Podcasts that will level up your Business

Listening to podcasts has been really helpful in my development as an entrepreneur. Podcasts are a superb resource for learning. And many other bloggers and entrepreneurs feel the same. In the last few years, this form of content has been a great source of learning, inspiration and entertainment for many people and its popularity is growing. In this post, I share the best podcasts for business owners, entrepreneurs, and bloggers will entertain and inspire you to build better businesses online.

SEO, marketing, and the techniques for building businesses change every year. In 2022, we will probably see more changes in the way content is created and how entrepreneurs build products and services. Why? Because competition is tougher. Google’s algorithm is getting smarter and more selective, and investors are becoming wary of startups with no revenue-generating ability.

So to keep ahead of these changes it’s essential to listen to the experts. I’ve selected my favourite podcasters based on their ability to deliver value to entrepreneurs. These are the top podcasts for listeners wanting to learn how successful entrepreneurs build their businesses.

This is a personal list so it’s not the definitive ‘best of’, but then every list is a personalised opinion in some form or another. However, I’m an entrepreneur, blogger, and a big consumer of podcasts so I’d consider my opinion on this topic to be well informed. At any rate, if you’re new to this particular broadcast medium or you want to find some new shows to listen to, try the podcasts below and expand your own list from there.

My First Million

This podcast on entrepreneurship has become one of my favorites. Imagine a show where two successful entrepreneurs and angel investors let you eavesdrop on their conversations about new trends, up-and-coming startups to invest in, and business ideas. That’s the format of My First Million. It’s a zero-waste, streamlined, straight-to-the-point, honest show about making money (online or offline).

Be prepared to get more value bombs in an hour than you’ll get in a week of business school.

While this podcast might sound like a couple (or more) guys talking about their money, there’s plenty to be learned here. 

Hosts Sam Parr and Shaan Puri are successful entrepreneurs in their own right, and their enthusiasm for business is infectious. Sam built The Hustle, a business newsletter with millions of subscribers, and sold it to HubSpot in 2021. He also founded Trends.co, a newsletter about emerging business trends. Shaan is the founder of Bebo and a serial investor. 

The quick-fire style is packed with insights from people that actually build and invest in businesses every day. This is the ultimate podcast for people who want to follow people with proven skills. 

Entertaining and insightful.

My First Million used to be a weekly podcast, but it’s become so successful that there are now several shows a week.

Everything is Marketing

Podcast host Corey Haines talks about what different types of marketers do and how they do it. In these conversations, you will learn about marketing from honest people who don’t always identify themselves as marketers but have become experts when it comes to leveraging marketing to create value and bring their products or services to market. Set yourself apart in the world of marketing by learning from different industries that might not even cross your mind.

I enjoy the podcast because it dives deep into specific marketing tactics from a holistic perspective. In addition to providing specific examples, it helps you visualize how each tactic looks in reality and how you can apply it to enhance your business.

Indie Hackers

The number one podcast for people who want to build primarily tech-based businesses without venture capital backing, an enormous team, or convoluted business plans. Indie Hackers is all about building scrappy projects and startups with life-changing results. 

If you’re interested in indie entrepreneur space, No Code, and building profitable businesses without venture capital funding. It’s inspiring to hear how others started their journey and ended up doing what they’re passionate about (or even just what makes them a lot of money).

Founder and host Courtland interviews interesting entrepreneurs about their path to success, biggest failures, and wisdom obtained. Indie Hackers launched in 2016 and quickly became so successful and popular that the founders of Stripe bought the show with no intention of changing or influencing the format. 

Fans love the community and the deep insights the show brings to the world. 

While it’s primarily focused on tech companies, Courtland also interviews successful course creators, physical business and product owners, and writers. 

The Prof G Show with Scott Galloway

Scott Galloway is a professor of marketing at NYU, the founder and director of the L2 Think Tank, and one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People.” Galloway is an expert on consumer behavior and marketing and is the author of “The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google”.

There are few podcasts that contain as many gems and important topics to ponder. You will learn something in every episode. It will make you angry, sad, and happy. You will laugh and you will wonder where we go from here.

Authority Hacker

Listen to this show if you want to learn how to start your own website that can fund your lifestyle and get you out of the corporate rat race.Gael and Mark at Authority Hacker have done a lot in the last 10 years. They started an agency and then sold it the company while building their own niche websites. The built a successful health niche site and made a lot of money from it. They started a website to teach people how to make money from authority sites (also called Authority Hacker).

