Sorry I’m gonna waffle on about podcasts again. But unlike previously when I have sung the praises of specific episodes for getting my head into gear, I’m gonna talk about the guests who join my hosts of choice.
One of the issues with having spent a few hundred hours listening to podcasts this year, is that the shows I was immediately attracted too, be they automotive, marketing, business or personal development are now all caught up, and I’m eagerly awaiting their next episodes to drop.
So, in the mean time I’m deliberately trying to listen to interviews with people a) I’ve never heard of or b) that I wouldn’t normally listen too… Let me give you a few examples.
Oprah, yes Oprah has done some amazing interviews over the years and posted them all online to listen to. I started off with Will.I.AM, Nelson Mandela and the Rock, but more recently tuned into Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Rihanna! I’m not particularly fans of their music (you’ve heard the Michelle Obama album, yeah?!) but I figured being successful they would have something to say.. and sure enough, they did!
A slightly more macho source of inspiration is the excellent High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damien Hughes. They interview mainly sportsmen and women, but have had some fantastic business cross over guests too. This has been smashing through the rankings and if you haven’t heard it, re-tune you’d podcaster to find it now!
Why am I doing this? I guess I feel that the people I would typically tune into will tell a story that I expect to hear, and whilst entertaining I think it is the unexpected that is what can teach us the most.
Putting myself outside of the comfort zone for a while. Listening to people from different backgrounds, challenging my preconceived notions that they might not appeal, and putting my trust in some fantastic hosts who have gleamed audio gold from them for even the most critical of listeners.
So, try searching for a topic you wouldn’t normally look for, or find those episodes with your favourite host, that you’d skipped past, thinking I’m not really a fan of theirs, and give them a chance. You might just be pleasantly surprised.
Love to you all
Andy
