My Four Favorite Podcasts
Learning new things is at the top of my list of things that I like to do. Over the past several years, I have made a transition where more and more of the information that I learn comes via podcasts. For those of you not familiar with the concept, a podcast is “series” normally of digital recordings. There’s programs available for every make and model of smartphone, tablet, or PC that allow you to subscribe to the series and follow along. What’s fascinating about podcasts is that there is one for just about every interest under the sun. Further, you find that people have their favorites – just like TV series.
My taste in podcasts runs toward personal and professional development. While I’ve listened to a number of different podcasts, there are four that are on my “must listen” to list. I listen to every one of the new releases of these; and, I can honestly say, that every episode teaches me something new.
Today – in the spirit of the NCAA tournament — I’m going to highlight my “Final Four”. Hopefully you’ll find one of them to your liking. If not, spend a bit of time searching iTunes or the Android marketplace for something in your area of interest. Without further ado, my “Final Four”….
#4 – Pat Flynn’s “Smart Passive Income”
Back in 2008 Pat Flynn found himself unceremoniously laid off from his job as an architect. Pat’s all about learning and helping others. As such he’d been studying for the “LEEDS exam” (credentials for folks that focus on energy efficiency) and sharing his learnings on a personal website. Shortly after getting laid off, he came across the idea of monetizing that website. Pat’s grown that simple idea in to a nearly seven figure business!
What’s fascinating about Pat is that he is 100% transparent. He shows folks how he has gone about building his business. Along the way he share tips, tricks, and tactics on how to build your own “passive income” business. Mind you, passive does NOT mean no work. Rather it means that you will be able to generate income from products and service that are not a straight “time for money” exchange.
Pat’s podcast is a great place for folks that want to understand how internet businesses are earning money. Further, the information he shares translates exceptionally well to physical businesses as well.
Finally, Pat’s one of the nicest people you will ever “meet” (I’ve not met him / just listened to him!) on the internet. People continually rave about his generosity and helpfulness.
Pat’s website can be found here.
#3 – Corbett Barr, Chase Reeves, and Barrett Brook’s “The Fizzle Show”
Number three on the list is NOT for the faint of heart. The guys bill their podcast as:
- A podcast for creative entrepreneurs and honest business builders who want to earn a living doing something they care about.
These guys take you behind the making of the sausage. They are smart, insightful, funny and irreverent beyond belief!
While the podcast is similar to Flynn’s it’s a bit more “edgy” and it gets in to the details of things much more in depth. They share great information that has been priceless to me in starting my business.
They’ve also got a “community” that you can join if you want/need support in your journey. I pay to be part of the community because I sincerely feel that I OWE them the payment – they share that much information.
Fair warning, these guys are not afraid to poke fun of anything – themselves included – at any time. As such, sometimes the podcast can get a little off track. But that’s what I like about them – they are real and they don’t try and be anything but themselves. This is by far the “funnest” podcast to listen to of the four on the list.
“The Fizzle Show” can be found here.
#2 – Michael Hyatt’s “This is Your Life”
Some folks that have been reading so far may wonder whether podcasts are useful/applicable to “traditional” business. Listen to a few episodes of Michael Hyatt’s “This is Your Life” and any concerns you have related to this thought will quickly evaporate.
Hyatt was the CEO of Thomas Nelson publishing – one of the largest publisher of Christian books in the world. Hyatt decided that he wanted to step aside from the corporate world back in 2012. Since that time he has focused on helping people “build their platform”.
What’s interesting about Hyatt’s podcast is that “platform building” spans both the traditional AND the new economies. However, Hyatt has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and stories related to the traditional corporate environment.
Readers that are looking for material they can put to use immediately in a corporate setting will find it in each of Hyatt’s podcasts. However, his transition to the new virtual economy also has him sharing how to apply his experiences to this realm.
Hyatt’s is a great place to start for anyone that is asking “is that all there is to life”. His spirituality comes through very clearly in to podcast WITHOUT being overtly “preachy”. His holds the number two slot on my list as I can relate to his journey and really do look at him as a virtual mentor in many ways.
Hyatt’s website can be found here.
#1 – John Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur on Fire
And now we come to the best of the best. The undisputed champion in my book. John Lee Dumas has built a multi-million dollar business from his podcast in under three years. And he earns every penny of it through his tireless work effort and his incredible content.
Dumas’ podcast follows a simple formula – interview a different entrepreneur each day. That simple formula is pure genius.
What Dumas has done is provide both wannabe and existing entrepreneurs case studies of some of the best and brightest minds. He uses a standard script that has his guests share their failures, success, stories, tips, tricks, and resources.
While they may not be HBR case studies, I would argue that they are BETTER. They take you down in the trenches with entrepreneurs that share freely what works and what does not work. No other on-line resource has provided me with the amount and depth of knowledge that John’s podcast does
John’s website can be found here.
So there you have it. My top four podcasts. The four podcasts that I listen to EVERY episode that they produce. I’d encourage you to take a listen to each of these and see what you think. You may be surprised at how much information there is out in cyberspace that can help you learn new things, grow as an individual and live life more fully.
If you liked this post, you might want to check out these as well:
