I’m a rampant Audible listener. I binge about 1 book/week which means I’m constantly running out of books to listen to (I like historical fiction and only female protagonists). I know it’s very narrow but I like what I like! So lately, I’ve been circling back to some of my favorite podcasts.

I’ll listen to podcasts while I’m putzing around the house, running errands, or on a long drive home. (Spoiler alert: I’m so into Fohr Ground, I even listen during my commute/making dinner!)

During this time of year, I’m looking for a little inspiration and guidance; and if you’re reading this, you might be, too. And, if you can’t take a fabulous trip to Miami, you might need a different distraction. So here’s a list of my top 7 favorite podcasts to kick start your 2020. They’re motivating and insightful, or at the very least, entertaining. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Please note that the first few episodes of any podcast can be less-than-stellar until the host(s) find their groove. Be kind & rewind! Give it at least 3 episodes for their feet to get on the ground… recording yourself is hard!

Fohr Ground

I was looking for a podcast about careers at the beginning of the year. I wanted to learn more about other people’s career trajectories and intentionally compare their paths to that of my own.

If you know me, I’m never satisfied with doing just one thing with my career (which is why this blog will never die). And I think it’s infinitely valuable to listen to the wisdom of your forbears and contemporaries whenever possible. So I stumbled on Fohr Ground. A podcast facilitated by the influencer marketing agency, Fohr.

I don’t know how I stumbled on Fohr, but the insights they give into the industry are absolute gold. And, while I don’t intend on becoming an influencer (don’t be an a-hole, their jobs are not easy!), it’s full of knowledge about how to value yourself as a digital creator (whatever that may mean for you).

I’m obsessed. I started at the very first episode. And I’m glad I did—because it leads with founder, James Nord, spilling the tea on Fohr’s beginnings. (Nord also has a YouTube series, A Drink with James, that’s a huge hit. They’ve turned it into a podcast too! Which is next on the listen-list.

The host, Tim Jeffries, is charming and has a hint of southern charm that builds as he grows more comfortable with the show. The honesty and openness are incredibly refreshing on this show. Almost all creators in this space share their tales of turbulence, immaculate timing, and straight-up hustle. And it’s been few and far between that I haven’t been able to finish the entire hour (some people are just not well-spoken no matter what the subject—including themselves).

Regardless of whether or not you want to, as Tim so often puts it, “grow in this space”, or if you just want to hear about the work that people are putting into their part/full-time hustles, you’re sure to feel inspired. It’s no surprise why this has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts.

A few of my favs James Nord (it’s worth the nearly 2 hours! Casey Goode (Quigley) so. well. spoken. #MNProud. Christina Caradona (Trop Rouge) I want to have whiskey with this woman. In France. Sai de Silva I want to be her when I have kids. She is a boss b and totally speaks to my need not to settle. Lex Dieck (Lexicon of Style) Such a powerful conversation. I love a woman who knows what she wants and goes for it.

Healers

I’ve loved Elizabeth Kendig since she was in Minneapolis slinging beauty wisdom across the pages of MSPMag and on her website, BeautyBets. And while I still am dying to become a contributing writer on the aforementioned beauty site, I’m tickled pink about getting to hear her voice across the airwaves while she dives into “the woo” with her podcast guests. 

The Healers podcast features healers are a wide range; from animal psychics to intuitive medicine practitioners, to straight-up therapists, and let me just tell you that I’m not into all of it (I still cannot get on-board with crystals, peeps.). BUT I’m into a lot of it and isn’t that the story of everything ever, anyway? 

My favorite podcast episodes are this one that helped me get out of a dark February 2019. This one about the universe as an uncontrollable entity. This one that helped me realize that even people you admire feel lost despite their best-laid plans. And this one because being selfish gets a bad rep. But I’ve always been proudly selfish so if anyone is out there making a pin/sticker/button, lmk!

You don’t have to only burn Palo Santo and wear hemp to enjoy this podcast. It’s an interesting bridge for those between Botox and woo-curious. I’ve personally sent each of those links to at least 2-3 of my girlfriends who don’t drink my hippie kool-aid, and they haven’t tried to pull me out of a yogi-circle for fear I’ve gone off the deep-end yet!

Regardless of your level of alt-med interest, there’s plenty of universal wisdom that comes through in each episode. And you can glean a bit of good energy or re-center yourself with this little bit of earthly grounding. Give it a shot, it’s not (always) as crunchy as you think! Namaste, babies.

