Podcasts to Listen to Throughout Your Day
As of December 2019, there are, by some estimates, 800,000 active podcasts and 30 million podcast episodes. That’s a lot of podcasts! Our team at Perfect Partner Solutions put together a list of our absolute favorite podcasts to help you get through your day.
Note: All podcast recommendations are linked through Spotify and podcast information comes from Spotify as well.
Podcasts to Listen to During Your Morning Commute
The average American’s commute to work is about 27 minutes. That’s about 4 and a half hours of drive time per week just going to and from the office. These six podcasts will not only help you prepare for the work day, but they just might be the best way to pass the time during your morning or afternoon drive.
- How I Built This (from NPR) – “Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.”
Why Listen? The podcast started back in 2016 so there are plenty of episodes to listen to, and they vary in length so you can find one right for your mood or commute. - The Goal Digger Podcast by Jenna Kutcher – “Host Jenna Kutcher brings you the productivity tips, social media strategies, business hacks, and inspirational stories that help YOU design your dream career. Because work shouldn’t feel like work.”
Why Listen? Over 320 episodes of tips to boost your business.
- Unemployable: Advice for Freelancers and Entrepreneurs – “Unemployable provides actionable strategies for thousands of freelancers, consultants, coaches, and entrepreneurs. Brian Clark is an entrepreneur who has started eight successful businesses, and he draws upon his own evolution from solo to CEO to deliver valuable lessons and impactful interviews. Notable guests include Seth Godin, Dan Pink, Jenny Blake, Tim Ferriss, Henry Rollins, Laura Roeder, Michael Stelzner, Chris Brogan, Emily Thompson, Darren Rowse, Andrew Warner, John Lee Dumas, Kathleen Shannon, and Gary Vaynerchuk.”
Why Listen? The title says it all. An absolute must-listen for freelancers!
- Entrepreneurs on Fire “Entrepreneurs on Fire is an award winning podcast (Best of iTunes) where John Lee Dumas interviews Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE. Are YOU ready to learn from the best and achieve financial and location freedom?”
Why listen? Over 2,000 episodes! All relatively short and fun to listen to. - Creative Pep Talk – “Creative Pep Talk helps you build a thriving creative career!!! Each week, host Andy J. Pizza serves up monologues and interviews chocked to the brim with creative performance hacks and fresh marketing tactics. Time to fill up your tank with a generous helping of PEP! Open up your ears and get that new perspective you need, the second you need it!”
Why listen? This podcast is like a jolt of energy and inspiration. Perfect for your morning routine. - Simple Pin Media “Kate Ahl is the owner and founder of Simple Pin Media, a Pinterest management company that specializes in managing Pinterest pages for businesses and bloggers. She is passionate about teaching simple, actionable Pinterest marketing strategies to help business owners and bloggers boost their business using Pinterest without wasting their time. In her podcast, The Simple Pin Podcast, she interviews people who are using Pinterest in creative ways to drive traffic to their website and increase revenue. She’s on a mission to rid the world of Pinterest myths, crazy hacks to ‘game’ the system and rabbit trails that waste valuable business-building time. She wants to give her audience solid Pinterest Marketing advice using data-driven results. Keep it simple, be authentic, and pin with purpose.”
Why Listen? If you use Pinterest or are curious about how to get started, this is a great resource to turn to. - Unstoppable Success with Kelly Roach – “Unstoppable Success Radio is all about helping you achieve your goals faster, smarter and with greater ease. Kelly Roach is a Former NFL Cheerleader and Fortune 500 Executive turned Entrepreneur Mentor and Business Growth Coach. Every week you will receive a new episode jam packed with actionable strategies, powerful mindset shifts and key takeaways.”
Why listen? Short, easily digestible content. Perfect for a busy morning.
- The Science of Social Media (from Buffer) – “Your weekly sandbox for social media insights, stories, experimentation, and inspiration. Every Monday (and sometimes more) we share the most cutting-edge social media marketing strategies from brands and businesses in every industry. Whether you’re a social media team of one, business owner, ecommerce marketer, growth strategist, community manager, or part of an emerging global brand, you’re sure to find something actionable in every single episode.”
