The Legacy Interview Experience
Embarking on a Legacy Interview journey is a profound and heartwarming experience. Every step is designed to make you comfortable and ready to share your unique story. In our living-room like private recording studio, you’ll engage in a meaningful conversation with seasoned interviewer Vance Crowe who will guide you to capturing the history that you want passed down.
Each video is sent digitally and with an M-Disc DVD, ensuring you can watch your video for generations. Opt for a beautifully crafted, leather-bound transcript, and you’ll have a tangible, timeless keepsake. In the end, a Legacy Interview isn’t just about preserving stories – it’s about creating an heirloom so that your family has the opportunity to know their history.
Vance is a skilled interviewer who brings a unique perspective to his work. He is known for his ability to connect with people from all walks of life and create a warm and relaxed atmosphere during each interview. This makes even the most apprehensive interviewees feel comfortable and confident as they share their memories, insights, and valuable life lessons.
Step 1: The Scheduling Process
Upon purchasing a Legacy Interview, a survey is sent to the gift giver or the self-purchaser. This survey allows them to specify how they plan to deliver the gift and any particular questions they wish to be asked during the interview. Once the gift has been delivered, a personal attendant from Legacy Interviews contacts the guest to arrange a suitable date and time for the interview, usually within a lead time of about three weeks.
Step 2: Preparing for the Interview
Guests receive a preparation package 2-3 weeks before the interview. This includes thought-starter questions to stimulate memories, a clothing guide to ensure they look their best on camera, and our terms of service for complete transparency on the process.
Step 3: The Recording Studio
Our recording studio resembles a comfortable living room, adorned with beautiful artwork and furnished with specially selected couches that support good posture for hours of conversation. The waiting room provides a stunning view overlooking the financial district of Saint Louis from the 16th floor.
Step 4: Vance Crowe’s Approach
Vance Crowe, a negotiations expert and seasoned interviewer, is known for his ability to make guests feel at ease. His unique talent lies in posing insightful questions based on guests’ responses, encouraging them to share deeply cherished stories in a completely confidential setting.
Step 5: Duration of the Interview
The duration of the interview, whether half or full-day, is determined by the guest’s needs. A half-day interview is ideal for capturing a person’s life arc or describing a business. A full-day interview is designed for couples wishing to tell their individual stories, as well as share a joint interview, or for individuals retiring from a company or organization who want to preserve both their private family story and professional anecdotes.
Step 6: Post-Interview Process
Our team takes approximately 30 days to finalize the interview video, focusing on enhancing color and sound quality. We respect guests’ wishes and will remove any part of the interview upon request, but generally, we do minimal content editing to preserve the authenticity of the conversation.
Step 7: The Leather-Bound Transcript
For guests who opt for a full-day interview, a leather-bound transcript of the interview is included (along with a catered lunch). This can also be purchased for a half-day interview at an additional cost. The transcript, bound by one of the last remaining bookbinders in the United States, includes a compartment for storing the DVD of the interview and can feature up to 10 full-color photographs. This beautifully crafted keepsake serves as a tangible reminder of the guest’s unique life story.
One parent is an extrovert, the other, an introvert who was anxious about participating. Vance adjusted, making them both feel at ease. From stories to deeply held beliefs, they answered questions I’d never even thought to ask.
My parents and I sat down to watch both the interviews on Christmas Eve and it’s a memory I’ll cherish forever!
Write Your Autobiography in a Single Day
The Interview
Our interviews are designed to be a free-flowing conversation that captures the essence of your life story. Whether you’re a business leader, an artist, or a farmer, our interview process is designed to help you share your story in the most meaningful way possible.
Take a Break and Relax
We understand that the process of telling your life story can be emotionally draining. That’s why we make sure to provide ample time for breaks and snacks during the interview process. By the end of the day, you’ll feel more grounded and content, knowing that your legacy has been captured for future generations to admire.
What types of questions will be asked?
We can talk about anything, but we usually start with this list of questions as thought starters. Before our interview starts, you will have an opportunity to tell the host if there are specific questions you want to be asked, or any areas you want to avoid.
Keep in mind, this is your interview, if you decide afterwards that there are parts of the interview you would like deleted- that is no problem.
About Vance Crowe
Vance Crowe holds a Master's degree in negotiations from the Seton Hall School of Diplomacy and has been invited around the English speaking world to give talks about conflict, succession and having better conversations. His experiences serving in the US Peace Corps stationed in a remote part of rural Kenya, as well as his fellowship at the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, have contributed to his ability to connect with people from all walks of life and create a warm and relaxed atmosphere during each interview.
How secure is my interview?
We take security very seriously. Your stories and thoughts will never be shared with anyone outside of the people producing the Legacy Interview. We have a strict confidentiality agreement.
All of the people associated with Legacy Interviews have been vetted and have signed a non-disclosure agreement stating that they will not share anything heard in these interviews.
Our entry level interviews are delivered digitally. We send you a link to a file downloading site, that uses industrial grade security. If you choose, we will upload your video to a web based video platform to view immediately or share.
Our concierge interviews are stored on a private USB drive and delivered by courier or secure mail. We can also send it digitally. We delete all interview files after we have successfully delivered the interview to ensure confidentiality.
Our family has blemishes
On rare occasions we have been asked to not ask questions related to a specific family member or subject. We will take the conversation where you want it.
My parents don’t open up very easily, what will you do about that?
Our host, Vance Crowe, is a world class conversationalist. He has interviewed tribal chiefs in Africa, leaders at the World Bank and has worked alongside farmers, asphalt pavers and as a sailor. He is able to find common ground with people from all walks of life.
Vance will be curious about your loved one, and will be open to sharing enough about himself to make them feel comfortable. It may take a few minutes, but we are confident that he can help almost anyone understand why he is asking questions and demonstrate he is worthy of their trust.
Quickly your loved one will feel relaxed and comfortable that they are in control of the conversation.
Who owns the interview?
The guest being interviewed owns the interview. If at any time the guest wants to stop the conversation or wants us to delete all or part of the interview, their request will be fulfilled as soon as possible.
If you purchase this gift for another person we will ask the guest for permission to share their interview with you, it is their choice. We will alert you once the interview has been scheduled, when it has been conducted, and when we have delivered the interview. If they choose we will also give you direct access to watch or download.
After we have delivered the interview we will store a copy for a fee. Otherwise we will delete all copies of the interview to ensure your family’s confidentiality.
To learn more see our privacy policy
Wondering what the questions will be like?
Download our Memory Guide to help you prepare to record your most valuable stories. You can write down your answers, or just think about them. Many of these questions are the same ones our host will ask during a real interview. Think of this as a long walk with your past self.
Book Your Legacy Interview Today
At Legacy Interviews, we believe that everyone has a story worth sharing. Don’t let your legacy fade away with time. Book your interview today and preserve your story for generations to come.
