My Favourite Podcasts – Maybe Now’s The Time To Become a Podcast Lover!

While I know some people are still extremely busy providing essential services, working from home, or providing care to children or other family members, I’ve also seen many people talking on social media about the free pockets (or days) of time that they now find themselves with. If you fall into that category, it may be the perfect time to discover podcasts – or some new ones, if you’re already a podcast lover!

(If you’re not sure what podcasts are or where to find them, you can check out this post I wrote with everything you need to know about how to listen to podcasts. Personally, I use the free version of the Spotify app, download episodes while I’m at home on WiFi and then have them to listen to anywhere!)

In terms of great shows, of course I’m going to start with a plug for my own  (can you blame me?), but read on for some of my favourite listens!

After launching in October 2018, I’m now 48 episodes into This Mom Loves. Each one starts with some of my Favourite Things (you can usually count on at least one new book reco in there), the Lifestyle segment which might be about health, beauty, education, parenting, travel – anything goes, and then an interview with a special guest. From TV personalities to authors to musicians to experts in fields like design, finance, social work and even Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, we cover a whole range here at This Mom Loves!

Looking for more amazing podcasts? My top picks are below with their official descriptions – look for them wherever you listen to podcasts! 

“Longtime” favourites (can you say longtime yet when it comes to podcasting?):

Happier with Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thought-provoking podcast. Gretchen’s cohost and guinea pig is her younger sister, Elizabeth Craft, a TV writer and producer living in Los Angeles, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her happiness bully. 

(Note: since getting hooked on podcasts, I have binge-listened to Happier and Happier in Hollywood from episode 1 to the current week!)

Happier in Hollywood

#AmWriting

Entertaining, actionable advice on craft, productivity and creativity for writers and journalists in all genres, with hosts Jessica Lahey, KJ Dell’Antonia and Sarina Bowen.

This Girl Loves Sleep

Too Many Clothes and Nothing To Wear (from Cladwell)

If you’re like most of us, you own entirely too many clothes. You probably have things you haven’t worn in years. And yet, when it comes time to dress up, we all say the same thing: “I’ve got nothing to wear! How did we get here? Well, turns out, the problem isn’t our messy closets, it’s our messy relationship with clothes. Join Erin Flynn, CEO and founder of Cladwell, as she talks to experts in the industry, history, and psychology of fashion. We’ll explore the economic and social roots of our obsession with buying, learn from people who’ve learned to do more with less, and figure out what all of us can do to break this clothes-buying, life-draining cycle we’re all trapped in.

{I have the Cladwell app and love it!}

Talk Therapy

Talk Therapy is a podcast covering all things parenting, motherhood, relationships and life. Join co-hosts and mental health professionals Kelly Bos (MSW) and Kelly Bourne (RN, MA) for timely discussions on topics that matter to you. Whether battling overwhelm, dealing with out-of-control toddlers, or navigating disagreements with your partner, Kelly and Kelly offer tips, tools and a relatable take on life’s stickiest situations. After listening you can expect to feel more calm and in control, armed with resources to take your life to the next level.

Next on my list:

Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup (one of my favourite motivational writers)

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.

And a very special mention to:

AnthroDish

(Sarah Duignan, who hosts this very smart show, was instrumental in helping me launch This Mom Loves. While we’ve never met “in real life”, we were connected through her mom, and she spent the time to give me fantastic advice when I was trying to start up. Her partner – and editor – Lukas became my editor as well, and I don’t know what I would do without either of them. If you need a podcast editor, Lukas is your guy!)

AnthroDish is a weekly show about the intersections between our foods, cultures, and identities. Host Sarah Duignan sits down one-on-one with folks in academia, hospitality, farming and agriculture, and more to learn about their food knowledge and experiences. If you’re interested in the unique and fascinating lives of everyday people who have been shaped by their relationship with food, this show is for you! Each week we’ll address topics that delve into those things that we are so afraid of, and how it holds us back in our day to day lives—then focus on easy-to-implement advice for how we can face our fears and overcome adversity in order to create a life we truly love. The podcast will also feature bi-weekly interviews with authors, influencers, and other notable guests who have dared to do it scared in their own lives.

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If you aren’t sure which show to start with, but have a favourite topic, you can go into your podcast app and search for it! For example, before interviewing Jillian Harris I searched her name and listened to the only other podcast interview I could find with her, and you can also look for your favourite author, expert or celebrity and listen to them on various shows, or a topic of interest like postpartum depression, vegetable gardens or tennis to see what shows or episodes of shows may come up. I actually searched topics of interest like “organization” and “minimalism” but found the shows I tried were very much preaching to the choir with me!

If you are thinking of podcasting yourself, please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions – podcasts like ShePodcasts and Podcraft are two that I enjoy and find helpful!

Which of the shows above sound appealing to you? If you’re already a podcast listener, did I miss any of your favourites? Let me know!