My Favorite Podcasts for Motivation, Girl Talk & True Crime

Most of you know I spend a LOT of time in the car. I commute pretty regularly from Orange County to Los Angeles for auditions, classes, blog events, etc. If you’ve ever attempted to make that commute, you know it can be pretty unpredictable at times, AND if it’s any time after 3PM you’re most likely going to be sitting in 2-hour traffic.

I’m not a very patient person and was not sure how this commuting life was going to work for me (read: road rage), but podcasts have SAVED my life. I can honestly say there are days I don’t mind the commute and sometimes I’ll get home just to sit in my car for 20 more minutes to finish the podcast.

Listening to podcasts has helped me feel more productive while driving, which is great. Before when I would just listen to music I felt like so much of my day was wasted. At least with podcasts, I’m almost always guaranteed to learn something new, feel inspired or motivated, and if nothing else get my brain to work a little.

That said, I think there’s a podcast for every type of mood. Sometimes I want to be motivated, think about my business, and learn how to be a more well-rounded person, and other times I want to be purely entertained with some silly, mindless talk. Sometimes I want neither of those things and I’d rather listen to something that’s a little thought-provoking but entertaining at the same time — which for me, is anything true-crime. I grew up watching true-crime shows, and getting them via podcast is so fun. (That’s actually how I started listening to podcasts… a la Serial Season One).

I know a lot of you are in my position as well and constantly relying on podcasts to get you through a commute or a long work day, so without further ado… here are my current favorites to date!

Motivational

The GaryVee Audio Experience

Gary is an entrepreneur and CEO of VaynerMedia, but he also is an author and public speaker. I’ll be honest, at first, I couldn’t get over how loud he is and his voice is pretty harsh, but it also became one of the reasons I like him. He’s very tough-love about a lot of things and says it like it is. Most of his career took off in his 30’s so I feel like he has a good perspective of what it takes to be successful. Each episode is a little different, and I like to hop around and pick and choose which one speaks to me the most, but I always go for one of his episodes when I’m feeling like I need a swift kick in the butt (i.e. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself and/or making excuses).

The Tim Ferriss Show

You might have heard of Tim from his book “The Four Hour Work Week”. I’m pretty new to his podcast but I’ve enjoyed quite a few. He interviews extremely successful people and you get to hear about their routines, tips, and tools they’ve used to get them to where they are today. I always love hearing how people got to where they are, and I really admire Tim for his interviewing skills. I’ll think of a question and before I know it, he’s asking them that same question. I never feel like I end a podcast needing to know more because he’ll cover ait all.

Him & Her Podcast

Lauryn from “The Skinny Confidential” has been one of my favorite bloggers since I started blogging, so listening to her podcast was a must for me. She has a very funny/sarcastic/bantering dynamic with her husband Michael, who runs the podcast with her. They are both extremely driven people and it is motivating and inspiring to listen to them. Lauryn is known for finding ways to make life better/easier/more glamorous and she brings that to each podcast episode as well. (Sometimes I’ll fast forward through the beginning if I’m in a hurry because there’s a lot of chatter, but once you get to the interview portion you won’t be disappointed! So much helpful information!)

The Influencer Podcast

If you are an influencer or work in social media, you will LOVE this podcast by publicist Julie Soloman. She interviews ALL types of people in the influencer sphere, from bloggers to business owners, to marketers. I’ve found that each episode leaves me feeling like I’m not alone in the blogging world, and I always come out with a tidbit of useful information.

The Creative Empire Podcast

New to this one, but subscribed after listening to the episode with Reina on The Influencer Podcast (above). I love that it’s geared towards creative business owners which is a category I would put myself in, and find that there’s tons of helpful information in the episodes I’ve listened to so far.

Girl Boss Radio

This is exactly what it sounds like – a podcast filled with Girl Bosses. It is run by Sophia Amoruso (who was the creator of NastyGal), and I love her sense of humour.

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations

I mean… Oprah. Need I say more? Sometimes you need a little bit of Oprah in your life and the fact you can have that while driving in stressful traffic — it’s a godsend really.

