Literally, there’s one for almost any situation, goal, or interest. Whether you’re thinking about entrepreneurship, want to connect more with your inner self, need advice on managing finances, or are going through a break-up podcasts have become the new safe space.
I recently posted a photo to Instagram and in my caption, I recited my favorite line, “I was listening to a podcast and..” and someone replied suggesting that I do a round-up of my favorites. So, of course, I decided to oblige. Self-care can be as small as listening to something that makes you feel good, so why wouldn’t I want to share that wealth!
Here are my favorite podcasts by “vibe”/subject matter:
Connecting With Your Inner Self
These are the podcasts I started out with. I initially began listening to podcasts about spirituality and sense of self to help uplift me on a daily basis.
Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday
Description: Awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around you with SuperSoul. Hear Oprah’s personal selection of her interviews with thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts. All designed to light you up, guide you through life’s big questions and help bring you one step closer to your best self.
Episode Recommendation(s): Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith: Manifest the Life of Your Dreams, Brene Brown Part 1: Daring Greatly, Brene Brown Part 2: Living With a Whole Heart, Tim Storey: The Heart and Soul of a Comeback, Wes Moore: The Difference Between Your Job and Your Work.
Black Girl In Om
Description: Conversations on all thing’s wellness, self-care and self-love for women of color, hosted by Black Girl in Om founder Lauren Ash and Art Director Deun Ivory. This show uplifts, affirms, and informs and features a refreshing line-up of guests—including yogis, holistic lifestylists, clean beauty experts, and a plethora of other movers, shakers, and innovators within the wellness and beauty industries. This buzz-worthy show speaks directly from women of color to women of color and strives to inspire women around the world.
Episode Recommendation(s): Listening, Learning, and Loving: Journeying To Self with Yaminah Mayo, Activating Awareness with Liana Naima, Higher and Higher: A Lesson in Vibrating Higher Daily with Lalah Delia.
Therapy for Black Girls
Description: The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly chat about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. Join your host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, as she offers practical tips and strategies to improve your mental health, discusses the latest news and trends in mental health, pulls back the curtain on what happens in therapy sessions, and answers your listener questions.
Episode Recommendation(s): 10 Ways to Optimize Your Mental Health, Slaying Your Anxiety, Mental Health for Activists.
hey, girl.
Description: hey, girl. is a podcast that unites the voices of phenomenal women near and far. Created with sisterhood and storytelling in mind, author Alex Elle sits down with people who inspire her. From friends to family members and strangers, the hey, girl. guests give us a peek into their stories through candid and intimate conversations.
Episode Recommendation(s): Bee on Stepping into Vulnerability, Sashee on Creating Ritual w/ Tea, Nneka on The Power of Possibility, Angel on Knowing & Trusting the Journey, Tree on Believing in Self.
Inspirational/Motivational
Along with connecting with my inner self, I love a podcast episode that has a motivational or inspirational story. For this, I like podcasts that highlight other people’s journeys so I know that I can do it too.
Oprah’s Masterclass
Description: Hear the greatest life lessons of some of the most respected and renowned actors, musicians, public figures and athletes. Handpicked by Oprah, these luminaries reveal their lives with candor and insight — in their own words. Listen as Jay -Z, Justin Timberlake, Ellen Degeneres, Shaquille O’Neal, Reba McEntire, Dwayne Johnson, and Jane Fonda, (just to name a few), share what they’ve learned about life and their own insights into their personal stories.
My Episode Recommendation(s): Oprah Winfrey Part 1 and 2, Dr. Maya Angelou, Tyler Perry, Cicely Tyson, Vanessa Williams, Lynn Whitfield, LL Cool J.
Do It Scared
Description: Do It Scared® with Ruth Soukup is the podcast created to help you face your fears, overcome adversity, and create a life you LOVE. Each week you’ll discover actionable strategies for greater productivity, motivation, entrepreneurship, creativity, fulfillment, success, and happiness, along with the motivation and encouragement to actually start making real changes that lead to big results.
My Episode Recommendation(s): Stop Making Success So Hard with Susie Moore, Stop the Downward Spiral of Comparison and Self-Doubt, Tapping Into Your Purpose, Passion, and Power with Carla Moore.
Myleik Teele’s Podcast
Description: Myleik Teele is an entrepreneur currently running curlBOX.com. She shares her insights, things she’s learned along the way in hopes to teach you the things she had to learn the HARD way!
Episode Recommendation(s): Kahlana Barfield: Stick With Your Plan A!, Claire Sulmers: Not Everyone Wants to See You Win, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford: Therapy for Black Girls.
Career and Entrepreneurship
As you know if you read my blog, I became an entrepreneur little over a year ago so I love hearing about how others have done it. Though my business is essentially me, I still like to learn about people who make tangible products and services, and their ups and downs. Also, how to manage everything in our daily lives.
How I Built This
Description: Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best-known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.
Episode Recommendation(s): Carol’s Daughter: Lisa Price, Spanx: Sara Blakely, Radio One: Cathy Hughes, Airbnb: Joe Gebbia, Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal, TOMS: Blake Mycoskie, FUBU: Daymond John.
How to Juggle The Struggle
Description: The Millennial’s guide to thriving not surviving. How to Juggle the Struggle teaches one how to navigate vision, dreams, and purpose whether good, bad or incredible in today’s cultural climate. (According to The Gentleman’s Daily)
Episode Recommendation(s): The Center (Feat. Antonio Javar Hairston), Speaker For The Dreamer (Feat. Shaun Derik), The Gift Giver (Feat. Dami Okuboyejo).
