© On-Air

I’ve been listening to podcasts for years. If you’re not sure what podcasts are, imagine blog posts but instead of reading them, you listen to the “blogger” (i.e. the podcaster) sharing their content with you via their voice in audio files.

I love listening to podcasts. They’re usually very informative (like listening to the news) and there’s always a lot to learn. I enjoy listening to them before bed, when I’m cooking, cleaning, walking Janey, on the bus/train/tram and even in the loo. Unlike audiobooks that can go on for hours, podcasts usually range from 3 minutes to 1.5 hours long depending on the subject. I’m not a fan of the very long ones because my attention usually wanes when I’ve hit the 1 hour mark. Let’s just say, the podcaster better be pretty damn interesting to continue capturing my attention for so long! 😛

My taste in podcasts change over the years depending on what my interests are during the time. I’ve subscribed, unsubscribed and resubscribed to many podcasts then but seem to go back to the usual few.

Today, I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite podcasts that I enjoy listening to. Some I’ve been listening to for years and some were recent discoveries. Most can be downloaded from iTunes or their websites. I use iTunes to load podcasts onto my iPod but I’m thinking it’s time to find another podcast RSS feed program because iTunes is a huge pain in the bum.

Here they are in no particular order:

Ask Pat and Smart Passive Income

The podcaster: Pat Flynn
The podcast: Many of you may be familiar with Pat Flynn, who’s a very popular blogger on building online businesses, blogging, social media and web marketing. He blogs at Smart Passive Income and also has a top-ranking podcast with the same name. Ask Pat is another podcast he does where he answers questions from listeners.
Average length of each podcast: 8-10 minutes for Ask Pat, over an hour for Smart Passive Income.
Why I like it: I’ve been listening to Smart Passive Income for a while now. I stopped a few years ago and resubscribed last year. His interviews with big online business bloggers (e.g. Chris Ducker, John Lee Dumas, etc) are always very interesting. I also enjoy Ask Pat because 1) they’re short 2) he answers questions that I also have but never asked and 3) he has this soothing voice that makes you think that everything is going to be all right. Weird, I know. 😛 I’m so excited to finally see him in person during this year’s Problogger Event in Queensland.

The Beauty Brains

The podcasters: Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller
The podcast: I’m sure many of you in the beauty blogosphere know of the popular beauty blog, The Beauty Brains where the bloggers Perry and Randy debunk beauty myths and delve into the science behind beauty. The Beauty Brains podcast is like listening to the blog but with more interesting topics. Every session, they answer a listener’s question and debunk claims that cosmetic brands feed to consumers.
Average length of each podcast: About 35 to 40 minutes.
Why I like it: Perry and Randy are hilarious in the podcasts especially when they debunk the bullshit a lot of beauty brands claims that their products do. If you enjoy reading their blog, you’re going to love the podcast even more.

The Suze Orman Show

The podcaster: Suze Orman
The podcast: The Suze Orman show is a very popular program on CNBC where the host, Suze Orman, talks all about personal finance. The weekly episodes are released for public viewing and to download on iTunes. I used to watch her video podcasts but these days, I prefer to download the audio version (it’s just the episode without video) to listen to instead.
Average length of each podcast: About 45 minutes
Why I like it: I’ve been watching The Suze Orman Show for the past 4 years. I love how she doesn’t mince words about how we should approach our finances. It’s an American show, which means that the taxation system and most of what she talks about are based in the US. However, there’s still much to learn from her regarding personal finances regardless of what country you’re from. My favourite segment in the show is when viewers call in, telling Suze what they want to buy, she reviews their finances (given to them prior to the show by the viewers) and tells them whether they’re approved or denied. I find this segment absolutely hilarious to watch/listen to because some of the viewers want to buy such extravagant items when they have barely any savings to their name. Some may find Suze Orman obnoxious but I thoroughly enjoy her show.

Hamish and Andy

The podcasters: Hamish Blake and Andy Lee
The podcast: If you live in Australia, there’s little chance you wouldn’t know who Hamish Blake and Andy Lee are. They’re very popular radio presenters in Australia who’s done TV shows (based on their radio segment) as well. I’ve been listening to them ever since I moved to Australia and discovered who they were in 2008. They’ve made many changes to their radio show (hence their podcast, which is a recap of their show) over the years.
Average length of each podcast: About 30 minutes
Why I like it: Most Australians either think they’re idiots therefore don’t tune into their radio show, or that they’re bloody funny. I don’t know if there’s any middle ground. Me, I think they’re a hoot. Sometimes their stunts can leave you feeling very WTF but most of the time, they’re really funny to listen to. I’ve burst into laughter many times while listening to their podcasts on the train.

