In the past year or so, I have transformed into a podcast person. At first, I couldn’t really get into them and I didn’t understand how people could spend so much time just listening to someone. But truth be told, I actually really enjoy them.
Here’s a list of podcasts worth the listen.
Other People’s Lives by Joe Santagato and Greg Dybec
Each week, author Greg and YouTuber Joe listen to a voicemail from a complete stranger telling a story and give their two cents about the topic. Greg is author of “The Art of Living Other People’s Lives: Stories, Confessions, and Memorable Mistakes’ ‘ which inspired him to start this podcast with his good friend, Joe. Listeners call in anonymously each week and share a story, ranging from a voluntary homeless person, stories from war, a first-responder on 9/11 and conversations with an ex-convict. The transparency people have in this podcast and the comments and advice Greg and Joe share makes it such an interesting podcast and why I continue to tune in each week.
Transplants by Alec Flynn
“This podcast is dedicated to and produced for the people who thrive in a new city or state,” as creator and host Alec Flynn puts it. Alec shares some of his encounters and experiences when moving away from home and offers some advice and humorous remarks in doing so. Each episode, Alec reminisces on some of his first few months adapting to Colorado while sharing some do’s and don’ts when being a transplant. Additionally, he shares some stories about days in college, laughable spring-break trips, and brings some guests on the podcast to chat about why they decided to become a transplant themselves and provide the listener with some guidance and good laughs. I find myself listening to this podcast and recommending it to my close friends who are about to graduate college with me as we move to new states and locations ourselves. Alec’s sense of humor and honest advice is why I believe his podcast is worth the listen.
Terrible, Thanks For Asking by Nora McInerny
Has someone ever asked you “How are you?” and you dismiss the question and answer with “Fine?”. Well, this podcast is the complete opposite of that. Host Nora McInerny got a lot of her attention after speaking at a Ted Talk back in 2018. Here, she discussed how she miscarried her second child, how her dad died five days later, and how her husband died six weeks after that. Nora was going through a lot during this time and when asked if she was okay, she brushed it off. On this podcast, however, Nora opens up about these unfortunate experiences and talks with others about grief, love, loss, happiness, and everything in between. Nora asks listeners how they truly are and gives advice accordingly. This intense listen each week reminds me the value of a human life and after each listen I honestly just want to hug my mom.
Stuff You Should Know by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
Lastly, this podcast is for the person who just likes a podcast as background noise when they cook (aka me). I aspire to be someone that knows random facts and about random things so I can include my knowledge in conversations; I believe this podcast allows me to do just that. Each episode, for approximately 45 minutes, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant dissect a new topic. They cover topics I think everyone should know in life, such as how taxes, voting, and hangovers work along with some thought-provoking subjects like if mental illness can be cured with hallucinogenic drugs and the pros and cons of facial-recognition. I find myself listening to this podcast when on a long walk or road-trip and feel like I’m learning something new with each listen.