People frequently ask me about the podcasts I listen to. It’s funny because until recently, I didn’t regularly listen to podcasts. I spend a big chunk of my day interacting with people. And when I need to crank out work and focus, I prefer music. However, I now spend 45-100 minutes walking outside each day which is the ideal time to learn. And what better way to learn is there than listening to podcast?
I have the following preferences when it comes to podcasts:
- Relatively short in length (an hour or less).
- Useful information – I want to learn something.
- Two minutes or less of ads / intro – I like to maximize my time.
Most of the podcasts I listen to are under 45 minutes and some are even under five minutes. So you can probably imagine how I felt the other day when I listened to something that took seven minutes before getting to the actual content. So anyway, here are the ones I like.
Personal / Professional Development:
Real AF:
My favorite podcast is Andy Frisella’s Real AF Podcast. This podcast includes a combination of motivation and practical business advice. Now, it’s not for everyone. The language is strong and he may say things that people don’t agree with. But what I like about it is that he’s real and the information he shares is useful. I’m a huge fan of his 75 Hard program, which I’m currently in the middle of. But I’m most thankful for his advice, some of which I’ve applied which has yielded positive results.
Show Length: 25-45 minutes.
Les Brown – Greatness Radio:
Les Brown is one of my favorite motivational speakers. I love his talk about “It’s not over until I win.” Greatness Radio is Les’ Podcast which will most likely leave you feeling motivated and better about yourself.
Show Length: 7-20 minutes
Ben Lionel Scott – Weekly Motivation:
I love watching Ben’s video compilations on Youtube. He has an unbelievable talent for mixing video clips, soundbites and epic music into short videos. I was excited to find out that he has a podcast that contains the audio from these clips. It’s funny because I mix these into my playlist with the other two and they often include clips from Andy and Les.
Show Length: 3-9 minutes.
Spiritual Podcasts
Fr. Mike Schmitz:
I love listening to podcasts that help me improve my faith. One of my favorites is the Father Mike Schmitz Podcast. Fr. Mike is a Catholic priest that answers questions and explains things. He’s funny, down to earth and not preachy at all. His approach is very light and a lot of his advice can be useful to non-Catholics.
Show Length: 7-20 minutes.
Joel Osteen:
Joel Osteen is a best selling author and the pastor of a non-denominational Christian church in Huston, Texas. I first stumbled across him on TV several years ago. I had recognized his face from his books and was impressed that he was talking in front of crowd of tens of thousands. It turns out that his Lakewood Church is the former stadium where the Huston Rockets played. His message is faith based, but even non-Christians may find his podcast inspirational. His wife or son will sometimes deliver the podcast – one of my favorite episodes is from his son, Jonathan.
Show Length: 10-30 minutes
Is there a podcast that you recommend? Share it in the comments below.
James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.