Podcasts and a Sleeping Baby
Four out of five days a week, Dylan falls asleep in the car on the way home from school. This is usually due to the fact that she naps horribly at school. It’s like she saves all her long luxurious naps for when she is at home.
I end up driving around for 30 minutes to give her a little cat nap in the hopes that she doesn’t have a meltdown while we go through our evening routine. This is also a good way to ensure Josh sees her before bedtime.
Anyway, since I try to avoid texting and driving or reading my email it can get pretty boring as I make a nice route through the very dark streets of West Boynton Beach. So I use this time to catch up on my podcasts.
Right now, my rotation includes:
TED Radio Hour: These are compilations of some of the best TED Talks grouped by different topics. For example, last week I listened to a podcast about “slowing down.” It centered on the idea that being creative can often be helped by procrastinating—not really my cup of tea, but certainly interesting. “Brand Over Brain” was also a really good episode. It was so relevant to my job that I found myself jotting down notes (NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING) that I wanted to apply to my every day work-life. I love these episodes because I feel like they make me smarter and more productive at work without having to read business books, which I find incredibly boring.
Stuff You Missed in History Class: This is by far my favorite podcast. The history nerd in me can’t get enough. I power through them since they are usually under 50 minutes (more typically 30 minutes or less) and they are just so interesting. In the last few months I have learned about how competitive inventing the hot air balloon was, what caused the Attica riot in 1971, that fighting over cod can become an international diplomacy issue, and Buckingham’s very own stalker – The Boy Jones. Truthfully, if Dylan is screaming because she is over tired I turn this one on first, I think Holly’s and Tracy’s voices soothe her.
This American Life: The storytelling on this podcast is unparalleled. I didn’t even know I could be interested in some of these topics. They did two episodes on the refugees this summer and hearing about what they were running from, their current life, and the people who are trying to help them was a really good way to become at least somewhat educated in the issue. The songs they wrote for the election were hilarious. Plus, I love Ira Glass.
Invisbilia: It makes me so sad that they only do a few episodes at a time. This podcast is about the “invisible” forces that control human behavior. They had an entire episode devoted to how clothing can change how we feel, and one that explored how societal norms can impact business and brands desire to enter a market.
How I Built This: This just recently made my podcast feed. It was just released this past September and interviews entrepreneurs and innovators about their groundbreaking and often industry disrupting inventions and businesses. Hearing how some of these companies came to fruition e.g., AirBnB and Instagram is really fascinating.
I’m open to others if you have suggestions – yes, I’ve listened to Serial.
