I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m a big fan of podcasts. Whether I listen on a long commute or while doing a monotonous task, there’s no better pick than a good podcast. What I appreciate is that this type of media isn’t a distraction. It’s actually enriching me with greater knowledge. For professionals who want to push themselves into new areas of growth, podcasts are an easy way to do it.
The podcasts I will recommend aren’t just about business — they cover multiple topics and experiences. In the end, however, they’re full of valuable information and learning opportunities for the best of us.
8 Great Podcasts To Enrich Your Life
1) Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should Know is likely the most eclectic podcast on this list. That makes it a great pick for a podcast you just want to jump into to learn something you didn’t know before. Beekeeping? How black boxes work? What about environmental psychology? You’ll find an episode covering anything and everything here. I love this podcast for its ability to expand my horizons into subjects I never thought about before.
2) The TED Radio Hour
Do you know was the TED in “TED Talk” stands for? Fun fact: it stands for “Technology, Entertainment, and Design.” While TED Talks have been growing in increasing popularity over the years, this radio hour from NPR focuses on the human experience — from creating ideas and solving problems, you’ll learn something to better yourself here. With episodes on the ideas of anger, transparency, moving forward after failure, and more, it’s hard to go wrong.
3) Hidden Brain
Another NPR offering, Hidden Brain delves into the psychology that drives human behavior. Specifically, the unconscious thought patterns that drive our decision-making and relationships take center stage. From outrage culture and the epidemic of lonely men to “positive deviance” and how the fear of death drives us, Hidden Brain will have you rethinking why you do what you do.
4) How I Built This with Guy Raz
Entrepreneurs, rejoice! How I Built This is a podcast that sits down the successful professionals and entrepreneurs from all walks of life and shares their stories and experiences. Covering businesses like The Knot, Gimlet Media, Shopify, and Dippin’ Dots, you’ll learn the success and struggles of the visionaries who built their empires. Whether it’s a digital service, a restaurant, or your favorite snack, How I Built This offers valuable insight into how it all came together.
5) Life Kit
Do you think you could use a life kit? NPR’s Life Kit offers something for people at every stage of life. With a focus on money, parenting, and successfully navigating life, you’ll find everything from how to get out of debt to how to deal with your kids and screen time rules. Life Kit comes in several series that target different needs: parenting, health, and money.
6) The Knowledge Project
The Knowledge Project is about expanding your world. Presenting a variety of content from professionals who have things figured out, you’ll expand the way you think about the world, yourself, and others. With episodes like “Luck, Risk, and Avoiding Losers” and “The Path to Perpetual Progress”, I’ve found there’s a lot of content here for entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders.
7) HBR Ideacast
The Ideacast comes to us courtesy of the Harvard Business Review. This is a business and management-oriented podcast. Featuring both interviews with titans of the business world like Melinda Gates to offering advice on thriving as a working parent, there’s a good variety here for you to pick and choose from. If you’re looking for new and fresh perspectives on professional issues, head to Ideacast.
8) The BiggerPockets Money Podcast
My friends over at BiggerPockets have more than one podcast! The Money Show offers laser-focused programming that dedicates itself to teaching about how to earn money, grow wealth, and get out of difficult money situations. They offer the kind of financial advice you never got in school, including practical ways to save for a downpayment, deal with debt, retire early, and navigate healthcare options.
What educational, finance, or business-oriented podcasts do you love? Share your recommendations with me in the comments.