The most important part of any interview, talk or podcast is the opening.  If you grab ‘em in the first 60 seconds, there’s a good chance they’ll stay with you. What’s the best way to open?  Here’s a clue.

The best topics are topical.

They tap into what people are already thinking and talking about.  In the media, it’s called “watercooler conversation.” So, one of the best ways to open is to lasso your topic to a juicy news headline and start there. 

Say your subject is Veganism –

• “Did you know that the hottest TikTok video now is a man eating McDonald’s for 100 Days to lose weight who says it’s ‘Absolutely Working.’ I guess that’s one way to go, if you don’t mind dying young, but I have a better idea…”
  

Or maybe your topic is Mental Health –

• “The Atlantic Magazine just published an article ‘America’s Teenage Girls are Not Okay’. They’re ‘engulfed’ in historic rates of anxiety and sadness.  It’s a tragedy that’s only getting worse….”

How about pre-school Education –

• “Biden’s linking childcare to chips – and not chocolate chips! The bipartisan Chips Act gives $52 billion in subsidies to the US semiconductor industry so long as they guarantee childcare for all workers who build or operate their plant.  Whether you think this is the right approach or not, childcare for all is essential to bringing our labor force back to work.”

Get the picture?  This is what pros do. They harness the heat of the moment and piggyback on the news.