What we’re listening to

Did you know… “Podcast” is a portmanteau, a combination of “iPod” and “broadcast.” The term “podcasting” was first suggested by The Guardian columnist and BBC journalist Ben Hammersley, who invented it in early February 2004 while writing an article for The Guardian newspaper.  It was declared “Word of the Year” by the New Oxford American Dictionary in 2005.
–Wikipedia–

If you’ve ever used a pencil to rewind a cassette tape, you might be old enough to appreciate the miracle of having a library of unlimited listening adventures at your fingertips at any time of the day or night.

If not, it may be likely you already have your own podcast or know someone who does. As of April 2021, there were more than 2.1 million podcasts (and a few thousand more are being created every day) featuring more than 48 million episodes. Fully 1 out of every 3 people over the age of 12 is a regular listener (Buzzsprout).

Today, your friendly Advantage marketing team celebrates the podcast by sharing with you some of our favorites:

Professional enrichment

Jon – The Moth

As professionals and leaders, one of the best ways we can connect to our colleagues is through the power of story. The Moth has been around for the last 20 years and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling in everyday life. Anyone can submit a story idea to the Moth and they select the best submissions to help them refine and develop their stories using all of the tools we have available as storytellers. The podcast itself captures stories both recorded in studio as well as in one of their many live events hosted prior to COVID. The stories themselves range from humorous to heartwarming as well as harrowing to humbling and each and every one will touch you uniquely while helping you with examples of how you can tell the many stories within you in better and more compelling ways to capture your audience and create emotional connections.

Bennett – How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy interviews founders of major companies to learn about the ups and downs they faced as they built their empires.

Emily – Teamistry

This is an inspiring podcast that focuses on the power of teams and the chemistry that comes from people and groups of people working together to achieve more than they thought possible. The podcast is hosted by award-winning documentary and feature film director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who brings a different perspective that allows us to see the great stories of so many companies and monumental events from a different lens. We see through the power of story how important teams have been throughout history, and their importance to the success of business and our future. I hope this can inspire you, too, in your daily work and life!

Julie –  Snap Judgment

I love Snap Judgment for the almost magical glimpses we get into someone else’s life struggles, discoveries, unusual experiences, or passions combined with amazing audio production. The stories they bring to life aren”t necessarily newsworthy or even told in a manner that provides background, conflict, or answers. They are more simply slice-of-life vignettes into another’s world, and I am always happy to get to go along for the ride. It caught my attention early on as not just great storytelling and performance art, but groundbreaking journalism.

Leisure time

Jon – Supernatural with Ashley Powers

My daughter inherited my mother’s love for mystery. However, instead of getting hooked on James Patterson novels like my mom, Lily is a die-hard fan of the true crime podcast, especially those produced by the Parcast team. Supernatural is a weekly half-hour series that is released every Wednesday and there are over 30 episodes at this point (good news for any binge listeners having road trips ahead of them this summer). Whether focused on UFO’s or murders or conspiracy theories, Ms. Flowers takes us through each episode uncovering details and facts which point to explanations that aren’t always the most conventional.

Bennett – Lore with Aaron Mahnke

This podcast explores the history behind some of the world’s most famous pieces of folklore. Where did Dracula get his name? Why did people start believing in zombies? Were witches real? Mahnke’s excellent storytelling breaks down the myths and legends that cemented these ideas in the minds of the masses.

Emily – LeVar Burton Reads

Aside from his amazing voice and nostalgia from his Reading Rainbow, Star Trek and Roots days, this podcast provides a mental break and lets us enjoy samples of stories from one of the best storytellers around. In each episode, LeVar Burton hand selects short stories or other excerpts from some of his favorite fiction books, then reads them aloud in a way that pulls you in and transports you to another place. He also makes personal connections to the stories and shares why he loves them. For me, this is a fun and inspirational add to my week that keeps the power of story alive and well.

Julie – Mystery Show 

In this podcast, Starlee Kline goes about solving mysteries. I absolutely loved it when it came out in 2015 from Gimlet Media, so much so that I tweeted about it and put all of their other shows on my radar. I binged all 6 episodes and couldn’t wait for more. Season 2 was “in the works” when the show was abruptly dropped from the Gimlet Media lineup without explanation to become perhaps the show’s biggest mystery of all. If you haven’t listened, don’t miss the series but especially don’t miss Belt Buckle, which also is the source for the show’s unusual logo. Apple named Mystery Show the Best New Podcast of 2015.

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One great thing for 08.03.21 –  Have you listened lately to the Talent Development Hot Seat podcast with Andy Storch? As sponsors, we continue to be amazed by Andy’s enthusiasm, guest list, content, pace, and reach. Please subscribe and share! Here’s a recent favorite episode: Helping our people avoid burnout with Leah Weiss
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