Podcasts I Love: Part Two
I love podcasts. The best podcasts and podcast hosts combine brilliant storytelling with new perspectives or research.
Regular readers of my blog will notice that I often reference podcasts. Indeed, much of my writing is initially inspired by a podcast on a seemingly unrelated topic to the focus of my consulting practice which is school and nonprofit leadership, brand, and viability. And yet, the tangential topic sparks a connection and opens a new way to look at my industry's challenges.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. I have put my extremely culled down list of favorites into categories. Below are favorites in two categories: Education and Nonprofit Challenges, and Fascinating Things. In Podcasts I Love: Part One, you will find two more categories: Art and Design, and Business Ideas.
I hope you enjoy and that you will share your list of favorites with me!
Education and Nonprofit Challenges
When I want to learn more about what is happening in the independent school and nonprofit world, I listen to:
Forget What You Learned. Host Cory Greenberg, an administrator at Pacific Preparatory and Tutor Corps, an online school, talks with innovators and experts who are thinking about education in very different ways.
InspirED SparkCast. I’ve been a fan of InspirED School Marketers since their launch and was one of the original blog authors and judges for the Brilliance Awards. Liza and Rob Norman are long-time school marketers. They are now using their expertise to further the field of independent school marketing and communications. Rob interviewed me just as I was launching my consulting practice.
Nonprofits Are Messy with Joan Garry. Talk about a marketing genius. Joan Garry has turned her nonprofit consulting practice into a multi-channel empire. Still, she manages to speak directly and genuinely to small nonprofit leaders, zeroing in on their particular struggles and triumphs through her interviews with nonprofit leaders, consultants, and authors. I loved this episode with Priya Parker, the author of The Art of Gathering.
School Marketing Journal. This podcast is a production of imageseven, a marketing and communications firm in Australia. Hosted by Brad Entwistle and Andrew "Scully" Sculthorpe, they are smart, kind, generous, and funny. I had a great time on their show talking about enrollment and what parents need to stay engaged and connected to the school.
New View EDU. Hosted by Debra Wilson, NAIS President, and members of the NAIS leadership team, this podcast explores leadership, innovation, and new possibilites in schools.
Future U-The Pulse of Higher Ed. Hosted by Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn. Often, issues that affect higher ed also ar eimpacted k-12 independent schools. I like seeing a wider view of the educational landscape.
MoonshotOS Case Studies. In this podcast hosted by Peter Baron, he talks with school leaders about leadership initatives that changed the direction of their school in response to a big issue or idea vital to sustainability and growth. Good stuff.
Fascinating Things
There are seemingly random topics that interest me, as I am a curious person. These podcasts are favorites for their vivid storytelling and breadth of exploration of how we think and feel about our world:
Poem of the Day. I started writing poetry in 2023, with really no knowledge of it prior, but encouraged by a community of writers. Now I pay closer attention to poems and like this podcast for its lack of commentary. Just the poems.
Search Engine. Beautifully produced and written, hosted by PJ Vogt, this podcasts explores a wide range of fascinating things. From scammy text messages to sushi to drug use to Berlin’s techno club scene, Vogt explores topics I didn’t know I would find riveting.
Ear Hustle. Hosted by Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods, and several residents of San Quentin State Prison, the podcast tells honest, compelling, heartbreaking, and sometimes funny stories about life inside and outside the prison.
American History Tellers. Brilliantly hosted by Lindsay Graham (not Lindsey Graham, the senator), each series is fully realized with sound effects and a script, and creates an immersive experience into periods or events in U.S. history. One of my favorites was about the creation of the national park system.
Hidden Brain. Hosted by Shankar Vedantam, this is one of my all-time favorite of the favorites podcast. He dives into our unconscious to see why we do what we do and how that affects our decision-making and life outcomes. These stories often inspire me. Here is one of my blog articles that was directly inspired by an episode.
Where Shall We Begin and How's Work. These are two podcasts by the famed therapist, Esther Perel. In each episode, we are listening to a therapy session either with a couple in a personal relationship or two people in a workplace relationship. They are remarkably similar, and people seem to have the same sorts of challenges navigating relationships. Perel is masterful, and it’s a powerful experience to listen to her sessions.
Proof. This podcast from America’s Test Kitchen meets at the intersection of food and culture, and explores how and why certain foods are part of our life. It’s funny and fascinating.
Other People’s Pockets. This is a show about how people make their money, what they do for a living and how they feel about money. It is hosted by Maya Lau and explores those topics that no one really wants to talk about.
Note that I did not share any news podcasts. News is everywhere, easy for you to find, and oddly divisive. However, I do hope that you find inspiration, information, insight, and answers to things you wonder about within this list filled with nuggets of thought and awareness expansion.
For more podcast suggestions, read Podcasts I Love: Part One.
The author, Jill Goodman, is a consultant working with independent school leaders to advance their school’s mission, enhance their processes, and bolster their skills.
Note: This article was updated in 2024.
