Headphones on + Press Play ▶
There are countless ways to absorb information these days, and the best part is that you can tailor your information intake to suit your learning style.
Podcasts, a medium that burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, are as diverse as books in terms of genres. They cover a wide range of topics, from mental health, relationships, financial literacy, career growth, culinary arts, true crime, and comedy. The sheer variety of podcast topics, coupled with the convenience of listening on the go, will keep you comfortable and coming back for more.
Podcast origins are accredited to software engineer Dave Winer, journalist Christopher Lydon, and MTV VJ Adam Curry. From there, the iPodder program was created, further evolving into the podcast subscription service that Steve Jobs implemented into iTunes, now called Apple Podcast. He did not reinvent the wheel, he included it in the overall service provided. Podcasts then transformed from a tech niche to a mainstream medium (Son, Mina).
Therapy for Black Girls
Therapy for Black Girls founder and author of Sisterhood Heals, Dr. Joy Bradford, a licensed psychologist, discusses mental health and “the small decisions we can make to become the best versions of ourselves.”
The R Spot
On her weekly podcast, The R Spot, spiritual life coach Iyanla Vanzant, “invites callers to share their personal relationship issues during live sessions to help inspire, grow, and guide them and other listeners to ‘do the work’ toward healing.”
Brown Ambition
Tiffany Aliche, aka The Budgetnista, and Mandi Woodruff host the investment show Brown Ambition to help their audience learn how to build wealth through investing, saving, and navigating career moves.
Your Mama’s Kitchen
Journalist Michele Norris hosts the weekly podcast Your Mama’s Kitchen. She talks to people from all walks of life like Michelle Obama (Forever FLOTUS), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Actor), and Misty Copeland (Principal Ballerina of American Ballet Theatre) about their mother’s, or mother figure’s kitchen, how it was and what transpired in it helped to shape their lives. It’s fascinating!
Cookies and Crime
Be careful in the genre of True Crime, and it can have you falling down the rabbit hole of one show after the other while pondering why truth is stranger than fiction. Cookies and Crime, hosted by Karen Thi, intersects the worlds of real-life crime and delectable cookie decoration. It is the combination you did not know you needed.
Here’s the Thing
There are comedy shows like Here’s the Thing, hosted by Kevin Fredericks and Angel Moore, better known as Kev On Stage and That Chick Angel, respectively. This show is a GOOD time every week and will keep you laughing from their catchy theme song to the episode’s end. They discuss current events through the lens of comedy; we all could use a dose of laughter.
Woman Evolve
The breadth and depth of faith podcasts are almost innumerable, and some of the top-rated shows are Sarah Jakes Roberts’ Woman Evolve, where she is her authentic self and welcomes others to do the same while encouraging her delegation to continue seeking God.
Many more podcasts run the gamut of topics with the overall goal of helping you in some way. Podcasts provide education and entertainment that listeners can enjoy around the clock. Some are subscription-based, and many are free to listen to on your chosen provider, such as Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Audible. By listening to these podcasts, you can stay informed, enlightened, and entertained, all at the same time.
In addition to the podcast named above, here are a few more to get you going:
Myleik Teele’s Podcast (Careers)
Professional Troublemaker with Luvvie Ajayi Jones (Entrepreneurship)
Redefining Wealth with Patrice Washington (Self-improvement)
The Stacks hosted by Traci Thomas (Books)
We Can Do Hard Things with Abby, Glennon, and Amanda (Relationships)
You Need to Hear This with Nedra Glover Tawwab (Self-improvement)
With The Perrys (Christianity)
In the Light, the podcast hosted by Dr. Anita Phillips (Christianity and Mental Health)
Jemele Hill is Unbothered (Society & Culture)
Dead Ass with Khadeen and Devale Ellis (Society & Culture)
Angie Martinez IRL (Music and Relationships)
Color Me Country Radio with Rissi Palmer (Music Commentary)
The Journey with Morgan Debaun (Entrepreneurship)
Citation
Son, Mina. "The Complete History of Podcasts." Descript, 29 Nov. 2023. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Brittany is a book lover with a continuously expanding To Be Read (TBR) List and her unofficial love language is good food! She lives in an Atlanta suburb with her husband and two daughters.