10 must-listen podcasts for freelancers
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There’s nothing like a good podcast to fill those mundane hours of housework with invigorating knowledge — or to energize a nice walk around the block (ah, the glamor of COVID life).
Podcasts are also an excellent way to take a mental break when working from home — as so many freelancers are — while still honing your career skills. Some are informative, some are inspirational, some are just so #relatable it feels like you’ve got some good friends sharing jokes in your ears. So set aside your work as a professional editor teaching clients how to publish an ebook, or your illustration project drawing every single condiment for someone publishing their own cookbook, and take a breather with one of these essential podcasts for freelancers.
1. The Accidental Creative
This encouraging podcast shares weekly ideas to help you be “prolific, brilliant, and healthy,” as they put it. Tackling subjects like motivation, productivity, bravery, and rituals and bringing in expert guests from various fields to cover them all, Accidental Creative provides a hearty dose of inspiration and consistent reminders to keep looking after yourself, as well as your business.
2. The Creative Process
The Creative Process is about just that: the processes through which people channel their creativity and their personal journeys to create art, music, and literature, among other things. Now with over 200 interviews with figures like Robert Olen Butler, Roxane Gay, Neil Gaiman, and Viet Thanh Nguyen (all of whom happen to be among our favorite writers, but there’s all types of artists to choose from!), this podcast provides fascinating insight into the minds of accomplished artists, their sources of inspiration, and the many ways in which they work.
3. The Business of Story
Hosted by Park Howell, The Business of Story focuses on storytelling in marketing, and how you can use narrative to find, express, and share the heart and purpose of your business — in your case, your freelance business! With a focus on social media, PR, advertising, and good old-fashioned marketing, Howell digs deep into what makes for excellent brand storytelling, and guests who work in a variety of fields (content creation, AI, filmmaking, academia, you name it) provide a fresh angle in each episode.
4. The School of Greatness
As the name of this podcast suggests, The School of Greatness is all about inspiring you to become the greatest possible version of yourself. Consisting of more than 1,000 episodes, this long-running podcast’s past guests include some of the world’s most accomplished athletes, celebrities, scientists, and creative thinkers. To do a bit of name-dropping, these are some of the interviewees: Brené Brown, Maria Sharapova, Steve Aoki, and Kobe Bryant. Have you paused everything you were doing to start listening yet?
5. Oh My Dollar
Budgeting, freelancer pay, insurance, and personal finances: Oh My Dollar tackles all these difficult, overwhelming subjects with simple, friendly, and practical tips. This isn’t a ‘where should I invest my million dollars?’ sort of podcast. It’s a podcast for ordinary people who want to learn to live without money anxiety and with a sense of control, and it will empower you by providing you with the financial tools you need to thrive. Warmly recommended for those in need of accessible, actionable, and indeed economical advice!
6. The Freelance Friday Podcast
With a background in tech startups, Fortune 500 companies, marketing strategy, and content creation, Latasha James certainly didn’t enter the freelancer world without experience. Now, she wants to share her expertise with people who are just starting out, and The Freelance Friday Podcast is the space where she does so, with the help of some eminent guests! Discussing vital topics like social media strategies, avoiding burnout, and creating a personal emergency fund, Latasha’s pro tips are absolutely essential.
7. Freelance Jumpstart
Another specifically freelancer-oriented podcast, Nathan Allotey’s Freelance Jumpstart is a thoughtful and valuable resource for, well, jumpstarting your freelance career. With episodes on topics like productivity, strategy, building a portfolio, client problems, and setting personal goals, this broad-reaching podcast will give you all the skills and savvy you need to manage your gigs effectively and avoid fishy situations like freelancer scams.
8. The Introvert Entrepreneur
Business 101 for those who have trouble with even one-on-ones, this essential podcast for introverted freelancers walks listeners through the basics of emerging from your (safe, comfortable, but often inhibiting) cocoon of introversion to successfully build and grow a business in the intimidating world beyond yourself. Denise Lee’s starter kit for triumph shows you have nothing to fear from other people, and helps you build a solid foundation of entrepreneurial skills to power through the stress of something new.
9. Glambition
A podcast aiming to boost women’s ambition and confidence, Ali Brown’s Glambition shares empowering interviews with female founders, CEOs, pioneers, and leaders, helping encourage the listener with their stories of breaking down barriers and reaching breakthrough success. This sophisticated podcast will get listeners thinking about the impact they’re making on society, and spur them to align themselves to their purpose.
10. That Creative Life
YouTuber and entrepreneur Sara Dietschy hosts That Creative Life, a podcast featuring compellingly honest interviews with creatives like Tessa Violet and Ted Forbes. This podcast pays extra attention to technology and social media platforms, discussing issues like the financial side of being a YouTube creator and marketing your product, as well as overall tech and YouTube news.
With so much to choose from, we hope some of these podcasts sound right for you! Do note that this is not a definitive list, so if one of these leaves you wanting more, you can always search for similar podcasts online. Consider this your starting point — a door into the world of freelance-related podcasts. Happy listening!