7 Essential Business Podcasts

7 Essential Business Podcasts for Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners


Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on July 9th, 2023 11:06 am | 4-min read

Podcasts have always been a brilliant way to reach your audience. Most people like to assume that podcasts are a recent phenomenon but podcasts in essence have existed for over a 100 years. The generations prior to us have listened to podcasts before we did. They just called it radio. Before radio became the place to hear terrible music 20 times a day, it was the sole source of reliable information and also a place for quality entertainment value.Radio culture went strong into the 1980s but the internet boom decreased its significance as the mode of exchange of information. Radio enthusiasts saw an opportunity in the era of dial-up and blogging. Podcasts started popping up and now attract an audience of over 50 million people as of 2019. From podcasts about conspiracy theories to podcasts about Spongebob fanfic, there’s a podcast for everything.7 Essential Business Podcasts for Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersThere are almost 700,000 podcast channels worldwide. Nearly 10 million people listen to business podcasts on a daily basis. Almost a quarter of these podcasts are dedicated to business. Business is the second-most popular topic among podcasters. Not all podcasts, however, are meant for business advice and/or surefire winning strategies.Many business podcasts are created by businesses and entrepreneurs. There are huge advantages for having your own business specific podcasts. Capturing loyal customers, advertising your services & products or even simply, increasing brand visibility. Business podcasts are a pretty solid marketing strategy. Learn how to start your own business podcast with this step-by-step guide.Finding the best business podcasts and entrepreneur podcasts is a challenge. Since many podcasts are created for advertising and marketing, it becomes harder for a small business entrepreneur to get an expert perspective. This brings us to an important question: 

How to decide what business podcasts should be listened to?

To be honest, all business podcasts have an insight to offer. No matter how little, everything can contribute to your end goal. Unfortunately, it is impossible to cover them all. Hence, it is essential to create a shortlist. There are certain surefire questions to ensure what podcasts deserve your time. Ask yourself these questions before you start listening to a podcast:

#1 Is the podcast related to your industry?

Ask yourself if the podcast coincides with your industry. For instance, an entrepreneur who’s looking to increase investments in his hedge funds should not waste time listening to podcasts about the IT industry.

#2 Does the podcast help you bolster the weak points of your strategies?

A key question to ask yourself. There is no point in listening to a podcast about marketing if your sales strategies are responsible for a decline in profits.

#3 Are the entrepreneurs in the podcast experts in their field?

This is an important question. As discussed earlier, most podcasts are run by smaller entrepreneurs for marketing & advertising purposes. It is essential that the people you listen to you are better than you and can challenge your intellectual capabilities. Do a background check on the podcast runners before you start listening.

#4  Is the podcast telling something new?

Podcasts tend to repeat and redo trending topics. It is essential that you follow podcasts that set these trends. These podcasts actually have something to say and their message is usually pure and unaffected by the opinions of their industry.These questions can help you realize what podcasts are worth listening to. Use these questions and find out podcasts that have been tailor-made for you. Let’s move on to our main question.

What Podcasts are Essential for A Small Business Entrepreneur?

The following list of podcasts have been selected carefully according to the needs of a small business. Each podcast provides insight that almost every small business can use. The podcasts aren’t specifically designed for a small business but they can have an effective impact on your strategies. Try taking their advice.

1) Entrepreneurs On Fire

Entrepreneurs On Fire is one of the most popular business podcasts out there. Hosted by John Lee Dumas, it features interviews with wildly successful entrepreneurs.Entrpreneurs On FireEntrepreneurs On Fire has been around for around 8 years. With over 2000 podcasts to choose from, it is an abode of knowledge. Entrepreneurs On Fire receives a monthly traffic of around 1.5 million listeners.EOF features exclusive success stories and interviews with over 1,500 entrepreneurs from all over the world. Their podcasts have featured Toni Robbins, Seth Godin, Tim Ferris and many more. EOF is an established podcast brand and their success story is itself an example to pull from.

What makes Entrepreneurs On Fire Special?

It is a compilation of entrepreneurial tactics using both tried & tested methods, and wildfire ideas that worked. Its established nature makes sure that only the best of the best get a chance to discuss their ideas. EOF gives you the perspective, understanding and the mindset of the ‘boss’ which is essential, especially if you are a small entrepreneur looking to go big.

2) Mixergy

Mixergy is one of the oldest business podcasts that you can listen to. With over a 1000 podcasts to choose from, the creator Andrew Warner is hellbent on getting the deepest insights from his guests. A veteran entrepreneur himself, Warner has interviewed widely successful people including the CEOs of Wikipedia, Pixar and LinkedIn.MixergyCreated in 2004, Andrew Warner set out with the goal of connecting the smartest people he met to a larger audience. His podcast successfully does that and more.

