Jared - What inspired you to get into tech and gadget news in general?

Cali - I've always been interested in technology. I remember sitting in the doorway to my mom's bedroom as a kid and watching her type on her word processor. We didn't have a computer. She typed so fast, and all I could think was "I have to learn to do that", so I made her teach me. My parents were divorced, and when I went to my dad's house in the summer, he had a "real" computer and a Nintendo system. I spent as much time as possible on the computer. I woke up hours before anyone else and played Super Mario Brothers (very quietly) until my dad and sisters woke up.
 
Jared - As the host of Geek Brief TV, you must be busy all the time. What are some of the everyday challenges that you face on the show?

Cali - Getting everything done, definitely! :) Neal and I work seven days a week. This is our baby, our business, and it takes a lot to keep it moving forward. I constantly remind myself of Tim Ferriss (author of The 4 Hour Work Week), specifically a part in the book where he says to set your priorities the day before, and not to make your to do list that day too long. It keeps me sane!  
 
Jared - Were you in a stand still when it came to picking a name for your podcast?  What were some of the runner up names?

Cali - For us, a name comes before an idea. We knew we wanted to do a video podcast about technology, so we sat down at GoDaddy.com and started typing in names. One of us typed in the name "GeekBrief". It was available, and we immediately fell in love with the name. From there, we had two solid hours of what we call "creative diarrhea"...one idea after another, just flowing out. Some of the other names we had were "GoGoShow" and "GoGoGadgetGirl".
 
Jared - What does a typical day as Cali Lewis include?

Cali - When we wake up, we immediately start to work on research for that day's show. Research can take several hours, depending on what news is coming out in the world of technology. Our goal is to find things we're excited about each day. Once we've gathered lots of stories, we take the best four or five and write the show on Google Docs so both of us can work on it at the same time. Once all the kinks are worked out, we begin shooting, which is actually the shortest part of the process. It takes between ten and thirty minutes. Post production includes editing, adding graphics, exporting, compressing and uploading. All in all, the show takes between 8-16 hours to produce.

On the days we're not putting out a show, we're constantly working on everything behind the scenes to keep everything going. Like I said...it's a 7 day a week process! :)
 
Jared - With the 360, Wii, and PS3 out in stores, what is your favorite game & what's your favorite aspect of that specific console?

Cali - The most addicting game for me has been SuperSwing Golf on the Wii. Second would be WiiSports. As a kid, I loved video games. When I began working on building my own business, I gave up games. Then along comes the Wii, and it gave me a way to play and feel like I was accomplishing something...exercise! I love that it instills a sense of fun rather than competition.
 
Jared - Out of your whole podcasting career, who was the coolest person you've ever met/interviewed?

Cali - The Woz, of course! http://flickr.com/photos/calilewis/2355759084/
 
Jared - As an Apple fanboy, I take tons of criticism from the everyday PC people.  When people question your choice of sticking mostly by Macs, how do you respond?

Cali - It took me a while to get over my need to please everyone, but I don't apologize for my love of Macs. They make my life easier. I get hundreds of technical questions every day via email. That would be down to a fourth of questions if everyone were on a Mac.   
 
Jared - Geek Brief TV was your first podcast, and now you've also started iCali & Dear Cali.  Do you have any other new podcast shows that you plan to release soon?

Cali - The Big Trip (www.bigtrip.tv) will be a travel show about the places we visit and the people we meet along our year long road trip. We're setting up a studio in bus and will be shooting GeekBrief.TV and The Big Trip. Here are a couple examples of the type of show it will be: http://www.bigtrip.tv/tales-from-the-big-trip-mozzarella-co-dallas-tx and http://www.bigtrip.tv/tales-from-the-big-trip-fish-wharf-washington-dc
 
Jared - I believe that you've covered this topic on a previous Dear Cali episode, but I've been a fan of the show for a while now, and it seems that you never wear the same shirt twice!  How do you find it in your budget to own so many shirts!

Cali - It's tough! I've recently relaxed on my "rule" to never wear the same shirt twice because it's expensive and it's not always easy to find the time to shop for them. I don't like shopping, so it's especially hard for me. Neal does most of the shirt buying.  
 
Jared - For all the people who look up to you, what advice would you like to give to them?

Cali - If you're wanting to start a podcast, audio or video, I think it's important to just start. A lot of people wait until they think the situation will be perfect, or wait until their quality is good, but no matter how good you start out, you'll look back at your first episodes and think "oh, that was crap!". So just start!  

I have tips and suggestions here: http://www.geekbrief.tv/podcasting-tips

The Jon4lakers.com community thanks you for taking the time to let us get a quick interview in with you. I know that GeekBrief will seek new heights in the podcasting world, and we wish you the best of luck!