Ok ladies, it’s time to get real. There are podcasts that are good for everyone and podcasts for special niche groups. There are podcasts for sports fans, podcasts for people on one or the other side of the political aisle, and podcasts for parents, students, and just about everyone else. What about the best podcasts for women?
The truth is that women are just as interesting and diverse as men or as people of any particular race. We’re not all one, homogonous group. Different women like different things, and the best podcasts for women should acknowledge how each of us is unique and make provision for that. Read on to learn more about what to think about the best podcasts for women; and then think for yourself.
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Perhaps you’re reading this and you’ve never actually really understood what a podcast is. No worries! Podcasts are just audio files available on the Internet that you can download to your phone or computer and listen to at your convenience. They can deal with absolutely anything and be hosted by absolutely anyone with an internet connection. Think of them as a bit like radio; except you’re in charge of when the show plays.
Since it is possible for anyone to host a podcast, this means there are lots of podcasts out there that are just not worth your time. Yet amid the garbage, some of the best podcasts for women shine out like gems.
The great thing about podcasts is that you get to choose what you listen to. If you’re in the car with the radio, you’re at the mercy of the station managers’ choices at whatever stations you can actually pick up.
With a podcast, you get to choose whatever niche you’re interested in and listen to whatever you want. You might want political commentary, sports news, craft interests, feminist issues, or anything else you can possibly imagine. Anyone can make a podcast; and anyone can listen to one.
The eternal question, right? The reason this is so difficult to answer is because society all too often approaches women as if they are one giant group of animatrons; as if we all have the same thoughts on every issue, the same interests, and the same skill set.
Women are just as diverse as any large group of people, so the best podcasts for women are the ones that love our variety and unique abilities and interests. While there are specific issues that affect women in specific ways, there are as many different ways to approach these as there are women.
What you’re looking for are podcasts hosted by women that address things that concern women from a women’s perspective; but also podcasts that invite open-minded discussion from a variety of perspectives.
What else do you want? You want talented speakers who know how to engage and then keep your interest, choose interesting topics, and draw useful information out of the people they interview. You also want to know that discussions are relevant to your situation and to cultural issues of the day.
We listened to quite a few podcasts. Some were great. Some were terrible. Some were just ok. Of course we have our own preferences, but we tried to look at podcasts that would appeal to a variety of women. Mainly we were interested in the quality of the podcasts, what you can expect to hear, and who the podcasters are.
- Call Your Girlfriend
- The Kathlyn Hart Show
- Switch, Pivot, or Quit
- Stuff Mom Never Told You
- She’s Got Drive
- The Beautiful Writers
- Women Rule
- Women Inspired!
- NOT Wonder Woman
- Terrible, Thanks for Asking
This is a hugely popular podcast available on iTunes or online. What’s unique about this podcast is that you’re basically listening in on the conversation between two long-distance best friends (and some of their friends who occasionally join them).
This podcast is a chat about anything, really. On a given day they might discuss politics or period feminism. The entire show might center around the Great British Bake Off, or they might be talking about Justin Bieber’s latest escapades. The watchword of this podcast is “fun;” and if you’re looking for the best podcasts for women that are a joy to listen to, give this one a try.
The podcasters are Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow. Sow lives in San Francisco, is co-founder of Tech LadyMafia, and works at Google. Friedman is a regular contributor to the LA Times and New York Magazine, as well as many other publications.
This is one of the best podcasts for women if you’re interested in business and career. This popular show aims to address the sometimes unique financial challenges women face when looking to manage money and start a new business, travel, or change careers.
The podcast is part financial advice from a professional and part listening to life advice from your aunt. Whether your reason for hesitating to make a move in life is because you’re unfamiliar with financial issues or because you’re just plain scared, this is one of the best podcasts for women dealing with real-life issues.
Kathlyn Hart is financial coach who specializes in helping women negotiate the salaries they deserve for the work they do. She’s also a motivational speaker; and it shows in her podcast.
It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at on your journey through life: we’ve all experienced that feeling that nothing we’re doing is fulfilling. It might be our personal life that’s causing us trouble. It might be our professional life. Whatever it is, Switch, Pivot, or Quit is among the best podcasts for women struggling with what to do when facing life’s toughest decisions.
If you’ve ever gone through your day’s responsibilities and thought: “is this really all there is?”, then you should check out this podcast. The host often invites professionals on to give practical tips and expound on personal experiences in a way that helps all of us find the inspiration we need for change.
Ahyiana Angel used to be a publicist in the sports entertainment industry. Then she moved into writing; but her primary work now is the podcast. Her show has been highlighted by Apple and Forbes as among the best podcasts for woman, or for anyone, out there.
If we had a dime for every time something happened in life and we realized our mothers never warned us about it; well, we might not be rich, but we would have a pretty large drawer of dimes. Since 2010, this podcast has been talking about the whole business of being a woman.
