Podcast pick-me-ups for Autumn

Nicky Eggers, Head of Wealth Management & Investments

FT News Briefing podcast

This is a staple of my morning routine – a daily 10-minute update on political, business and market events to quickly digest with my first cup of tea in the morning. The highlight for me though is their weekend version, which is magazine style for 30-40 minutes covering diverse topics of interest ranging from art, fashion, science to politics to name a few. It makes the dog walk more interesting and invariably gives me an item of interest to share with family and friends.

Postcards from Midlife podcast

I was given a copy of Lorraine Candy’s book “Mum, What’s Wrong With You?” by my friends for my last birthday. The sub-title is “101 Things Only Mothers of Teenage Girls Know” and as the mother of three teenage girls I read it avidly to get any hints and tips and check whether my instinctive approach to mothering needed reshaping. What I found was a funny, empathetic, and honest account of being a mother to teenagers and usable advice gleaned from a variety of experts. Her podcast with Trish Halpin provides a similar service, but on broader topics to support women of a certain age!

Robert Smith, Head of Behavioural Finance

Making Sense with Sam Harris

Sam Harris is a Neuroscientist and philosopher who has written multiple best-selling books. In this podcast he explores important and controversial questions about the human mind, society and current events. It covers a breadth of subjects, but the core is about how understanding ourselves and the world around us is changing our sense of how we should live.

I really enjoy this podcast as it covers many topics that I think are fascinating and it can challenge you to really think and reflect yourself on some interesting questions. You need to be ready to commit as the podcast is long, with some episodes over an hour. This time allows Sam and guests to really delve into the conversations. I also find Sam’s tone of voice very relaxing.

There also is a spin-off podcast called Absolutely Mental where Sam and Ricky Gervais, which is not dissimilar to making sense but a lot shorter and is more light-hearted. It’s funny stuff and is a go-to when you want some more easy listening.

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Shane Parrish is the founder of Farnham Street, which is a fantastic blog - a resource also worth checking out. Shane sets out to help you build your knowledge by ‘mastering the best of what other people have already figured out’. As it’s about learning from others, the podcasts are interviews with world-class doers and thinkers. I listen to this because of the variety of topics it covers and the quality of the guests that are interviewed. One worth mentioning is Episode 136 with renowned geneticist David Sinclair about ageing, and how we can challenge accepted norms and fight the ageing process!

Sarah Gresty, Head of Product, Wealth Management & Investments

More or Less: Behind the Statistics

This is a long running podcast from the BBC, hosted by Tim Harford who has written several easy-to-read economic books. This podcast is very easy to listen to. Tim and the team look at statistics - often from the news - and try and understand whether the number quoted should be more, or less.

I enjoy how the show makes you question what you hear. Often the focus is on what assumptions are used and whether the numbers are being mis-quoted. Most episodes are just 10 minutes and fun to listen to.

Eat Sleep Work Repeat

This is a podcast by Bruce Daisley who wrote the bestselling book “The joy of work”. I loved the book (as well as the title) which focused on the ways in which we can best enjoy our working life.

For the podcast - usually around 40 minutes - Bruce interviews different people on the same subject of making work better. Recently there has been a lot of focus on hybrid working, where it has been great to get new perspectives and purloin some really good ideas.

I also enjoy hearing the interviews from the different authors and find myself inspired to read more books.

Alan Budenberg, Investment Consultant at Barclays Wealth Management

Intrigue - BBC

Typically a journalist will cover a particular subject or topic, investigating this in some detail with interviews from people trying to piece together a historical story. These have covered events in China, Syria and World War II. All the series are compelling but the most interesting was one called “Tunnel” which tells the extraordinary true story of a man who dug a tunnel between East and West Germany - right under the feet of Berlin Wall border guards.

Coffee House Shots

This is a daily political podcast. I have found recent events in the UK political landscape fascinating and podcasts offer a quick and easy way to keep up to date with events. Things move so fast I like to listen to something daily, typically while walking the dog or when I’m out on a run. At 10 - 15 minutes, it’s a quick and easy listen, whilst covering the key topics of the day. Plenty of comment, insight and news to keep up to date in a short and concise way.

Maya Welford, Behavioural Finance Specialist

That’s My Name

This podcast shares name-related stories or insights into naming traditions across different countries and cultures. Everyone has a name, and everyone has a unique story about theirs. From stories about name mispronunciation, debates on women taking their husband’s surname when they get married, to people getting noticeably more interviews when using a more Western name on their CV, and Ghanian naming traditions – this podcast covers so many interesting stories from across the world.

I’ve loved learning about how people tie such a strong part of their identity to their name, and that names can be an easy way to enhance inclusion within the workplace and society. It also has an accompanying Instagram page @thatsmyname_pod which features even more stories and name-related facts.

The Diary of a CEO

This is such a fantastic podcast. It’s hosted by Steven Bartlett, a self-made entrepreneur, who dives into the background and experiences of his guests. Unlike the title suggests, it’s not just CEOs that feature on the podcast, but rather individuals who have been successful within their field. Steven starts most of the episodes by asking about his guests’ childhood – this insight feeds my interest in psychology, and I enjoy hearing about the different backgrounds and life-stories of his guests.

I like the Diary of a CEO because it allows me to have an insight into successful individuals. Steven has the skill of allowing his guests to feel comfortable and be vulnerable and open. I love that this podcast gets me thinking, and it’s great company on my morning commute or walk.