Interviewing as a Tool for Trust, Healing, and Human Connection with Wil Weldon
"Interviewing is not about taking something—it's about helping them be more of who they are."
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What if the key to more powerful storytelling lies not in your editing skills—but in your ability to deeply listen?
In this soul-stirring episode, Rain Bennett talks with Wil Weldon, a video journalist, former massage therapist, and Reiki practitioner who’s developed a holistic approach to interviewing called Heart-Forward Storytelling.
They dive into Wil’s new book INNERviewing: Heart-Forward Storytelling and Holistic Communication, which teaches storytellers, coaches, marketers, and everyday humans how to create space for transformational conversations. You’ll learn how principles of energy transfer, intention, and trust can improve your interviews—not just on camera, but in life.
From family storytelling to trauma-informed listening, this episode reminds us that storytelling is more than performance—it's connection at its deepest level.
In the episode, you will learn to:
Create deeper interviews by minimizing your ego and agenda
Apply Reiki-inspired principles to your communication process
Build trust and energy in storytelling relationships without manipulation
Preserve your family’s legacy through intentional, heart-centered conversations
Redefine interviewing as a collaborative, healing experience—not an extractive one
"Interviewing is not about taking something—it's about helping them be more of who they are."
- Wil Weldon
If you want to learn how to tap into someone's else's energy in a way that reveals deep insights through interviewing, this is the episode for you!
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Some of the highlights of the episode:
00:00 – What If Storytelling Was Energy Work?
01:15 – Introducing Wil Weldon: Video Journalist + Reiki Practitioner
03:30 – The Origin of Inner-Viewing and the Book's Concept
06:00 – From Massage to Journalism: A Spiritual Shift in Storytelling
08:45 – What Reiki Is (and Isn’t) — Defined by a Practitioner
11:15 – Energetic Trust: Why It Matters in Interviews
13:00 – The Reynolds Price Story: Healing Through Hands
16:30 – When an Interview Becomes Emotional Healing
18:50 – Recognizing Energy Shifts While Interviewing
21:20 – How Rain Helped Wil Discover This Unique Intersection
23:10 – Following Curiosity Without a Script
25:00 – Getting What You Need Without Disrupting the Flow
27:00 – Who This Approach Is For (It’s Not Just Filmmakers)
29:15 – The Exercises Behind Heart-Forward Storytelling
31:45 – Why Deep Listening Changes Lives
33:30 – Applying the 80/20 Rule to Every Conversation
35:10 – Storytelling for Family, Legacy, and Meaning
38:00 – The Cost of Waiting Too Long to Capture a Story
40:10 – The Cultural Importance of Story Preservation
43:00 – What We Lose If We Don’t Record Our Elders’ Voices
46:20 – The Book’s Journey, Publishing Plans, and Coaching Clients
49:00 – Final Thoughts: Legacy, Listening, and Life Lessons
As always, I hope you enjoy the episode!
Rain
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