Favorite Podcasts: Sorta Awesome, The Mom Hour, On Being & Eigenstimmig

Oh yes! It’s happening! Podcasts are becoming more mainstream in Germany. Finally! What makes me say that? Because now the BIG bloggers are talking about podcasts. Such as Steffi Luxat (Ohhh Mhhh) in her most recent post about 10 things that are making her happy right now. And guess who left a comment with her favorite podcasts recommendations? That would be me :-) I gave Steffi the following podcast recommendations (and hopefully to everybody else who is reading her blog):

My Podcast Recommendations

• Sorta Awesome
• Reply All
• Start Up
• The Mom Hour
• Pop Culture Happy Hour
• eigenstimmig

But please keep on reading – there’s more! To save you time and to prevent that you are getting lost in the podcast jungle, I’m recommending seven individual podcast episodes to you that I truly enjoyed in April and May. Maybe it is the topic that draws you in (death and grief as in On Being). Or it’s the format of the show (the eigenstimmig interviews). Maybe you fall in love with someone’s voice when you hear it for the first time (Megan – the host of Sorta Awesome).

No matter the reason – I promise you that podcasts are going to make your life richer!

On Sorta Awesome Laura and Megan follow-up on their anxiety episode which was one of the most popular earlier episodes of the show. They talk about symptoms of anxiety, how to find out whether it’s time to see a professional, and how to identify anxiety in children. Both episodes are a really good – and still light-hearted – listen for anyone dealing with anxiety or knowing someone suffering from it. I can also highly recommend this episode of The Mom Hour podcast on a very similar topic: Parenting through hard times. It really seems that Americans are more open to talk about the sensitive and very personal topics of anxiety and depression. Here in Germany people mostly talk about these topics behind closed doors. I really wish that this would change! For the sake of the people who have to deal with it in their personal life.

Another heavy topic is discussed on Krista Tippett’s podcast On Being. I’m not a regular listener of this show but tune in whenever there is an interesting guest or topic. On this episode Krista interviews Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant about their new book Option B (which I’m reading right now). Sheryl Sandberg is the COO of Facebook and the author of the successful 2013 bestseller Lean In. But this is not why she is on the show. Two years ago Sheryl Sandberg’s husband died unexpectedly. On the show and in the book she talks about how her friendship with Adam Grant. Adam is a professor of Psychology and his research helped her survive the loss. By learning about resilience, Sheryl was able to support her children. Make sure to keep a kleenex close by…

Eigenstimmig, the one and only German podcast I’m listening to, always publishes great interviews with wonderful and inspiring women from Germany. And believe it or not, but there’s a big difference whether a podcast host talks to a person on Skype or does a face-to-face-interview at home. A simple but time-consuming context decision that makes Sarah and Julia’s podcast so special. When you listen to an episode of eigenstimmig, I can only encourage you to also open the show notes to see the photos. They add another layer to the conversation in your earbuds. My favorite episodes in April and May were:

• the interview with Sandra Pfister who practices psycho-oncology and hypnosis. Sandra also offers workshops for people who want to organize their documents for the event of their death.
• the interview with Tina Müller whose life is largely defined by books and reading. Tina is a long-time book blogger and shares her passion not only with her online community, but also on a local level. I love her idea of turning an old phone box into a public book shelf. An idea for our back yard that’s been spinning around in my head for a while now…

If you enjoyed S-Town, the podcast about a weird horologist from Alabama, Alec Baldwin’s interview with Brian Reed, the host and producer of the show, is a must-listen.

And personally, I can‘ wait to listen to the latest episode of Smartest Person in the Room. The guest? Comedian, stunt man and viral video start Steve-O.

Have fun listening and please share your podcast recommendations in the comments or on social media! You can find my favorite March episodes here. And please hop over to my Favorite February Podcasts to find out how to listen to podcasts.