It’s a great treat to present the 13th in my series of Q&A interviews with story practitioners. I came across Tom Clifford in the blogosphere, and we’ve become good social-media pals since. Tom’s Q&A will be in five parts, with one question and answer each day this week.
About Tom, from his Web site (where there are lots of links to more info about him, including his “One Sheet”): Tom is an award-winning filmmaker and he thinks “remarkable organizations deserve remarkable videos.”
For 23 years, Tom has been helping companies tell their story by producing award-winning remarkable documentary videos.
He finds out what matters most to organizations — what they want their 
market and the world to know about them.
That’s why companies from Fortune 500’s to non-profits use his films for marketing, recruiting and retention, sharing corporate values and more.
From CEO’s to the front-line, Tom makes people feel comfortable being in front of the camera.
Q&A with Tom Clifford
Q: How did you initially become involved with story/storytelling/narrative? What attracted you to this field? What do you love about it?
A: I become involved in storytelling through rock n roll.
Ever since the British Invasion days of 1964, music captured my imagination like nothing else; the lyrics, the rhythm, the cadence all combined to create endless stories in my mind.
One day I found a guitar in the house when I was a kid. I picked it up and taught myself how to play. I eventually took lessons, then studied classical guitar; all while playing Alice Cooper, Steppenwolf and Grand Funk Railroad on weekends throughout much of junior high and high school and into college.
My grand plan? To become a famous rock n roller; the same as everyone else at that time! Those plans were short-lived as my band learned that our performance before a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert were cancelled at the last minute.
I graduated from high school. I came home one day in the summer and found a college brochure on the kitchen counter. It just happened to be open on the pages with photographs of a television studio. I instantly jumped! This was it!
What attracted me to the video/film world was the ability to capture and tell a story and have an audience go, “Wow!” I was hooked.
I loved combining sight and sound to emotionally move someone into action with an interesting story. In many ways, it reminded me of playing live on a Saturday night with my band. Watching your audience, through music or storytelling, is thrilling.
I’m fortunate. 25 years ago, I found my passion. I found my voice. It is to enable the voices of others through video stories. I found my calling early in life. I never had another job.
This is what I was born to do.