Podcasts are a win-win-win. 1) Great use of your time when you are running errands or mindlessly driving to/from work. 2) Free to download. 3) Access to hugely successful people giving you practical, fun, real advice. 4) Share with clients, friends, and family. Oh, let me say it again – they’re free.

Interview podcasts. Here are my top 5 business / leadership podcasts where they interview amazing people: Tim Ferriss, Dave Ramsey’s Entreleadership, Lewis Howes School of Greatnesss, James Altucher Show, and NPR: How I Built This. You can download or subscribe via the podcast icon on your iPhone or Stitcher on your Android. Do it.

James Altucher show. Here is a sample of shows I found particularly thought-provoking. Not an exhaustive list – but a good place to start.

• #24, Mark Cuban:  Entrepreneur + Billionaire + Tech + Attitude
• #27, #86, Seth Godin: Marketing +Tribes + Purple Cow
• #51, Marcus Lemonis: Product + People + Process
• # 62, Tony Robbins: Growth + Contribution
• # 106, Jon Acuff: Quitter + Start + Do Over
• # 109, Tim Ferriss: Human Experimenter + 4Hour Workweek
• #161, Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit
• #162, Anders Ericsson: Deliberate Practice
• #185, Cal Newport: Don’t follow your passion

Tim Ferriss Podcast. Was recommended this podast 2 years ago (hat tip: RB), and have since listened to 300+ hours of this guy. He recently wrote Tools of Titans (affiliate link) where he distills the wisdom of all these interviews into an easy-to-read, treasure trove of tips on health, wealth and wisdom. Some of my favorites here:

• #28, Peter Thiel: Founder of Paypal + Zero to One +Monopolist
• #56, Dr. Peter Diamandis: X Prize + Friends of Larry, Jeff,  Mark
• #61, Matt Mullenweg: WordPress + Benevolent Dictator
• #76, Rick Rubin: Iconic Music Producer + Johnny Cash
• #78 Chris Sacca: Venture Capital + Gimlet + Uber
• #86 General Stan McChrystal: “At least I got in a good workout”
• #101 Reid Hoffman: Linkedin +3 Types of CEOs
• #119 Kevin Costner: Work ethic + driving kids to school
• #121 BJ Novak: Office + Book with No Pictures
• #124 Jamie Foxx: Catalyst for Jamie Foxx to start his own podcast
• #163 Marc Andreessen: Netscape + 12 hours caffeine + 4 hours of alcohol
• #168 Malcolm Gladwell: Blink + David and Goliath + Revisionist history
• #199 Stephen Dubner: Freakonomics + Going back to Judiasm
• #233 Cory Booker: New Jersey Senator + Fasting

Learn how to listen. Listening is a good skill, and why not practice. Listen to what these interviewees are saying and try to mentally summarize it into words you could easily explain to your cousin (or client). Practice not talking.

Learn how to interview. There is an art to interviewing: research, quickly building rapport, and getting to the heart of the interviewee’s message. It’s all about storytelling and the interviewee’s story.  

Find (virtual) mentors.  Since consultants are paid for their ideas and energy. We need to seek our successful people and learn from them. If you are lucky – you have mentors and great people in your offline life. You can complement that with serious wisdom through podcasts. These are the titans of business; thought-leaders.

Lots of time to listen. Even through we bill clients at $200-$650 per hour, we have lots of dead time where your opportunity cost is almost zero. Driving to the airport. Waiting to board. On the plane. Unwinding getting ready for bed. Cutting the grass. All errands – Costco, dry cleaning, restaurant food pick-up. When you are not billing (opportunity cost is low), listen to some good podcasts.

Other great podcasts (not interview format) I like:

• Freakonomics
• Planet Money
• Revisionist History
• Dave Ramsey Show
• This American Life
• Mystery Show

Question: Which podcasts do you listen to the most?  What can you recommend?

Related posts:

• Best 16 podcasts from PLANET MONEY over last 2 years
• Real estate gives you bigger pockets
• Links