It’s no wonder podcasts have taken off as a way to get advice and inspiration in your career. After all, they’re easy to fit into your busy life.
Listen on your commute, in the car or on the train. Get some chores done while you catch up on the latest ideas. It’s the perfect way for go-getters with a packed schedule to find time to learn, reflect and get motivated.
We’ve been trawling recommendations and checking out some of the most popular shows about business and careers. So, if you’re not sure where to start, try some of our picks and see which one will become your weekly must-listen.
How I Built This
This is a podcast all about innovators and entrepreneurs, delving into the stories of how they took a spark of inspiration and turned it into a multi-million dollar business. Presenter Guy Raz follows his guests on their surprising paths to success, taking time to note the daunting challenges, the moments of doubt and the risks along the way. Forbes Magazine says it looks into “chapters of these entrepreneurs’ lives that are often glossed over in magazine cover stories”. Past guests on the US-based show from NPR have included the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, Sir James Dyson, and fashion designer Eileen Fisher.
Working Hard, Hardly Working
Too many business and careers podcasts are devoted to 24/7 hustle from the next masters of the universe – it can be hard to relate. But Grace Beverley, who launched fitness brands TALA and Shreddy, is determined to keep things real on her podcast. The Londoner talks with fellow Millennial entrepreneurs about how to be successful without losing sight of your life. Stylist says it offers “an honest dialogue between Beverley and her guests about burnout, achievement and success, as well as practical tips to help make our work and home lives more balanced, successful and fulfilling”.
WorkLife with Adam Grant
Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. In his podcast, Adam Grant takes a broader look at work, exploring extraordinary workplaces such as Pixar Studios, the International Space Station and the Norwegian Olympic Alpine skiing team to gather science-based insights about how to make work “not suck”. Grant, an organisational psychologist and former magician, told Forbes magazine: “I think it’s a travesty that most of us spend the majority of our waking hours in our jobs, but miss the opportunity to pursue our best ideas and do work that we find motivating and meaningful.” His podcast aims to show us there is another way.
Conversations of Inspiration
Every big business starts out small. And this is a podcast devoted to small business owners, from Holly Tucker, founder of Not On The High Street. You magazine calls her a “creative mastermind” and quotes entrepreneurs who say she is “the mum of small businesses. If you ever have a problem, you can just go to her and she’ll sort it out”. Her podcast reflects that approach, offering warm and insightful chats with business founders about the highs and lows of building a business.
Happen To Your Career
This is a podcast all about finding work that is meaningful to you. Each episode tells the story of real people who found the ideal career for them and the unexpected ways that happened, all through interviews hosted by career coach Scott Anthony Barlow. Lifehacker says it’s one of the best podcasts for people early in their working lives, offering insights into the tricky task of designing a “career or job that makes you look forward to Mondays”.