I can now honestly say I've interviewed hundreds of people. I have no formal training or education under my belt, just a natural curiosity and interest in extracting compelling stories.
Throughout my life, two interviewers in particular have helped shape my style. In my younger years, I was always impressed by Brian Linehan's research. City Lights would air on Citytv and you could tell Brian had done his homework. I find nothing more frustrating than a longform interview by someone who clearly wasn't prepared for their subject. I decided if I was going to conduct longform interviews, I'd always be prepared.