Female-led Business Podcasts You Need to Be Listening To

I have a confession to make: I like silly podcasts. Despite the amazing amount of knowledge and perspectives at my fingertips, I tend to lean towards fun, goofy podcasts that make me laugh. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that—we all need a mental break—but for those times when I’m loading up my phone with playlists before a big road trip or a long run, I feel like I should have something that will help me improve.

More Women Should Host Podcasts

One of the best niche markets in podcasts is business and entrepreneurial topics. The good ones highlight the good and bad in business, the mistakes and successes. They not only give you tips in your own careers, they also inspire you to keep pushing. Since I work for SkillPath—a business training company—this is an area in which I’m particularly interested in developing my skills.  

Obviously I started with SkillPath’s own podcast: Career Strategies for Working Women. It’s still pretty new, though, so I burned through the episodes fairly quickly. As I scrolled through the business podcast section, I found that an overwhelming amount were hosted by men. I felt I would benefit more from a woman’s perspective, being a woman in business myself, so I decided to narrow my search down to female-led podcasts only.

The Project

Even this small subset had its fair share of choices, so I started to make a list. I broke them down by type of show and what other podcasts they reminded me of. Some weren’t for me. For instance, Serial will never be my favorite. It’s an incredible show, but the format does not interest. I much prefer listening to more than one host. When I came across a show with one host, I would file it under my Serial category and move on. However, since I know a ton of people love the single-host format, I decided to share what I found.

The List  

1. If you like GirlBoss Radio, check out Career Strategies for Working Women

Natalie Eckdahl sits down with a different guest each episode and they just chat about a given topic. It feels like you’re listening in on an intelligent, informative conversation between two knowledgeable women. Occasionally she will host an episode by herself without a guest, but for the most part she has another woman on to talk.

Recommended episode: #125 – “Stress vs. Happiness with Julia Skeesick”

-Honorable mentions: Claim This Stage  

2. If you like Anna Faris is Unqualified, check out Style Your Mind

Cara Alwill Leyba is a straight-forward host who answers questions articulately and insightfully. It’s like a serious version of Unqualified that still manages to be just as engaging.

Recommended episode: #59 — “Dealing With Imposter Syndrome, Creative BLOCK + Total Overwhelm”  

3. If you like Serial, check out The Broad Experience   

This podcast almost feels like listening to a 60 Minutes segment, probably due to the host’s background as a journalist. Ashley Milne-Tyte compiles stories about and interviews with other business powerhouses in a highly listenable package.

Recommended episode: #37 — “Emotions at the Office”

Honorable mention: Off the Charts Business Podcast   

4. If you like Call Your Girlfriend, check out Being Boss

Being Boss is a relaxed podcast where two smart women chat about being women in business. It never feels like they’re talking down to their audience; rather, they mention tips they’ve acquired over the years and play off each other’s experiences. This is my personal favorite, as I much prefer listening to shows with more than one host.  

Recommended episode: #19 — “Communicate Like A Boss”

- Honorable mention: That’s So Retrograde

One of the best things about podcasts is that you can skip around. Find a topic that interests you and listen to just that episode. I hope this list guides you to an episode or series that will inspire you to be the best professional you can be. And if you don’t find something you like, well, there’s always room for you to create your own.