I love podcasts! In the seven months that I’ve made the long trek into Washington, D.C. for work, I’ve pretty much become a podcast junkie. I’m unable to commit to just a few and always on the prowl for more.
Being able to listen to entire podcasts is the silver lining to my commute. It allows me to feel like I’m on the path to making progress in next-level Becky. I’m a huge believer in the importance of consuming lots of diverse content.
So, how could a self-professed podcast junkie pick a favorite? Easy, what podcasts did I listen to first when I came off of my 3-week podcast hiatus.
Here are the podcasts that I went for first. It’s safe to assume that these are my current favorite three.
- James Altucher.One-on-one interview format. James, a former financial advisor turned web designer turned author turned aspiring comedian, brings such a unique and thought-provoking perspective to his conversations with guests.
- Disrupt Yourself with Whitney Johnson. One-on-one interview format. Whitney, an author herself who has written about disruption. She interviews people that have challenged assumptions, taken risks, and changed their life’s trajectory. Frequently, interviews include other authors.
- Nerd Journey. Panel with occasional panel interviews. Nick Forte and John White, both SEs at VMware talk about “career progression” and provide practical career advice on topics like “questions to ask during an interview” and “how to have effective 1-on-1 meetings with your boss”.
Why would a podcast junkie take a 3-week hiatus from podcast listening? I was enraptured in listening to Robert Greene’s “Laws of Human Nature,” a 26-hour Audible listen. I didn’t have to go through podcast withdrawal because it felt like I was listening to a long-form podcast that covered all of the topics that interest me like psychology, self-improvement, and the essence of being human.
And like in true podcast junkie, I have a slew of other podcasts to which I enjoy listening to regularly. Here’s my list
| Category | Podcast | Format | Premise |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Hidden Brain | Non-fiction Storytelling | Typical NPR goodness |
| General | Freakonomics | Non-fiction Storytelling | Divergent perspectives on social issues. |
| General | WTF with Marc Maron | One-on-One interview | Mark typically interviews a-listers and asks really deep and personal questions. |
| General | Thriving in Tech (TinT) | Panel interview | Diversity, inclusion, and women-in-tech slanted podcast from some of my favorite Social Media peeps at NetApp. |
| Leveling Up | Kevin Rose | One-on-One Interview | |
| Leveling Up | Tech Village Podcast | One-on-One Interview | Geek Whisperer’s 2.0. Yadin, Lauren, and Matt interview tech peeps about their career. Career |
| Leveling Up | Jordan Harbinger | One-on-One Interview | Formerly Jordan hosted Art of Charm. Jordan does one-on-one interview with authors and other thought leaders. |
| Leveling Up | What Does This All Mean? | One-on-One Interview | Deep thoughts from Mike Posner. |
| Tech | TechONTAP | One-on-One Interview | NetApp-focus. |
| Tech | Stringy Interviews | One-on-One Interview | |
| Tech | Packet Pushers Datanauts | Panel Interview | |
| Tech | GC On-Demand | One-on-One Interview | Eric Wright (DiscoPosse)'s tech community focus. |
| Tech | Geek Whisperers | Panel Interview | Ground breaking career advice, leveling-up panel interview podcast. No new episodes. |
| Tech | Virtually Speaking | Panel Interview | VMware-focus. |
Now that I’ve shared my list of podcasts with you, what are a few of your favorite podcasts? What’s on your podcast list?
I had a similar experience listening to the Hardcore History “Blueprint for Armageddon”, a look at WWI. I think the 6-parts clock in over 20 hours, so I had a lot of catch up listening to do.
My regulars are the Daily Tech News Show, Dumb People Town, Tomorrow, and Unspooled. And of course The On-Premise IT Roundtable!