The Happiness Lab

I cannot get enough of this podcast. I’m a skeptic and don’t believe anything until there’s some science, or it’s currently happening to me. Sorry y’all, This Capricorn is too grounded! But if you’re looking for something a little less mystical this is for you. 

The Happiness Lab follows Yale professor, Dr. Laurie Santos, as she explores happiness from a scientific angle. But not in a boring way! In a way that actually asks questions were all wondering when it comes to joy. Like, if I make more money will I be happy? Or, why doesn’t positive thinking work for me?

She interviews credible guests and follows the science to give us a path to a better life. This episode shook me to the core. I’d never been someone who could “just think happy thoughts”, because Ummm… HI, BAD THINGS HAPPEN and that’s naive.

But I found that when faced with a negative life event (e.g., not getting accepted into grad school), that visualizing all the potential negative outcomes of getting accepted, helped me realize that not getting what I wanted could have been more of a gift that I’d imagined. I thought I was just justifying something I’d consider a failure, but then this episode came out and I felt seen. You’re welcome in advance, y’all.

Well-fed Women

This year I’m working on not thinking about my body à la Jameela Jamil. Which is to say I want to stop thinking about my body as something that I need to keep fixing.

Enter: Well-Fed Women, where Noelle Tarr and Stefani Ruper discuss bodies and the things we put them through from allll the angles. 

It’s lovely. They’re normal—i.e. not shoving supplements down your throat so that you choke on thinly-veiled sales pitches. They also talk about how our bodies affect our mental health and vice versa. Which I dig because it’s all connected. I’m still new to this podcast so I’m catching up, but I’ve started from the latest eps and so far have not been let down.

The Plan Podcast

Admittedly for the second half of 2019, the only plans I could focus on were work and honeymoon related. But at this time of year when calendars are all the rage, you can tune into Copenhagen-based Dani Brufoldt’s podcast, simply named, Plan Podcast for a little insight on a myriad of topics for the most real planning advice. My favorite podcast episode is one of her earliest on planning for a vacation (shocking, right?), and this one on planning to downsize because I’m always looking for ways to counter clutter!

Ah, Copenhagen? Okay well actually, Dani hails from Minnesota and I first discovered her through the BeautyBets blog as a contributing writer (. Now I follow her adventures and comment on her stories on the reg-reg because she’s witty, has a passion for politics that I’m always learning from, and she has an adorable pupper named Walter that makes my own tail wag with joy. Also, she’s living in Denmark with her hubs, which I find infinitely interesting.

Oh, and a shameless plug for her Daily Page Planner. You ??are ?? welcome??. I’ve used it for over a year now, and I’m truly obsessed. There’s a paper version and a digital one, and since my iPad goes with me everywhere and the app I use syncs to my phone so I can keep my life coordinated at all times, too. You will not regret it, it’s the best thing ever. Check her out on Insta or online at Thyme is Honey, or on Etsy and see what all the buzz is about! ?

The Splendid Table

The first time I heard the Splendid Table was on a drive back to Duluth while scrolling through radio station frequencies in my Buick. I ended up extending my drive another 20 minutes to finish the episode because I thought I’d struck gold—a radio show that talks only about food?? My God, heaven is real!

Anyway, if you’re a foodie who is into all aspects of food, including cultural exploration, trends and the least sexy of all foodstuffs: technique, this show is for you. 

Now hosted by Francis Lam, I originally tuned in during the Lynn Rosetto Casper-era but I’ve enjoyed the transition. Lam is charming and brings a refreshing brightness to the table. Caution: DO NOT listen to this show on an empty stomach. Seriously! ?Ramen heads click here to dispell your Ramen delusions.

Sawbones 

Last but certainly not least, this marital tour of misguided medicine. *sigh* I’ve loved Sawbones for so long and the medical nerd in me continues to thrive thanks to this podcast.

But if you’re not a wanna-be medical practitioner there’s still some really great insight to be heard! Dr. Sydney McIroy, an actual medical doctor (it’s important to state that y’all!) drops truth bombs on her non-medical husband, Justin McIlroy, who is “the Everyman” trying fads and failing to ask the deeper questions until his wife makes him dig in. This one on detoxes is pretty timely, but this one on garlic is just amusing.

Look, I like essential oils because they smell nice but I’m not drinking them and it’s because of this podcast. I have no regrets. My life is still full. Take a listen for some real wisdom and a good chuckle.

That’s it for now. I’ve got a few new shows o the docket that I haven’t dug into yet: The Wit & Delight Podcast, Goaldiggers, Hidden Brain, and Pretty Big Deal, but if you have recommendations drop them below!

Happy listening,