It started with a focus on women’s gymnastics, but if you’re not into sports, don’t worry: it has since moved on to discuss issues as varied as prostitution during wartime, the female sex drive, and how feminism has been commercialized.
The podcast is hosted by Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin, and what we love about this podcast is how sane it is. It’s not often that you find people able to discuss topics like these calmly and with passion, but also without anger and with respect for the opinions of others. Conger and Ervin manage to do just that.
This is one of the best podcasts for women who are interested in issues that affect African-American women in particular. The hosts want to know, and help you understand, what motivates black women. How can they gain confidence and exercise leadership?
This podcast is all about making a success of life, career, and family when you’re in the minority. The goal is to provide listeners with specific strategies and tools to get that success.
Shirley MacAlpine is the podcaster on one of the best podcasts for women available on the internet. MacAlpine worked as a coach and consultant for nearly 30 years before starting her podcast and frequently invites along guests with lots of experience and insight. She has a gift for drawing that insight out of them.
If you write for a living, then you know how hard it can be to find a podcast that really holds your interest. Everyone who writes has heard interviews with writers and advice about writing, which can range from helpful, to mundane, to downright idiotic.
You won’t hear anything mundane or idiotic on this podcast. Instead, a variety of writers get together to just sort of “jam” about the craft. In the course of casual conversation, you get plenty of information about what makes other writers tick and how they’ve become successful.
The host of this podcast is Linda Sivertsen, and while she’s a successful writer in her own right she also has a special skill for drawing out other writers and getting down deep into what inspires them.
Do women rule? You’ll certainly think so after a few episodes of this podcast. The point of this podcast is to make sure you realize that it’s ok for women to be powerful. There’s no need to hide and pretend to be something you’re not, and for women who have been doing just that, this is one of the best podcasts for women to get inspired.
Interviews span industries and political affiliations: the point is that everyone being interviewed has been a success and is here to tell you that it’s a GOOD thing for you to be a success, too.
Anna Palmer of Politico is the host here, and she has a real way with people. She interviews powerful women and digs out their advice for how women can succeed in a man’s world.
This is one of the best podcasts for women who feel that their own self-limiting beliefs are holding them back. Do you need help taking yourself seriously? Do you struggle to believe that you really can do things, and that what you can do is useful and important? Then this podcast might be for you.
Maybe you need inspiration to overcome your body. Maybe you need inspiration for your family life, your diet, your love life, or your professional life. Whatever it is, you’re liable to find it with this podcast.
April Seifert has a doctorate in Social Psychology and has always been especially interesting in aspects of society that affect women. She also worked in data science before starting her podcast and desires to liberate every woman’s inner strength.
This podcast takes an honest look at how hard it is for women to balance career, family, and personal life and how easy it is to let go of self in the face of other demands.
If you feel like everyone expects you to be Wonder Woman and you just aren’t, you’ll find the interviews and perspective of this podcast fulfilling and helpful. The podcasts cover everything from how to work a gig economy job to insights into how to get more out of meditation.
Mel and Cyran host this podcast, and these two ladies are lawyers and social media influencers who firmly believe that you don’t need superpowers to succeed: just determination and hard work.
This one is a bit different, but we love it. This podcast got started when the host had to live through the death of her partner. He was diagnosed with brain cancer, and in the end she lost her partner, father, and second child all in the course of a couple weeks.
It’s the honesty of this podcast that really speaks to us. This isn’t about success: this is about survival. This isn’t about sucking it up and moving on: it’s about acknowledging the harsh reality of life alone as a woman and dealing with it. We’re all going to go through painful times, and this podcast is there for you when you’re ready to deal with it.
Nora McInerny is open and honest about her grief, her struggles, and her pain. She’s tired of small talk; people ignoring her pain and wanting to talk about nothing. She wants to talk about what happened, and, along the way, invite you to talk about the pain in your life, too.
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It was hard enough just to choose just ten of the best podcasts for women, let alone narrow them down to just one. In fact, we can’t say there’s any one “best” podcast among all these offerings. There are, however, best podcasts for women in particular situations.
Do you struggle with self-doubt? Do you think your life should be all about serving others until you collapse in exhaustion? Many women are raised to think their role in life is to be nothing more than “helper.” For you, we recommend Women Inspired!
Are you in the throes of grief and don’t know how to deal with it? Do you feel utterly alone and wonder if anyone else has every gone through the pain you’re suffering? If so, Terrible, Thanks for Asking is the one we recommend.
Do you wonder why there never seems to be much public discussion about important issues surrounding women? Why issues that affect men can be talked about freely, but women are often expected to just hold it all in and “stop complaining?” Your catharsis might just be Stuff Mom Never Told You.
We recommend all these podcasts and hope you’ll find at least one among them that will cheer you, encourage you, uplift you, and make you feel better and more confidant about being a woman.