So I initially wanted to name this post, “My Favorite Podcasts,” but I thought that was a little unfair to the future podcasts I will discover. These are the podcasts that I love enough I would (or have) binged. The topics are really random, but I’ll explain why I love each one. The topics and formats of each are too different to be able to rank. So I put them in chronological order of when I discovered them.
WordPress Weekly
The very first podcast I ever listened to was WordPress Weekly on the WP Tavern. It’s also the one I’ve been most consistent with listening to for an extended period of time. Though I’ve been very busy lately planning WordCamp Kent, there was about a 4-6 month stretch where I listened to WordPress Weekly, well, weekly. In fact, to catch up, I would listen to the most recent, then pick an older episode and listen back-to-back. It’s also the only podcast that I actually found by specifically seeking it out (by Googling “WordPress podcast”).
What I Love
I have a listening routine with this podcast. Sunday mornings, I make myself some coffee and toast, grab a notebook and sit out on my deck and listen to an episode or two of WordPress Weekly. It’s helped me keep up-to-date on WordPress news, discover new plugins/ideas, and learn more about the community and the make.wordpress.org teams that contribute to the project.
The Moth
I found The Moth when Googling for “feel good podcasts” while waiting for a counseling appointment. My close friend is extremely into podcasts and we mostly talk about true crime ones, but I was wondering what was on the other side of the podcast spectrum. I found this list: 8 Addictive Podcasts That Will Give You a Happiness Boost, and decided to check out The Moth first. The Moth is “true stories told live.” Each episode features a handful of personal stories told to a live audience. The hosts also share follow up interviews or questions with the story tellers, which gives a nice feeling of closure.
What I Love
The Moth is my go-to podcast for doing dishes, sweeping, or doing other chores around the house. It’s perfect because the stories are well-thought-out and rehearsed, so the pacing is perfect to be able to pay attention without straining. Plus, who doesn’t love crying while doing dishes? Seriously though, the stories are really compelling and emotional. It’s also nice if you want to listen to something in short spurts, because there are separate stories in each episode.
The Succulent FAQ
Sometime last fall, I decided I wanted to get some houseplants. I bought two succulents from Home Depot, not even knowing their names/what type of container I should plant them in/how much sun or water they needed. (I also rapidly collected/inherited other house plants – some type of small palm, a rubber tree, and some type of ivy that I hung from my ceiling in an effort to reclaim my home.) One of the succulents adapted very easily to the new environment and my watering habits. The other gradually lost all it’s leaves and shriveled up. While researching types and trying to identify this plant, I found the Succulents and Sunshine blog by Cassidy Tuttle. I joined the Facebook group to get personalized advice and started downloading all the episodes of The Succulent FAQ podcast.
What I Love
My commute to work is only 4-5 minutes. These podcast episodes are so short. They are the perfect length to just get a tiny bit of learning in before I start my day. The host also provides really short, memorable URLs to find out more about the topics she covers. And hopefully this knowledge I’m gaining will help me kill less plants!
Reading Glasses
The friend I mentioned that’s really into podcasts actually introduced me to Reading Glasses. The podcast is hosted by Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara and is under the Maximum Fun umbrella. It’s a podcast about books and literary things, but also about reading strategies and how to better integrate reading into your daily life. I’ve only listened to four episodes so far, but I really like it. They give a unique hashtag in each episode, too which is cool to see what other people thought of the show or what other recommendations the listeners have.
Also, a special mention – I absolutely loved S-Town. I think it was a more interesting listen having no context prior to listening, so I’m giving no description.