These are the most competitive jobs in the U.S.
So I ended up getting an internship at NPR in the 90s.
My intention was to become a newspaper reporter but I became a radio reporter.
[I then] went overseas for about six-and-a-half years, covered the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war.
I was based in Berlin, in London and in Jerusalem.
When I was overseas, I left NPR and went to CNN, where I was a television reporter.
I came back, rejoined NPR as a reporter, and then eventually became an anchor onAll Things Considered.
And then I left the news world in 2012 and began to focus on this new space, podcasting.
It really transformed my life and got me into the world of podcasting.
In some ways, my routine is much more predictable now.
Take us through a recent workday.
How do you work, and how has your routine changed since the time of the pandemic?
I wake up around 5:30 a.m. and have some water.
On the days when Im not doing that, Im still usually in the studio by 8:45 a.m.
I might interview somebody forHow I Built This those interviews can last two, three hours.
Im on airplanes for live shows or for interviews or for other work that I do.
Were doing everything virtually and remotely.
I spend most of the day in my studio, with a break for lunchwhen I have those breaks.
But usually my day is jam-packed; every half-hour is full.
I also try and make room for calls with people who are looking for mentorship.
I cant do as much of it as I would like, because I just dont have the time.
But I give a shot to make space for it and I obviously prioritize people at NPRinterns and others.
I make dinner; I do all the cooking in the house.
My wife handles the dishes.
And then oftentimes, Ill come back to the studio to do things like answering emails.
Ive got multiple email accounts and I wait to do that until the end of the day.
That alone is a full time job.
How do you keep track of your workflow?
Do you have any tools or systems to keep yourself on track?
Mainly its people who keep me accountable.
I have multiple deadlines and multiple partners I work with.
And my Outlook calendar is my bible.
Why Outlook and not Google Calendar?
Because the NPR team uses Outlook, and they need constant access to my calendar.
So that is why I use Outlook.
It is not…great, but it is what I use.
I look at that calendar every day.
It changes all the time; in the middle of this conversation, a calendar entry changed.
Youve conducted thousands of interviews over the years: How do you go about planning them?
I have a wonderful team.
One member of our team is assigned to create whats called a research packet.
They will basically look for every single articleanything written about the person that Im going to interview.
They will compile that in a packetusually a 20-page (minimum) document.
I will read all of that material before the interview.
Sometimes it takes three hours, sometimes it can take seven or eight hours or more.
And even more if the person has a book.
I usually do that reading at night and on weekends.
How do you come up with the questions?
You know, Ive been doing this so long that I dont come in with prepared questions anymore.
And now I make a lot more of them because Ive just practiced.
I can go into an interview with [anyone if] Im well prepared.
Is there a favorite thing that youre always looking to get out of a person?
Im trying to get inside their head and inside their experience.
So I will often ask version of the same questions many times.
What is your workplace setup?
In Oakland, California, I have a studio.
It is a physical room that is inside of another room that is inside of a converted garage.
Its called the whisper booth.
Its a very quiet space.
Its impossible to make something completely soundproof.
The Whisper Booth does that, and it essentially prevents outside sounds from coming in.
So thats where I work.
Its outfittedyou can see a photo of it if you do a Google Video search of my name.
Its got orange acoustic panels all around, so its a nice bright color.
That orange paneling is made from recycled jeans, that work really well.
We bought from a cool company.
And then Ive got my laptop in there.
Its about 6' x 8', so its a small space.
I am there for much of the day, but I go in and out because it gets hot.
It has circulated air, but no air conditioning to keep the sound down.
Do you have any like tools or gadgets that you just cant live without?
Most of them are kitchen gadgets.
My favorite tools in the kitchen are kitchen shears.
Some of them are very simple.
I use my iPhone as a camera to make videos.
They create the appearance of natural light in the studio, rather than have a light shining on me.
My life hack is I do not use any electronic devices one day a week.
Do you have any favorite life hacks or shortcuts that make your life easier?
I would say my life hack is I do not use any electronic devices one day a week.
And we spend Saturday like a family in the 1990s or 80s or 70s, a time before screens.
And we are bored sometimes, and we play board games and we go for hikes.
Do you have any side projects that youre working on?
Any hobbies that you use to recharge?
I havemanyside projects that I work on.
But Ive got many balls in the airIm juggling different proposals and ideas and people are pitching.
I love to cook and I try and spend time every week and weekend cooking.
I love experimenting with different ingredients and grow a lot of vegetables in planters.
We do lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
We have a pear tree, so this summer Ive been making a lot of pear-based things at home.
I love experimenting with cooking and foods.
Thats a really big part of my life outside of work.
With all of my shows, I try and think about them in a very simple way.
People have a limited amount of time during the day for non-work activities.
Lets say its two, three, maybe four hourscall it personal time, maybe theyre working out.
In normal times, maybe theyre commuting, maybe theyre cooking.
And that doesnt matter if itsWow in the WorldorHow I Built ThisorWisdom from the Top.
I know Im on the right track.
That spending time with my family is the most important thing in my life.
That I am first and foremost a dad.
That is my first, second, third, and last most important parts of my life.
So much of what I do does not have to be done by traveling to places.
I can actually do so much of what I do where I am with my family.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
