The Best Podcasts of 2018/2019 – Day 6: 30 Days of Blogging

Podcasting is the best thing to happen to storytelling and brand building in a long time. It’s like the old fashioned radio show has come back to us in a modern format. Now, you can find talk shows, local and world news, interviews, fictional series, and so much more all in the convenient location of your mobile phone, ready whenever you are. Here is my list of the best podcasts of 2018/2019 across various genres.

Business Related Podcasts

The Freelancers Show – As the name would imply, this is a podcast for freelancers/solopreneurs by freelancers/solopreneurs. With episodes such as Raising Prices Without Raising Eyebrows and When Your Clients Are Wrong, who wouldn’t benefit from this?

The Reboot Podcast – It’s like a therapist’s chair for business owners. The host, Jerry Colonna, gently discusses the emotional and psychological challenges of being an entrepreneur, CEO, or startup leader.

Hurry Slowly – A podcast about how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient through the simple act of slowing down.

Current Events Podcasts

Berlin Briefing – If you’re an English-speaker, living in Berlin, who isn’t listening to Berlin Briefing, go subscribe now! Every weekday, you’ll spend less than 15 minutes getting briefed on the most important Berlin news.

Bombshell – Three, very smart women discuss the craziest American national security and defense issues to have happened in the past two weeks. I’ve learned so much!

Interview Podcasts

Armchair Expert – I was definitely skeptical of Dax Shepard before this podcast started, but now I’m a fan. Not only does he interview really interesting people, but he is a surprisingly deep and thoughtful man. Good job, Kristen Bell.

Ear Hustle – Probably my favorite podcast to come out in the last two years. It follows the lives and issues of the men incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. So touching.

Fresh Air – A classical NPR radio show turned podcast. Terry Gross is my interview idol, and I want to be just like her. She interviews a variety of people on a variety of topics.

Nonfiction Storytelling Podcasts

This American Life – Another classic NPR show. Ira Glass and his team weave together themed, non-fiction, stories every week.

The Moth – The Moth has been hosting storytelling events for the last two decades! This podcast features the best of the best, real life stories told by the people who lived them.

Terrible, Thanks for Asking – Hard things happen in life. It isn’t all sunshine and roses. This podcast tells the stories that make up the darker days. Some stories end with brightness and some don’t, but all are true and worth being told. Nora McInerny is a wonderfully empathic host and has quite the story, herself.

Far From Home – Scott Gurian decided to do the Mongol Rally (a road trip from London to Mongolia!) and document it along the way.

Fiction Storytelling Podcasts

Chilling Podcast of Sabrina – Anyone else obsessed with the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina? Anyone? For those of us who are, this is my favorite Sabrina podcast. The nerdiness of the three male hosts and the way they bicker with each other only adds to the delight of hearing them debate Harvey vs Nick.

Homecoming – If you’ve watched the Amazon Prime series without having listened to the podcast, fix your mistake right now! This is a scripted series with a very impressive cast, but the story is just so good.

The Archers (Omnibus) – I was introduced to this when I was living in Edinburgh, and I just can’t stop listening. It’s the best British soap opera centered around farmers that you could imagine. The Archers is the world’s longest-running drama. It is a daily radio series that has been on the air since 1950! It was partly created to educate farmers after World War II. How cool is that?

Music Podcasts

I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats – A lover of, the band, The Mountain Goats makes a podcast with the lead singer of the band. Each episode dissects one song. Disclaimer: I didn’t love The Mountain Goats before listening to this podcast.

Song Exploder – Ever wanted to hear your favorite artists break down how they made one of their hits? This is the podcast for you.

Switched on Pop – Everything you never thought to ask about this hits on the radio.

Science Stuff

Science Vs – Each episode focuses on testing facts and debunking fiction around a specific topic. Must-listen episode: Vitamins & Supplements – Are They Worth It?

Spiritual Stuff

Okay, unless you grew up as an Evangelical Christian in the southern United States, these next podcasts might not hold any interest for you. But they might.

The Liturgists – Michael Gungor (formerly of the band Gungor), Science Mike, Hillary McBride, and William Matthews tackle topics like Body Image, what it means to be Evangelical today, and Spiritual Trauma.

The Liturgists describe themselves as a global community working to subvert the barriers our society builds around religion, race, gender, ability, and sexuality. Our work is centered around compelling discussion, non-judgmental community, and thoughtful, evocative art.

The Airing of Grief – Singer-songwriter and Ex-vangelical Derek Webb and his team compile stories of the de and re-construction of faith.

Kitchen Table Cult – Kitchen Table Cult unpacks all the things Kieryn and Eve learned at the kitchen tables of their childhoods in conservative Christian homeschooling families.

It just goes to show that if you’re interested in a topic, there’s probably a podcast about it. Podcasts can be a great way to brand yourself or your business, and they’re a great way to explore storytelling, but they’re a lot of work (something I’ll talk more about in an upcoming blogpost).

Let me know in the comments below which podcasts you think are the best podcasts of 2018/2019!