Shortly after I started working from home (alone all day!), I started to get quite obsessed with podcasts. I can’t listen to anything while I write: emails, book content, blog content, etc. Same thing with reading. I’ve had lots of coworkers over the years who are the exact opposite. Maybe you are too? They want to listen to music or anything all day while they work. For me, I can only listen to something while I cook, photograph, edit photos, wash dishes, etc. And about 1/3 of my time during the week is devoted to work that falls into these categories. So, I listen to podcasts or music depending on how much I want to listen in or just be surrounded by inspiring music.
Oh, and I also listen to podcasts or music while I work out. Which is usually for about 30 minutes, three times a week, or at least that’s my goal as of late. I’d like to up this goal in the future, but for now that’s about where I’m at.
Anyway, maybe your podcast obsessed too? Or maybe you’d like to be, but you don’t know what to listen to? Well, here are a few of the podcasts I’m currently enjoying. I’ve divided them up into categories as I tend to listen to a wide/weird range of things. 🙂
Educational / Business related
These are podcasts that I listen to, to learn. I usually like to be doing a task that allows me to jot down a few notes while I listen if possible.
Smart Passive Income – I love Pat Flynn and the brand he’s created through his site and podcasts. He’s got a super friendly approach, but his podcast is also SUPER full of information. This is most useful for online entrepreneurs and business owners, but he’s covered all sorts of subjects over the years so there’s lots to choose from.
Elise Gets Crafty – I guess I’m a bit biased as I am friends with Elise and she has also been kind enough to invite me on her show before. But that said, this podcast is geared toward lots of different kinds of business owners and creative people who work in a similar industry that I’m in (blogging, online entrepreneur, crafty products, etc.). So I learn lots of little tidbits and often hear friends or people I’m somewhat familiar with on the show.
Jess Lively – Similar to Elise’s podcast, Jess has built an excellent show geared around online creative business owners and other entrepreneurs. Her brand is also, um, how do I describe it? Friendly and approachable everyday inspiration maybe? I find her to be very encouraging I guess is what I’m trying to say. 🙂
Financial Mentor – I forget where I first learned about Todd Tresidder, but I’ve been a fan for a while. His website and podcast are all about financial planning. Some topics are way over my head, but I love that Todd always does his best to break things down and try to make financial topics easier to understand. I’ve been interested in money management since high school when I read my first Dave Ramsey and Suze Orman books that I checked out from the public library. I’m always interested in learning more as personal finances are something we all have to deal with no matter what our income level, debt history is, etc. We’re all on a financial journey even if the topic seems totally intimidating or boring, so it’s important to try to continue to educate ourselves unless you’re an expert (which I am NOT).
Inspirational
These are podcasts that I listen to when I want to be inspired. Most of them do offer some information as well, but for the most part, these are what I listen to when I need a podcast pep talk. 🙂
Magic Lessons – I started listening to Liz’s podcast back when I was painting our house, just before we moved in. I downloaded her book, Big Magic, shortly after and really enjoyed that as well. This is a great podcast for anyone who loves creative activities and needs some inspiration to keep making!
Happier with Gretchen Rubin – Loved the book The Happiness Project and Gretchen’s goal to always improving and making her life better. She’s got an analytical approach that makes SO much sense to me and how my brain works. I mentioned that an episode of her podcast helped me crack the code on how to finally stop biting my nails, which I’m still sticking to so far! So yeah, maybe this podcast is life changing? I guess that’s somewhat accurate for me to say. 🙂
Girlboss Radio – Sophia Amoruso is one rad lady, and I love what she’s created with the #Girlboss book, and now I guess it’s kind of turning into its own brand. In each episode, she interviews someone cool, that’s pretty much it. Simple concept, but the result is often pretty inspiring.
Entertainment
I’m not saying I haven’t “learned” anything from these podcasts, but I’m calling this category entertainment because that is the main reason I listen to these. These are usually what I turn to on days I feel like my brain can’t process anymore information, or just because I want to. 🙂
Criminal – I started listening to this because I had seen it recommended for Serial lovers. Which I most definitely am. If you never listened to the first or second season of Serial, I would recommend that too, but it’s fairly well known. So I didn’t figure it needed to be on this list. After the first season of Serial, I also listened to Undisclosed. Anyway, that’s a whole different topic and I’ve got to stop myself before I start going off about that, Making a Murderer, and even the new O.J. Simpson series. We can talk all that when we meet for coffee. 🙂 Criminal is a series of short, usually around 15-30 minute episodes that center around some kind of, well, criminal activity. Some episodes are quite graphic and heavy, while others border on comical. If you’re interested in true-crime stories, you’ll probably like this podcast.
WTF with Marc Maron – Honestly, this one is so famous it probably goes without saying, but I really love it. So I’m saying it anyway. 🙂 I usually only listen to this with Trey, so mostly on road trips, as he’s a fan of Marc too. Maron is SUCH a great interviewer. You’ve got to give it a listen if you haven’t already. He even had the president on his show once.
Limetown – Loved the first season of this, but I have’t kept up with it since. I was just looking at their site to link it here, and I’m not sure they’ve released or are still doing a second season. Does anyone know? Leave it in the comments if you do. But I’d still recommend listening to the first season, as it’s really fun in a sort of creepy, X-Files kind of way.
