7 Essential Podcasts for Business Students
All the information you need to plan your path to success.
Podcasts have been around for more than a decade, but they have exploded in popularity recently. There now seems to be high-quality new podcasts launching every day, discussing everything from professional sports and productivity, to comedy and cars.
For business students and young professionals, there are countless audio shows that deliver the latest news, fascinating stories, and career advice you can use to stay informed and get ahead in the business world. The best of these feature really smart people discussing important topics in the same way you would when conversing with your own friends. And because you can listen on the go, they’re awesome for multitasking—listening while walking to class, going to the gym or commuting to work.
Below, we’ve listed seven of our favorites — in no particular order — and we’d love to hear any suggestions you have. Send us an email to SocialMedia@InsureMyPath.org, tweet us at @InsureMyPath, or post on our page at Facebook.com/InsureMyPath.
1. Freakonomics Radio
You’ve probably heard of Freakonomics, which has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide and was followed by four sequels that writer Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt published together, selling millions more. The podcast has a similar approach to the books, looking at economic research behind all kinds of everyday phenomena, often with surprising and sometimes controversial findings.
2. Inc. Uncensored
This weekly roundup of news from the editors and writers at Inc. magazine offers a casual conversation about technology, start-ups, entrepreneurs and some of the more entertaining business stories out there. The “uncensored” part signals two aspects of the show that make it a fun listen: a) they curse, but more importantly, b) they don’t hold back when they have an opinion.
3. Slate Money
Similar to Inc. Uncensored but with more of a focus on finance, Slate Money is an irreverent discussion by business writers and thinkers about the major news of the day. In recent episodes, you can understand how insurance for Uber works, learn why wine ratings are notoriously unreliable, and hear about the business of podcasting itself.
4. Marketplace
American Public Media’s Marketplace is like the business page of the daily newspaper, but in audio form. It’s simply an essential listen to make sure you’re on top of all the latest business headlines of the day. The show’s reporters compile all the big news into easily digestible stories, often breaking down the complex into fun tidbits and insights. If the daily weekday evening show isn’t enough, there are also morning, midday and weekend editions.
5. The Moment
Host Brian Koppelman talks to all sorts of people with creative careers about the pivotal moments that changed the directions of their lives. Filled with honest perspectives and practical advice about what successful people did to get where they are, it’s a great listen for anyone looking not only for career advice, but also perceptions about living life to the fullest.
6. StartUp
StartUp is a fascinating listen even if you aren’t an entrepreneur. Its first season was essentially an audio documentary by Alex Blumberg, an award-winning public radio producer, about his ambitions to start a podcasting company. Now it’s an episodic narrative podcast about the creation of StartUp and the launch of its show. The second season looks behind the scenes of an online dating startup, and future seasons will look at other new companies.
7. Planet Money
This award-winning show, co-founded by the aforementioned Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson, tackles all kinds of seemingly dense and indecipherable business and finance news, but explains it in a conversational and often very clever way. Our favorite episode? The one about how insurance works.
Have any others you’d suggest? Don’t forget to send your favorites in an email to SocialMedia@InsureMyPath.org, tweet us at @InsureMyPath or post on our page at Facebook.com/InsureMyPath.
Looking for more ways to beef up your business knowledge that aren’t boring? Check out our list of eight great business books that make surprisingly good beach reads.
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