In January 2018, I began podcasting.

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It wasn't much at the time. Just a weekly summary of things we had going on over in @thesteemengine group.

Of course, I don't have to dwell on this topic very long. You can check out the project by scrolling back a bit on my blog or by visiting the playlist over on YouTube.

Since then, I've begun producing Life, Experienced, which you can find all the recent episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Here's the playlist of the current episodes on YouTube.

Podcast Recommendations

The purpose of this post is to share some of the podcasts that I personally listen to that have inspired me to focus my creative efforts on producing my own. If you're a fan of podcasts, I hope you'll take the time to listen to some of these.

Stuff You Should Know

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This is the first podcast I listened to multiple episodes of. I downloaded a podcast app to my phone, selected a few things I was interested in, and the app recommended Stuff You Should Know by HowStuffWorks.com.

If you aren't familiar with HowStuffWorks, they're actually one of the most popular podcast networks around. They publish many shows, of which Stuff You Should Know is one of the most popular.

In the show, two guys, Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, host episodes about a large variety of topics. Each episode focuses on a single topic, such as narwhals, recycling, or homelessness. Josh and Chuck research each topic beforehand, and then record an episode where they discuss the findings of their research.

Each episode is very informative and Josh and Chuck have developed great ways to talk about topics as to keep them interesting.

I consider this a "gateway podcast." Listening to this show can open up all sorts of other possibilities.

If you want to check it out, head over to their website to listen, or search "Stuff You Should Know" in your favorite podcast app.

Pessimists Archive

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I discovered this podcast not long after listening to Stuff You Should Know. It's another well-researched, informative show hosted by Jason Feifer, the editor of Entrepreneur magazine.

Each episode features an enlightening look into what life was like when various inventions were first introduced.

For example, some of their episodes are about electricity, the Sony Walkman, coffee, and vaccinations.

The show features interviews with experts from across the country as well as interesting information and primary sources. If you want to learn more about what it was like when these common items were introduced into society, head over to their website to listen and subscribe, or search "Pessimists Archive" in your favorite podcast app.

P.S. One of my favorite episodes so far has been the one about "Recorded Music," so if you're looking for a good place to start, that's the one I recommend.

Freakonomics Radio

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This summer, I finally got around to reading Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner's bestseller Freakonomics, which examines several topics through the lens of economics. I highly recommend giving it a read, as it's very thought-provoking and interesting.

Since publishing Freakonomics and several other books, Stephen Dubner has produced Freakonomics Radio, a podcast which examines some of these same topics. It's a fascinating show that has covered a variety of topics such as tax law, the finances of an NFL football team, the World Trade Organization, and many more.

If you enjoy economics or just hearing about how things work behind the scenes, Freaknonomics Radio is a great podcast to listen to.

Listen on their website, or search in your favorite podcast app today.

The Dream

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Produced by Stitcher, this new podcast is an investigative look into multi-level marketing organizations.

If you've ever seen people you know begin selling "direct sales" products, hosting parties in person or on other social media, or you've grown tired of other social media posts about these products, I encourage you to take a listen as the hosts and producers of this podcast go inside the world of these companies.

This is an ongoing podcast that I tune in for each week. It's been really fascinating look into these companies and whether or not they're good for the people who choose to sell their products.

Get it on Stitcher, or search in your favorite podcast app.

Reveal

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If you enjoy investigative journalism, you can check out a variety of topics from RevealNews.org. I've only recently begun listening to these, but they are definitely well-produced and well-researched.

This is especially relevant for United States residents, since most of these topics have to do with events in the US.

I recently listened to some episodes about how universities spend their money and where criminals get firearms. Both were very interesting, and as this show has over 200 episodes, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Listen on their website or search in your favorite podcast app.

Unobscured

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Another new addition to my podcast listening schedule, this podcast is produced by Aaron Mahnke, who is famous for the Lore podcast.

Unobscured's first season has been a very fact-filled look at the Salem Witch Trials. It seeks to demystify the social and political atmosphere in Salem, Massachusetts in the late 1600s that led to the hysteria around witches.

Aaron does a fantastic job presenting the information, and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the episodes as they are published this fall.

Final Thoughts

I hope you'll take the time to listen to some of these podcasts if you're looking for some recommendations.

Podcasts are out there for almost any topic you can imagine. Just download a podcast app or do a search across the web. And if you can't find one that you like, perhaps you can start your own!

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or would like even more recommendations! I'm happy to talk about podcasts, and I hope you'll consider adding my podcast to your regular listening regimen.

Thanks so much for stopping by to read!