Listening to podcasts is like having a personal coach or mentor for your business. Whether you’re looking for advice, creative ideas, or motivation, they can be a great help in reaching your goals. The podcasting industry is booming right now. Check out the growth since 2019:
| Year | Global Listeners |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 274.8 million |
| 2020 | 332.2 million |
| 2021 | 383.7 million |
| 2022* | 424.2 million |
| 2023* | 467.7 million |
| 2024* | 504.9 million |
Why have they become so popular? For starters, the quality of advice is outstanding. You get to hear from successful entrepreneurs, leading executives, and subject matter experts from all over the world. Episodes are free and accessible right from your phone. What’s not to like?
There are five podcasts I’d like to highlight today. They’re especially helpful for business owners, but valuable for any professional. I hope you enjoy:
- Business Wars
- In the cutthroat world of business, there’s only one rule: the winner takes all. The richest companies in the world don’t get that way by playing nice. Netflix vs Blockbuster. Uber vs Lyft. Tesla vs Detroit. These standoffs reveal one simple truth: business is war. And when titans of industry clash on the battlefield, only the winner comes out on top.
- In the cutthroat world of business, there’s only one rule: the winner takes all. The richest companies in the world don’t get that way by playing nice. Netflix vs Blockbuster. Uber vs Lyft. Tesla vs Detroit. These standoffs reveal one simple truth: business is war. And when titans of industry clash on the battlefield, only the winner comes out on top.
- Working
- Slate’s podcast, Working, examines a different profession in every episode, talking to people in varied positions, from a funeral director to a mediator, from a nightclub doorman to a stand-up comedian. If you want to learn about real people, what motivates them, and what their lives are like, this is the podcast for you.
- Slate’s podcast, Working, examines a different profession in every episode, talking to people in varied positions, from a funeral director to a mediator, from a nightclub doorman to a stand-up comedian. If you want to learn about real people, what motivates them, and what their lives are like, this is the podcast for you.
- How I Built This
- Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders share intimate moments of doubt and failure and insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master class on innovation, creativity, leadership, and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.
- Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders share intimate moments of doubt and failure and insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master class on innovation, creativity, leadership, and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.
- HBR IdeaCast
- Hosted by Harvard Business Review editors, this podcast features interviews with business leaders and experts on various topics related to business and management. The discussions are grounded in research and provide practical insights for business owners.
- Hosted by Harvard Business Review editors, this podcast features interviews with business leaders and experts on various topics related to business and management. The discussions are grounded in research and provide practical insights for business owners.
- Hidden Brain
- Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices, and direct our relationships. He speaks with people from around the world, listening to stories, and then speaking to professionals about the why behind the story.
If you’re newer to podcasts, let your curiosity guide you to subjects and hosts that interest you. By gaining a diverse range of perspectives, you’ll make better-informed decisions about your business.