Essential Listening: Top Podcasts for Your Summer Vacation
Whether you’re getting ready for your summer break, or planning some serious warm-weather training, here are my top podcasts to stimulate your mind during your downtime.
Is there a better way to relax by the pool than binging on back-to-back episodes of your favorite podcast? Or perhaps you have an autumn marathon in the diary and will need some entertainment on those long summer evening training runs? Since its resurgence as a medium, the internet has built up a vast back-catalogue of shows that can offer everything from career inspiration, education, to good old-fashioned entertainment.
Personally, I love getting new recommendations from trusted friends and colleagues, so here are my current favorites to inspire you over the summer months.
1. Media Masters Podcast – Best for leadership inspiration

A series of one-to-one interviews with people at the top of the digital and media industry. Host Paul Blanchard, himself a successful business leader, has a wonderful way of encouraging these powerful figures to speak candidly about their experiences in business. Thoughtful, reflective and with some great career tips thrown in.
Start with: Martha Lane Fox (founder of Lastminute.com) (iTunes). She shares her experiences on leadership, life in the House of Lords, and the challenges associated with gender parity.
2. That Peter Crouch Podcast – Best for laughs and intriguing professional insights

Now in its second series, England international and Premiership footballer Peter Crouch sits down with a couple of friends to spill the beans on what it is really like to be a top-flight professional. Crouch has some amazing stories to tell, including topics like changing room antics, footballer’s cars, and life on the training pitch.
Start with: ‘That Transfers Episode’ (iTunes). Eye-opening insights into what it’s really like to move clubs.
Are you more a reader than a listener?
Check out our diversity and inclusion summer reading list.
Read Now3. On Purpose with Jay Shetty – Best for self-improvement

After meeting a monk when he was 18, Jay started redefining the idea of success for himself. He now wanted a life of service, impact and passion as opposed to money, fame and power. Now having lived as a monk for three years, he focuses his energy on ‘making wisdom go viral’. His podcast ranges from insightful interviews with well-known names (Novak Djokovic, Russell Brand) to meaningful self-help wisdom.
Start with: 3 Ways to Grow Your Passion Even With a Full Time Job (iTunes). Only 13% of the US workforce are passionate about their jobs. Learn how to break away from the “golden handcuffs” of job security.
I'm a big podcast fan and will surely add these 3 titles to my "Listen list".
Some of my favorite podcasts at the moment are:
- The Tim Ferriss Show (https://tim.blog/podcast/)
- Business Wars (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-wars/id1335814741)
Happy listening,
Nina