The Rich Roll Podcast

My girlfriends from The Vegan View turned me onto this podcast. Rich has an inspiring story himself as a lawyer turned podcaster/author and he’s got a very interesting approach to life. He’s big on personal development so many of the episodes are focused on that. Whenever I’m feeling like I want to listen to something that will help me become a better person, this is what I listen to.

Goal Digger

This is another new one to me but in the few episodes I’ve listened to I’ve discovered useful apps that have saved me money – which to me, is a win! There’s a little bit of something for everybody here, so whatever you’re interested in, you’ll find an episode that is helpful to you.

Entertainment

Watch What Crappens

Holy Moly if you are a Bravo TV show fan and you are NOT listening to this podcast, what are you doing with your lives?! This is run by Ronny and Ben, two hilariously talented guys that are killer at impressions. They recap each episode complete with impersonations of every member of the show and they ALWAYS say what you’re thinking but don’t say out loud. When I was in college I loved watching reality TV with my girlfriends because we could look at each other and say “OMG did he/she really just do that?” Now that my friends are living in different places and we can’t get together for every show, Ronny & Ben really fill that void for me.

The Lady Gang

Becca Tobin (actress from Glee), Keltie Knight (TV host on Entertainment Tonight) and Jac Vanek (Owner, jacvanek.com) make up “The Lady Gang” and I LOVE their dynamic. Each girl brings something different to the table personality and perspective wise and they make you feel as though you’re hanging out with your girlfriends chatting in every episode. They also frequently have guests on which is so fun and often insightful. Whenever I’m feeling something light-hearted I put them on because I’m always in a good mood after listening to them.

Where Should We Begin?

Esther Perel is a therapist and her podcast is made up of real recordings from couples therapy sessions with real clients of hers. The names are kept secret for privacy purposes but everything else is raw and real. It’s a peek behind the curtain (so to speak). She interviews all types of couples and it’s so interesting to hear about the troubles these couples face and Esther’s recommendations for them to overcome it.

Strangers

This podcast is on a break but if you haven’t listened to it, you must go back and listen to every episode. Each episode is a different stranger’s story and it’s really interesting. There’s no way to explain it really, you’ll just have to listen and take my word for it.

Invisibilia

I love this podcast when I’m in a thinking mood. I wouldn’t necessarily call it “entertainment” but it didn’t really fit into any other category. This podcast is about “invisible things” that have an impact on our life — ideas, beliefs and assumptions. I haven’t listened to all the episodes but every now and then I’ll put one on and wonder why I don’t listen to it more often.

True Crime

Serial (Season 1)

This is the first podcast I ever listened to. I started it on a 6-hour road trip with Jesse and when we got to our destination we sat for hours finishing the podcast. This is still one of my favorite podcasts to date and if you haven’t listened to it, it’s a must. The podcast revolves around a murder that happened to a high school girl and her ex-boyfriend who was convicted of the murder. They interview people who knew them both, who remember the crime, and who worked directly with it. There’s so much room for speculation and you really feel as though you’re figuring out the crime with the journalist as the podcast goes on.

Dirty John

I loved this podcast because it’s based in Orange County, and a lot of the places they were talking about were places I’ve been to before. It’s crazy to think that something like this can happen so close to home. This is about a mom who embarks on an online dating adventure and ends up meeting the man of her dreams, but he’s got a lot to hide.

S-Town

I wasn’t sure where this podcast was going but I was thoroughly entertained through the entire season. It’s hard to recap it without giving it away, but this is beautifully produced and will keep you wanting to listen to the next episode immediately — my favorite kind of podcast.

Stranglers

This is a pretty dark and twisted podcast so I would only recommend if you’re REALLY into true crime stuff. It’s about the “Strangler” murderer who committed 13 murder in Boston in the 1960’s and it’s uncertain if he was ever really caught.

Criminal

I love that each episode is it’s own separate story/case. This is the perfect podcast if you just want an episode for a quick fix but don’t want to dive deep into a full season like one of the podcasts mentioned above.

 

So that’s it for now, but let me know if you want to see updated posts of podcasts I’m loving. Also, leave your favorite podcasts down below, as I’m always on the hunt for new ones!

xo