Bill Shakos didn’t consider it an epiphany, necessarily, but he knew he needed to explore something new. Perhaps, he has said, it was emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps turning 50. But he longed for a sense of purpose he wouldn’t find in a new car or a different job.
What Shakos wanted was to explore his community, and more than that, the people within his community — particularly those with different life experiences, struggles, and aspirations. He wanted to step into their world by volunteering, building relationships, and actively listening.
Born out of that desire is the new Verso Studios Community Partnerships podcast, What Do I Know?, which features Shakos interviewing people in and around Westport to get to the core of what makes us human.
“What Do I Know? is intended to inspire empathy, perspective, and inspiration within one's community by taking listeners outside their curated social circles,” Shakos said. “It is driven by my desire to want to connect with and learn from people. The genuine intent with Season 1 is an appeal to listeners for self-evaluation on their place and purpose in the community through the viewpoints of my guests. No epiphany required!”
The podcast debuts Monday, March 17, with three episodes, each about 20 minutes long, with an additional episode dropping every other week (Episode #4 will arrive March 31). The show will be available on the Verso Studios community partnership podcast page and through regular podcast distributors such as Spotify, Apple, and Amazon, and also on the What Do I Know? website..
In addition, What Do I Know? has dedicated channels on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as a YouTube channel featuring supplemental content. Signup for Shakos’ regular newsletter is available on the podcast website.
A self-described polymath, Shakos said his innate curiosity and natural empathy are the product of his own life and upbringing. He was born in Queens, New York, to Greek immigrants and lived in Greece from ages 1 to 4, when he returned to the United States and settled in Bronxville, New York. Shakos spent much of his childhood at his dad’s flower shop at the famed Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan, and he spent summers in Greece working on the family farm.
After college, he and his wife, who was born and grew up in Chile, settled in London, where they lived for 10 years and raised their son, before settling in Connecticut.
“My father taught me the importance of making people feel valued and respecting their perspectives,” Shakos said. “And the diversity of my family and living abroad represents, for me, a need to explore the world and people in it.
“The theme of this podcast is self-exploration, and what I hope comes through in these 12 episodes is that I genuinely care about the person I’m talking to. Not their job, not what they have, but instead the experiences that brought them to this point in their life. I also enjoy a bit of levity in conversation. Laughing together is the sincerest form of flattery.”
Verso Studios is the media arm of The Westport Library. The Library created the Verso Studios Community Producer Partnership initiative in keeping with the studio’s mission to produce content with the community.
To learn more about Verso Studios’ mission and offerings, visit the Verso Studios page on the Library website.
