10 Financial and Entrepreneurial Podcasts That Inspire and Empower

Are you an entrepreneur who’s short on time but longing for continuous learning? We’ve compiled 10 podcasts that allow you to learn while you listen — at your convenience.

Variety and availability make podcasts an ideal “listen and learn” tool for business owners and executives.

With more than 2 million shows and 48 million episodes as of April 2021, as reported by Podcast Insights, a search for topics like accounting, sales, culture (or even lacrosse!) may render 10 or more choices.

Podcasts’ endless appeal

Podcasts are increasingly popular. Infinite Dial 2021, perhaps the most authoritative annual research report about digital media consumption and participation, provides these statistics about podcast listening among 283 million people in the United States age 12 or older:

• Annual growth since 2015 of 10 million listeners, about 4%.

• 80 million listeners averaging eight podcasts and five shows weekly.

• 116 million people, or 41%, have listened to a podcast in the last month.

• Increasingly diverse listenership — 43% reported as non-white.

Accessibility is ubiquitous, also according to Infinite Dial 2021:

• Smartphone ownership is estimated at 250 million, with nearly every device being podcast-capable with an app from Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud or other providers.

• Smart speakers are owned by about 100 million, often with more than one in a household.

• Online audio listening in a car by cell phone was estimated at 50%.

Narrowing the scope, we offer 10 finance, entrepreneurship and positivity podcasts that new or veteran listeners can enjoy on a walk, commute, workout or wherever they please:

Her Money

• Focus: Financial independence and empowerment.

• Themes: Personal finance and career management.

• Topics: Earning, advancement, investing, managing, retirement planning.

• Host: Jean Chatzky, financial journalist, author.

• History: Since 2016; more than 325 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly, 45- to 60-minute episodes.

• Why you’d listen: You’re seeking relevant and informative financial content, knowing that women are projected to control $30 trillion in the US by 2030.

• Facts: Chatzky has authored 11 books, many dozens of magazine articles and appears frequently on Today for NBC.

Planet Money

• Focus: Origins of economic issues and their effects on consumers and businesses.

• Theme: Big-picture events and trends presented understandably and entertainingly.

• Topics: Employment, inflation, housing, consumption, consumer-impacting legislation.

• Host: Robert Smith and Stacey Vanek-Smith, plus other NPR contributors.

• History: Since 2007; more than 1,000 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly, up to 60 minutes. Segments also air on NPR’s All Things Considered, Morning Edition and This American Life.

• Why you’d listen: You aspire to better understand the economy’s effects on you, your family or your household.

• Facts: “Planet Money” won a Peabody Award in 2016. Classic episodes have followed the global life cycles of T-shirts and barrels of oil. Longtime reporter Alex Blumberg created podcast network Gimlet Media, which sold to Spotify in February 2019, reportedly for more than $200 million.

CFO Thought Leader

• Focus: Inspiring finance professionals to take a leadership leap.

• Theme: How CFOs can more confidently chart their own leadership paths across the enterprise and take inspired action.

• Topics: Growth, HR and hiring, risk, transformation, networking, building trust.

• Host: Jack Sweeney, career financial journalist.

• History: Since 2014, with more than 600 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Two to three times weekly, 30 to 60 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: You’re busy but believe you can benefit by hearing from peers about their challenges and successes.

• Facts: “CFO Thought Leader” won the 2018 Excellence in Financial Journalism Award by the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Masters of Scale

• Focus: Companies that have scaled to global icon status.

• Themes: Stories and strategies of growth — including the human toll — and how to think boldly and differently about the world.

• Topics:  Entrepreneurship, leadership, strategy, management, fundraising, retention, culture.

• Host: Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and Greylock investment partner.

• History: Since 2017, with more than 200 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Two to three times weekly, 30 to 60 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: You like hearing firsthand CEO or founder accounts of how iconic and legendary companies were built — and perhaps want the same for yourself.

• Facts: “Masters of Scale,” according to its website, is the first American media program to commit to gender balance of guests. Many episodes are available in transcript version, and a book version is available.