Side Hustle Pro
Description: Side Hustle Pro spotlights bold black women entrepreneurs who have scaled from side hustle to profitable business. Join Chief Side Hustler turned full-time entrepreneur Nicaila Matthews Okome for your weekly installment of Side Hustle Pro and learn actionable strategies to start small and get going–wherever and whoever you are. Side Hustle Pro features interviews with inspiring black women entrepreneurs including interviews with Myleik Teele of CurlBox, Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter, Nicole Walters of The Monetized Life, Maya Elious of Built to Impact, and more!
Episode Recommendation(s): Lifestyle Blogger Dayna Bolden on How to Turn Your Influence Into Your Income, From Kitchen Sink to Target Shelves: Melissa Butler of The Lip Bar, Meet the Woman Behind DC’s SpiceSuite and Entrepreneur Hub, Tonya Rapley on How to Monetize Your Expertise.
The Influencer Podcast
Description: The Influencer Podcast is an innovative podcast that explores the secrets behind the ever-changing trends of influencer marketing and the careers of today’s top social influencers. Hosted by marketing strategist, New York Times best-selling publicist and influencer Julie Solomon, Julie and guests join in the conversation to share how they engage, persuade and grow their unique influence, and how their work impacts the influencer industry. Julie interviews some of the brightest minds in the industry (Rachel Hollis, Lauryn Evarts, Amy Porterfield, Marie Forleo, and more) who share their strategies, wisdom and answer some of your most pressing online business and marketing questions. Ready to start or uplevel and grow your influence to a newfound success? If so, you are in the right place!
Episode Recommendation(s): Why Fear Is Boring and Powerlessness Is a Lie WIht James Wedmore, The Transformative Process That CHanged the Future for My Business by Working With Rory and AJ Vaden, Diversifying Your Income, Growing Your Email List and SHowing up Consistently with Elizabeth Rider, Never Struggle With Copy Again
Finances
I very recently began listening to finance/money-related podcasts because, well, I’m trying to get better at managing mine. These podcasts relate finances to Millenials and also inspire me to aim higher.
Bad With Money
Description: Feelings, finance, and the f*cking system. Comedian and New York Times best-selling author Gaby Dunn (aka America’s Deadbeat Sweetheart) unapologetically examines the intersection of finances and social justice. Every week, Gaby brings a queer, feminist, unabashedly radical point of view to conversations with journalists, politicians, activists, and fellow deadbeats.
Episode Recommendation(s): Earning That Private Island (w/ Suze Orman)
Secrets of Wealthy Women
Description: Empower yourself financially. Successful women executives, workplace pioneers, self-made entrepreneurs, industry trendsetters and money-savvy experts reveal insights on how to get ahead, reach your goals, and achieve professional success. They join host Veronica Dagher every Tuesday.
Episode Recommendation(s): Money Secrets With Millenial Experts
Your First Million
Description: A podcast by Arlan Hamilton that goes behind-the-scenes and teaches you how to make your first million dollars, get your first million downloads, or find your first million customers. Arlan is the Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital, has raised more than $10M, and has invested in over 100 companies led by people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ.
Episode Recommendation(s): Dr. Pamela Jolly – “Black people arrived in America on the balance sheet…we *are* wealth.”
Relationships and Sex
Sex is most definitely a form of self-care, and I want to start learning and writing more about sexuality–also enhance my personal sex life. So, I’ve been listening to more podcasts by women of color on sex, and they’ve been really enlightening. I also love the topic of relationships, so there’s one specifically about that included below as well.
Laid Bare
Description: Is a UK-based podcast for the sex-positive and opinionated! Hosted by Twitter sex and relationship Guru @Oloni, @ScottyUnfamous, and @ShaniJamilah.
Episode Recommendation(s): Big Dick Energy, Hormone Monsters, Sex Symbol.
The Sexually Liberated Woman
Description: The Sexually Liberated Woman highlights, celebrates, and encourages the sexually liberated woman—not just the idea of her, but her true-blue erotic empowerment in the flesh. Hosted by sexuality doula™ Ev’Yan Whitney, this podcast features vulnerable conversations about sexual healing with some of the courageous people she’s worked with, open discussions about sexuality with experts and advocates, and laid back chats with sex-positive babes she adores.
Episode Recommendation(s): Sex and Cannabis, Are You Cliterate.
Thank You Heartbreak
Description: When it comes to heartbreak, most people fear it, citing it as one of the most crushing experiences of a lifetime. Not Chelsea. On this podcast, Breakup Coach Chelsea Leigh Trescott explores the upside of heartbreak, shedding light on how loss is our greatest opportunity to become meaningful, relatable human beings who are stronger in love, life, and character.
Episode Recommendation(s): Overcoming Destination Addiction with Aisha Beau Johnson (shameless plug lol), No Longer Playing Small with Liza Grando, It Used To Be Harder To Say No.
Good Storytelling
Sometimes you just want something mellow and interesting in the background that tells a story so you can escape. The below have some really interesting narratives.
Passing Through
Description: Nneka Julia shares revelations and wisdom collected through travel, conversation, and self-education.
Episode Recommendation(s): Passing Through Puerto Rico
Ted Talks Daily
Description: Want TED Talks on the go? Every weekday, this feed brings you our latest talks in audio format. Hear thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable — from Artificial Intelligence to Zoology, and everything in between — given by the world’s leading thinkers and doers. This collection of talks, given at TED and TEDx conferences around the globe, is also available in video format.
Episode Recommendation(s): How to build your confidence–and spark it in others | Brittany Packnett, The power of introverts | Susan Cain, You are not alone in your loneliness | Jonny Sun, How to ask for help–and get a “yes” | Heidi Grant