The Lively Show

The podcaster: Jess Lively
The podcast: The Lively Show is the creation of lifestyle blogger, Jess Lively. She interviews entrepreneurs, bloggers, small business owners, etc on their lives, their careers, relationships, etc. Some of her past interview podcasts involved Gala Darling, Erin Loechner, Grace Bonney, Liz Schneider and so on.
Average length of each podcast: 30-40 minutes
Why I like it: Jess has interviewed some of the big names in the blogosphere and her interviews are a pleasure to listen to. This was a recent discovery but I’m really enjoying her podcasts so far.

Melbourne in Fashion

The podcasters: Cheryl Lin and Meagan Harding
The podcast: Melbourne in Fashion is Cheryl and Meagan’s place where they chat all things Australian fashion. They’ve interviewed several Australian fashion designers and was part of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Cultural Program where they interviewed people who were a part of the fashion week.
Average length of each podcast: 30-40 minutes
Why I like it: I’ve always been a fan of Cheryl’s blog, Business Chic, so when she collaborated with Meagan on Melbourne in Fashion, naturally I had to check it out too. Admittedly I’m not familiar with a lot of the designers they’ve featured so they’ve taught me a lot of the Australian fashion scene. Listening to their podcast is like being there with them having a cup of coffee while listening to their chats.

So You Want To Be A Writer

The podcasters: Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait
The podcast: So You Want To Be A Writer is a relatively new podcast but it’s doing very well. It’s as the title suggests; the podcast is all about writing.
Average length of each podcast: 1 hour
Why I like it: Even though I have no plans to be a published author (at least, not at this time), the podcast is very informative. There’s lots of learn about the writing world. They even talk about blogging as well. If you have any interest in becoming a writer or even wanting to just learn more about it, I highly recommend this podcast.

The Suitcase Entrepreneur

The podcaster: Natalie Sisson
The podcast: I’ve heard of The Suitcase Entrepreneur for a few years now but have only started listening to her podcasts beginning of the year. Unlike usual entrepreneurs, Natalie runs her business completely online and hardly ever at home. Her life is all about travelling and she goes around the world while still running her business because really, all she needs is her laptop and an Internet connection.
Average length of each podcast: 45-60 minutes
Why I like it: I’ve always thought that The Suitcase Entrepreneur is a travel blog that talks about the different countries Natalie has been to and what they’re like. It’s actually a podcast about blogging, running an online business while living like a nomad with heaps of travelling from one country to another. It’s a very interesting concept and her podcasts are always interesting to listen to.

The Disney Story Origins Podcast

The podcaster: Paul J. Hale
The podcast: The Disney Story Origins podcast talks about certain Disney cartoons and how the facts behind each cartoon like Pocahontas, Mulan, etc have been skewed by Hollywood for more interesting viewing. A lot of the time, the history of the Disney characters are often darker/violent or bland/uninteresting compared to what Disney portrayed them to be on screen.
Average length of each podcast: 1 hour
Why I like it: If you’re a fan of Disney cartoons, you’re going to enjoy this podcast. I found it incredibly interesting, and especially enjoyed how Paul incorporated audio snippets of the cartoons to the stories he tells. Pocahontas was not that adult woman you see in the cartoon. She definitely didn’t have a love affair with Captain John Smith. 😉

You’ll notice that I didn’t mention all of the podcasts in the screenshot above. I’m still deciding whether I like the rest or not. Amy Porterfield’s podcast is interesting but can sound like a bit of a sales pitch at times. I’m not writing any of them off yet; who knows, they may end up in my next favourite podcasts post.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of my favourite podcasts and why I like them. I didn’t realise how long this blog post would get. Yikes! If you’ve read all the way here, 5 stars to you! 😀

If you enjoy listening to podcasts as much as I do and don’t see any of your favourites mentioned here, please do share them in the comments below. I’m always on the lookout for more podcasts to subscribe to.