Black Entrepreneur Blueprint

• Focus: Helping educate and inspire Black entrepreneurs to launch, build and grow successful businesses.

• Themes: Empowerment and independence through business ownership.

• Topics:  Business building, lead generation, overcoming myths, e-commerce success, entrepreneurs’ power principles.

• Host: Jay Jones, a serial entrepreneur whose early career included roles at Merrill Lynch and as an advertising executive.

• History: Since 2014, with more than 375 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly episodes, 45 to 60 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: Although operating within an underserved business community, you are working toward or dream of being a successful entrepreneur.

• Facts: In October 2021, “Black Entrepreneur Blueprint” was ranked the No. 1 Black entrepreneur podcast by Feedspot. It rates 4.8 out of 5.0 from nearly 600 Apple podcast rankings.

Women in Retail Talks

• Focus: Professional development and advancement of women retail leaders.

• Themes: Entrepreneurship, executive professional development, leadership, business strategy.

• Topics: Digital marketing, founder’s stories, innovation, e-commerce, wellness, talent management.

• Hosts: Women in Retail staff, featuring co-founders Melissa Campanelli and Jennifer DiPasquale.

• History: Since 2015, with nearly 200 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly episodes of 20 to 30 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: You highly value the counsel and camaraderie of being “among” peer women business owners and executives.

• Facts: The podcast is only one aspect of the Women in Retail organization, featuring in-person summits, peer advisory groups and career development initiatives.

Down the Middle

• Focus: How long-term asset management and disciplined investing can lead to wealth accumulation.

• Theme: Broad economic issues and how they’re affecting the markets and households.

• Topics: Investment management; financial, tax, estate, retirement and charitable planning.

• Hosts: Peter Mallouk, CEO and founder of wealth management firm Creative Planning; and Director of Financial Education Jonathan Clements.

• History: Since 2019, with more than 30 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Monthly episodes of 10 to 20 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: You appreciate hearing directly from a CEO who grew a grassroots advisory firm to more than $90 billion of assets under advisement as of June 2021.

• Fact: Mallouk founded Pathway Financial Education in 2021, a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides free financial training and education to small business owners, adults and youth in under-resourced communities.

Couple Money

• Focus: Building marriage and wealth through teamwork.

• Theme: Help spouses stop fighting about money and start building a life they love together.

• Topics: Saving, debt retirement, financial infidelity, business building, retirement planning, mental health.

• Host: Elle Martinez.

• History: Since 2014, with more than 150 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly episodes of 15 to 20 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: Money fights are often cited as a leading cause of divorce, and financial podcasts from a couple’s perspective can help relationships survive and prosper.

• Fact: In 2019, Forbes named “Couple Money” the best of the “five best personal finance podcasts you haven’t heard of yet.”

Positive University

• Focus: Tips and strategies to stay positive and be successful.

• Theme: Inspiration, lessons and encouragement to help overcome challenges and make an impact.

• Topics: Healing, creating positive change, intentionality, leadership, negotiation, faith fulfillment, teambuilding.

• Host: Bestselling author Jon Gordon.

• History: Since 2017, with nearly 250 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Two to three monthly episodes of 30 to 60 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: You face business and life challenges daily and know that staying positive is a key to success.

• Fact: A long-ago franchise restaurant owner, Gordon is an accomplished keynote speaker and author of more than 20 books, including “The Energy Bus”, with more than 2 million copies sold. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals and nonprofits.

Young and Profiting

• Focus: Empowering millennials to succeed through the lessons of their peers and predecessors.

• Theme: Listen, learn and profit.

• Topics: Productivity, influence, side hustles, social media, branding, brain health, rapport building, investing.

• Host: Corporate marketer-turned-entrepreneur Hala Taha.

• History: Since 2018, with nearly 150 episodes.

• Frequency and duration: Weekly episodes of 30 to 60 minutes.

• Why you’d listen: To better understand the motivations and aspirations guiding the next generation’s career and lifestyle choices.

• Facts: Youthful Taha has journeyed professionally from intern to employee to business owner of YAP Media, employing 40+ associates. The Young and Profiting website is informative, distinct, artistic and entertaining.