If you’re busy like me and the rest of the world, right now you’re thinking,
I don’t even have time for my clients… How will I possibly have time to listen to hour-long podcasts?
I get it.
But the most successful freelancers know two things:
- There’s 1440 minutes in a day.
- How to capitalize on every single one of them.
Successful freelancers put stray segments of time to work for them—such as listening to podcasts while waiting or performing mundane tasks.
The key to making this actually happen is having your headphones and smart phone on hand at all times. Then, during any ten-minute gap, you can learn something new and stay motivated. For example, here’s when I listen to podcasts:
- Driving
- Washing the dishes
- Walking to yoga
- Doing social media work
- While I’m eating lunch and dinner
- Cleaning
- Getting ready in the morning
So if you’re not listening to podcasts yet, you literally have no excuse; you can listen to them while going to the bathroom. As a millennial freelancer and entrepreneur, here are my favorites:
1. Entrepreneur on Fire – John Lee Dumas
“JLD” releases a 25-minute podcast seven days a week. Listening to EO Fire took me from being a freelancer to being an entrepreneur. The difference, for me, is thinking about myself and my work as a business, rather than an hourly commitment. My priority became what’s best for the business and my long-term vision, not what’s best for me and my bank account right now. JLD’s pointed, consistent questions will get you thinking about the same things.
2. Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer – Sonia Simone
Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer is, in some ways, the polar opposite of EO Fire. Don’t listen to this podcast if you want to get fired up and inspired to start a business; instead, listen to it when you want technical, nitty-gritty knowledge on freelancing and content marketing specifically. Though it can feel dry at times, few podcasts delve into as much detail as Confessions. If you want that technical edge, this is the podcast for you.
3. Magic Lessons — Elizabeth Gilbert
We progress professionally when we develop personally. In Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert straddles the intersection between the two, diving into self-care, intrinsic creativity and wild success. Listen to Magic Lessons on long car rides or anytime you have a chance to really sit with Gilbert’s lessons and the stories of the people she interviews. If you have writer’s block or your motivation has plummeted, Gilbert will remind you how to take care of you so the rest takes care of itself.
4. The School of Greatness – Lewis Howes
In The School of Greatness, former pro-athlete-turned-business coach Lewis Howes profiles some of the world’s top entrepreneurs (think Marie Forleo, Danielle LaPorte). My favorite part of his podcast is how unscripted it feels; he asks uncomfortable questions, and it feels like nothing is edited out. This isn’t the best podcast if you want to learn exactly how to leave your 9-5, for example, because most of his interviewees are currently beyond our wildest dreams. But that’s exactly the point: Lewis Howes inspires us all to greatness.
5. The Freelancer — Paul Jarvis
The Freelancer covers freelancing as both a business and a lifestyle. One of my favorite episodes, for example, addressed how to routinize self-care throughout the day to recharge and stay on top of your game. Chances are if you’re not doing well, your freelancing business isn’t doing well: the key is simultaneously taking care of both. Paul Jarvis also co-hosts the podcast Invisible Office Hours, which explores the intersection between creativity and commerce.
6. The Accidental Creative – Todd Henry
How is this for dramatic irony: Todd Henry decided to create a podcast on work/life balance and discovering your mission with creative business leaders called “The Accidental Creative”. He got discouraged or distracted and ended up putting the podcast aside for a few months. Months later, he was browsing iTunes and saw that a podcast called The Accidental Creative was number one in several categories. Henry thought he must have accidentally stolen someone else’s name—until he realized the podcast was his. If thousands of iTunes subscribers found it without Henry doing a thing to market it, this podcast is worth listening to.
What are your favorite podcasts? Share them in the comments below!
