Welcome to my list of the best podcasts you need to hear! If I tried to be cool, I’d tell you that my favorite podcasts are Serial and Freakonomics; but I’m not – so I won’t.
As a career mom, wife, martial artist and blogger/writer – my “free” hours are limited. Any sort of self education happens during my drives to work. And those hours are consumed by audiobooks, belting out duets with my 4 year old and these podcasts (obsessed!) below. As you can see, I binge on words that are motivation, science and happiness related — instructional and inspirational guidance pertaining to health, wellness, business, biohacking and holistic living. Words on self empowerment and betterment. I need cheerleaders, I guess.
What gages whether or not a podcast will make it to my must-hear subscription queue is whether they are educational and entertainment dense. i.e — Are they nutrients for the mind? Will they create more brainfolds and up my life – or will they be mastering my life in the art of time suckage instead?
These do more than satisfy the prerequisites. I got a chance to connect with all of my favorite podcasters and heed their words on why they started their podcast in the first place.
+ This is my place of happy. An inspirational stop where the glorious Jenna Ushkowitz (aka GLEE’s Tina Chang and fellow Korean!) reinforces into your psyche that you can pursue your dreams and squash your inhibitions. This is a perfect and spiritually delicious podcast — and I get out of my car feeling revived and hopeful. I just wish she aired an episode everyday.
“I started Infinite Positivities as an extension of my book, wanting to continue to share new perspectives on living life with a positive outlook. I’m so used to being the one who is interviewed so learning how to lead a conversation was definitely something that was daunting and scary to me. My rule is to continue to do things that make me nervous or scared so- I guess this was just another obstacle to overcome. That’s part of what I speak to my guests about, is facings obstacles and pushing yourself to do new things that will allow you to grow and expand as a human. In the end, sharing the incredible stories my inspiring guests have makes it all worth it — and needless to say, I’m very happy I took the risk!” – Jenna Ushkowitz
+ New York Times Best Selling Author and School of Greatness podcast host, Lewis Howes is doing something incredible. He’s a former professional football player turned inspirational speaker who carries his confidence with gratitude and modesty. SUCH a careful balance. Even The White House and President Obama have offered him accolade and recognized him as one of the top entrepreneurs in the country under 30. An obvious choice.
Lewis Howes’ podcast isn’t about him being great — it’s his guided ushering on how YOU can be greater. His past guests have included health and fitness expert, Mark Sisson, Shawn Stevenson (see below), Jenna Ushkowitz (see above), Tony Robbins (needs no intro), Jack Canfield, Dr. Mark Hyman, Alanis Morisette (I fell in love with her all over again after this interview) – among a slew of other top lifestyle and cultural leaders. You need to tune in. He’s pretty…shall we say. GREAT.
“When I first moved to LA from New York, I was spending a ton of time sitting in traffic. I realized that everyone around me needed something great to listen to. I knew a lot of great people I wanted to learn from. So I started a podcast to learn and share from the best.” – Lewis Howes
+ If you strive for superhuman qualities, then come on in. Dave Asprey brings in the best-in-the-business guests – and spills the beans on all his own biohacking tricks — from his bulletproof coffee nourishment, infrared sauna practices and stress hacking know hows. He ushers us on a path to supercharging our minds and bulletproofing our lives. The best part is that he practices what he preaches and lives a kickass empowered life and is keeping the 100 lbs he lost…forever off. Why wouldn’t you be sold?
I became obsessed with his podcast once his bulletproof coffee started seeping into the cultural ether. It made me inquisitive about all of his life hacking tricks since his bulletproof coffee was delivering its promises of mental alertness, high energy (without jitters) and an obliteration of pesky sugar cravings.
I’ve been making it almost every morning despite the time limitations inherited by getting a million things done all before I’m out the door at 6:45 am every morning. BUT – I’m a happier girl these days because he just introduced a new product – Instamix, which is instant bulletproof coffee. Bulletproof octane oil and grassfed butter in powder form. You just pour it into your hot coffee, shake it in an enclosed thermos……and WOAH!
“I started Bulletproof Radio to provide information, techniques and keys to help people perform at their very best. I wanted a place listeners could come to be inspired and learn to take control of and improve their biochemistry, body and mind so they work in unison, helping them execute at levels far beyond what they would expect – without burning out, getting sick or allowing stress to control decisions.” – Dave Asprey
photo courtesy of BULLETPROOF
In case you missed it, HERE’Sa cool interview my super friend, Dr. Jennifer Jones did with the Man.
+ Kimberly Snyder has one of the loveliest and approachable demeanors. She’s a Georgetown grad, a NYT bestselling author, a stunning yogini, a practice-what-she-preaches nutrition and beauty expert, a world traveler, an unbeatable and empowered businesswomen (I love her Kimberly Snyder branded SBO probioticsand take them daily!) — and the girl’s girl whom you can trust. You know, the one who has your back. I love her perfected casual conversational style, her joyful laughs – and her confidence in her approach.
