Robert Peterpaul of "The Art Of Kindness" Is A Guest On "The Life Shift" Podcast

 Who are the best interviewers in podcasting? No, it's not Joe Rogan, who likes to get his audience mad at something or someone. It could be Audie Cornish from CNN. Or how about Elaine Appleton Grant from the Sound Judgment podcast? 

My personal vote goes to two podcast hosts -- Robert Peterpaul of The Art Of Kindness podcast, and Matt Gilhooly of The Life Shift podcast. 

What do Peterpaul and Gilhooly have in common as interviewers? First, they listen to their guests, and then ask questions based on the guest's comments. Second, the make sure the guests take center stage on the podcast and don't "Rogan" them by stealing the spotlight. Third, they make their guests comfortable enough to share their narrative. Peterpaul and Gilhooly allow the guest's story to unfold organically. 

Finally, Peterpaul and Gilhooly ask questions that highlight the guest's best attributes, instead of asking questions that make them seem smart. Superb interviewing is about giving of yourself, not taking something away from the guest.

I mention these two interview pros because on July 11 Robert Peterpaul of The Art Of Kindness podcast will be a guest on The Life Shift podcast.

For those not familiar with these two splendid podcasts, let me give you a brief summary.

On The Life Shift podcast, host Matt Gilhooly has candid conversations with people about the pivotal moments that changed their lives forever.

On the podcast's website, it reads: "We all have our stories, but through these conversations, we discover communities. We learn that there are commonalities through the ups and downs that we all face. But most importantly, we learn that we are not alone."

The Life Shift podcast highlights life-altering moments and humanizes the struggles and triumphs through them all.

While that mission is an aggressive goal, The Life Shift podcast has an ace in the hole.   

It's the host, Matt Gilhooly, who possesses plenty of what Elaine Appleton Grant calls "hostiness." Hostiness is the skill set necessary to be an effective podcast host. And Matt Gilhooly definitely has plenty of hostiness.

Gilhooly, a Public Relations Graduate from the University of Florida, possesses the innate ability to interview his guests with the skill of a therapist, an aptitude for active listening, and an empathetic style that soothes the guests and entrances the listeners.

Matt Gilhooly's success proves that you don't have to be a celebrity, a person with years of experience in media, a Spotify-funded "influencer," or a private equity-funded elitist, to be a successful podcast host with a podcast that celebrates the ability of humans to overcome, thrive in spite of obstacles, and recognize that pivotal moment in which an individual's life hangs in the balance.

Check out The Life Shift podcast.  Maybe the podcast can help you through your "life-altering moment."

The Art of Kindness (AOK) bills itself as "A positively star-studded podcast that converses with and celebrates artists from all areas of the entertainment industry (Film, TV, Broadway, etc.) who use their platform to make the world a better place. Join The AOK as we sprinkle positivity around like confetti and get to the bottom of what kindness really means through compassionate conversations."

In every episode, host Robert Peterpaul elicits tales from Broadway people about how they sprinkle kindness throughout their world. Peterpaul always asks each guest, "What does kindness mean to you?" He also asks guests how they react to people praising them.

Robert Peterpaul is one of those rare hosts who can be so engaging that, as a listener, you say, "I could listen to him for the entire episode."

Peterpaul could probably carry a one-man show on Broadway. I'd call it, "Peterpaul on Kindness." If there was a blackout in New York City, Peterpaul could probably power all of Manhattan with his pent-up, personal energy.

 Robert Peterpaul is an award-winning actor, writer, and celebrity interviewer with a passion for storytelling and spreading kindness. He has also been a writer for over a decade, writing for major publications and shows such as NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Screen Rant, The Huffington Post, Backstage, Casting Networks, Writer’s Weekly, and HOLA! USA, where he was the Head Weekend Editor for six years.  

Check out this interview on The Life Shift podcast. The title of the episode -- The Art Of Kindness in the face of tragedy -- says it all.

Bring tissues.