I’m a bit of a podcast junkie (we don’t have TV, so…). Partially, I just like audio as a change from reading. But I also find that podcasts offer an option to multi-task without losing your mind. Listening to a podcast actually makes going to the gym *more* appealing, and makes long car rides less boring. So, here are a few of my favorites: mostly for freelancers, with a few others thrown in.
I really enjoy Ed Gandia’s High-Income Business Writing podcast. There’s a lot of crossover for translators there, and he generally has very interesting guests. I particularly enjoyed his recent interview with Mark McGuinness, author of the book Productivity for Creative People. I’m not even that creative, but I wrote down a bunch of great tips: view organization and productivity as *freeing you up* to focus on the more stimulating sides of your job; use a finite space like a Post-It note to write your to-do lists, rather than preparing them as if time were infinite, etc. Definitely recommended!
If you have any sort of social media presence (blog or not), I would also recommend Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger podcast. I enjoy this podcast because it provides practical advice about how to make money online without feeling sleazy about it. For example, a recent episode talked about how to re-energize your blog after a slump (and who among us hasn’t been there…?).
If you don’t mind roundtable-style shows (I actually enjoy them, but the unscripted thing drives some people crazy), I recommend Devchat.TV’s The Freelancers’ Show. Here, “freelancer” means something closer to “independent IT consultant,” but the show features an interesting group of hosts (PS: any chance we could get some women in there??) and topics. I also find it interesting to glean tips from other industries and from non-word people. They’ve recently covered topics like how to handle meddling clients, how to decide when to move on from a component of your business, and how to use content marketing methods other than blogging.
You’re probably already listening to Tess Whitty’s Marketing Tips for Translators, but if not, get on over there and subscribe, since it’s all about our industry! And I’ll also take the liberty of mentioning Eve Bodeux’s and my (mostly) monthly show, Speaking of Translation.
And no list of must-listen podcasts would be complete without Grammar Girl. Capital versus capitol, how badminton got its name, a while versus awhile. It’s purely and simply word nerd heaven, and I listen to every single episode! Also in the Quick and Dirty Tips family are the Get It Done Guy (recent fave: how to politely tell off people who ask you to work for free), and the Savvy Psychologist (how to overcome fear of failure, how to stop being a people-pleaser).
Of course, podcasts don’t have to be all about your professional development. When you need a little brain candy, I also recommend:
Futility Closet. Speaking of nerd heaven…my family is addicted to this podcast, which focuses primarily on weird and wonderful historical events. Prison camp escapes powered by coded messages in Armenian, the great Boston molasses disaster, that kind of thing.
If you’re into behavioral science, try You Are Not So Smart, with episodes on learned helplessness, the Dunning-Kruger effect, and why it’s so hard to change your mind.
I’m a member of Gimlet Media, and I enjoy many of their podcasts (although some don’t really do it for me…kind of hit or miss here). I’m normally not that into narrative or fiction podcasts, but I *love* (love!) Crimetown (currently following tales of political corruption in Providence, Rhode Island), and Homecoming (a psychological thriller starring lots of actors you’ll recognize). Reply All is kind of a mixed bag; sometimes amazing (see: recent episode on ALS reversal cases), sometimes like a high school lunch table conversation. StartUp, their original podcast, depends on whether you like the topic for that season. The most recent one, focusing on the founder of American Apparel, didn’t grab me to the extent that some others have, but their interviews are pretty stellar.
And with that, happy listening! I’d love to hear about your favorite podcasts in the comments.
I’d never heard of lots of these despite being a pretty big podcast junkie myself, so thanks for the recommendations! Lots of my faves are from BBC Radio4; highlights are Start the Week, Analysis, and In Our Time (cultural) and Costing the Earth (environmental) but there are scores more. The Economist’s all audio feed is great for current affairs and tech and for over ten year’s I’ve loved the multiple perspectives on food and cooking from KCRW’s Good FOod. If you garden, A Way to Garden is one of a loooonnng list I subscribe to, and I love the video feed from Gardening Australia despite living on the other side of the world from there.
Very cool, thanks Victoria!
Hi Corinne,
Thank you for the mention of Marketing Tips for Translators.
Here are some more podcasts that I enjoy:
Freelance Transformation with Dov Gordon
Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
The 10 Minute Marketer with David Pollock
Great, thanks Tess!
Hey, Tess, I just came across your comment.
I’m glad you enjoyed that episode I did with Matt Inglot.
It’s here in case anyone wants to listen:
https://freelancetransformation.com/blog/why-do-clients-buy-our-services-with-dov-gordon
Dov Gordon
I really enjoy the Introvert Entrepreneur and Profit. Power. Pursuit.
Also, when I need a shot of inspiration/morale boost, I often turn to The One You Feed.
Great suggestions, Corinne!
Thanks, Gina!
I like the New Books Network podcasts, which feature interviews with the authors (mostly academics and some journalists) of books in a variety of disciplines. There is a separate channel for each discipline. I have found that, like taking MOOCs, listening to these podcasts provides a way of staying abreast of developments in a particular field of (translation) specialization or even just the history and culture of the country of your source language. For example, you might be interested in the French Studies channel: http://newbooksnetwork.com/category/peoples-places/french-studies/
Very cool, thanks Kenny!
Thank you for this extended list!
Do you also listen to podcats in French and if so do have any suggestion?
Yes! RFI has a really good podcast network; I like Invité Culture and Appel Presse Européenne. I also listen to French Voices (for French language learners, but the interviews are really interesting), and I know a couple of French translators who are addicted to Rendez-vous avez X (a history/mystery show).
Hi Corinne! I love the sound of grammar girl, and the other look like they will be very insightful. My favourite podcasts are Radio 4’s The News Quiz Extra, which is a weekly comedic take on the news that is great for catching up if you’ve had a busy week, Lexicon Valley, which discusses all things grammar and language, and for translation specific stuff, I find Globally Speaking to be very informative! (My favourite ever podcast is The West Wing Weekly, but if you’re not a West Wing fan then I doubt it appeals (if you’re not a West Wing fan then why ever not?!?!)) Thanks for these suggestions
Thanks, Emma! Those sound really interesting; I will definitely check out Lexicon Valley! And I agree with you about “meta” podcasts. During the days of Serial (true crime podcast that went explosively viral in the US), I used to listen to Serial *and* several podcasts about Serial. So if you’re into West Wing, West Wing Weekly sounds awesome.