.

I’ve learned some great things in these interviews:

Calvin Norstad, 2024

http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023-03-11-Calvin-Norstad.mp3

Adam Prosise, 2023

http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-12-01-Adam-Prosise-Interview-Part-1.mp3

http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-12-01-Adam-Prosise-Interview-Part-2.mp3

Will Hilgenberg – Albatross Bikes, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Will-Hilgenberg-Albatross-Bikes-2023.mp3

Will Bender – Bender Bicycle Company, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Will-Bender-Bender-Bicycle-Company-2023.mp3

Tyler Reiswig – Btchn’ Bikes, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tyler-Reiswig-Btchn-Bikes-2023.mp3

Will Boisvert – Tool Bike Co, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tool-Bike-Co-2023.mp3

Tom and Sion – Machina Bikes, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tom-and-Sion-Machina-Bikes-2023.mp3

Peter Verdone interviewed by Kevin Foss – Rosario Bike Co, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Peter-Verdone-by-Kevin-Foss-Rosario-Bike-Co-2023.mp3

Paul Price – Paul Components, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Paul-Price-Paul-Components-2023.mp3

Mike Smith – No22, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mike-Smith-No22-2023.mp3

Ira Ryan, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Ira-Ryan-2023.mp3

Charlie Murry – Heavy Bikes, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Charlie-Murry-Heavy-Bikes-2023.mp3

Bryce Gracey – No22, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Bryce-Gracey-No22-2023.mp3

Adam Sklar, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Adam-Sklar-2023.mp3

Aaron Stinner, 2023
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Aaron-Stinner-2023.mp3

I’m also going to include two of the lectures that I did at the Philly Bike Expo in 2020 and 2021. If you haven’t watched them, you should. A lot of work went into them.