That’s about it for me. I’d LOOOOOVE it if you all have other recommendations if you’d leave them in the comments so I can check them out. I’m always looking for new podcasts to enjoy! xx. Emma
Love this!
Podcasts are my favourite hobby <3
I love the Smart Passive income Podcast!
Now I'm looking for more that are especially hosted by women, they are so inspiring.
My favourite podcasts at the moment are
ShareDiversity Podcast
http://sharediversity.com
https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/sharediversity-podcast/id1440286519?mt=2#
Muslim woman lead podcasts on productivity, self-development, & entrepreneurship and health & fitness
also love
http://identitypoliticspod.com/
and https://soundcloud.com/amaliahvoices
both Women-lead Muslim-hosted Podcasts that spark inspiration
LOVE limetown and am dying for them to come up with another season!
I just started listening to 2 Dope Queens, which features Jessica Williams from the Daily Show. So fun!
Thanks for the shoutout, ladies! Loving the rest of the recommendations, too. 🙂
Jessica from SPI
I am a huge fan of the podcast 99 Percent Invisible. It’s a podcast centered around design and architecture. Would highly recommend! http://99percentinvisible.org/
If you enjoy stand up comedy, I recommend 2 Dope Queens. It’s hilarious.
I recommend Another Round and Call Your Girlfriend podcasts
I’m like you — I can’t listen to too much while I’m working or writing, although while I exercise or clean, that’s when a good podcast is just the thing. And because we travel so much (full-time musicians, here) good podcasts can take us through big road trips.
I love Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me: current events quiz comedy with celebrity guests…can be a tad corny sometimes but it’s good fun.
RadioLab!!!!! I can’t begin to say how amazing this is — real life stories from every imaginable angle and point on the globe. For when you want to challenge your perspective a bit. Worth digging through their episode archives.
These comedians have great shows — they like to go deep in an entertaining way and challenge status quo thinking (both have well-known guests from all disciplines and walks of life):
Duncan Trusell Family Hour (he can be hilariously ridiculous)
Joe Rogan Podcast (interesting guy, former Fear Factor host)
Oh! And I almost forgot:
On Being with Krista Tippett. Fantastic podcast with interviews with well-known creatives and personalities. Two of my favorites are her interviews with poet Mary Oliver and musician Abigail Washburn. SO FRICKIN’ GOOD.
Great post!
Thanks for sharing! I love podcasts so much and often use them as a sort of bribe for myself to clean the house and exercise (ugh chores). Some of the favourites you’ve listed are on my listening rotation too.
As well as science-y and more educational style podcasts, lately I’ve been really getting into podcasts that share good, personal stories. Funny, sweet, soulful, sad and everything in between. Even though podcasts could just be chalked up to mostly entertainment – they honestly make me a more open and empathetic person.
– Death, Sex and Money (deeply personal interviews and fascinating windows to other people’s lives)
– Radio Diaries (wonderful personal and historical accounts)
– The Mortified Podcast (people reading out their teenage diaries – I have cried laughing at some of these)
– Dear Sugar Radio (kind of an agony aunt situation with the most empathetic, kind and insightful hosts)
– Modern Love (NY Times columns read by artists and actors)
– Fugitive Waves
You should listen to Dear Handmade Life! They are funny and real and mix cocktails at the beginning of every episode!
Fantastic list! I LOVE Limetown – I can’t wait to see what they will do with the next season!
If you want another suggestion for a fictional podcast, I have been tuning into The Penumbra Podcast. A very new addition to the podcast world, but they do radio-show style stories that bend genres all over the conceived and fictional universe. Check it out if you have the chance! The episodes are short, about a half hour max.
#GIRLBOSS is my fav!!!
Welcome to Nightvale is the best.
I also love Serial and I’m prone to The Archers
I love this post!! Thank you for putting these recommendations together, I can’t wait to check them out:)
Radiolab and The Moth Podcast are two of my faves! The Moth features recordings of people tell true stories at events, and they range from super comical to very deep. I highly recommend these!
i saw welcome to night vale mentioned already, but i’d like to second it- it’s got a great weird vibe, some really hilarious moments, a neat plot, and a lot of character diversity.
also: hardcore history by dan carlin. it can be kind of “dude”-y, but he goes very in-depth and also repeats himself just enough that you can space out for about five minutes and still know what’s going on. however this also means that each episode is really long. he just came off a six-part series about world war one and now he’s in the middle of one about the achaemenid persian empire. (my personal recommendations from the ones i’ve heard are the ww1 series and the standalone “prophets of doom”, which is about an anabaptist uprising in the german city of munster in 1534.)
i don’t even own a television is also good, in the vein of how did this get made. two guys and occasional guests review bad books, ranging from “night of the crabs” to “snow crash” to “wild animus” to a self-help book nominally by 50 cent. they became popular with their episode on “ready player one”, which is honestly a fantastic episode and a good starting point.
I love some of these on the list! I’m going to have to check out GirlBoss and LimeTown. A couple of other recommendations I have include Freakonomics Radio and The Good Life Project.
This post was so perfectly timed for me. I’ve gotten really into podcasts recently and have been looking for some new ones!
Yeah, I’ve listened to them before. They’re really interesting! I’d say give em a shot!
I really like My Brother, My Brother and Me (MBMBAM). It’s 3 brothers who answer advice questions people send in or they get from Yahoo Answers. The advice is often fake and pretty much always hilarious. I think they’re a good podcast to listen to if you need a laugh.