The Podcasts You Need to Be Streaming Right Now

I feel like one of the most frequent Facebook posts I see is “What are your favorite podcasts!?” Podcasts have been growing in popularity to fit right in with our busy, fast paced lives. There is a podcast for virtually every subject and the formatting makes it easy for us to gain knowledge in a short time. Instead of watching an hour long documentary, you could listen to a podcast that delivers the same amount of information in half the time. Most of my podcast listening is for leisure and to have something to listen to while driving to work every day. I also enjoy them for longer drives when we go back to Illinois and when I am doing something mundane at work like setting up for an event or counting inventory. I think the podcast world is still relatively new for a lot of people so I have listed the podcasts that when I started listening to them, I could not stop. These are some favorites that deserve a listen.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
This podcast is my all-time favorite and one that I recommend to EVERYONE!! I’ve loved Dax Shepard ever since I was in 4th grade watching Without A Paddle for the first time. (I have now seen that movie at least 30 times.) He has such a compelling life story that he shares with guests varying from Will Ferrell to Johnny Knoxville to Norah Jones while also learning all about what has paved the way for their success. Often he will have a guest on that I did not know much about to begin with, but end up ending the episode wanting to learn even more about them! He approaches interviewing people in a way that makes them feel so comfortable that you can feel it through your speakers. Often stories are shared on this podcast that guests have never told anywhere else. If you think about it, is pretty remarkable considering most guests he has on are seasoned pros when it comes to interviews. His co-host, Monica Padman, started as his wife, Kristen Bell’s, right hand woman and is now his go to when it comes to his Podcast that is produced in his attic. I enjoy their banter back and forth and they tend to balance each other out. The final segment, the fact check, is my favorite. This is where Monica goes through all of Dax’s blanket statements and “expert” advice and backs them up or proves Dax wrong with her extensive research. I just really love this podcast and it makes our long car rides home go by so fast.
Favorite Episodes- Katie Couric, Mae Whitman, Dax’s Mom, Ted Danson, Sophia Bush, Jay Leno

Crime Junkie
Okay. I just started listening to this one a couple weeks ago and have finished all 84 episodes in that time. (I am a little ashamed to admit that, but I promise once you listen to one episode you will completely understand). Honestly, I’ve never been super obsessed with crime shows- of course I have binged SVU and Criminal Minds, but who hasn’t?! I never would have thought that this would have been a binge-worthy podcast for myself, but I was so so wrong. Ashley Flowers and Brit are the hosts of this podcast and they do such an amazing job. The stories they tell flow easily and Ashley’s voice is so calming- a murder podcast somehow became part of my relaxation time. LOL. They really try hard to tell the stories of people who have gone missing, have been murdered, or kidnapped that have not gotten the media attention they deserve. So often they have links and stories of where and how you can help locate missing people. Being two females, they give a lot of key information about how to stay safe out there. One of their catch-phrases is “Be Rude. Be Weird. Stay Alive.” I love that they put little reminders out there for women to remember that it is more important to be safe than to be nice. Now that I know I enjoy this genre of podcasts, I have tried to find another podcast to get my true crime fix in before the next CJ episode airs every Monday… but I have had no such luck! These women do such an incredible job producing this episode and it is absolutely worth a listen.
Favorite Episodes- 76: MURDERED: Jerry Michael Williams, 71: MISSING: Amy Lynn Bradley, 53: MURDERED: The Camm Family, 47: MURDERED: The Powell Family, 8: MISSING: Bryce Laspisa

Meditation Station by Stin Hansen
This is also another newer podcast that I just started utilizing. I have never been one to meditate or practice yoga. But, this past couple years have been so stressful for me and the stress was beginning to to take a toll on me physically. I began changing small daily habits and took up the idea of meditation before sleeping so I could sleep more soundly and wake less throughout the night. That is when I stumbled across Meditation Station. The speaker’s voice is very soothing which is obviously pretty vital for a meditation podcast. My whole body is completely relaxed just 5 minutes in. I have found that I need to be in complete silence, with only the pocast playing, and completely alone. If Kevin barges into the bedroom ready to start his bedtime routine and I have not yet finished my meditation, my relation is completely lost. So find yourself a quiet space where you can be alone for 10-30 minutes. If you have a stressful life (k, who doesn’t?), I definietely reccommend giving this podcast a try!
Favorite Episodes- End a Panic Attack, Faster Better Sleep, ZZZZZZ…

Guys We F****d
Alright, I really debated putting this podcast into my top, only because it is quite vulgar as you can gather from the title, but the two girls who produce this podcast are AMAZING. Corrinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson are comediennes who reside in New York City. They are feminists who believe that women, do in fact, run the world. They take something that is supposed to be shameful for women- sexuality- and turn it into empowerment. The premise of their podcast started on interviewing the different men that they had slept with (LOL) and has turned into a format for them to interview some interesting people that I would not have otherwise heard of. A typical episode begins with a newsletter that relates to women empowerment, feminism, and equality, followed by answering an email from a listener, and finally ending with an interview. Both of their personalities are so different, but at their core they have the same ideals- which also seem to align (most of the time) with my own ideals. Their differing personalities really play off of each other and it’s great for the listeners because you get (often times) two completely different approaches to the same problem. This podcast is for all the women out there who don’t need a man to own their power.
Favorite Episodes: Are You Afraid To Be With Someone Who’s Not Broken, How Do You Clean Your Asshole In The Best Way?, You Might Be More Gay Than You Anticipated?