The best podcasts for business owners are hard to find. There are simply too many to choose from (over 2 million in general, and around 150 thousand in the business category)!
Even expert listeners agree: “Though podcasts have been around for at least a decade, there’s still no central database or clearinghouse for the thousands of podcasts out there,” Dana Gerber-Margie, who runs a podcast review website, told the New York Times.
The best way to begin, then, is to get recommendations.
In this post, we list the five best podcasts for business owners, explain why they’re worth listening to, and share a few bonus recommendations from our team here at TextExpander.
Why listen to podcasts
As a busy entrepreneur, you may not have the time to read business cases, stay up to date with business news, or read books on topics affecting the workplace.
That’s where podcasts come in. Podcasts are an engaging way for busy people to stay informed because they don’t require an additional investment of time.
As Rachel Holliday Smith wrote in A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Into Podcasts, “podcasts are all about killing two birds with one stone by listening while you do other things.”
Listen to a podcast during your workout, your commute, at the office, while cooking dinner, during travel—whenever and wherever you want to learn.
Although there are podcasts in multiple categories, business podcasts are especially useful for founders, managers, and entrepreneurs. The best podcasts for business owners will give you fresh insights that will help you tackle business challenges and grow.
The best podcasts for business owners
Here are the five best podcasts for business owners.
1. The Gary Vee Audio Experience
Rated 4.9 stars on Apple, the podcast hosted by entrepreneur, CEO, investor, vlogger, and public speaker Gary Vaynerchuk is a hit with entrepreneurs from all walks of life—from stay-at-home moms to hustlers in their twenties to retired folks who have just bought their first NFT.
Mixing business advice with self-help—the podcast features episodes like “How to Start The Journey of Self-Love Right Now”—The Gary Vee Audio Experience is the equivalent of churchgoing for entrepreneurs, with daily pep talks (ranging anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours) that preach kindness and empathy as the path for business growth.
Listeners love Gary for his “realness”, which often expresses itself in no-nonsense advice and swearing.
Listen if: You’re an entrepreneur without formal business training.
Skip if: You’re uncomfortable with cursing.
2. The Tim Ferriss show
Hosted by the bestselling author of 4-Hour Workweek, The Tim Ferriss show features long-form interviews with world-class performers—people like Malcolm Gladwell, Tony Robbins, and Arnold Schwarzenegger—to uncover their secrets to success.
Interviews last approximately two hours, and topics range from time travel to New Year’s Resolutions to parenting to biohacking.
Listen if: You like to surprise yourself by learning about random topics and be inspired by ideas and people outside your industry.
Skip if: You don’t have the patience or the time to listen to long-form interviews or prefer podcasts that focus on one theme.
3. Startup Stories – Mixergy
In this podcast, internet startup entrepreneur Andrew Warner interviews successful founders to discover how they made it. Past interviewees include the founders of Pixar, Wikipedia, Groupon, and LinkedIn.
Listeners appreciate Warner’s enthusiasm and interview style—which involves asking personal and intense questions that get his guests to speak up on things they wouldn’t normally share.
If you want to dig in, the podcast’s website has compiled the archive of over 1,500 interviews in helpful categories based on company types (B2B, SaaS), business topics (marketing, bootstrapping, sell your business, customer acquisition), collections (women founders, starting a business) and popular searches (failure, outsourcing).
Listen if: You want actionable tips and advice from the world’s top founders.
Skip if: You get annoyed by hosts who continuously interrupt their guests.
4. Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn
In this podcast, which has been downloaded over 60 million times and boasts a 4.8-star rating on Apple Podcasts, Pat Flynn—startup advisor and serial entrepreneur—discusses online business strategies, income sources, and marketing tactics for creating multiple passive income streams.
Listeners love Pat for being humble and relatable and for providing a wealth of valuable and actionable advice for entrepreneurs.
Listen if: You want to build an online business.
Skip if: You’re turned off by the occasional personal/vulnerable content.
5. HBR Ideacast
With episodes of approximately twenty minutes, this popular weekly podcast features interviews with leading thinkers in business and management on topics ranging from how to use your vacation to why you need both ambition and humility to get ahead.
Described by listeners as “professional development at your fingertips” and “short little talks to widen your general knowledge,” HBR Ideacast is a hit with workers of all industries.
Listen if: You want information on a wide range of topics affecting the business world and the future of work.
Skip if: You don’t think complex topics should be covered in twenty minutes.
Best podcasts for business owners: staff picks
Chelsea Kane, Content and Community Marketing Manager
“9 to 5ish with theSkimm is one of the best podcasts in my opinion—I’ve been a subscriber of theSkimm since its inception almost a decade ago. In this podcast, they interview females in a wide range of industries and roles about career advice. Regardless of what you do, you’ll walk away with one helpful nugget of wisdom that’s applicable in your life/career.”
Alex Kuklinski, Startup Program Manager
“How I Built This is my favorite, and really the only business one I listen to regularly. I love how it humanizes companies. Each major company was once a startup. It’s interesting to hear how they got started, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them to grow into the brands we know today. Fun facts: Warby Parker’s website didn’t exist until a few hours before they were to be featured in GQ and Vogue. Peloton had trouble selling their bikes early on. Raising prices helped them sell more because it came off more ‘premium.’”
Marcie Arvelo, Recruiter
“The Entreprenista Podcast is a weekly show featuring the stories of successful female founders and what it’s really like to run a business. TextExpander actually sponsors it. It’s packed with great advice on how to build and scale a business from successful women who’ve done it.”
Listen to podcasts to learn anywhere
Podcasts are a wonderful way to stay informed, learn new things, and gain inspiration as a business owner, manager, or entrepreneur. The perfect listening companion for your workout, commute, or walking break, podcasts are a wonderful source of thought-provoking conversations that can inspire you and help you tackle daily challenges.
For more TextExpander favorites, check out a few of the podcasts we’re sponsoring this year:
- Entreprenista
- Elevate with Robert Glazer
- Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu
- How I Built It
- The Jordan Harbinger Show
We’re always on the lookout for new podcasts! Do you have a favorite? Share them in the comments below!
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