As today is Friday the 13th, I was going to list of really stupid unlucky things that have happened to me (for real or not) on Friday the 13th. But then I figured out that I couldn’t come up with any. So either I don’t have unlucky things happen to me, or else my creativity is dissipating, which is unlucky enough, and so I don’t want to encourage any more of that!
So I came up with an alternate idea. Since I got a Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone—which is a different blog post—I’ve been experimenting with how to use it as a writer. And one of the things I do with it, which had faded from my life, is to listen to podcasts, especially while I’m on my daily walk.
Here are 13 podcasts from my Google Listen feeds that I think are worth listening to (in no particular order):
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The Dave Ramsey Show Podcast – The first hour each day of the Dave Ramsey show. Actually I also listen to hours 2 and 3 via the Dave Ramsey Show “archives” on his website, which allows you to listen to the last 2 weeks of episodes on your computer.
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The EntreLeadership Podcast – Another podcast from Dave Ramsey’s organization, focusing on entrepreneurial business, team building, and leadership. Chris LoCurto hosts and interviews prominent business leaders.
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Glenn Livingston – Once a marketing psychologist, now a world-class pay-per-click marketer and consultant, Glenn Livingston popularized the concept of the hyper-responsive customer. Several times a month, he posts insightful audio podcasts on marketing and business.
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This Is Your Life – Michael Hyatt, former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, now author of the new book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, publishes a once-weekly podcast on intentional leadership (and topics related thereto).
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Reason.TV – A project of the libertarian Reason Foundation, Reason.TV publishes short, informative political videos (usually at least one each day). They also offer an audio-only feed, which is perfect for listening to on the go.
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Cato Daily Podcast – If Reason appeals to the pop side of libertarian politics, the Cato Institute appeals to the academic side. I listen to the daily podcast for a short precis of issues of the day, together with the full event feed for a more in-depth look.
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Manager Tools and Career Tools – Mark Horstman and Mike Auzenne give practical, actionable advice for management and career excellence. It’s been a long time since I considered going into management, and a long time since I considered working in a corporate cubicle. But these podcasts still inform my goals, help me to come to terms with the corporate worlds of my past, and remind me to enjoy and thank God for my life as a stay-at-home Dad, for as long as he keeps me in it.
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Boca Raton Synagogue Sermon Podcast – I don’t live near Boca Raton, but I heard about this synagogue from direct marketer extraordinaire (and wealth-building specialist) Harlan Kilstein, who does hail therefrom. After listening to a couple of Rabbi Efrem Goldberg’s talks, I was hooked.
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Mysterious Universe – I don’t always have the time to listen to it, but when I do, I get a kick out of Mysterious Universe, an excellently produced podcast in which Benjamin Grundy and Aaron Wright report news about the strange, extraordinary, weird, and paranormal. (And they’re probably more accurate than the network TV news.) Fox Mulder would have loved this show. For me, it’s a great source of story ideas.
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Decoder Ring Theatre – Home of the pulse-pounding thrills of The Red Panda Adventures, the noir stylings of Black Jack Justice, and other modern radio dramas in the style of the classic programs of Radio’s Golden Age. I can’t stand to listen to fiction audio books, because I always lose track of what’s going on between the lines of literary mumbo jumbo. But radio drama, if there’s any way to consume audio stories, this is it!
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The Creative Penn – I don’t listen to many writing- or book- centered podcasts, because (frankly) most of them don’t do much for me. But I should include at least one in this list. Joanna Penn’s acclaimed podcast The Creative Penn has interesting interviews with engaging guests who relay useful information: for example, J.Daniel Sawyer with his book about gun and shooting facts. But there’s still a lot of gobbledy-gook out there in the writing world, and this unfortunately also frequently comes through. Caveat emptor.
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Escape from Cubicle Nation – Pam Slim’s excellent blog and podcast about leaving your office job and pursuing your passion. I’ve been a long-time fan of Pam’s work, and it’s still as good as it was back then.
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Entrepreneur’s Journey – I’ve also been a long-time fan of Yaro Starak. Back then, he was a budding entrepreneur, just sharing his own journey with the rest of the world. One of his interviews, with Perry Marshall, introduced me to Perry’s work, got me hooked on him, and changed the direction of my life.
-TimK