As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get inspired by others who have already found success. While inspiration can be found everywhere, there are many successful entrepreneurs who devote much of their time to providing not just intellectual inspiration, but practical tips for those who want to achieve more.
Since digital media consumption has increased exponentially thanks to tablets and smartphones, one of the most innovative approaches to delivering digital content to entrepreneurs is through podcasting.
A report from comScore found that nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 to 49 listen to podcasts at least once a month.
If you’re an entrepreneur just starting out, or if you’re established and want to achieve more this year, here are 10 essential podcasts you don’t want to miss:
Hosted by successful entrepreneur Bryan Franklin and his wife, Jennifer Russell, the Foundation Podcast takes an innovative approach to get you on the right track to success. This podcast provides a wealth of experience to learn from, including distinguishing the difference between entrepreneurs and business owners, and why it matters.
Part of being a successful entrepreneur, especially in the startup stage, is learning how to navigate both personal and professional relationships. While there are plenty of valuable strategies you can learn from business schools, as well as online courses in business management, what they don’t address are the interpersonal skills and the shift in mindset you’ll need in order to leave your mark on the world.
As a successful entrepreneur, author and speaker, Michael Ellsberg integrates both business strategy and the importance of lifelong learning and relationship building as part of being a successful entrepreneur.
If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, you need to know marketing. Hosted by Dean Jackson and marketing titan Joe Polish, I Love Marketing covers everything you need to know, from how to increase your productivity to the psychology of persuasion.
Fix Your Funnel hosts guests like marketing automation guru and former Infusionsoft developer Brad Martineau, who built a $3 million Infusionsoft consulting business. With so many moving parts, people and programs that may be part of creating and maintaining your sales funnel, this podcast can help you keep leaks to a minimum.
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Hosted by best selling author Tim Ferriss (“The Four Hour Workweek” and “The Four Hour Body”), Tim’s guests include a wide range of successful people who are not all entrepreneurs, but do have success stories to share.
Jason Calacanis uses his sharp wit and humor to bring you interesting and outrageous stories from entrepreneurs across the world. Calacanis has interviewed some of the most successful entrepreneurs out there, including Gary Vaynerchuk and David Sacks (of Paypal). While many podcasts broadcast audio only, This Week In Startups is professionally filmed so you can watch your favorite entrepreneurs share their stories.
Hosted by John Lee Dumas and voted best podcast of the year in 2013, Entrepreneur On Fire takes you through the failures and successes of entrepreneurs likeTim Ferris and Seth Godin. This podcast lives up to its name, as each guest’s appearance ends with a “Lightning Round,” where they are asked a series of five questions in rapid succession.
If you’re anchoring any part of your business in the online world, you don’t want to miss this podcast hosted by David Siteman Garland. David is an expert who helps people create and sell their digital courses and products on the internet. If you’ve ever thought about creating a downloadable online course, you’ll benefit greatly from this podcast.
Hosted by Beth Buelow, The Introvert Entrepreneur interviews creative, inspiring guests who have a wide range of experiences in business, providing genuine inspiration to introvert entrepreneurs. In 2014, Beth’s podcast was featured on Entrepreneur.com as one of the top 25 business podcasts for entrepreneurs.
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Part of being an entrepreneur requires generating funding. The Full Ratchet is a podcast that interviews investors to discover how they choose which startups to fund, and also how they make their investment decisions. If you’ve ever tried to generate funding from an investor, you know how challenging it can be to secure that funding. When you listen to this podcast, you’ll know more about what investors look for, and you’ll be ahead of the game.
Choose your episodes and be inspired
While you may not have the time to listen to all of the podcasts listed above, you can choose the topics that are of specific interest to you. You may find yourself inspired by some outrageous success stories told by entrepreneurs whose journey parallels your own.
