Podcasts became my addiction while training for my first long distance races. There is only so much music you can listen to while you run for hours on end! What started as something to listen to while working out became part of my daily routine while walking to class and doing chores at home.
I started by asking friends for recommendations and perusing the featured charts on the apple podcast app. Once I found a few series I liked, I would look at the companies publishing those podcasts and find other related podcasts they put out to freshen up my mix.
Here are four that I think are particularly creative and entertaining and when I get the most out of listening to each.
The Moth
Calling all creative nonfiction lovers! If you enjoy hearing short, 10-15 minute snippets of people’s personal stories that might make you laugh, cry, or just think about something differently, this show is for you! Taped in live sessions all around the country, each episode brings together a few stories with a similar theme. This one is perfect for getting ready in the morning, and I particularly enjoy hearing the different presentation styles of each speaker.
Slow Burn (Slate)
Scandal. Drama. History. Slow Burn details the two impeachment trials of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton through a deep dive into interviews, newspapers, and other media to analyze the situation from every angle possible. This is as close to watching a historical drama on Netflix as you can get through just audio. Each 30 minute episode will leave you with a cliffhanger, and the 8 episode seasons (not including bonus episodes!) make this series a very reasonable time commitment. I particularly love this for my workouts – I’m always excited to hear what comes next!
How I Built This (NPR)
Got an idea for a company? Enjoy hearing about the origins of your favorite brands? How I Built This (HIBT) is the podcast for you. Behind every company – Starbucks, Bumble, you name it – is a story of hopes, achievements, and failures. Guy Raz, the host of HIBT, gives listeners a glimpse of the humans behind these movements, diving into some of the moments where they felt most vulnerable or uncertain about their ability to succeed. You will walk away from each episode inspired to follow those big goals sitting in the back of your mind.
Everything is Alive (Radiotopia)
This fiction podcast is the quirkiest of the mix. Created by Ian Chillag, a New York writer and producer, every episode brings to life an inanimate object for an unscripted 20 minute interview about what it’s like to be that thing. From cans of cola to pillows to lampposts, the options are endless. Let this show take you back to the imagination you had as a child, and get ready to think about the world a little differently after listening.
Get This Girl a Job (Xoro Media)
And of course, there is Get This Girl a Job! Rosana and I co-host a podcast dedicated to demystifying the job search process for women who are in their very first jobs after graduation. We hope that this will help college women bridge the gap between college and the real world. Exploring many different companies and fields, the series presents each unique path so that listeners may be inspired to pursue their own goals. And every third episode, we fill in as coffee-date body doubles by answering listener questions and providing tips on navigating the professional world.
There are of course so many shows out there waiting to be discovered, and we would love to hear about them! If we are missing any of your favorites, feel free to share in the comments below!