Recently they built several websites to prove that they can do what they teach. They sold at least one of their new websites for a mid-six-figure sum. The show’s topics range from SEO to affiliate marketing, to conversion rate optimizations techniques and lots of geeky tech stuff that website owners will love. While the focus is on Amazon niche websites and building authority websites to monetize through affiliate commissions, there is plenty to learn about business and entrepreneurship from these seasoned marketers. this is the show

The weekly podcasts are packed with information and advice from successful company owners and even listeners. Learn field-tested tactics on building and growing niche sites from beginner to advanced level. Learn about email marketing, conversion rate optimization, SEO, and more.

All Meat, No Filler.

Recommended episodes:
141: Nerdy SEO debates with Kyle Roof, the serial myth buster.
131: Interview – Mads Singers Will Help You Not Suck at Managing People

Everyone Hates Marketers

You might have a great business idea or a fabulous product to sell, but unless people are aware of it, it’s next to impossible to make money. Businesses generate awareness through marketing. And this should lead to sales of your product or service. Marketing can also lead to more traffic to a blog or followers on social media. 

There are a ton of marketing podcasts out there but none are like Everyone Hates Marketers, the show for people “sick of shady marketing tactics”. Sure, marketing hacks will work. But for how long? And dodgy marketing tactics will eventually come back to bite you in the behind. 

If you want to learn long-term marketing principles and learn from marketers who have built successful businesses on the back of ethical promotion, this is the podcast for you. 

And don’t worry, it’s not all about ethics or showing the world how to behave. This show is about understanding marketing psychology and how to build businesses that will last the test of time. 

Topics include “How to use customer research to design and sell better products”, “How to build a genuinely caring and committed community”, and “How to use marketing stunts to get free press.”

The first major obstacle an entrepreneur faces when launching a business is how to market it. Marketing is often seen as a dark art and there are plenty of snake oil salesmen, fake wizards, gurus, and charlatans in the space. Sure, marketing is about hustle and experimentation but it doesn’t have to be about shady tactics. And that’s the message Louis, host of Everyone Hates Marketers podcast, tries to convey to entrepreneurs and companies that listen to his show. Louis was sick and tired of seeing dodgy marketing practices on the internet and decided to interview thought leaders, successful business owners, and marketers that focus on long-term strategies rather than short term gimmicks.

Everyone Hates Marketers is a great show for people who want to learn the psychology of marketing from some of the best in the industry such as Seth Godin, Rand Fishkin, Perry Marshall, and Peep Laja. Learn marketing tips that you can still use 20 years from now.

Digital Marketing Podcast

One of the most podcasts on digital marketing from Ciaran Rogers and Daniel Rowles, two digital marketers from the UK. Shows appear roughly once a month. Episodes are packed with advice on topics such as Core Web Vitals, social sharing tips, CRM systems, content writing tools, marketing automation, and AI content writing tools.

Superfast Business

Entrepreneur James Shramko has coached thousands of entrepreneurs on their journey to business success and financial independence. With over 800 shows, the SuperFast Business podcast is an example of a podcast with lasting appeal. 

James has been “on the internet” since 2005 and quickly learned about affiliate marketing and niche websites. These days, he runs coaching courses and focuses on his podcast.

Topics include Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactics, Facebook Ads mastery, course creation, content marketing, and freelance writing, improving business profitability, revenue share deals, Amazon ecommerce, and online memberships. If you’ve got a business online, there’s something for you here. 

Mindset, outsourcing, and time management are regular themes that pop up on the show. If these are topics you struggle with, listen in!

Tropical MBA

I’ve been listening to the tropical MBA for years and it never fails to deliver entertaining and informative podcast episodes about entrepreneurship and location-independent businesses. Hosts Dan and Ian have run successful businesses while living overseas, and their “tribe” is composed of other location independent business owners. 

It’s not about making millions or taking over the world, it’s about creating generational wealth and businesses that give you the freedom to live and work wherever and however you choose. 

Over the years, interviews with smart entrepreneurs from every walk of life, living in every part of the world, have given their insights on what makes a good business. Topics covered include creating productized businesses, drop shipping, digital agencies, side hustles, digital nomad life, Amazon FBA, e-commerce websites, and personal blogging.

The Tropical MBA focuses more on indie entrepreneurs and leaves the Silicon Valley venture capitalist content to SaaS podcast shows and more general business world broadcasts. If you want the nitty-gritty, dirty details on how an entrepreneur like you can start from nothing to grow a successful online business, tune in to this weekly podcast.

