If you’re wondering about the actual, physical “how to” of listening to podcasts, read this clear, easy to understand blog post from The Art of Simple: How to Listen to Podcasts: A 101 Primer
If you’re curious about some podcasts to try, here’s a roundup of some that I enjoy:
Gretchen Rubin is a writer living in New York City, and her sister Elizabeth Craft is a TV writer in Los Angeles. Together they host weekly episodes of their podcast on making life happier. Episodes include a main topic (dealing with perfectionism, shielding yourself from worry, conquering the snooze alarm), a “try this at home” happiness hack, and a fun wrap-up where the sisters give themselves gold stars or happiness demerits for the week. I love the upbeat, proactive mission of the podcast which reminds me to be grateful for what’s great in my life and gives me ideas on tweaking the other bits. Bonus: as a big fan of New York City, I love the tidbits Gretchen shares about city life, and it’s delightful overall to listen to the sisterly banter.
I get a second “fix” of Elizabeth Craft in this podcast that she started in May with her writing partner, Sarah Fain. I cannot even begin to tell you how many ways this podcast thrills me – but for starters, I always felt ripped off after college when I was in the working world at a dull job and it hit me like a ton of bricks: people actually move to L.A. and get writing jobs and become TV writers! It’s too late for me, but Sara and Liz pull back the curtain of mystery and talk about what the job is really like. I also love that the friendship between Sarah and Liz goes all the way back to high school! I think this blog would entertain anyone – Hollywood isn’t the only focus of the show. Tips for a successful work life, balancing work and family, navigating relationships (friends since high school who WORK TOGETHER – they know what they’re talking about!) and even more far-flung topics (should Sarah dye her hair?) are all on the menu. Never a dull episode!
Hillary Frank hosts this podcast that focuses on parenting. Many of the stories revolve around the early years – pregnancy, infancy, toddlerhood, though broader family and parenting issues come up as well. Although I am past this time in my parenting journey, I like the different slices of life I hear about through the stories on the show: an expat family moves back to the U.S. with their young son – he has to figure out how to be “American,” a woman with physical disabilities wants to start a family but worries that there will be too much added burden on her partner, a woman reflects on growing up while her dad was in prison, the mother of a girl with Down’s Syndrome discusses the challenges of the teenage years. I may live in a homogenous place (sorry, Colorado), but these stories invite me into deeply personal experiences of all kinds of families. I feel enriched by them.
One thing I’ve been obsessed with lately is side hustles — businesses you work on in your spare time for extra money to increase your financial security or achieve a specific financial goal. My side hustle guru is Chris Guillebeau – he literally wrote the book on side hustles (and I got to meet him at his book signing in Denver!). In the Side Hustle School podcast, Chris profiles a real life side hustle in each episode and talks about how it works and how much money it brings in. New episodes drop daily. Episodes are about 10-15 minutes long on average – I recommend starting at the beginning so that you don’t miss any tips and insights. Some of the ideas are so simple you’ll be kicking yourself – “Why didn’t I think of that?” Chris’s point is “Why don’t you go ahead and start it now?” It’s liberating to hear about what’s worked for other people. Most of the businesses aren’t amazingly “original,” yet they’re profitable! Inspiration on demand.
This is the newest podcast in my rotation, and it’s very different from the others I’ve described. Welcome to Night Vale is a scripted show performed by Cecil Baldwin. The premise is that he’s the host of a radio program for the fictional town of Night Vale where very, very unusual things are kind of the norm (paranormal activity, mysterious black helicopters circling above, screams and howls from the library). I would describe it as spooky sci-fi with absurd comedic twists. It’s been going since 2012 so there are lots of episodes to listen to!
I’ll keep you posted on other podcasts that I find and enjoy. Comment with the titles of your favorites!
PS: In gathering images for this post, I went to the Panoply Podcast Network website where they have a catalog of more than 150 podcasts… I’m giddy with the possibilities!
What I’m reading: The Wonder and Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days
What my 10-year old is reading: Bravelands: Broken Pride and Smile