The top 5 podcasts you need in your life

Podcasts are the best, ya'll. I'm not sure where the ya'll just came from considering I was born and raised in the Midwest, but it felt right. Roll with it.

Podcasts are my favorite for when I get ready in the morning, drive to work, organize my desk in the morning, drive home from work, take a shower, wind down with a glass of wine... you get the gist. It is nice to take what could have been silence and turn it into productive time. If you listen to the right stuff, you could actually be getting smarter by the second! Or at least gaining a new perspective. Or having a good laugh. All time well spent to me.

Read on to find out what I'm listening to + some tips for a better experience: 

First, I must say that I use the Overcast app for all podcast listening purposes. I think it has a better user experience than the native Podcasts app on the iPhone. I can't speak for whatever is native to Android, but I can guarantee you'll like Overcast. I am picky about my app interfaces, and this one nails it. There are other podcast apps and you can usually listen to podcasts on the computer as well.

1. The Presidents - Created by the Washington Post, this podcast does a deep dive into each of the American presidents asking the essential question - What is it that makes a president great? Is it a certain set of qualities, or is it an X factor? Each episode goes a little bit differently based on the president. It feels like story time, not history class.

2. Witch Please - Hosted by two women from the world of higher education, Witch Please takes a scholarly, feminist critique on Harry Potter. The hosts honestly feel like my friends at this point as I laugh and learn along with them.

3. Keepin' It 1600 - My absolute favorite of the bunch is this political updates show hosted by recent White House staffers. It really is like you're hanging out at a bar with funny, young guys that have some of the most solid political insight you could find anywhere. Even if you aren't keen on politics, this is one is worth a listen.

4. This American Life - Honestly, just so classic. This American Life takes a topic, any topic, and explores it through 3 different lenses. It is one of the most popular podcasts out there for a very, very good reason.

5. Freakanomics Radio - Basically similar principles to the book but in a podcast form. This one is slightly more academic than the others yet still conversational.

Bonus - Serial. This was talked about excessively about 2 years ago, but if you haven't listened to this or its predecessors you must. The narrator is simply amazing at telling a captivating story that unfolds episode by episode.


What are your favorite podcasts? I'm always looking for new ones to try! Until next time... :)