Why You Should Pick Up a Podcast
If you thought radio was dead, you are wrong.
Listening to radio shows may be a dying pastime but the spirit lives on in the future of the platform: podcasting.
In case you didn’t know, podcasts are simply audio files readily available for download straight to your laptop or mobile device. They often come in a series to which you can subscribe, usually for free. Just like your typical radio show, topics can range from anything to everything.
And I really mean everything.
Last year, I got hooked on podcasting almost by necessity. I wanted to get in some extra learning but my schedule made it difficult for me to read books. I couldn’t find time to read during the day and I was always too tired when I got home. So I thought “Why not replace my commute music with a podcast?”
At that point, I have never listened to one so it was worth feeding my curiosity. I ditched the best playlist in the world and picked up an episode from Tim Ferriss.
It was love at first podcast.
The long commutes I spent wasting away suddenly became a valuable part of my day. I was now able to get in the supplementary learning I needed to succeed in both my personal and professional life.
One of my biggest hesitations was always not being an auditory learner. I’m rather thankful I gave it a shot though because now I can “learn” essentially anytime I can plug in my earphones.
To get you started, here are my favorite podcasts:
1) TIM FERRISS
Tim is an angel investor and advisor for top companies such as Uber, Facebook, Shopify, and many others. He is also the author of four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including The 4-Hour Workweek and his latest, Tools of Titans.
He is often described as the “Oprah of Audio” since his show was the first ever business podcast to reach over 200+ million downloads around the world. The format of the show is simple. Each episode, he sits down with a world-class performer from various industries — entertainment, military, business, art, etc. He asks questions about their morning routines, biggest failures, time management tricks, and all other things that make them tick.
He has interviewed guests such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Foxx, Edward Norton, Tony Robbins, Maria Popova, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman.
I have gained so many valuable insights from listening to all of these successful people. Learning about all the small things they do in the background puts their achievements in better perspective. I’m sure you will pick up a thing or two.
One of my favorite episodes is definitely his interview with Tony Robbins.
Listen in to The Tim Ferriss Show to see why he is considered to be one of the most interesting people in the world!
2) GARY VAYNERCHUK
Gary is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO VaynerMedia, a full-service digital agency servicing Fortune 500 clients across the United States.
He is arguably one of the most influential marketing professionals in the world right now. Other than being a 4-time New York Times bestselling author, he has also invested in companies such as Twitter, Tumblr, and Uber.
He is followed and adored by millions of people all over the world — and with good reason. His advice on building the life you want and hustling hard is almost like gospel. He is one of the most passionate people you will ever come across and his energy is crazy infectious. He can convince you in ten minutes or less to start a business, run a marathon AND move a mountain. I almost worship the guy!
What’s great about him is that you can learn from him almost anywhere — social media, books, podcasts, you name it. If you want a preview, I highly recommend his epic message for the 20-somethings stuck in a job they don’t like.
Watch and thank me later.
If you liked it, go ahead a jump in on his podcast The GaryVee Audio Experience.
3) REID HOFFMAN
Reid is best known as the co-founder of LinkedIn and a partner at Greylock. He serves on the boards of Airbnb, Convoy, Edmodo and Microsoft.
He is definitely one of the savviest people in business today. Anyone interested in startups and scaling their businesses quickly should pick up his podcast immediately. His format is similar to Tim’s where he sits down and interviews the leaders of top tech companies. He adds a lot of his own insights so the conversation is really engaging.
One of my favorite episodes of ALL-TIME (as in among the 50+ podcasts I have listened to thus far) is the one he did with Airbnb’s Brian Chesky. Listening to these two tackle key topics such as startup ideation, modern leadership, and the origins of Airbnb was one of the highlights of my 2017. I guarantee that you will be a better businessman after listening to this episode. It’s that powerful!
You can listen in to Handcrafted: Brian Chesky Co-founder and CEO at Airbnb and learn what I mean.
Hear more from other business icons in Masters of Scale and see how you can rapidly grow your business and disrupt industries in meaningful ways. It’s a must-listen for any aspiring startup founder.
Let me know if you download any of these podcasts! I’d love to hear the insights you got from listening to these people. Share with me also any new podcasts you may discover!
