Over here at The Social Agency, we’ve all become a little (okay, a lot) obsessed with podcasts so we thought it would be fun to share what’s on everyone’s playlists as of late. Happy listening!
Channing (digital strategist & content producer) says…
I love podcasts in general because they really motivate me when I need to get up and get moving (but could use a little distraction along the way). Here’s my list:
-
Work-wise, Gimlet Media’s Start Up podcast offers consistently excellent insight into the making and breaking of start ups; and Reply All keeps me exploring all the strange and delightful things the internet has to offer. Call Your Girlfriend (hosted by Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow) is required listening for anybody with long distance besties and an interest in powering their careers forward. Ann’s newsletter is also required reading for anyone who cares about politics, work, feminism, and pie charts – it’s the best thing that hits my inbox every Friday.
-
My guilty-pleasure podcast is the very funny Mission To Zyxx, an improvised space opera (think Star Wars meets Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy) masterminded by This American Life’s Seth Lind.
-
And even though it’s for kids, I have to share the brilliant science podcast Brains On. It’s just the right balance of funny and informative for my seven year old, and thankfully there’s an episode for nearly every question she comes up with.
Cherish (photographer) says…
My favourite topic 🙂 Hard to narrow it down, but here are a few:
-
Not just about design itself, Clever digs deeper into the lives and stories behind some of the biggest visionaries in the design world.
-
Terrible, Thanks For Asking: Because the struggle is real. The human struggle, that is – and hearing stories of resilience and bravery serves to empower and foster empathy.
-
If over 80 million have downloaded S-Town, there must be something so it. An incredibly gut-wrenching piece of investigative journalism that has you listening on the edge of your seat.
Lygia (digital strategist & content producer) says…
I usually listen to podcasts to unwind and my current faves include:
-
Planet Money is a podcast that highlights both current and historic events related to financial markets (I know, surprising for a designer!).
-
How Stuff Works is a super fun channel with a ton of podcasts that explain how stuff works across a wide variety of subjects (from anarchism to pinball tables to mirrors!).
Kirstin (creative director & principal) says…
Podcasts have made being stuck in the car sooo much more enjoyable – gives me a chance to get caught up on all the tips, stories, and interviews I’ve come to love. Here’s a few that are getting regular play right now:
-
I’ve read and loved all of Gretchen Rubin’s books (The Happiness Project, anyone?) and so I was jazzed when I discovered her Happier podcast. Co-hosted with her sister Liz, a Hollywood scriptwriter, it’s chock full of life hacks to simplify and enhance your life. Thus, become happier! Bonus: This podcast has also recently introduced me to By The Book, where the two highly engaging hosts take on all the advice from a different self help book each episode and then weigh in on how transformative (or not) it has been.
-
I binge watched both seasons of Queer Eye so Getting Curious, the podcast hosted by Jonathan Van Ness (aka their Grooming Expert), was a must for me. He delves deep into a variety of topics (Brexit, bees, Bobby Berk…) and is always his very entertaining self.
-
The description for comedian Chris Gethard’s Beautiful Anonymous podcast is “1 phone call. 1 hour. No names. No holds barred.” And that’s pretty much it. Each week Chris takes a call from a total stranger and we get a micro glimpse into their (often fascinating) lives… like the woman who was just about to head to prison for four years!
Monica (communications director & principal) says…
I do love my Podcasts! My favourites are:
-
How I Built This with Guy Raz via NPR. Super inspiring conversations with people who’ve built some of the best loved companies, like Instagram, Starbucks, Lonely Planet, Bumble and many more.
-
Super Soul Sunday, Oprah’s interviews with teachers of all spiritual traditions. Some of my favourites of these include her interview with Brene Brown, Eckhart Tolle and Michael Pollan.
-
2015: Degrees of Change with Johanna Wagstaffe of the CBC. A very grim look at what the future looks like in the face of global warming. Yes, it’s grim but better to be prepared.
We’re always looking for new podcast playlist recos so please feel free to share with us here!
