Business & Money Podcasts

We’ve also found ourselves surprisingly fascinated by podcasts about entrepreneurship, money management, and the world of business. They’re not nearly as stiff as they sound, and can lead to a lot more understanding about certain topics that we might not fully get (or get at all) when we press play.

The Economics of Everyday Things

In 15-20 minutes, The Economics of Everyday Things peels back the curtain on industries you might not think of as intricate, fine-tuned businesses – things like self-checkout machines, car colors, cemeteries, and houseplants. You’ll hear from an expert and gain a much better appreciation for the hidden decisions that go into creating everyday items.

How I Built This

How I Built This tells the origin stories of popular brands like Built-A-Bear, Scrub Daddy, Crumbl cookie, and hundreds more. You get to hear about their entrepreneurial beginnings, early struggles, and the keys to their eventual success – all from the founders themselves. It can be fun to hear backstories on companies you hadn’t thought much about, and even glean some business tips along the way.

The Journal

We almost put The Journal in the “News” category because this daily podcast from The Wall Street Journal follows a similar format. But the topics do tend to have a business- or financial-slant, like “How Weight Loss Drugs Are Gobbling Up Small Town Budgets” or “The Big Business of Holding Back Eighth-Graders.” The hosts are also friendly, relatable, and make complex topics easy to understand.

Planet Money

Planet Money from NPR is probably the OG economics podcast. They joyfully and nerdily show how everything ties back to the economy and how that shapes our lives. They do a mix of explainers, experiments, and investigations. Recent episodes range from “What makes a toy go viral” to “The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes,” making it a fun smorgasbord of topics big and small.

What We Spend

What We Spend is a voyeuristic podcast where you get to peek into someone else’s finances. Each episode, an average person talks through what they make, what they spend it on, and what factors impact their finances. Beyond just breaching this taboo topic, you also get to learn about different careers (Broadway actress, long haul trucker, etc) and what it takes to make it in those jobs.

Money For Couples

Money For Couples takes the What We Spend concept up several notches. Not only do you get the nitty-gritty details of someone’s finances, you basically get to sit in on a marriage counseling session. Real-life couples lay out their money troubles – overspending, mounting debt, meager savings, etc – in exchange for practical advice without any sugarcoating.