With the rich educational value podcasts often provide their listeners, it’s no surprise that the business community turns to this popular form of content to improve their skills and strategies. Some entrepreneurs even make major business decisions based on the information they’ve learned and the stories they’ve listened to on podcasts.
With this in mind, 14 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) responded to the following question:
“What’s one podcast that has had a major impact on your business decisions or how you run your company? Why?”
Below are a few of their favorites and why they’ve been so influential.
1. ‘Marketing School’
“‘Marketing School’ by Neil Patel and Eric Siu is my favorite podcast that I tend to listen to on my way to work. It’s short and to the point, fits into 10 minutes and often uncovers small but handy tips or tools we can leverage at work. As it runs daily, it teaches accountability and helps you build the habit of thinking creatively about the way you market and automate, both in sales and hiring.” ~ Mario Peshev, DevriX
2. ‘Acquired’
“I listen to the ‘Acquired’ podcast. I’m a big fan of tech stories, but the hosts Ben and David actually go beyond the ‘exit’ to give the company a grade on how they did afterward. It completely reshaped what I thought about exit events in the startup world. I now really see these as milestones on a continuum rather than the endpoint in a startup journey.” ~ Kaitlyn Witman, Rainfactory
3. ‘Smart Passive Income’
“‘Smart Passive Income’ is an award-winning podcast hosted by Pat Flynn. Each week, it offers great interviews, strategies and tactics that help business owners increase their profits and grow their businesses online. The tips on tapping into niches and creating evergreen sales funnels are especially helpful for new entrepreneurs.” ~ Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
4. ‘The Minimalists Podcast’
“The podcast that has affected how I approach business isn’t even a business podcast — it’s a lifestyle one. ‘The Minimalists Podcast’ has truly evolved me as a person and as a leader. When you eliminate clutter from your space and mind, you are able to focus on what is important and vital. It encourages you to surround yourself with people who add, not subtract, which every great leader must do to succeed.” ~ Ashley Sharp, Dwell with Dignity
5. ‘Business Wars’
“‘Business Wars’ is an awesome podcast that shows the ups and downs of all businesses. It teaches lessons through failure and success, although a bit dramatically.” ~ Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
6. ‘Entrepreneurs on Fire’
“I love listening to ‘Entrepreneurs on Fire.’ It’s a wonderful show in which the host John Lee Dumas interviews successful entrepreneurs and talks to them about their entrepreneurial journeys. You can take away a lot of amazing lessons from these episodes and use them to improve your business. They can also teach you how to become a better leader and a strategic businessperson.” ~ Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
7. ‘Naval’
“One podcast that has had a major impact on how I make business decisions is Naval Ravikant’s podcast, ‘Naval.’ I have enjoyed how he talks about the importance of good judgment to make decisions that will bring compound benefits over time.” ~ Alfredo Atanacio, Uassist.ME
8. ‘How I Built This’
“The podcast that helped me learn and really understand the ups and downs of creating and running a business is ‘How I Built This.’ It’s a great reminder that all those great businesses we see today didn’t start off as great businesses. They had their ups and lots of downs to get to where they are today. It’s encouraging to hear the struggles and the victories.” ~ Maria Thimothy, OneIMS
9. ‘Smart Agency Masterclass’
“‘Smart Agency Masterclass’ with Jason Swenk is a great podcast for marketing agencies looking to scale. It taught me a lot about niching down to scale big and how to hire and build an agency team. I would recommend it to anyone in the marketing industry and those looking to enter the marketing industry, especially entrepreneurs.” ~ Matthew Capala, Alphametic
10. ‘HBR IdeaCast’
“If you enjoy reading Harvard Business Review but don’t have the time, listen to ‘HBR IdeaCast.’ While it isn’t always necessarily business-focused, the content is rich with the insight that often helps me better understand how people think and what consumers want, plus it helps me find new ways to create ideas of my own.” ~ Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
11. ‘The Tim Ferriss Show’
“One business podcast I really enjoy is ‘The Tim Ferriss Show.’ It’s hosted by Tim Ferriss, who is an investor, author and entrepreneur. Ferriss talks to all different kinds of experts about tips and tricks to work smarter. This includes morning routines, time management skills and more. I enjoy this podcast because there are so many interesting guests and I learn something new every time.” ~ Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
12. ‘Business Lunch’
“One great podcast to follow is ‘Business Lunch.’ Roland Frasier creates episodes frequently and the content is often short and impactful, so you can learn a lot in just 10 minutes. You’re essentially ‘having lunch’ with a smart and successful entrepreneur every week by listening to the podcast. It’s an excellent way to make even a small amount of time create value in your life.” ~ Blair Williams, MemberPress
13. ‘The Launch Fix Podcast’
“‘The Launch Fix Podcast’ with Jess O’Connell has been a game-changer for my business. I admire Jess’s straightforward approach to launching new products and services. She teaches easy and effective digital marketing strategies for any business while weaving in anecdotes from her experience.” ~ Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Marquet Media, LLC
14. ‘Copyblogger FM’
“‘Copyblogger FM’ is an informative podcast that revolves around all things to do with content. The speakers bring in interesting guests who offer great insights and there are a lot of lessons to be learned. I find that it’s good practice to turn on a podcast episode and do a chore or a task that doesn’t involve thinking. You pick up a lot of information this way and make the most of your time.” ~ Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner
Image: Depositphotos
This article, “14 Podcasts That Have Impacted How These Entrepreneurs Run Their Businesses (and Why)” was first published on Small Business Trends