I Interviewed a Multimillionaire

This weekend, I covered what I thought would be an easy story for a national magazine. I try to prepare ahead of time, but I wasn’t prepared for a secondary event taking place at the same location.

In an effort to figure out what I really needed to write about, I tried to look for someone who could help me with the details.

Unbeknownst to me, I interviewed a multimillionaire.

As a writer, I take people’s stories seriously. I fact-check. I ask questions. I craft my articles with dignity and respect. I think that shows in my interview style.

This particular event was something that I really had no knowledge about – and it showed. I asked questions an experienced reporter should have known. I clearly had no inkling of the magnitude of what was happening.

I was upfront with the gentleman in saying that I wasn’t told his organization would be there. He took me under his wing and explained the ins and outs of the sport. He made me feel comfortable. He took the time to point out the highlights. And, he talked about his family and other casual topics of conversation. He was genuine, caring and kind.

He didn’t have to be – he was the president of the organization. He could have found more important journalists to speak with. He could have sent me to his public relations head. He could have told me just to look at his website.

But he granted me quotes and a serious interview – and spent time with me when he could have been overseeing the event.

In retrospect, it is clear that he breathes that same kindness in his employees. When I found myself unintentionally in an “off limits” area for taking photos, the security guard gently asked me to leave, but then he also held a conversation with me. And when it was time for the most famous competitor to show what he had, the security guard called me up to get a shot of the match.

It was only when I got home to research more about my interviewee that I understood just how important that man was. Yet, despite his multimillionaire status, his multibillion-dollar companies and his television presence, he was incredibly humble, and, quite obviously, he cared about people.

I interviewed two other men. One was the owner of the event venue who spoke with me on a wooden bench about family values while he watched over his grandson. The other man – a vice president of another large company – picked up on my unfamiliarity with the topic at hand and explained much more than he had to, but we also talked about our lives. I also learned about his family, his father, his small-town values and how hard he worked to be where he was.

The common bond here is that these VIPs care about people. They put relationships first. They appreciate others, and it shows.

Honesty and integrity breed honesty and integrity.

I hold my moral ethics above my journalistic ethics.  I always look for what I can highlight in others – and I put that first, no matter how an interview goes. I feel incredibly blessed when others treat me with the same respect and care that I put into the stories I write. And, whether it was the security guard or the president of a major corporation, that day, everyone did.

More details and a blog highlighting these companies to come ~ after the article is released:)

Also:  I should have taken a selfie!