What makes Mixergy special?

Warner is extremely inquisitive and is known to ask uncomfortable, and at times, even sensitive questions. His podcasts are tailor-made for small entrepreneurs. Mixergy dedicates its time to interviewing and understanding the top brass of organizations and thought leaders of the entire industry. He is focused on showing the real work life of business leaders.

In my 20s, with no outside funding, I co-founded a business that reached $30+ million in annual sales. Mixergy is the source I wish I had. - Andrew Warner

3) HBR Ideacast

HBR Ideacast is ideal for people who follow the Harvard Business Review. The Ideacast is led by HRB editor Sarah Green Carmichael and her team. HBR Ideacast is extremely professional, based on expert analysis and is result-driven.

What makes HBR Ideacast special?

HBR has entrepreneurs to interview but their focus is on analysis and the background processes too. Ideacast interviews entrepreneurs, top industry professionals, scientists, and even journalists.HBR IdeacstIdeacast also throws light on the psychological aspects and effects of running a business. It focuses on the challenges faced by employees not only on the professional front but also the personal front. It provides excellent case studies and humanises the industry in an extremely professional way that other podcasts don’t. It can help you understand employee problems and be more understanding of their struggles.

4) The Tim Ferriss Show

One of the top business podcasts in the industry and one of the ‘wackiest’ you’ll ever listen to. The Tim Ferriss Show is a modern masterpiece. Tim Ferris is a successful author(of 3 bestsellers), angel investor and entrepreneur.

What makes The Tim Ferriss Show Special?

His podcasts focus on the business aspect of various industries to how successful people manage their hectic lives. His previous guests have included business professionals, actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, basketball legend LeBron James and many more. Ferriss’ podcasts are usually about what interests him rather than industry trends and usually very detailed.The Time Ferris ShowFrom the economics of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training to the future of Silicon Valley, Ferriss has podcasts for everything and keeps more coming.One piece of advice, Ferriss’ curiosity makes him divert from the topic-at-hand many times. His content will need distilling but his attention to detail, accuracy and reliability is admirable.

5) Marketing School

Marketing School is a relatively new podcast. Managed and run by fellow entrepreneurs Neil Patel and Eric Siu, Marketing School    is focused on exactly what its title suggests. Its focus is on marketing and specifically targeting the Internet demographic.

What makes Marketing School special?

Both Patel and Sui concentrate excessively on marketing, one of the most important processes in today’s content hungry world. Successful marketing makes can help you outdo even your fiercest competitors. With around 1100 episodes to learn from there will never be a better podcast to learn about marketing.Marketing SchoolMarketing School also provides a detailed insight into SEO and its evolving trends which can be extremely useful for a growing business.

6) How I Built This

How I Built This is a podcast built for the small entrepreneur bracket hosted by Guy Raz. One of the greatest legends in modern journalism, Guy Raz is known for his work as a war correspondent. How I Built This was started by him in 2016, where he interviews and enquires about the journeys of various entrepreneurs and their life stories.

What makes How I Built This special?

Guy Raz bring his journalism experience to the genre of podcasts. He has a way of weaving his guests’ experiences and insights into delightful stories that leave people feeling inspired and more confident about their goals.How I Built ThisGuy Raz crafts brilliant true stories and his podcasts target multiple industries and various types of people. Despite the variety, the end goal of each podcast is simple: To give you an insight on how to create and scale your company. This is what makes Raz’s podcast so special.

7) Business Wars

Business Wars is a different kind of podcast. Instead of providing you with expert advice and predictions, business wars is dedicated to case studies of real life competitions between brands and businesses.

What makes Business Wars great?

Business Wars provides you with incomparable insight in the practical world of business. Business Wars is all about realism and the cut-throat competition that the industry has to offer. Business WarsIt does not care about the players involved, but the strategies each used to outdo each other. From the historic Netflix vs Blockbuster, to the ongoing feud between the top Cereal companies, Business Wars is all about real life case studies.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it is a person’s personal decision on what they want to listen to. The podcasts provided above are all extremely influential for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Each have their own unique qualities but all will help further your dreams of scaling and increasing your businesses.Not just from a business perspective, the podcasts also offer a look into the challenges an entrepreneur will face psychologically and these real-life experiences tend to prepare entrepreneurs mentally. Having a great idea does not guarantee success but being able to implement and execute it does.These podcasts may help entrepreneurs find the methods to implement and execute their ideas. If not that, it is guaranteed that all podcasts mentioned above will provide an insight and perspective that’ll contribute in making better decisions.Have a nice day!

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie