June may be over, but Pride doesn’t have an end date. Brands and companies put so much weight behind one month, when in reality LGBTQ support is needed all year long. We would like to spotlight The Trevor Project, a phenomenal organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth across the country. Our resident moderator Daniel Spadaro dedicates some of his spare time as a volunteer life-liner to help those in need.
We sat down with him to understand his passion for this type of work and how he has applied his moderating expertise beyond the focus group facility to help others. While market research isn’t a life saving industry, we learned that the skills of a deft moderator in fact can translate into a bigger purpose, ultimately saving lives. Watch the interview, or read the Q&A below!
Q: What first got you interested in the Trevor Project?
I remember what it was like growing up in a religious school and conservative area and feeling like I didn’t have any allies I could turn to. I wanted to be able to help today’s LGBTQ youth and provide some sort of comfort when they are unable to get support and be accepted for who they are.
Q: Did this interest take hold before or after you started your career as a moderator?
I became interested in joining the Trevor Project after starting my career as a moderator. It felt like a natural fit for me and a way to incorporate my moderating skills.
Q: How do you find that one impacts the other?
I think they’re very interchangeable. Even though I’m not in person with our callers at Trevor, it still requires a great deal of listening and understanding. I also find that Trevor has taught me to leave more space for others in moderating and approach any situation with empathy.
Q: What skills or tools do you find the most useful in your work as a crisis liner?
I find that building rapport and creating trust with the caller is key to building the relationship and being able to connect, especially on topics that are sensitive and deeply personal. The same goes for moderating, recently we’ve had to tackle such sensitive topics with respondents such as COVID-19 and racial justice. It's so crucial to create a connection within the beginning of any interview in order to gain trust from the respondent.
Q: How, if at all, has your experience with the Trevor Project impacted how you do your job as a moderator?
I think it goes back to empathy. It’s easy to think we know someone based off of appearances or background info we have before beginning an interview. But if we come to the table fully open and from a place of empathy we can learn more and better understand someone’s story.
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