I’ve learned a lot from the Tropical MBA podcast and I’m sure I’ll keep adding to the database of strategies and tips. Topics discussed include:

• Lifestyle businesses
• Niche product businesses
• Relocation and living overseas
• Dropshipping
• Foreign language learning
• Remote work
• Entrepreneur books

The Side Hustle Show

Nick Loper’s Side Hustle podcast accompaniment to his very successful Side Hustle Nation website is a great resource for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals. The focus is on making money on the side. But that doesn’t mean that guests on the show are merely adding small sums to their incomes. Some of Nick’s guests make millions of dollars from businesses started as small projects, extra money making opportunities, and passions that turned into lucrative businesses.

An inspiring podcast for people that need reassurance that their niche business idea is a potentially lucrative one. Some of the success stories are nothing short of amazing and will make you think twice about dismissing ‘crazy ideas‘.

The Social Media Marketing Podcast

The podcast of Michael Stelzner’s Social Media Examiner is the go-to show for trends and techniques to use in the social media world. With the constant changes in Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, SnapChat, Twitter, and the other social media platforms, there’s always something to talk about.

Mike asks great questions and is able to get the most out of the guests that come on his show. He’s been in the social media game for a long time and is just as knowledgable as many of his guests. But he likes to take down the techie stuff a notch and make the episodes accessible to newbies and business owners that aren’t deep in the social weeds. 

Recommended episodes
342: How to Create Long-Form Videos That Sell
(No episode number): Why We Abandoned Facebook Video Longer Than Two Minutes

The SaaS Podcast

Although the focus is on software entrepreneurs this excellent podcast is a must for any software entrepreneur. The SaaS Podcast provides great insights into marketing and content strategies for businesses of any type. Created by ex-Microsoft employee Omer Khan, The SaaS Podcast’s focus in on interviewing software entrepreneurs about their challenges and triumphs.

Don’t be put off by the topic if you’re not interested in software. It’s not all Silicon Valley CEO types and talk of metrics. Most of the interviews are about entrepreneur struggles, marketing, growth, market-fit, content, blogging, and other ‘non-techie’ aspects of starting a software business. Nobody talks code on this show, so it’s a good place for any entrepreneur to find inspiration for their next project or current startup.

Startup Stories – Mixergy

Andrew Warner started the Mixergy podcast as a way to satisfy his passions, learning and asking questions. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Andrew wanted to talk to other business owners that he met at his live events and used the interview format to discover what made these people tick.

While the show’s guests are already highly successful in their fields, there’s a to be learned from their journeys. Listeners who are on the first step of the ladder towards entrepreneurship can take inspiration from the stories that Andrew skilfully extracts from each guest. 

Andrew Warner is one of the old guard of podcasting. Andrew was a successful entrepreneur long before starting Mixergy, so he’s walked the talk. He understands business and knows what it takes to grind away for years before making a breakthrough.

The show features successful entrepreneurs – business leaders and serial entrepreneurs with proven revenue streams. It provides inspiraton for people starting their entrepreneurial journey and for people that have already made it.

Affiliate Marketing & Side Hustles on the Doug.Show

If you want to learn how to build affiliate websites (for passive income) then Doug Cunnington is one of the best voices on the interwebs. Doug has been in the affiliate marketing game, primarily with Amazon Associates-focused websites) for years and he’s successfully grown and sold businesses. 

The Doug.Show is a new weekly podcast show but Doug has found some interesting guests to share marketing tips, advice on starting websites, and more. The podcast features guests who are largely unknown to the public, but in a way, this makes things more interesting. Learn tips and tricks from people that are still in the trenches, fighting their way towards achieving success. Hear about how others have managed to grow their businesses from small projects to successful six-figure businesses. There’s a wide range of topics discussed but it all boils down to one thing: online entrepreneurship.

Smart Passive Income

One of the first business podcasts and a great one for the beginner entrepreneur. The Smart Passive Income podcast has been an inspiration for me and for thousands of other niche site owners, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and affiliate marketers. I think that a lot of the success of Pay Flynn’s podcast is Pat’s personality. He’s a likeable character who shares the details of his triumphs and failures with transparency.

Pat is the kind of guy you’d like to meet at a coworking space, entrepreneur conference, or anywhere really. He can chat about blogging until the cows come home and he’s been doing it as a business for almost 10 years. He’s transparent and open and his topics touch on personal issues with building businesses, personal financing, and the complexities of starting a company. Great advice from a veteran with millions of listeners.

