I was never a podcast person until I discovered good audio books (something else to check out!), and Spotify made accessing them a whole lot easier.
Podcasts are great for when you’re bored on the train, feeling isolated studying from home, or for quick entertainment that doesn’t strain your already weary eyes. In fact, podcast-listening does interesting things to the brain and especially good ones really do transport you elsewhere.
Here are three really great ones I’ve started with that I’d like to introduce!
The LITO Podcast is hosted by the duo behind the LITO studio, Rebecca and Dan. They call it a podcast by ‘two Sunnyporeans’, and this really is what you get: there’s a lot of bantering going on with bits of Singlish mixed in, complete with cute sound effects on points of emphasis. Listening to them feels like listening in to two friends having a chill conversation over coffee in your favourite café, and this explains the podcast’s popularity—it has seen over 170k downloads to date.
Whether you’re looking for entertainment, something relaxing, personal growth, or business insights, The LITO Podcast has something everyone can relate to!
I started out with episode 21; in it, Rebecca shares insights on being a commercial photographer and how she took some time to discover that this was the career that she wanted to pursue. Especially memorable for me was when Dan and Rebecca talk about not listening to others about whether something is possible because you’ll be proving them right. That’s from 28:00 if you’re curious!
It was the name of Simon Sinek’s podcast, and his guest, that made me listen to episode nine on courage while idly perusing Spotify, because don’t we all need a bit of optimism these days?
For context, Simon Sinek is a well-known speaker and author who gave a viral TED talk on inspirational leadership. Guy Raz is a former war correspondent and the host of the popular podcast How I Built This.
I knew I found a gem of a podcast episode when Guy started talking about how he could bravely approach strangers in his public capacity, or while on the job, but baulk if they responded negatively in his personal capacity. This is something I relate to on a microscopic level.
Simon then poses this question, ‘How do you start a difficult conversation knowing that, at the end of this conversation, it could be worse?’ That somebody could lose their job, or your relationship could be affected? They eventually conclude that ultimately, you gain this ‘courage’ when there is a purpose behind what you do, knowing that it’s the logical next step.
Do give this episode a listen, or any of the podcasts in this series a listen. Naturally, there’s one on how to have difficult conversations, too.
The Screwed Up Moments podcast is a collaboration between Fabl Productions and the Singaporean social enterprise Happiness Initiative.
If you haven’t listened to it before, I invite you to do so today. Danny C Koordi, the podcast host, speaks to people who’ve gone through really crushing moments and times in their lives. The stories are heart-wrenching and not for the faint-hearted, but as Danny shares in the first episode, the intention of the podcast is for listeners to empathise, and turn the ugly moments into ones of strength and beauty.
After each episode, you’ll probably end up feeling sad and inspired at the same time.
Danny has also hosted the Economical Rice Podcast, which I stumbled upon a few months ago when randomly googling about suan la fen, and helped to produce the #TRYEVERYTHING podcast. The latter is career-centric and particularly relevant to both university students and young working professionals.
Other podcasts that may be of interest
These are a little unconventional, which is why they don’t have a section of their own. Feel free to check them out, or don’t. It’s completely up to you!
This weekly improv comedy podcast is a testament to creativity and the human imagination: it began in 2015 and is still pushing out new episodes today! It takes place in the (fictional) land of Foon, which podcast host Arnie found himself in after falling into a portal behind a Burger King.
In it, he interviews magical creatures and beings, played by podcast guests, in a tavern with weak wi-fi signals.
Disclaimer: The podcast contains occasional profanities and eyebrow-raising content of the bawdy sort, which is why it isn’t for everyone. You’ll have to listen to it to find out.
Fantasy lovers and fans of the Welcome to Nightvale podcasts may appreciate this one. I’m still debating if I do.
If you’re a Greek mythology or literature enthusiast, you may like this podcast. It’s hosted by Liv Albert, the author of Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook and a degree holder in English Literature & Classics (Classical Civilizations). Liv distils the myths into easily digestible content, relating them to contemporary issues.
Disclaimer: Greek myths are most definitely neither PG-13 nor family-friendly, so you may want to give this podcast a miss if you’re looking for something mellow to listen to. Liv also uses the occasional expletive and examines these myths from a feminist lens, which may come off a bit strong for some. Again, listen at your own discretion.
Do you have any podcast recommendations? Please share them so that fellow readers and I can check them out; I’m looking forward to giving them a listen!