The popularity of podcasts has skyrocketed in recent years with 68 million people listening to them every week. That’s a lot of people. As a result, there are a lot of podcasts to choose from—over 1,000,000, to be exact. From comedy, to business, to true crime—or my personal favorite, self-development, there’s definitely a podcast for you. However, like many industries, women make up the minority in the podcasting world. Only 22% of podcasts are female-run and are often overlooked despite the inspiring women behind them. So, to bring some well-deserved attention to them, I’ve made a list of my favorite binge-worthy podcasts that also happen to be hosted by women. Whether you’re new to podcasts or a long-time listener, grab your ear buds and open Spotify because these are 7 women-run podcasts you need to add to your queue.
- Crime Junkie
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Starting off with one of all-time favorite podcasts, Crime Junkie is hosted by two amazing powerhouse women, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat. These women have been best friends since birth in Indianapolis and founded this highly addicting podcast on their mutual love for true-crime back in 2017. Each episode they dive deep into a new case of either an unsolved murder, a missing person’s case, or a serial killer. I promise, you will be hooked by their gripping story-telling from the first episode and won’t be able to get enough.
- Self-Helpless
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Taylor Tomlinson, Kelsey Cook and Delanie Fisher make an iconic comedic trio by delivering your daily dose of self-improvement with a dash of laughter. Listening to this podcast is like spending time with a close friend; there is never a shortage of support, motivation, and uncensored jokes. It’s a perfect balance between serious and funny, and a great way to start your morning. You truly cannot go wrong with this one.
- Souls at Sundown
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This down-to-earth conversational podcast hosted by YouTuber Meghan Hughes started as a place for Hughes to share music. Along with music, though, she now incorporates unfiltered conversations on engaging topics like white privilege, self-love, making friends in your 20s, dealing with mental health and so much more. Hughes gives some big sister advice on anything and everything. There are absolutely no boundaries to this podcast, so you can expect a raw, honest chat while also finding some new songs to add to your playlists.
- Passing Through
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With her immersive storytelling, Nneka Julia shares her revelations and the wisdom she has collected through her travels and conversations with others. I have yet to find a narrative podcast as beautifully done as this one. Julia speaks with immense insight on experiences we’ve all faced. It’s an ode to life and the lessons we can learn through reflection and self-awareness.
- The YIKES Podcast
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If you’re concerned about the health of the Earth and want to make a difference but maybe feel overwhelmed or don’t know what to do, The YIKES Podcast is a great place to start. Mikaela Loach and Jo Becker are two young climate activists who started this podcast to make learning about climate change and human rights less intimidating and more hopeful. Not only is this a very engaging podcast, but as a bonus, Loach and Becker are both from Edinburgh so their voices are silk.
- The Goal Digger Podcast
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Anyone who wants to start or grow their business should listen to this podcast. Jenna Kutcher is a business woman extraordinaire who grew her wedding photography business into a seven-figure empire and is now teaching others how to do it themselves. She goes over everything you need to know from finding your niche, marketing strategies, how to brand yourself, planning for productivity and growth—the list goes on and on. It’s a one-stop-shop podcast. Trust me, even if you don’t already have an idea for a business, you will after listening to this.
- Invisibilia
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And last, but certainly not least: Invisibilia by NPR is hosted by Alix Spiegel and Hanna Rosin, two incredible, thought-provoking women who cover a variety of questions surrounding psychology and human behavior. It’s an easy-to-listen-to (and not to mention addicting) podcast where you’ll not only learn useful information about others, but about yourself. They touch upon the complexities of love and relationships, dealing with grief, different personalities types, materialistic attachments and much more. The information is highly valuable to anyone and I cannot recommend it enough.