Thank you for agreeing to be a guest on The Ampersand Manifesto podcast!

Please take 15 minutes to read this page thoroughly.

If you would like to be interviewed, please 1) schedule your interview, and 2) fill out the intake form.
Links to both are at the bottom of this page.

Headshot by Vero Kherian Photography.

About the show

What fuels a multi-passionate life? In this podcast, Jessica interviews “the most interesting people at the dinner party.” (Wink wink, that’s YOU!) Guests on The Ampersand Manifesto podcast have pursued multiple paths for years and straddle two or more different worlds: architecture & music, marketing & photography, technology & fiction writing.

The goal of this podcast is to collectively design The Ampersand Manifesto:

⚖️ Ampersand: straddling (at least) two different worlds
✍️ Manifesto: principles for a multi-passionate life

We aim to explore questions like these: Why do we choose to lead these multi-passionate lives? What does it look like to be balancing several big pursuits? And how can our multifaceted endeavors support other Ampersands and the community around us?

We truly believe that an Ampersand identity is a freeing, fulfilling path that pushes the future of work to be more human, and more integrated. Sharing your story may inspire someone else to take a leap towards their own more fulfilled life.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Please take about 30 minutes to fill out the intake form (link at the bottom of this page). The purpose of this form will be to spark ideas in terms of questions to ask and where to guide the interview.

THE INterview

The purpose of each interview is to go deep into your identity as an Ampersand, a person who’s able to straddle multiple worlds simultaneously, and to understand what motivates you, challenges you, and fulfills you. We want to understand the why and the how behind what you do. Jessica will share a brief bio, but we’re not looking for you to rehash your whole life story. It’s much more interesting to go deep than broad, so Jessica will be asking you questions that narrow in on a few key moments that have shaped you.

Remember, our key motto for this show is Depth Over Breadth!

Here is how a typical episode interview will go:

Introduction

Jessica will introduce you with a short bio that you’ll provide in the intake form. She may paraphrase or shorten it so it’s more audio friendly. She will then welcome you to the show.

Interview Questions

Here are some questions that may come up in our interview. We’ll go with the flow, and we won’t get to every single question. The best answers are little stories, or vignettes, that can immediately launch us into that place in time in your life.

• What does the balancing act look like between ______ and ______? (e.g. “medicine” and “singing”)

• How do you stay creative?

• What learnings have you applied from ______ to ______, and vice versa? (“technology” and “painting”)

• What fuels you to keep going with the Ampersand life?

• What do you think should be in the Ampersand Manifesto?

PREPARATION & TECHNICAL CHECKLIST

Your interview will be conducted via Squadcast. You don’t need to download any applications to get started; Squadcast runs in your web browser. The link to join will be sent after you schedule your interview.

In advance…

• Be in a quiet place with no interruptions. If you find yourself unexpectedly in a noisy place, please reschedule!

• Make sure you have a GREAT wireless connection.

• Make sure you have headphones (essential) and a good microphone (headset or external mic preferred).

• Be ready to tell your story in an upbeat, positive tone. Try not to schedule anything immediately before our interview.

• The podcast is NOT being aired live! We can always take a moment to reset if needed.

• MAKE SURE NOTIFICATIONS & SOUNDS ARE TURNED OFF! On a Mac, go to the top menu and look for the icon that has two tabs with circles in them > click on the moon icon (Focus).

• Try to eliminate inadvertent noises from your desk / chair / clothing.

• Have a glass of water nearby.

• The interview will record only audio, but we’ll be able to see each other on camera.

• As much as possible, please refrain from using filler words such as “um” “uh” etc. We know this is challenging, just try your best.

After the interview

Jessica will email you a few days before your episode goes live. We’d appreciate any marketing help you can give on whatever social platforms you’re on or over email. After all, this interview is your story, perhaps a story that hasn’t been shared widely even with people closest to you!

THE FINE PRINT

If you have questions about the show, your story, or format, please email Jessica (j@jessicawan.com) ahead of time. Otherwise, we’ll assume that you’re ready to go when we start the interview.

And to clarify the ownership and rights for this podcast, here is a short legal disclaimer you need to read and agree to prior to booking:

By agreeing to be on The Ampersand Manifesto podcast, you agree to allow Jessica Wan LLC to record, distribute, and disseminate the podcast in any manner we feel appropriate. You also agree to allow Jessica Wan LLC to retain rights to the produced media for potential future use in speeches, books, and all other public distribution. And you agree that you aren't a "joint author" of the The Ampersand Manifesto and to waive any and all trademark and copyright infringement.

✅ “OK, I’ve read everything and I’m ready to book my interview!” ✅

=> INTERVIEW BOOKING LINK <=

=> INTAKE FORM <= Please set aside 30 minutes to fill this out.