Do You Need A New Podcast Rec?? We’ve Got You Covered

I was a very early podcast adopter (before anyone really uttered the word podcast). All through my 20s in New York I listened to “This American Life” and “Slate Political Gabfest” on the subway and walking to and from work. I have rarely missed an episode and would absolutely be starstruck if I ever met Ira Glass. But the last few years since I’ve lived super close to my office and had kids, I was unable to find the time, all while podcasts were blowing up. Well, this year I dove back in and now look for any excuse to run to the grocery store or clean the bathroom so I can catch up on my favorites.

If you can’t tell from our Sunday Link Up posts, I am not alone for my love of “cleaning bathrooms,” the entire office (along with the world) is in love with the podcast movement and we thought it was high time to just put all our team favorites in one place. I mean is there anything more tragic than the end of a podcast binge? You feel lost, confused, desperately searching for your next intellectual fix! To be honest, this post is for us, too. We wanted to know all of each other’s favorites so that when it was time for a new one, we had a whole list of trusted recommendations (including some really fun niche recs). Get ready to hit subscribe…

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations: EVERY SINGLE EPISODE makes me want to be a better person/mom/writer/employer. The recent one with 17-year-old activist Amandla Stenberg was so inspiring. The one about Quantum Wellness made me stop (almost completely) buying any meat that wasn’t humanely pasture-raised. And Dr. Brené Brown’s (obsessed with her) episode about The Anatomy of Trust really helped me see things differently and become such a better boss.

Invisibilia: My two favorite episodes are ‘Fearless’ (Jan 16, 2015) and ‘How To Become A Batman’ (Jan 22, 2015)

The Goop Podcast: I love most of these podcasts because they are experts in their field, regardless of how you feel about the brand. A few have changed my life in a very good way, including:

How Soil Health is Reflected in the Gut: This is the one where I learned what pesticides are doing to the soil which affects all of us inadvertently. After this, I started only buying from organic farms near me, loading up at the farmers market on Sunday and even going to such lengths as to have my assistant find mid-week farmers markets or buying at stores such as CookBook who work with local organic farms (I even have someone drive it up to me in the mountains if they are coming up anyway so that I don’t have to buy vegetables from the local store). For me, it is not only showing support for the farms that have had to jump through an incredible amount of hoops to grow organically, but also to punish those that don’t by taking away my business. I’m still researching and learning but this guy is all about regenerative farming which I would LOVE to know more about and how I can find them near me. I’ve done a deep dive into trying to find local farms that use regenerative agriculture techniques but haven’t found any so if anyone knows of any PLEASE let me know.

How To Become Your Future Self: This one is incredibly fascinating and I have a cousin who has seen/felt the effect first hand of how meditation can help rewire your brain to help you heal physically or mentally. There is something very empowering knowing that your brain is plastic and that we have the power to heal ourselves in powerful ways. I do know that this is controversial but I thoughts and feelings are always to approach your body healing holistically in addition to western medicine. No one can argue that mediation is healing.

Armchair Expert: Dax is probably the most likable guy due to his incredible honesty and transparency. It’s absolutely refreshing and frankly the bravest thing you can be right now in media. I was RIVETED by these two episodes in particular: Dr. Alexandra Katehakis and Esther Perel. Both of them are about our current (and historical) cultural approach to sex and addiction and it’s just so fascinating. Put them on and clean your house. To confirm it’s true brilliance Jess, Ryann, Julie and Veronica are obsessed. They also want to make sure that Monica (Dax’s cohost, producer and”soulmate”) is recognized because she is the secret sauce that makes this podcast perfect. Most Tuesdays and Thursdays, the first thing they ask each other is “Have you listened to Armchair yet??” Some of their favorite episodes are Johann Hari, Conan O’Brien, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Bill Nye, Jake Johnson. John Gottman, Todd Rose and Joy Bryant. Just to name a few.

I also love checking in with Young House Love, Goal Digger, The Liturgists (the one about how former evangelicals reflecting on their current LGBTQ lifestyle was so riveting and frankly sad)   Second Life, and yes Tony Robbins. I love some self-help.

Now, I will let the rest of my team take it away…

Don’t Keep Your Day Job: Emily is probably reading this like “wait, what Arlyn?!?” but I promise it’s not only for people who want to up and leave their jobs, haha. It’s really about finding your career passions as a creative and how to catapult yourself (whether that’s as an entrepreneur or working for someone else). Host Cathy Heller is so lovely to listen to and inspiring in many ways and her guests are varied but all great. Episodes range from topics as specific as How to Start an Etsy Shop (with Etsy’s General Manager of Seller Services Kruti Patel Goyal as the guest) to more open-ended but useful subjects like How to Get Unstuck. If you’re a creative with the heart of an entrepreneur, give it a listen. I think you’ll like it! Favorite Episodes: How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome, The 3 Essential Steps to Grow Your Empathy Empire

Radiolab: Okay, if you’re a longtime podcast fan, Radiolab is NOT going to be news to you, but I couldn’t not include it mostly out of selfishness so anyone who listens can also recommend some of their favorite episodes that I can tune into. It used to cover pretty scientific topics in VERY approachable and engaging ways, but they’ve since pivoted a little to find the “science” in everyday subjects. It’s VERY well-produced and less grassroots then I feel a lot of podcasts are now, but basically it’s a whole heap of fun. Favorite Episodes: (WHERE TO START???) Dinopocalypse Redux (a new thrilling/compelling theory on what killed off the dinosaurs), Colors (I think this is one of their most popular episodes…for a reason!)

