In the time that we live in, it’s pretty common that people take off on social media rather quickly. With that being said, entertainment journalists like myself are finding ways to get in contact with those influencers to talk about how they got their start, what exactly it is they do that makes them influential, etc.

However, we very rarely are asked about how we maybe got our start, why it is we talk to these influencers, etc. With that being said, we caught up with Forbes contributor, Influencer, Journalist, Tom Ward to learn more about what it is he does, and how conversations with these people further his experience.

PopWrapped (PW): For those who don’t know who you are, what you do, where did you start, what exactly is a day to day life like for you, etc? 

Tom Ward (TW): I write about influencer marketing for Forbes and host a YouTube channel and podcast, The Tom Ward Show, where I interview the biggest creators in the world, like: Addison Rae, David Dobrik, Emma Chamberlain, etc. I started a blog www.tomward.com in 2014, where I wrote about marketing and social media. I had some articles go viral. In 2015 an editor from Forbes saw what I was doing and asked me to become a contributor. Before I started my blog, I had no writing experience at all. So, I was honored that they chose me. From there, as I became more well known, I was able to interview big social media influencers. Then I started filming the interviews started my YouTube channel and podcast. 

PW: You are not only an influencer yourself, but you are widely known for your interviews with influencers that are currently the talk of all social media channels. How did you get into a career like this and what do you enjoy most about interviewing and interacting with social media’s favorite influencers?

TW: How I started interviewing influencers was kind of random. I interviewed Kate Hudson for an article about her company Fabletics. When you interview a big celebrity like Hudson, it takes months of talking to her team to set it up. When I finally got my chance to interview her, I only got 5 minutes at an event to talk to her. It wasn’t her fault. She had a ton of press to do in a short time. The article didn’t get many views, so I was disappointed that all of my hard work didn’t pay off. But her publicist liked the article and suggested that I interview one of his clients, Jake Paul. I had no idea who Jake was. I quickly found out how big he was. He was super easy to work with and we even exchanged numbers. That’s something that never happens with a traditional celebrity. I texted him when I posted the article and he shared it on his Twitter and it got 100,00 views in the first hour. From then on, I was sold on influencers. They were easy to work with, they’d share the articles or videos, and they got great views.

PW: You’ve had the chance to interview Addison Rae, Loren Gray, Bryce Hall, Jojo Siwa, and many other huge names. What is your interview process like? From requesting an interview with the star, to the final upload – walk us through that process!

TW: The first step in the process is to ask my followers on social media who they’d like to see me interview. My recent interview, with Addison Rae is a good example of how it works with a big creator. I asked my followers on social media, who they would like to see me interview. Number one, by far, was Addison. That was pretty easy, because I went to the Hype House earlier this year so I already knew her manager. But if I didn’t know her manager, I would reach out on Twitter because we follow each other. I only have 11,000 followers on Twitter, but a lot of big name creators follow me. So, I’d try there. And if I didn’t get a response, I’d ask around my network to see who repped her. Usually a manager, or a publisit, will set it up. 

So, after we get a date on the calendar, I’d start prepping for the interview. This takes hours and hours. My favorite compliment is when people say, “It looks like you’re just having a natural conversation with a guest.” They don’t see all the behind the scenes work it takes to make it look easy. You want to have some key points you want to talk about and a general direction you want the conversation to go in. Before COVID, I would bring my team either to the guest’s house, or the studio at Studio 71, who reps me.  My team is small. It’s two camera guys. Shout out to Rocky Ramos and Daniel Zavala. Daniel is also my editor. So, we’d film the interview and then I’d work with Daniel to edit it. I give him the notes and he does all the hard work. He’s amazing! Then, I’ll usually write a Forbes article, based on the interview. It usually takes a week from the interview to when I post. When everything is done, I post to The Tom Ward Show YouTube channel and podcast and to Forbes.com.

PW: You do an awesome job with your content creation. Have you thought about extending your expertise into maybe artists, actresses, etc, rather than just influencers? If so, who would you say your dream interviews include?

TW: Yes, I’ve definitely thought about interviewing other guests like artists, athletes, etc. I hope to move beyond just doing influencers and start interviewing other creative or inspiring people. My dream interview would be Howard Stern. I’ve been listening to him since I was a kid and I think he’s one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He is also one of the greatest interviewers in the world. I’m also a huge music fan and I’d love to interview Kayne, Drake and Young Thug. 

PW: Of course we have to talk about the coronavirus pandemic. A lot of our lives have been put through the wringer, especially if your job (like ours) involves big crowds, being with teams of people, etc. How has covid halted your career and how have you been productive during this time?

TW: It’s actually made things easier, in a way. To set up in person interviews takes a lot of time, because the guests have busy schedules and they have to drive to my studio, sit for the interview, post interview stuff etc. But now, we can just hop on a Zoom call for 45 minutes no matter where we are physically. It also has cut my production costs, because I don’t have to pay camera men. But I’d still much rather do it in person. When you have a guest in front of you, they’re usually more open, You can see their body language, sense if they’re uncomfortable with a certain topic, etc. Plus, a 3-camera shoot looks great on camera. And I like hanging with my team. It’s more fun that just sitting in my office by myself.

PW: Finally, moving forward, how do you plan to keep your content fresh and in demand? And what can we expect from you in the future?

TW: For me, it’s all about adapting with the times. For two years I interviewed YouTubers but this year it’s been all TikTokers. You just have to stay on the trends and most importantly give your audience the content they want. I am also focused on getting the most content I can out of an interview. I post short clips on my TikTok. I post the same clips on my Instagram Stories. I use a 1 minute clip for an Instagram post. And I’ll take a 3-5 minute clip for my new second channel, Tom Ward Show Clips. It’s all about giving people what they want. Some will only watch me on TikTok, others prefer my YouTube channel and some people like the podcast or Forbes articles. As far as what the future looks like, I’d love to get a show on mainstream media; like a TV channel, Netflix, etc. But that’s just a dream for now. I’d also like to branch out and interview people beyond the social media world, like artists, athletes, etc.

You can follow along Tom’s interviews and his journey on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, as well as his Tom Ward Show YouTube Channel. Don’t forget to also check out his Forbes coverage, as well.