The rise of entrepreneurship in recent years has been a job in itself to keep up with. Hundreds of new businesses seem to crop up every day and sometimes it can feel like nearly every one of your mates is nursing a burgeoning business or passion project on the side.
If you're anything like me, you're probably really into the idea of it. You're inspired and the idea of being your own boss, starting something from the ground up and making it actually happen gets you beyond excited. But, nailing down exactly what it is that you'd like to do or make is an absolute mystery. Or, perhaps you're the complete opposite. You’ve got a bright idea that’s bursting to be brought to life but you’re not sure where to start, what it takes to run a business and every other question in-between. The good news is the answers lie within these nine podcasts. Prepare to have your mind blown and your questions answered…
1. Get interested: The Venture
Produced by Virgin Atlantic and Gimlet Creative (the dons of several entrepreneurial podcasts) The Venture talks to some of the pioneers behind brilliant ideas or businesses that you’ll 100% have heard of. They tend not to delve into the specifics of running the show, but for those who are curious and want to know more the whole thing, it’s spot on.
2. Get inspired: How I Built This
I was quite nervous that this podcast would be a bit too functional for my gnat-worthy attention span, but after listening to the first episode (an interview with Air BnB founder, Joe Gebbia) I was hooked. The weekly chapters, hosted by Guy Raz, each narrate the journey of how an amazing business – often one you’ll be all too familiar with – began. It includes talks from founders of businesses such as Spanx (a must-listen, FYI), Vice, Five Guys and teaches some valuable life lessons along the way.
3. Women to watch: Girl Boss
Yep, you guessed it, Sophia Amoruso’s brand knows no bounds which, once you get ears deep in this podcast series, you’re going to be v grateful for it. Chatting with some big names, Amoruso gets into it with women who have built their own brand or just made it big in the game as well as talking about her own experiences. Girl power personified, guests include ClassPass co-founder Payal Kadakia, Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss, and Refinery29’s Christene Barberich.
4.When you’re in full flow: The Pitch
Another Gimlet Creative prodigy, The Pitch streams real pitches from real business-founders in real time. Therefore, it’s not only great for bagging tips on how to nail it under pressure and what investors look out for, but also for an insight into what came before these people's big business successes. The variety of pitches means that whether you’re a first-timer or further down the line with your biz, there’s something in it for everyone. Think Dragon’s Den but with less ego (soz Peter and Theo).
5. Get thinking: Entrepreneur on Fire
I’m not going to lie to you, when listening to this one it can take me between five and ten minutes to find my jam. The presenter/interviewer John Lee Dumas is so passionate that when you’re in the right mood, you leave feeling totally geed up and mega inspired, but on the wrong day, it can take some easing into. Either way, the content is equal parts useful and thought-provoking – I know, high praise. Think How I Built This with less storytelling and more straight-talking business chat.
6. For something different: *How I Make It Work *
From Phoebe Lovatt, the founder of The WW Club (a network for women in creative industries), this series is (unsurprisingly) all about how women who have made their businesses work for them. There’s a real cool-girl vibe to it and, being a businesswoman herself, the result is authentic, practical and really encouraging for girls doing their own thing. The businesses featured are successful but not world-famous, which means that it feels all that more relatable if you’re just starting out.
7. The all-rounder: TedTalks Business
If you’re familiar with TedTalks (if you’re not, where have you been hiding? Next steps: Google), then you’ll get the gist of this one pretty quickly. An extension of their usual offering, this series ranges from the most top-level holistic ideas around business, to the much more applicable stuff. Wherever you’re at in your journey, or if you’re simply interested, there’s something here for you.
8. The big picture: Mixergy
The self-proclaimed ambition of Mixergy is not only to inspire new business owners and entrepreneurs, but any vision that you feel excited about, and TBH that’s pretty spot on. It’s been running for a few years now so there’s plenty of back-listening to do, and the presenter (Andrew Warner) was an entrepreneur himself, so you can bet he knows his shizz.
9. The newbie: *Grown Your Own Way *
Just starting out this month, Grow Your Own Way by Courier is in its infancy. That said, I love the presenters already and I’m seriously interested to see where they’re going to take this one, as it feels like it could be really pragmatic to a range of different businesses. It’s already hitting featured spots on the app store so watch this space.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.