10 podcasts that will feed your brain
Over the last few years I have become a big fan of listening to podcasts. In fact, there are a handful I listen to regularly that are entertaining and informative.
The hosts are all super smart and people I would enjoy meeting if we ever crossed paths. I hope you will check them out and get as much value out of them as I have.
Marketing
Six Pixels of Separation – The host, Mitch Joel, runs a Toronto based digital agency and is one of the brightest guys in the business. His interviews are insightful and cover digital marketing topics applicable for real-world business. There is not a lot of filler in this 60 minute podcast. It is entertaining but not at the expense of the content being useful.
Social Pros – Jay Baer is on the short list of social media practitioners and along with co-host Eric Boggs, from Argyle Social, delivers a lot in 30 minutes. The format usually starts with a few minutes of Jay talking about newsworthy social media happenings, Eric sharing a social media stat of the week, and then an interview with a person doing real work in social media for company or brand. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously and gives the audience a taste of how companies are using social.
The Beancast – Somehow, Bob Knorpp shows up every week discussing interesting current events in advertising and marketing. I enjoy his mix of guests. You can expect agency executives, brand managers, and trade journalists to be on the Beancast making their case on one side or the other of an issue. There is a good dose of humor and plenty of comments to make you think.
The Accidental Creative – Todd Henry has a company that helps creative professionals stay on top of their game. His podcast features interviews and commentary about how to make the creative process more efficient and productive. Todd is very passionate about his craft and it comes through on every show. I always take away a technique or perspective that helps me stay sharp.
Internet Marketing for Smart People Radio – Brought to you by Copyblogger Media, this podcast hosted by Robert Bruce is my favorite content marketing and copywriting show. Every show I have listened to has been well done. In some other podcasts, bad conversations aren’t the guest’s fault. It happens because the host doesn’t lead the discussion. Robert is excellent in his role and asks great questions. This makes for a great podcast.
Entrepreneurship
Founders Talk – Host Adam Sacoviak talks business with some cool startups and entrepreneurs. I love getting to know the stories, challenges, and insights behind successful companies online and offline. It is easy to find stories about tech startups but Adam does a great job at finding interesting companies regardless of vertical. When I listen to Founders Talk I feel like I am sitting at a coffee shop across from two people having a conversation.
Mixergy – Andrew Warner doesn’t pull any punches on his Mixergy podcast. He isn’t afraid to ask his guests the hard questions that sometimes border on too personal. I love that. It makes for very candid and interesting interviews that reveal secrets from some of the web’s best entrepreneurs. You can tell he wants his audience to learn as much as possible about how the person succeeded.
Founder Stories – Chris Dixon is a smart dude. As a startup founder and investor, his interviews usually take the listener beyond the surface of how someone succeeded. Often he will get into conversations about thought process and business models with the company founders. Founder Stories will give you a good idea of how a tech CEO thinks.
Stories
RadioLab – Thank you Tom Webster for turning me on to Jad and Robert’s show. I love investigative journalism. Radiolab is fresh and the journalism and writing is superb. The stories are entertaining and innovative. Each show weaves seemingly unrelated events, people, things, and places together with a common theme. The use of sound effects and great post production make this show one of the most entertaining broadcasts on tv, radio, or web.
This American Life – Ira Glass and the team of writers and storytellers that put together these essays are top-notch. I am a sucker for good storytelling and these folks are some of the best. Like RadioLab, The American Life, provides a series of stories linked by a common thread that is rarely obvious on the surface. Ira breaks them up into acts and let’s the audience enjoy the ride.
Enjoy
For the last year I have used Stitcher App to listen to all of these except Internet Marketing for Smart People Radio. It is only available on iTunes and their website. I am sure I’ve left out some great ones. But I believe you will have fun with these. If you have a favorite(s) podcast, please share it in the comments.