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Podcast junkie!
Mar 17th, 2017
I am admittedly a podcast junkie.
I spend a good chunk of work days in my car - and I'm not much of a music guy. So Podcasts are my go to distraction on everything from short jaunts around the city (I'll listen to a piece of a podcast on my 10 minute commute home) to hours long drives to see clients. I also run a lot and prefer a podcast or audio-book over music 99% of the time.
Outside of the entertainment/distraction factor - I find podcasts an easy way to learn, to broaden your awareness of pretty much any topic, to inspire and to stimulate new ideas or ways of thinking about existing ideas (this last is my main motivation for being a podcast junkie).
iTunes has roughly 250,000 unique podcasts - and other platforms exist. Podcasts are a great way for marketers/brands to reach their customers - in a subtle way - either through the content directly or by sponsoring relevant content.
So, without further ado - here are my 5 go to Podcasts (all on iTunes) - that I listen to religiously and immediately when new episodes are released.
#5 HBR IdeaCast - This is a weekly podcast from Harvard Business Review featuring leading thinkers in business and management. Why I like it: Episodes are generally short (25-30 minutes) and compact - jammed full of great information and insights from some of the brightest people on the planet. It's not dry and technical like a lot of business podcasts. I never tune out while listening.
#4 Canada Crush - This is a relatively new one to me and with full disclosure I stumbled upon it after connecting with the host Dave Morris on a project. The podcast features interviews with successful Canadians (who are "crushing it" in their respective fields) from a diverse mix of professions, extracting their stories and lessons for success. Why I like it: It's Canadian - and we are horribly reluctant to celebrate our biggest stars - so the podcast is entertaining, inspiring and educational. As the host, Dave does a great job at leading the interview and then getting out of the way - letting the featured Canadian tell their story.
#3 Ted Radio Hour - We've all heard and watched the TED Talks (if you haven't you're missing out). This podcast dives into a specific topic each week with various past TED Talk speakers. The topics vary wildly week to week and are almost always fascinating - exploring new ideas, innovations or new approaches to old problems. This was my first podcast love. Why I like it: The host, Guy Raz is awesome, enough said. At times the topics and ideas discussed are mind blowing, eye opening and always inspiring. Makes me realize how little I know about anything. Our family listens to this podcast on road trips and it appeals to all of us (even my 11 year old daughter).
#2 Freakonomics Radio - This is the podcast version of the best-selling Freakonomics books, hosted by one of the authors, Stephen Dubner. Like the Ted Radio Hour - the topics here are amazingly diverse - but the essence of the show is exploring the hidden side of - well - everything. Why I like it: Probably hands down the most interesting topics of any podcast. I am glued to this and often find myself sitting in my driveway finishing off a podcast before going inside. Plus - the host again is awesome.
#1 How I Built This - Without a doubt this is my favourite. It's a weekly podcast that interviews entrepreneurs and explores how they built their businesses, including the pitfalls, failures, anxieties and struggles along the way. It reveals the human side of uber successful people and businesses like Richard Branson (Virgin), Kate Spade, Jim Koch (Samuel Adams) and more. Why I like it: It's light and tells the story of each business/brand - how they started, where they struggled, how they failed and the lessons learned along the way. It shows there is no single way to build a successful business, no how to guide for entrepreneurs and most of all no road-map to follow. Guy Raz (see Ted Radio Hour) also hosts this one and he is amazing. When I found this podcast I devoured ALL of the past episodes in a week. A new episode comes out every Monday and I can honestly say it's the only podcast that really anticipate listening to. I wish it was daily!
Drop me a line or comment and let me know your favourite podcasts and why. I'm always on the hunt for new ones!