There is nothing better than getting lost in a good podcast on a morning walk before you start the day. And podcasts aren’t just for drowning out the outside world, they can help you discover niche communities, find business inspiration, and be more open-minded and creative.
Here are the 13 best podcasts we’re listening to right now:
1. Canary
Canary is a seven-part investigative podcast series from The Washington Post that follows two women’s story on refusing to be silent, and one of the women’s decision to come forward with a claim of sexual assault against a high-ranking figure in the D.C. criminal justice system. Host Amy Brittain delves into what it takes to report on this story and why it’s important.
Read more: Your Questions About Workplace Sexual Harassment Answered
2. Code Switch
This podcast from NPR tackles conversations about race head on in a refreshing and engaging way. Hosted by different journalists of color, it explores how race impacts politics, pop culture, history, sports, and pretty much everything else. Learn about how kids think about race, changing tides in the fashion industry, and more.
3. Ordinary Equality
Human Rights Attorney Kate Kelly examines the turbulent history of the Equal Rights Amendment that has passed, failed, and been resurrected since its introduction. Episodes cover the stories of the revolutionaries, activists, dissenters who’ve made history in the legal, political, and cultural landscape of the last century.
Read more: All the Workplace Rights Your Mother Didn't Have
4. Stuff You Should Know
Hosts Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark go deep into the research on weird topics you’ve always wondered about–who gets to name the continents? Why do those pink plastic flamingos exist? How does soap work? Why are squirrels’ nut hiding processes so complex?
5. Dare to Lead with Brene Brown
Brené Brown’s podcast stems from her book, Dare to Lead, focusing on how to help you become a better leader. Brown writes, “The podcast [is] a mix of solo episodes and conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters, and as many troublemakers as possible. Innovating, creating, and building a better, more just world, requires daring leadership in every part of our daily lives–from work to home to community. Together, we’ll have conversations that help us show up, step up, and dare to lead.”
Read more: How Social Intelligence Can Help Your Career & Make You a Better Leader
6. AsianBossGirl
Hosts Melody Cheng, Helen Wu, and Janet Wang started this podcast when they noticed the lack of representation of Asian women in media. The only representation they saw covered the bases of fashion, beauty, and blogging, so they decided it was time to share their stories from working in finance and tech in Los Angeles. Episodes cover everything from corporate horror stories and empathetic businesses to online dating and Enneagram tests.
Read more: 9 Tech Podcasts We’re Loving Right Now
7. Creative Pep Talk
From illustrator and public speaker Andy J. Pizza, the Creative Pep Talk podcast helps creatives harness their potential and passion and run with it. The show features monologues and interviews with creative powerhouses like Abbi Jacobson and Joseph Gordon Levitt and overdelivers on energetic inspiration. Learn how to discover hidden themes in your work, refocus your energy, and create work that resonates on a deeper level.
Read more: 6 Times When You're Your Most Creative
8. By The Book
Culture critic Kristen Meinzer and comedian Jolenta Greenberg offer smart and hilarious commentary on various self-help books in this comedic podcast. In each episode, the hosts dive into a different self-help book and live out the rules to see which books might actually be life-changing.
9. Latino USA
Latino USA is one of the longest running Latino-focused programs in the U.S. The podcast offers an extremely insightful and eye-opening view into the issues that affect minorities across the U.S. today, with an emphasis on the Latinx community. Each week, host Maria Hinojosa focuses on different lived cultural, social, and political experiences from various Latinx guests.
Read more: How Microaggressions Affect Identity in the Workplace
10. Second Life
Second Life focuses on the stories of women who’ve mastered pivots at all stages of their careers. Host Hillary Kerr interviews CEOs, artists, mothers, writers, designers, and everyone else in between on how they found their version of success and fulfillment and learned from personal missteps and failures.
Read more: 2 Career Women on Change, Reinvention & Thriving
11. 2 Dope Queens
Hosts Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams are funny AF and invite other funny AF comedians on their show to talk about race, romance, Zoodles, New York, Michelle Obama’s hair journey, and much, much more. Whenever you’re having a tough day, this podcast is a surefire way to let loose and release some giggles.
12. A Hungry Society
Food media is all the rage nowadays, but still not everyone has a seat at the metaphorical table. Food writer Korsha Wilson started A Hungry Society to foster more diverse and inclusive conversations in the culinary world. Wilson analyzes the current state of the food industry and invites guests each week to discuss how food shapes their lives.
Read more: Are You 'The Only' at Work? Here's How to Broaden Your Network
13. You’re Wrong About
Hosts Michael Hobbs and Sarah Marshall are journalists obsessed with—everything, it seems. In this weekly podcast, they deep dive into topics ranging from Enron to Koko the gorilla to a five-part series on Princess Diana, all in an effort to debunk conspiracy theories and explain what really happened. Highly digestible and funny, You’re Wrong About is binge-worthiness at its finest.
