Five Questions is a feature on the newsroom blog that profiles people on the Connect team. This week, producer Deborah Smith answers five questions.

What's your job and what did you do before Connect even existed?
I'm a field producer which means I produce stories outside the studio. I work without a reporter, so, the trick is helping people tell their own stories. I've worked on lots of programs at CBC, but my favorites are shows that focus on the personal. I started out in radio with Gzowski and Gabereau (and if you don't know who they are... go Google!). I produced a doc, The Canadian Guitar, and loved getting inside the wacky world of entrepreneurs with Fortune Hunters. I worked with Mark on CBC News: Morning, and was there on that fateful day when New York's Twin Towers collapsed. The world was speechless, but Mark was on air and did an amazing job.

As the producer of "Ask Me Anything," why do you think the subjects agree to take part?
When I first approach people, they're usually cautious. But, I send them a link, and once they see the segment, they're hooked. I think most agree because they feel misunderstood or socially ostracized and truly want to clear up misconceptions about their world. "Ask Me Anything" gives them a voice and lets them slice through the stereotypes.