Our Favorite Podcasts

If you’re familiar with our Five Weekly Favorites series on YouTube then you know that we love a good podcast! If you live in LA chances are you spend a lot of time in the car and there’s no better time to binge a podcast when you’re stuck in traffic. There are two main podcast genres we listen to, inspirational and true crime. We know, total opposite ends of the spectrum, but we find both of these genres inticing. If you’re into those categories, keep reading for our podcast recs (in no particular order).

Armchair Expert

If you’re familiar with Dax Shepard you know that he’s relatable and hilarious. We started listening to Armchair Expert this year and it seems like everyone we know listens to it as well. It’s so popular and for good reason. Dax and his producer Monica interview celebrities and experts in their field- they go in depth and really talk about the guest’s journey, from childhood to success. Dax has a way of speaking to people that really makes them open up and the interviews are always very interesting. The episodes are two hours long so we recommend these for longer commutes!

How I Built This

How I Built This is an NPR podcast in which Guy Raz interviews creator’s of well-known companies. After every episode, we feel re-inspired to keep moving forward with our goals. This show proves that everyone’s journey is different and we shouldn’t compare our successes or timelines. It’s absolutely crazy how some of these billion dollar companies got their start. A great podcast for entrepreneurs!

Second Life

Similarly to How I Built This, Second Life is a podcast by Hillary Kerr, the creator of Who What Wear. She interviews women who have come to have a “second life.” These women made a career switch somewhere along the way to follow their passions and their stories are often so interesting and inspiring. Hillary is a very personable host and we love how she uplifts other women.

Inside Trader Joe’s

You guys know how obsessed we are with TJ’s (proof here and here), so when we found out they had their own podcast we knew we had to give it a go. The hosts travel to different stores around the country and interview crew members, customers, and corporate employees. It’s so interesting to learn how products go from ideation to creation and we love hearing teasers for upcoming products!

Money Diaries

We’ve been reading the Money Diaries on Refinery29 for YEARS so we were thrilled when we heard they were coming out with a podcast. In each episode, the hosts interview normal people about their money woes. We’re all trying to navigate saving, investing, becoming debt-free, etc, so it’s helpful to hear how other people sort out their finances. I also want to mention that the way they speak about money is very digestible and you don’t need to be a finance expert to enjoy it!

The Dropout

The Dropout follows the story of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos. She is the world’s youngest female self-made billionaire and is also a complete fraud. We were hooked when we first heard this story and couldn’t get enough of this podcast. I also read the book that started it all called Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, the Wall Street Journal reporter that initially broke the story of the Elizabeth Holmes/Theranos fiasco. If you like the podcast definitely give the book a go because it provides a much more specific story!

Serial

Serial was the podcast that started the podcast revolution. EVERYONE and their mother listened to it. Serial was definitely the gateway podcast for us if you will. Serial (season one) tells the story of Adnan Syed, a Baltimore teen that is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. The trial is riddled with holes and to this day Carli and I can’t figure out if he actually committed the crime. We’ll let you decide for yourself but we found this one so intriguing because we can’t figure out if Adnan is innocent or guilty.

Dirty John

You’ve probably heard of Dirty John considering it was turned into a television show on Bravo. Since we loved the podcast so much we did watch the show and they followed the same storyline. So if you’re more of a TV person, definitely watch it! We loved this podcast about John Meeham, a true sociopath who lures unsuspecting women into his life, only to ruin there’s. There’s a major plot twist at the end so make sure you listen to the whole thing!

Dr. Death

Dr. Death tells the story of a Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a former neurosurgeon that was essentially unfit to be a doctor, much less operate on people’s brains. I don’t want to spoil anything but he ends of injuring some of his patients due to his neglect and personal health. This was such a terrifying story about how one mentally unstable man found his way into becoming a brain surgeon. We’re supposed to trust our doctors, not fear them.

To Live and Die In LA

To Live and Die in LA is such an interesting podcast because the host, Niel Strauss,  is reporting on the story in real time. He’s following leads, he’s getting police updates, he’s unraveling the story of what happened to Adea Shabani after she disappeared for her apartment in Hollywood. The story does unfold and we learn way more about the case than what was reported on the news. It has some twists and turns that you won’t see coming.

Over My Dead Body

Over My Dead Body was a real doozy. It follows a couple (hence the name) that moves to South Florida so the husband can teach at the college there. The couple has their issues and the husband ends up being murdered. This story is crazy because of the allegations that come out about the wife’s family and it makes you realize how people will do insane things for the ones they love.

If you have any podcast recs, please leave them below! We’ll try to update this list as often as possible once we find new favorites!

xx, Britta