Kimberly Snyder is her own best PR. She’s an appreciator of life – and that’s the best kind of life expert. Plus, wouldn’t want to radiate like her….or any of her clients. Like Drew Barrymore, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan…shall I go on?
I’ve also devoured all of her books. Her most recent one is called THE BEAUTY DETOX POWERand it’s a full scope view nourishing your mind AND the body and the interconnections between the two. Pick it up.
“For me, I decided not to take the easier route of writing a more straight forward book about just specific foods, but I felt a calling to dive deeper into offering what I saw as the biggest need all around me: for women and people everywhere to understand that health and our weight and our beauty are based in other factors than just simply what is on our fork or how we work out. Namely the role of our mind, which affects everything from our gut health, to our digestion, to food cravings, to the actual shape of our body through our repeated thoughts and beliefs.” – Kimberly Snyder
+ Now this is a great one and it comes from the publishers of Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Press and HBR.org. You’re delivered advice from the all the best minds in business and management. Their guests and subjects range from YAHOO!’s Marissa Mayer, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, Dr. Ruth Westheimer — and a variety of the top professors and authors, internationally. Dig in.
JJ Virgin is a 4 time NYT bestselling author — and she should be. She will change your life if you obey her words.
JJ Virgin suffered one of the greatest scares any woman could undergo which was almost losing her child. Even though she was on the right track before — her life and its priorities were straightened without any degree of forgiveness after her world was almost shattered. She now makes it her purpose to live a life of self empowerment and betterment. And in so doing – she has made it her loud mission to serve others and lead them on a path to living a resilient, fuller and more colorful life as well.
If you have food sensitivities and gut issues (or want to lose a few pounds) – you need to familiarize yourself with this woman. She holds your hand as you conquer your food intolerances, sugar cravings and overall human weaknesses. By helping you get your health in line – she gets helps you get your life in line. Check out her Sugar Impact Diet and don’t miss a podcast episode! They’re educational and succinct – making her tips so ridiculously easy to follow.
“I am always looking for ways to serve my community better as well as feature some of my amazing friends and peers in our health and personal development community so a podcast was a natural next step!” – JJ Virgin
+ This man was born to lead — and despite his fortunate face and physicality, he was born for radio (or I guess we can say – in today’s day – podcasts). That VOICE and the words that emanate from them are unbeatable. Shawn Stevenson is a powerful messenger and was put on this earth for huge reasons.
Shawn Stevenson is our own personal trainer (for free!) in charge of your mind and your body. He convinces us that we are all amazing — and he’s on a mission to make us the GREATEST version of ourselves which can be accessed through smart nutrition, physical exercise and a transformational mindset. And he does so successfully.
He reminds me — that regardless of what friends have said about me behind my back, mocking my aspirations — and regardless of how much I want to sit in sadness or dwell about it – I won’t let anyone or anything hold me back. Use anything you experience to be greater. Be bigger.
Let go of the past, learn from past adversities and see them as gifts of opportunity to serve and be a better person. Stop holding onto excuses and move forward. Lead with compassion and listen. Invest in people and have them invest in you. “Circulate that energy,” he tells us. His words are always powerful — and more importantly, doable.
Shawn Stevenson is a true holistic coach — tackling everything about the whole person: from nutrition, fitness, lifestyle and the spiritual mind.
“I created The Model Health Show to fill an important space in the health field. I was driven to make complex health issues ultra simple for everyone, and deliver it in a way that was fun, engaging, and leaving people feeling empowered.” – Shawn Stevenson
There is no greater connoisseur. Terry Gross has an unbeatable knack for conversation and she should be everyone’s cultural ambassador. I’ve listed her podcast as one of My Favorite Thingsfrom last year — and she and they still are. Don’t miss an episode.
This podcast has been selected iTunes’ BEST of 2014 and BEST of 2015 and for good reason. #1 NYT BestsellerTim Ferris deconstructs the best of the best in the field of art, music, sports, etc. My favorite part is he asks what we all want to know from our cultural heroes. “What is your morning routine?”
Don’t miss any of his upcoming guests — and go back to his pieces on Edward Norton, Tony Robbins, Rick Rubin and so many more.
Founder of NASTYGAL.COMand author of of NYT Bestseller #GirlBoss, Sophia Amoruso continuously hits it out of the park with her podcast. She features female artists, innovators and entrepreneurs like the founder of Classpass, the editor in chief of Marie Claire and musician Yuna.
She’s a natural in getting the scoop. Sophia offers up a serving of glam and inspiration with each delicious episode.
best podcasts you need to hear
+++ That’s it! Have fun with it and have a wonderful week! We’re almost in MAY – my favorite month of the year.
+++ AND STAY TUNED FOR SHE SAID’S NEXT PIECE: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ONE AND ONLY MARGARET CHO. We talk shop on her new album, music making, rape, children, miscarriages, happiness, sadness — and my favorite part…being Korean.
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