Why Listen? Buffer is one of the best social media posting programs out there. And their podcast, which boasts 30,000 weekly listeners, is packed with advice for social media pros and newbies alike. - Social Media Lab from Agorapulse – “Meet the mythbusters of the social media marketing ecosystem! We’re conducting interesting experiments to provide you with data driven best practices and insights. Join us as we crack the code to building social ROI.”
Why Listen? Social media meets science in this fun, experiment-driven podcast. - Roadmap to Grow Your Business with Stacey Brown Randall – “Straight talk with Stacey Brown Randall from Growth By Referrals and Sticky Client Experiences to help small business owners and solo-preneurs grow their business by generating referrals without asking and bringing in new clients in an authentic way so that you stay in your expert space AND leave behind the worry of being seen as the “always hustling salesperson.”’
Why Listen? This is a newer podcast and it’s packed with actionable tips. Episodes We Recommend: Episode #42 Asking for the Close – Recognizing Buying Signals during the Selling Process. - Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield – “How do I start an online business? Grow my email list to thousands of subscribers? Sell more and grow faster? Discover why hundreds of thousands of online business owners turn to Amy Porterfield to generate more profits and to make sense of the online marketing space, implement the strategies that really get results, and turn that side hustle into a business that lasts.”
Why Listen? It’s an in-depth and dedicated look into online marketing.
Podcasts to Listen to On the Treadmill or During Your Afternoon Run
If you work from home or sit behind a computer all day, knowing when to put down your phone and close out emails can be really hard. This is a note to myself as much as it is to all of you: self-care is crucial. You can’t serve your clients if you’re not taking care of yourself. What’s that they say about putting on your own oxygen mask first?
Here are five podcasts to help you step away from work. Literally.
- Armchair Expert – “Hi, I’m Dax Shepard, and I love talking to people. I am endlessly fascinated by the messiness of being human, and I find people who are vulnerable and honest about their struggles and shortcomings to be incredibly sexy. I invite you to join me as I explore other people’s stories. We will celebrate, above all, the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment. What qualifies me for such an endeavor? More than a decade of sobriety, a degree in Anthropology and four years of improv training. I will attempt to discover human “truths” without any laboratory work, clinical trials or data collection. I will be, in the great tradition of 16th-century scientists, an Armchair Expert.”
Why Listen? Actor Dax Shepard interviews actors and professionals from a wide variety of fields for an engaging, thought provoking, often hilarious discussion. Episodes we recommend: Episode with Lori Gottlieb, author of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone;” Episode with Laura Labo, Shepard’s mom, a candid and inspiring listen. We also enjoyed the episode with Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones.
- Stuff You Should Know – “If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.”
Why Listen? There’s no such thing as a stupid question, right? And this podcast digs into all the topics you’ve always wanted to learn more about. They cover a wide range of subjects so there is truly something for everyone on this pod!
- Hardcore History – “In “Hardcore History” the very unconventional Dan Carlin takes his “Martian”, outside-the-box way of thinking and applies it to the past. Was Alexander the Great as bad a person as Adolf Hitler? What would Apaches with modern weapons be like? Will our modern civilization ever fall like civilizations from past eras? This is a difficult-to-classify show that has a rather sharp edge.”
Why Listen? Set aside a half-day for these long episodes which tend to be around four hours each. Yes, you read that right. But, they are absolutely worth your time investment. - The Past & The Curious – “A History Podcast for Kids! Parents love us, Teachers love us, and most importantly, kids do too! History can be amazing, inspiring and relevant to anyone. We love to share the stories of Spies, funny foods, George Washington’s foibles, early advancements in cartooning and ballooning and much more!
Why Listen? This is a kid-friendly podcast on history for curious children and their parents. Their shows are around a half hour long and dive into some quirky and unique fun facts you’ll wish your history teacher had taught you when you were in school.
Podcasts to Listen to Before Bed
Power down for the evening with these podcasts focused on spiritual growth, peaceful, meditation, wellness, and mental health.
- Mindful15 – “Mindful15 helps you successfully build a meditation habit. Published weekly, our lessons will teach you meditation skills, habit-building strategies, and tools for practicing mindfulness in daily life. Lessons are 15 minutes or less and each lesson includes an opportunity to practice your new skills. Yes, you do have time to practice mindfulness!”
Why Listen? These short episodes are a great way to transition into sleep mode after a long day. - Sounds Good – “Sounds Good With Branden Harvey is a weekly podcast hosting hopeful conversations with optimists and world-changers about the unique experiences that drive them to use their influence for good.”
