After listening to what feels like the same 10 songs (I don’t think I can stand another play of Havana) on the radio during my commute, I told myself I needed to listen to something else. I have a hard time multitasking on public transit but my commutes just seemed so unproductive.
Podcasts seemed like a good solution because I can learn something on the go. I’m currently interested in learning how people get to where they are now, improving my life and exploring my other interests. Here are some of the podcasts that I’m listening to and loving right now.
Gastropod
Apart from reading, cooking (as well as eating) remains one of my favorite pastimes. I don’t cook as much as I’d like to because I don’t have the time to but watching others cook and listening about food are the next best things. Gastropod goes beyond just cooking to exploring the history of food, the context in which some food trends exist in and more. Some favorite episodes include: “Women, Food, Power… and Books!”, “Crantastic: The Story of America’s Berry” and “Eataly World and the Future of Food Shopping”.
Stuff Mom Never Told You by How Stuff Works
I love this podcast because each episode is so well researched and on point. Hosts Bridget Todd and Emilie Aries play off of each other so well and I love how the topics are so timely. It navigates topics that are hard to talk about but so important such as negotiation, #MeToo and the role of alcohol in women’s lives. Some of my favorite episodes include: “Are Women Using Wine to Cope With the Patriarchy”, “Negotiation No-No’s” and “Magnificent History of Women and Whiskey”.
Talking In Circles with Laura Miller
Confession time: I only listened to one episode, “Episode 9: Joy Cho on Art, Entrepreneurship and Teaching Compassion” but I loved it. I related so much to this episode as an Asian-American, especially the lessons that Joy learned growing up. Part of the episode is about motherhood, which isn’t something I can relate to but the idea of teaching compassion to others is something that I can. There are other episodes that also center around the idea of motherhood, mental illness and marriage.
Short Coat Podcast
This was the first podcast that I listened to regularly. I started listening to it this summer during application season when my stress levels were at an all-time high and I’d listen to it while driving, running errands etc. It’s hosted by University of Iowa medical students who talk about current events relating to healthcare, medical school, how to cope with being a medical/premed student and more. It’s informative, well-researched and filled with great advice. I got a couple of my friends listening to it, too, which makes me so happy. Some of my favorite episodes include: “Bropocalypse 2017”, “Business of Medicine”, and “False Dichotomies in Medical Politics, Physician Lifestyle and Public Discourse” .
NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz
I enjoy listening to stories about entrepreneurs and how their journeys shaped who they are today. Too often, social media is a highlight reel of all the positive things and people forget that there is a ton of unseen work that’s not shown. I like listening to it to learn about founders and inspire myself. It’s a light podcast and super easy to listen to (per all NPR podcasts).
What are some of your favorite podcasts?