Heavyweight: This is more a “when you’re bored for a minute and don’t want to be too invested” type podcast. I don’t necessarily tune in regularly, but a few of the episodes are VERY fun, particularly my favorite Gregor, which is all about a guy named Gregor who once upon a time lent an obscure album to his then-friend Moby (the musical artist) and then got super bitter because Moby went on to make an album heavily inspired by what Gregor shared with him and he never got credit…and thus begins the journey of him trying to get his album back and talking to Moby to settle this grief. I know it sounds a little nuts, but I promise it’s super entertaining. Favorite Episode: Episode 2: Gregor

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations: Oprah, have you heard of her? I didn’t drink the Oprah KoolAid until very recently and now I’m like…WHERE WAS I IN THIS LIFE WITHOUT HER? If I don’t interject here that my dear husband Charles introduced me to my favorite episode (mentioned in a sec), he might have a Gregor-sized grudge against me. THANK YOU CHARLES FOR CHANGING MY LIFE IN MANY WAYS INCLUDING SHARING THIS PODCAST (hopefully he heard that). I mean, just listening to Oprah’s interviewing skills alone speaks to my inner journalist, but she just has the star power to get the best people on to talk. This one leans heavily on the spiritual journey and finding your life’s purpose, so if that’s not your thing, look away. BUT IF IT IS, COME ON IN, THE WATER IS WARM AND WELCOMING. I will now stop speaking in all caps and just say if there is ever a day where I feel down, Oprah’s Super Soul Convos have never failed to turn things around and make me exciting about just life in general. Favorite Episodes: Your Own Truth (just Oprah talking in this one, no guest…SO INSANELY GOOD), Paulo Coelho Part 1: What If the Universe Conspired in Your Favor? & Paulo Coelho Part 2: Your Journey of Self-Discovery

British History Podcast: I LOVE history and will spend long stretches of time listening to this podcast. It’s one guy telling the history of Britain from literally start (before humans) to end (he’s not done yet). If you’re a history junkie like me this is a podcast for you. Favorite Episode: None, just start from the top.

Good Food with Evan Kleinman: This is the best food podcast I’ve come across and always inspires me to head to the farmers market or pull out my pasta maker. Favorite Episode: Jonathan Gold

The No Sleep Podcast: If you’re into storytelling, these episodes are horror-based short stories told by voice actors. I used to listen to a lot of true crime podcasts but eventually found them exploitative and depressing. These stories are creative, sometimes chilling, and 100% guilt-free while still hitting that addictive scary factor. Best listened to on late night drives or crisp fall days. Favorite Episode: No way I can actually pick one 

Nancy: This is a great, uplifting, and positive podcast all about queer topics and stories. It’s really helped me better understands subjects like the ins and outs of gender pronouns. It’s made me cry and laugh. Favorite Episode: Episode 5: There Are No Gay Wizards

Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey: If you don’t know already, I am fully indoctrinated and belong to the Bulletproof cult. When schlepping things around LA, I basically only listen to this podcast, talk to my fellow stylist friend Lauren, AND talk about this podcast to Lauren. Self helpy/health/biohacking is my jam so all I really need is this podcast. Longevity, sleep, light therapy, meditation, stem cell therapy and healing your gut are a few of the top topics. Dave will really get into anything that can make you perform better at your life in any area. Favorite episodes: (so many! But here’s some recent ones I’ve loved): Why Quality Meat Matters for You and the Planet – Michael Salguero #543, The Dark Side of EMFs – Peter Sullivan #605, Intuition is Not a Feeling – Joy Martina – #574

To Live and Die in LA: I listened to Neil Strauss’ episode on Bulletproof Radio (shocking) and have wanted to give this a listen. My husband and I just binged this in two days. It’s a story about a girl going missing in LA. Favorite Episodes: Just the one season, so start from the top 

Sleeping at Last Podcast: It’s an emo band from back in (my) day, Ryan O’Neal is Sleeping at Last. I was SO excited to learn a year+ ago that Ryan was making a song for each Enneagram type. Along with each song, he put out a podcast to go along with it where he interviewed Chris Heuertz (an author of a really wonderful Enneagram book called The Sacred Enneagram). He does a lot of podcasts and if you’re a music person, you will be into all of them. Favorite episodes: The whole Enneagram series

Pardon My Take: This podcast is a great way to catch up on sports without having to actually watch sports. Hosted by three very funny dudes who give you insight on what is happening in the sports world. The very best part of this podcast is hearing three sports guys recap The Bachelor or Bachelorette every Tuesday. This could be the only reason I listen to this podcast, but I also like listening to this so I can actually kind of know what my boyfriend is talking about when he talks about sports, without having to sit down and watch ESPN when I’m home from work. This is the ideal podcast for sporty gals who simply don’t have the time to watch sports. Of course, it’s also good for anyone looking for a good laugh and some quality entertainment. 

Second Life: I just put this podcast in last week’s Link Up but that’s because it’s that good. Second Life inspires me on my way to work to give 110%! The conversations always feel natural and the interviews are honest and real. It is such a cool insight on the journey of some of the most creative women ever. I can also vouch for this podcast and says it’s for any kind of “life crisis” or just for daily motivation.