Appreciate the interest! The idea came from a combination of a few different factors.
I was bored. There were only a handful of designers and no tech people in Mobile. I was (and still am) a big fan of Andrew Warner and Mixergy. I was listening to a show and had this epiphany—what's stopping me from doing something similar?
Nothing.
Sure I couldn't go out and interview Bill Gates. But I had friends that were working on interesting things and started with them. I worked in various editor positions for the school paper in college and had an interest in niche publications. That was about all the prior experience I had.
As for an alternative:
—Make a list of people that you're genuinely interested in. It's helpful if they are in an industry you want to be in.
—Come up with a list of questions you'd like to ask them.
—Find their Twitter handles or email addresses.
—If they live in your city send them a tweet or email saying why you admire them, and ask to buy them a coffee. If not, see if they'd be open to a 15-30-minute call.
—Follow-up with them occasionally.
I have a friend who is about a year into her career as an occupational therapist. Recently she was asking questions about how she could get ahead. The above is what I recommended. I think it's a valuable exercise regardless of career.