Snuggles on the couch with my youngest, Charlie.

 

Podcasts have been one of my favorite sources for information, companionship, and inspiration over the years. I put them into four categories: Running a Creative Business, Not Everything Has To Be About Work, Parenting and Deep Thoughts. I hope you find something in this list you'll enjoy, even if you aren't a working mom yourself. And maybe there's a working mother in your life who might enjoy these recommendations? I'd love it if you want to share this blog post with them!
​Here's to having it all (but not all at once)

 

Running a Creative Business

I am grateful to have started my business in the Age of the Podcast. The fact that so many intelligent, experienced, wise people are willing to share so much so freely feels like a miracle to me. From down and dirty practical tips on ESPS and SEO from other managers and marketers in the trenches to the long arc of perspective that seasoned business owners who have started, run and even left, sold or closed their entrepreneurial ventures have offered by telling their stories on these shows, I’ve benefited in immeasurable ways from all the conversations I’ve been able to listen to over the years.

 

Proof to Product

Katie Hunt is the business strategist and mentor to creative entrepreneurs from whom I’ve learned the most about being a product-based business owner since I attended her (in-person!) Paper Camp conference in 2015. She is razor-sharp, kind and generous and I’ve listened to every single one of the 333 episodes she’s released to date. I look forward to the new ones every week!

 

Professional Creative

Bonnie Christine is a newer business mentor from whom I have already learned a great deal. I took her Surface Pattern Design Immersion course in 2022 in order to learn how to make repeating patterns using Adobe Illustrator and I got a lot more than I paid for. She launched her podcast in the fall of 2022 and I’ve been a loyal listener ever since. Bonnie’s advice has almost a spiritual component; her belief in the creative potential in all of us is infectious and I could listen to her talk about anything even if the topic isn’t specifically relevant to my work.

 

How I Built This

As the founder of a company it is beyond interesting to hear the origin stories of other entrepreneurs. Guy Raz is a masterful interviewer and I have been inspired and comforted by many of the stories he’s helped his guests tell. Tate’s Bake Shop, Stonyfield Yogurt and TerraCycle are some of my favorite episodes.

 

Design Matters 

Debbie Millman is an A-list pro when it comes to both design and the art of the interview. Her interview with Dani Shapiro is one that stands out in my mind. I can still remember what I was doing in my studio in Brooklyn in 2016 when I listened to it.

 

Feminist Founders

A podcast I discovered recently and I’m loving Becky Mollencamp’s fresh take on how to run an ethical, profitable business in alignment with one’s values. I loved this episode on Marketing as Culture Making with Kelly Diels and I look forward to making my way through her backlog. 

 

Flow State

This isn’t a podcast exactly, it is a substack newsletter from Marcus Morretti who shares a two-hour playlist each weekday morning of music chosen to be great for working and getting into a “flow state” of creativity and productivity. Since I found it I have listened to a lot more inspiring (but not distracting) music and spent a lot less time looking for it or making decisions about it.

 

Special mention:

I loved this Beyond the Design interview with wallpaper designer Erin Minckley and this generous, cautionary tale by Emily McDowell on her podcast Quitted: Emily McDowell Quits Being a Human Brand. One other podcast I can’t not mention in this category is After the Jump with Grace Bonney, which ended in 2018. It aired at the perfect time for me but I think a lot of the interviews are still relevant and she is another interviewer who i think does a wonderful job bringing out what is most interesting and relatable in her guests.

Charlie in his car seat during our morning drop-off routine.

 

Not Everything Has to Be About Work

 

Ologies

Allie Ward covers topics ranging far and wide. I love the format and Allie is a crackerjack interviewer with contagious enthusiasm for in-depth knowledge of all sorts. My favorite episode is Dendrology (the study of TREES) with Casey Clapp, who also has his own podcast called Completely Arbortrary. TREES!

 

Quilt Buzz

This is a sweet show all about, you guessed it, quilting (a new fun skill I’m trying to learn). What I love about it is that the hosts, Amanda and Wendy, are disciplined about the format. There is no pre-show chit-chat and every episode is 30 minutes long. There is plenty of fun conversation with the guests, but they do a great job of focusing on the person they are interviewing.

 

The Potter’s Cast

This one is about another hobby I hope to someday call my own: pottery. My husband and I each made a bowl last year at a one-night workshop I gave him as a Christmas gift, and I knew immediately that unless I want to completely neglect all my other interests and responsibilities, I must not take up pottery (at least not yet). Too fun! Host Paul Blais is a staggering 1009 episodes in on this project, and once you listen you will understand why. He is a rare interviewer who is highly skilled at disarming his guests and drawing the very best storytelling and practical advice out of them. “We’re picking up where the art degree ends” is the tagline, and I’ve learned a lot about running a creative business by hearing how the potters of the world are doing it.

 

Snuggles with Lucas, my five-year-old. Soaking them up while I still can!

 

Parenting

 

Pressure Cooker

Veteran food journalists Jane Black and Elizabeth Dunn know that feeding kids has become ridiculously complicated. They break down hot topics like allergies, pickiness, sugar (how much is actually too much?), family dinner (I know we should but why is it so hard???) and moving toward plant-based eating as they relate to kids big and small. I especially appreciated this in depth history of school lunch in America: Part 1 and Part 2.

 

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

This is one I keep coming back to. As conflicted as I am about the overabundance of parenting advice clamoring for space in our brains these days (Big Little Feelings and Unruffled are more sources of this if you are looking), the hard moments keep happening, and Dr. Becky has a lot of useful advice for how to navigate them. 

 

ParentData

Emily Oster is my go-to for actual factual real news and info about parenting. She’s an economist, she works with data. She has a lot of great advice for how to weigh the different factors and make a decision that is right for your family.

 

Mother Culture

This is the perfect grain of salt to take along with your parenting advice. These thoughtful ladies’ interview with Kathryn Jezer-Morton “On How Social Media Storytelling Has Changed Our Understanding Of Motherhood, Childhood & What Makes A Good Life” gave me a lot to think about and I look forward to having them in my ear more often in the future. Jezer-Morton’s recent article about Dr. Becky in New York Magazine is another helpful grain of salt to add to your parenting advice diet.

 

Doing dishes with Lucas, my five-year-old.

 

Deep Thoughts

 

House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy

Here is an offering of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that I’ve been exploring lately. I particularly appreciated this Meditation for Connecting with Loved Ones and this interview with Susan Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.

 

On Being

This On Being interview by Krista Tippett with Barbara Brown Taylor gave me a lot to think about. I especially liked the concept of befriending our questions, thinking of them as our companions instead of focusing only on answers and solutions.

 

Poetry Unbound

 

I hope this has been helpful, please leave a comment below and let me know if you listen to any of these. I would love to have your recommendations too!