Apparently only 4% of the population listen to podcasts. I’ve been listening to them for around 12-18 months and I’d never look back. All the ‘dead time’ sat in the car or on a running machine is now spent passively learning new skills which I have implemented across my personal and professional life. I enjoy the benefits of podcasts so much that I’m always ‘selling’ them to people who say they’ve never listened to one.

I’m always actively searching for new ones but I tend to most enjoy those which have come recommended from like-minded people. I’ve spent a good amount of time over the last year trying out some rather low-quality channels so I would like to take the opportunity to share some of my favourite podcasts to save you some time:

The GaryVee Audio Experience

It’s hard not to like Gary Vaynerchuk. The channel covers everything from business advice, his thoughts on tech investments, motivation, social media marketing and interviews with an eclectic range of people.

Gary brings out a serious amount of podcast content; what I really like about his channel is that the length of podcasts can range from 4 -5 minutes right through to 1-2 hours, meaning I can pick an episode that is suitable duration to match what I’m doing. Whichever one you listen to I’m sure you’ll find yourself ‘fired up’ before the end of it.

I’ve picked up so many actionable tips from Gary Vaynerchuk and I’m sure you would as well. This is my firm favourite.

Art of Charm

This channel has really stood the test of time with over a decade in the game. I don’t enjoy every episode that they release but as they have such a bank of content I’m able to go through a huge amount of episodes and download something that’s right for me.

The podcasts cover numerous self-improvement techniques and interviews with industry experts. Whether you want tips on body language, mental preparation or, my personal favourite, 5 tips for remembering names and faces! This was always a massive weakness of mine which I’m now starting to improve thanks to the Art of Charm.

Ted Radio Hour

I’ve been a huge fan of Ted Talks for a long time, so the Ted Radio Hour seemed an obvious choice. A real mixed bag of interesting content that goes from useful day to day information through to topics about the Earth and Universe which can blow your mind! The majority of episodes are just under an hour which is my ideal duration as it almost perfectly fits in with my commute to the Thomas & George offices.

The Disruptive Entrepreneur

If you aren’t an entrepreneur I think there’s a lot that can still be taken from Rob Moore’s weekly podcast. If you are an entrepreneur you’re going to open yourself up to a great deal of fantastic ideas and Rob’s take on business, finance and marketing. I’m a big fan of Rob’s and like to hear his spin on things from how to be happier through to scaling a business.

I’ve checked my phone and I have 11 channels which I actively listen to, the above four made this list as the content is consistently interesting and useful. If this article turns you into a podcast convert then please let me know as I’d love to hear what you listened to.

If you’re already a big podcast fan and have any recommendations for me that centre around business, motivation and self-improvement then please comment below and I’ll give it a try!