Top 10 Podcasts for Business Owners in 2020

There’s never been a better time to get into podcasts. From every corner of culture, society, business, history, comedy and music, podcasts are springing up left, right and centre. With endless hours of entertainment available at the tap of an app, it can be difficult to keep up with the sheer amount of content on offer. To help, we’ve curated a list of our favourite podcasts for business owners right now, with quick summaries of each podcast and a recommended episode to start with. We’ve also included a few that aren’t strictly business-related, but can impact the way you think about and approach running your business. Enjoy!

The Pitch

Gimlet Media | Josh Muccio | Best for: owners of growing businesses

The Pitch takes you behind closed doors, into real investment pitches, where entrepreneurs are pitching to real investors for real money. The Pitch teaches you lessons about pitching, negotiating and quick decision making, but it’s about a lot more than that – it’s about how businesses succeed, and the difficult decisions their founders make to achieve that success.

Listen To: ‘When Investors Take the Hot Seat’

Creative Rebels

Creative Rebels | David Speed & Adam Brazier | Best for: those with an idea

Creative Rebels made our list of top podcasts last year, and it more than deserves a spot this year. Co-Founders of Graffiti Life David Speed & Adam Brazier interview creative entrepreneurs who’ve taken the leap of faith and left the 9-5 to start their own business. It looks at the lessons they’ve learned along the way, the sacrifices they’ve had to make and the successes they’ve enjoyed.

Listen To: ‘Starting Your Own Business with Angelica Malin’

How I Built This

NPR | Guy Raz | Best for: those planning something big

From lightbulb moment to exit, every business goes on a different journey. In How I Built This, Guy Raz delves into these journeys, looking at not just the highs, but also the soul-searching lows that pretty much every business owner has experienced at some point. Guy interviews everyone from small business owners to the brains behind now-household names, including the likes of LinkedIn, Dell, Shopify and Dyson.

Listen To: ‘Serial Entrepreneur: Marcia Kilgore’

Masters of Scale

Wait What Inc. | Reid Hoffman| Best for: those ready to scale their business

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman speaks to entrepreneurs about how they've grown and sustained successful businesses across a wide range of industries. Each episode opens with an anecdote or theory about scaling up, and Reid spends the episode testing this and seeing how it has worked for the entrepreneur in practice. Special guests also pop in and out of episodes, adding their two cents. From simple hacks to big concepts, each episode gets to the very core of how to scale a business successfully. Guests include the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Brian Chesky and Nancy Lublin.

Listen To: 'The Power of Conflict'

Money Box

BBC | Paul Lewis, Louise Cooper & Adam Shaw | Best for: the not-so financially savvy

As a business owner you’ve got your accountant to help you stay on the right side of HMRC, save a bit of money and take a lot of the stress and worry away. But what about your personal finances? Every few days, the Money Box team shine a light on a different area of personal finance – from self-employed pensions to credit scores. You don’t need to be super-savvy when it comes to finance to enjoy this one. What's more, unlike many other finance podcasts, you certainly won't find yourself nodding off halfway through.

Listen To: ‘How to Buy a Property Without Help From Mum & Dad’

The Impact

Vox | Jillian Weinberger | Best for: those with an eye on power

It can often feel like those of us not in (political) power have very little say in how policy, our country and our society is shaped. Politicians often make decisions that we don’t understand, or we disagree with, but what happens when they don’t make any decision at all? The Impact explores the consequences of decision (and indecision) in the upper echelons of power.

Listen To: ‘How to Stop an Epidemic’

The Side Hustle Show

Side Hustle Nation | Nick Loper | Best for: starting a side business

Stuck in a 9-5 and want to start something yourself? Perhaps you’ve successfully set up a business already and you’re looking for your next venture? Covering everything from Amazon FBA to dog-walking, The Side Hustle Show features founders that have established a lucrative side hustle, and explores how and why they did it. It’s a very simple concept that is executed brilliantly.

Listen To: ‘Multi Six-Figure Consulting on the Side’

The Bunker

Podmasters | Ian Dunt, Naomi Smith, Dorian Lynskey & Alex Andreou | Best for: staying in the loop

Sick and tired of talking about Brexit? We don’t blame you. With the ‘B-Word’ out of the way, the team behind hit podcast Remainiacs bring you The Bunker, a new weekly podcast covering everything else to do with politics. Want straight-talking, independent, funny political analysis that helps you make sense of what’s really going on? The Bunker’s for you.

Listen To: ‘Impeachment for Dummies (and Presidents)’

Sidedoor

Smithsonian Institute | Lizzie Peabody| Best for: finding out something new

Ever been to a museum and wondered what it’d be like to spend the night there? To go behind closed doors and see all the amazing exhibits the rest of the public don’t get to see? Sidedoor, by The Smithsonian Institution, gives you a VIP pass to one of the world’s most famous museums, and explores the millions of treasures and relics that fill the vaults of The Smithsonian – the exhibits that most don’t get to see.

Listen To: ‘The Worst Video Game Ever’

Off Menu

Plosive Productions | Ed Gamble & James Acaster | Best for: those who fancy a laugh

What would your dream meal be? If you could have any starter, main course, side dish, dessert and drink, what would you pick? Off Menu, hosted by two of the finest comedians on the UK comedy circuit, Ed Gamble and James Acaster, asks a wide variety of special guests this exact question – from Greg Davies to Richard Osman, Tom Kerridge to Jess Phillips MP. Off Menu promises belly laughs aplenty, along with a strong possibility of a rumbling stomach. Running a business can feel overwhelming at times, so this is a great podcast to dip in and out of when you need a little boost.

Listen To: ‘Jess Phillips MP’

If you’ve found this shortlist useful, take a look at our article highlighting the top sales podcasts of 2019.