Over the past few years, podcasts have become incredibly popular and suddenly dominate the media space. It feels as if every celebrity and influencer has started a podcast, or at the very least has appeared as a guest on another’s. While this explosion of options is great, it can also be very overwhelming when it comes to finding a podcast that is right for you. Different topics and hosts resonate more or less with different listeners. Some people prefer humorous podcasts over ones that are more serious and thought-provoking. Some gravitate towards story-based podcasts rather than lifestyle podcasts. This article is intended to share a few of my favorite podcasts in order to help you to create or improve your own personal repertoire. I want to specifically focus on the best women-led podcasts that I’ve come across, podcasts that are primarily intended for female listeners.
Firstly, why should you listen to podcasts? And why are podcasts so popular? As I have already alluded to above, podcasts have become so beloved because there is one for everybody. With over 45 million podcast episodes available, endless genres and sub-genres, and a huge selection of hosts, it is inevitable that you will find a podcast that you enjoy listening to.
Also, podcasts are great to have on in the background. As multiple sources have put it, podcasts are “multi-tasking friendly.” Unlike most other kinds of long-form content, podcasts don’t necessitate that the audience be stationary, watching, or even fully engaged. While listening to podcasts, most people go on runs, complete errands, walk their dog, fold laundry, and more! Whenever, wherever, and doing whatever, a podcast can be on in the background.
Another pro is the sense of community that the audience builds with the host and one other. Listening to a captivating podcaster can feel like you’re having a conversation with a friend. With some of my favorite podcasts, the host slips in inside jokes, familiar catchphrases, and other continuities that connect her with the listeners. Listeners too are connected, by similar interests and the podcast itself. The best podcasts remind me of a show or a movie series, with a devoted following that appreciates the podcast, the host, and one another.
Goes without saying
Probably my favorite podcast of all time, Goes Without Saying is hosted by two twenty something-year-olds, Persephone Deacon and Erin Emirali, who, on the podcast, go by Sephy and Wing. They talk about a variety of topics, such as friendships, relationships, insecurities, and mental health, candidly and usually through a feminist lens. Every episode, I am struck by how smart and insightful they both are. Intentionally or not, a lot of their advice has really stuck with me and taught me so much. Aside from this, GWS is just a fun listen. Best friends from college, Sephy and Wing have an amazing chemistry and sense of humor! It’s truly a stunning podcast, equal parts comforting and hilarious.
@ Lexie
The @ Lexie podcast is hosted by Lexie Lombard, who imbues a very unique positivity and playfulness that makes her podcast so appealing! Her content switches between story-time type episodes and advice segments. The flow of the conversation is always easy and chock-full of entertaining tangents that make the whole thing feel like a FaceTime call with a good friend. Like Sephy and Wing, she mixes her natural funniness with incredible insight. Her sincerity and optimism is contagious. Also, for any bookworms, Lexie also has immaculate taste in books and is constantly sprinkling in great recommendations!
Growing with the flow
Growing With the Flow is honestly the most relaxing and wholesome podcast. The cozy opening jingle immediately sets the tone and matches the energy of the host, Nayna Florence, who herself just personifies calmness and kindness. I don’t think that she’s much older than me, but Nayna really gives older sister vibes. A lot of her content deals with being a university student and, most recently, her post-grad journey. As with the other podcasts that I’ve mentioned, Nayna does a great job of capturing what it’s like to navigate the world as a woman in your twenties. GWF is a really soothing listen!
bobo and flex
Clearly I’m drawn to podcasts that have co-hosts with snappy names. Bobo and Flex is hosted by Bobo Matjila and Lillian Ahenkan (who goes by “Flex” on the podcast). The two have a great dynamic and it’s hard not to watch without a smile on your face. Beyond the silly banter and witty dialogue, Bobo and Flex engage in a commentary-style conversation, focusing on unique topics and social issues through a Black feminist lens. Unfortunately, Bobo and Flex stopped uploading episodes in 2021. They still have over a hundred episodes available on streaming services and Bobo has actually started her own podcast, Bobo’s Void, that veers more towards philosophy (I’ve never listened but would love to check it out in the future)!
digital diary with hannah elise
My last recommendation is Digital Diary with Hannah Elise. Similarly to Nayna, Hannah has recently graduated from college and her content deals a lot with the post-grad transition. She’s very transparent and vulnerable, discussing her personal relationship with such issues as mental health, uncertainty, and self-love. Hannah eloquently tackles what it’s like to be in your twenties and not really know what you’re doing — she hits the nail on the head every episode!
To conclude, listening to podcasts has become a critical part of my self-care routine. It is really refreshing to hear the perspectives of other people, how they rationalize and break down universal experiences. The mindsets and advice that I have learned have truly been life changing. This all sounds very melodramatic, but listening to podcasts has made me more emotionally intelligent, more thoughtful, more grounded. Podcasts are a great resource to have in your self-help toolkit and these five are, in my opinion, the crème de la crème. Happy listening!