Guests on the SPI show tell Pat their unique entrepreneur stories and share plenty of marketing tips. Mostly about how they hit rock-bottom but rose to the top again. But there are always nuggets of actionable advice for anyone in business. If you want the kind of show the makes you take action, then this inspirational podcast will push all the right buttons. If you want to learn how to run your own course, create webinars, build a profitable business, or market your online business, this podcast is pure gold.

Grab a pen and paper, as you’ll be taking lots of notes – or read some of the excellent show notes. SPI is also one of the best affiliate marketing and email marketing podcasts. Pat Flynn makes most of the income from his website through affiliate marketing, so he certainly understands that sector of business. Take some advice from this man!

Art Of Newsletters – The Nathan Barry Show

In case you haven’t noticed, Newsletters are huge again. What seemed to have died off in the last few years, email newsletter marketing, has made a comeback. This resurgence is likely inspired by the success The Hustle, Trends, and Morning Dough, email newsletters that generate millions of dollars in revenue. Substack, a platform for monetizing and delivering email newsletters, is also trending.

Nathan Barry, founder of the excellent email software ConvertKit talks to entrepreneurs who have built entire businesses around their email lists. Get ideas and inspiration on how you can apply your skills and knowledge to a content marketing channel most people wrote off years ago.

The Tim Ferriss Show

Tim Ferriss, the man who rose to fame as the best-selling author of the ultra-successful Four Hour Work Week presents one of the best podcasts in any genre or niche. While Ferriss has changed focus from scrappy entrepreneurs to world-class CEOs and business leaders of Silicon Valley behemoths like Airbnb and Twitter, the rules of engagement and business lessons remain the same. Learn about the entrepreneurial journey of some of the world’s most famous names. And no so famous. The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the world’s most popular podcasts with millions of listeners for each show. The topics are wide-ranging and include such entrepreneurial spirits as Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Guy Raz (from the How I Built This Podcast).

What is a podcast, anyway?

I have a confession. I’m obsessed with podcasts. And I’m an entrepreneur, so business podcasts are top of my list. Videos don’t do it for me, and I can’t learn anything in a classroom. But I absorb podcasts like a sponge. I genuinely believe that podcasts can improve your life. I’m fascinated with businesses, especially small single-person lifestyle businesses and startups. 

Have you ever wondered how successful entrepreneurs do what they do? Do they just wake up one day and decide to create a company? Do they wait for an idea to fall into their lap? Do they follow a specific set of steps to achieve their goals? For answers to these questions, inspiration for your next project, and practical advice on becoming a small business owner, online entrepreneur, or startup founder, subscribe to these business podcasts shows now!

Most people reading this blog will have some idea of what a Podcast is but here’s a refresher and some interesting statistics.

The word podcast is a mix of the words iPod and Broadcasting. Podcasts were originally MP3 files of audio shows (think interviews or monologues) that people listened to on their iPods. As the technology became more advanced and people started to listen to audio shows on other devices and other formats the word Podcast came to be a term to describe any long-form audio show that you can download and listen to on a device.

There are now regular shows on any topics you can think of any many people prefer listening to Podcasts over reading magazines or newspapers. Somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 podcasts are currently active in English. Podcast subscriptions passed the 1 billion mark back in 2013 and popularity has only increased since then.

If we take Google Trends as an indicator then podcasts with a focus on entrepreneurship are growing in popularity at an even greater rate. The keyword ‘Entrepreneur Podcast’ has increased steadily in the last couple of years.

And finally, the term ‘podcasts for entrepreneurs’ is a long-tail keyword so it will naturally have fewer searches but it is growing steadily now also.

According to the PEW Research Center, the percentage of Americans listening to Podcasts has doubled since 2008 and one third of the entire population has listened to a podcast at some stage.

Podcasts are big business. John Lee Dumas of EOfire.com puts his income online every month. Reading these income reports I get a clear view of the potential of shows for entrepreneurs and business people. In February 2016 his site earned just under $600,000. That’s impressive for a business that drives all of its sales from the shows he records at a breakneck pace. His secret is consistency and smart business tactics. For many years he has produced a podcast every single day and his audience of entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and niche business owners listen in their thousands.

Finding New Podcasts

One of my favourite tools for finding great podcast episodes has nothing to do with any of the podcast apps or networks. It’s called Listen Notes and is a free service for tracking keywords mentioned in podcast shows. 

Add a keyword like “Tim Ferris” or “Pinterest marketing” and get an email digest of the latest shows that mention these terms. 

All of these shows are available on the Apple Podcast, Google Podcast networks as well as Spotify, Stitcher, and, hopefully, your favorite podcast player.