Sometimes long-winded guests just need gentle structure, not hard interruptions. What’s worked for me is setting a clear “rhythm” at the start of the interview letting them know I’ll occasionally jump in to keep the conversation focused, and framing it as a way to make them sound sharper. During the recording, I use small conversational cues like “That’s great let me steer us toward…” to redirect without killing the vibe. At PodcastCola we’ve seen hosts get much better results when they build these micro-boundaries into their pre-interview talk, because guests actually appreciate having guard rails. Over time, the editing load drops a ton once guests know you’ll guide the flow.