Deep conversations with strangers

I’ve finally done it. I’ve recorded my first interview for the Deep Conversations with Strangers Podcast. 

My first interviewee was New Hamburg resident Allan Strong. We had a powerful conversation about his life story, including his experiences with mental illness and suicide. 

Allan spent a career working in the mental health sector supporting some of the most vulnerable people in Waterloo Region. He also lives with Bipolar Disorder Type 2. 

I have something in common with Allan, I have lived experience with mental illness. I used to be very open about my struggles, but have been less so in recent years for a number of reasons I won’t get into here. 

However, knowing my personal experience would change the dynamic of the conversation with Allan, I decided to be transparent about it for this interview—while attempting not to take the focus away from Allan’s story. 

Strangers? 

Allan isn’t technically a “stranger” to me. That might seem like I’ve broken a fundamental rule of the podcast, but it’s justified. 

I met Allan in 2007, when I volunteered as a board member for the local Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). However, I hadn’t spoken to Allan in over 10 years and I wasn’t familiar with his life story. 

Allan’s name came up when I was developing the concept for Deep Conversations with Strangers. I spoke to local psychotherapist Kathy Bazinet about how to interview people about their lived experiences with trauma or mental illness. 

Talking about trauma can be a minefield, because even when someone WANTS to talk about their past, they can become inadvertently distressed by their memories. And I want to make sure Guests have a safe and fulfilling experience. 

Because of this, Kathy recommended Allan be my first Guest. Allan would be a safe choice, because he’s very accustomed to talking about his own personal journey with mental health and suicide. He is also an expert in suicide prevention (he helped develop groundbreaking programs that we discuss in the episode), and has a solid support network. 

I was thrilled when he agreed to the interview. 

Kathy was right. Allan was a fantastic “guinea pig” (as he jokingly calls it) for my first interview for the podcast. It was an incredible learning experience for me. Allan is gracious, genuine, inspirationally open, and incredibly funny. 

As you will hear when the interview gets released as part of Series 1 of Deep Conversations with Strangers Podcast later this year–Allan is a character (and people love him for it). 

I appreciate the deep conversation, Allan. Thanks for helping me cut my teeth. 

Note to future self: don’t make recordings twice as long as you need. You’re creating an editing nightmare for yourself and you won’t want to cut a thing.