Why Listen? This podcast is a feel-good way to end your day.
- Just Relax – “Heather and Rachel are on the journey to becoming chill. But, for people who have been told their entire lives to “just relax”, it’s not always that easy. Join us as we navigate through challenges where we test out relaxation techniques on the journey to relaxation.”
Why Listen? New decade, new you, right?
- Holy F*ck Podcast – “Welcome to Holy F*ck: The spiritual and sex positive podcast. Katherine and Krista keep it raw, (really f*cking raw), hilariously holy, and vulnerable as they navigate the hot mess of everyday life through the lens of spiritual consciousness. These two gals have their Masters Degrees in Spiritual Psychology giving them the fancy credentials to talk health, healing, and the mind/body/spirit connection, and their wildly varied personal histories give them the unofficial street smarts to talk about sex, love, and well, anything they want!”
Why Listen? These ladies host quite a candid discussion about sexuality and spirituality for women over 40. You’ll laugh and empathize with the awkward conversations and important topics you’ll want to explore beyond bedtime.
Our Team Members Share Their Personal Favorites
Melanie Sheridan:
Pop Culture Happy Hour – “Pop Culture Happy Hour is a fun and freewheeling chat about the latest movies, television, books, and music.”
Why I love It: The hosts have great chemistry. They’re really knowledgeable about the history of pop culture. They cover current topics and are great at allowing you to avoid spoilers.
Ratchet & Respectable – “Demetria L. Lucas, cultural critic and author of A Belle in Brooklyn and Don’t Waste Your Pretty, muses on pop culture shenanigans, dating and relationship mishaps, everything worth watching on any size screen and occasionally, the hilarious (mis)adventures of being “single” for the second time around. There’s more to it. But that’s the gist. #ratchetandrespectable”
Why I love It: It’s like having your girlfriends over!
Side Hustle Pro – “Side Hustle Pro spotlights bold black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business. Join Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur Nicaila Matthews Okome for your weekly installment of Side Hustle Pro and learn actionable strategies to start small and get going–wherever and whoever you are. Side Hustle Pro features interviews with inspiring black women entrepreneurs including interviews with Myleik Teele of CurlBox, Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter, Nicole Walters of The Monetized Life, Maya Elious of Built to Impact, and more!”
Why I love It: I love that the guests come from a variety of different backgrounds and are working in so many different fields. I get at least one great nugget of information in each episode.
Shadan Larki
NPR Politics Podcast – “Every weekday, NPR’s best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don’t just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon.”
Why I love It: I have a background in journalism. For better or for worse, I like, and need to keep up with, politics. This podcast is quick and tells me everything I need to know about the day’s news from some of the best journalists around.
Book Riot – The Podcast – ”Book Riot – The Podcast is a weekly news and talk show about what’s new, cool, and worth talking about in the world of books and reading, brought to you by the editors of BookRiot.com”
Why I Love It: When I’m not writing, I’m probably reading a book, and this podcast is filled with recommendations, news, and great banter from the hosts.
Little Gold Men – “Little Gold Men is the inside story of Hollywood, from awards shows and red-carpet premieres to the hard work and whisper campaigns that get people there. Weekly episodes feature obsessive, expert conversations about the best of television and film, with special guest appearances from stars, creators, and critics. LGM also dives deep into Oscar history, and offers insight into all the other awards that make up Hollywood’s continual dash toward glitz and glory.”
Why I Love It: I love award shows. Love them! I grew up watching them with my mom (we still plan our schedules around award show days) and pretending my hairbrush was my Oscar. The LGM hosts love these shows as much as I do and I love having someone to geek out with about who is going to win. A must for anyone who loves movies.
Podcasts for Every Time of Day
Throughout your day, it’s important to take small breaks and set yourself up for success, especially when transitioning from a hectic morning routine to a day at the office. At the end of the day, having a podcast to listen to helps you unwind and gets you in a better headspace for getting a good night’s sleep.
We think podcasts can be more than entertaining. They can be a great way to bond with your kids or a nice distraction during rush hour traffic.
No matter what your day looks like, we hope you find time to enjoy a podcast from this list and let us know what you think we should add to our playlists.
Happy listening!
