I started interviewing people when I was five years old. My Polish mother called me “the Johnny Carson of Altgeld Street” because she’d often find me sitting on the porch steps of our Chicago home, chatting up the neighbors or passersby. “What’s your name?” I’d ask these unsuspecting souls, before moving on to more pressing questions, like: “How are you feeling today?” or “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” or “Do you like pierogi? That’s what my mother’s making for dinner. Want some?”

People. Connection. Personal histories. These were always integral to my well-being. I suppose they would be coming from a large (and very loud and gregarious) Polish family who survived the war in the 1940s. My Polish clan taught me a great deal about resilience, in fact, which fueled my passion to become a storyteller, focusing initially on the arts. Eventually, I’d go on to meet Walter Cronkite at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. The man’s professional commitment and integrity inspired me further, and when I became the editor of several successful regional magazines in Northern California, I made a commitment to myself—and the community—to spotlight agents of change, in addition to the area’s most important issues. Deep down, I’ve always felt that it was people who made the story—who they are, what motivates them, who inspired them, what are they “living for?” These ideals anchored me on a lifelong path as a storyteller.

For me, conversation and connection are as important as the blood that runs through my veins. This became acutely apparent when I started interviewing celebrities—from Chris Pine and Joan Rivers to Cyndi Lauper and Rob Lowe. Ironically, I never wanted to know their favorite ice cream flavor—I wanted to know them. How they came to be who they were and who were the change agents in their lives. I love swimming these deeper waters because it adds so much more richness to any story—whether it be in a magazine or book. Countless tales dwell within each of us. I’m grateful that I have opportunities to draw out those stories from the people I encounter. To this day, I believe Altgeld Street was the perfect training ground.