In the last few decades, podcasts have been a serious opportunity for both content creation and content consumption. The number of podcast listeners has only grown. Thus, in this blog, I am sharing some of the most underrated podcasts to listen to that will add to your self-improvement journey.
There has been a sharp rise in podcast listeners globally. There will be over 100 million active podcast listeners in the US in 2024. With that, there is also a surge of new podcasts every month.
As per statistics, there are 5 million podcasts available on the web. They offer a diverse range of topics and content to listen to. Whether you are looking for self-improvement, educational, investment, entertainment, relationship guidance, or thriller content, there are podcasts for every possible topic under the sun.
Podcasts cater to all age groups and needs. There are many benefits of listening to podcasts. From improving your knowledge to reducing your screen time, podcasts add to your life’s quality in many ways.
Whether you want to upskill yourself, keep yourself up to date on current information and trends, relax, or just entertain yourself – you can do it all by choosing from podcasts to listen to as per your interest.
However, if you are confused with so many options and looking for guidance on which podcast to listen to, then you are at the right place. This list of 21 best yet underrated podcasts will help you to choose as per your interests and needs.
21 Best Yet Underrated Podcasts to Listen to in 2024
I have curated this list of best podcasts after thorough research for you to explore diverse topics.
Whether you want to improve your relationship, need guidance on finance, dealing with anxiety and sleep issues, are a small business owner struggling alone, or a woman entrepreneur who wants to be at the top of her game, or just having a hard day and wants to relax, there is something for everyone.
If you are a podcast listener or want to explore podcasts to listen to, these offbeat and underrated podcasts must be on your list to listen to next time. Let’s get into the list and explore them.
21 Best Podcasts to Listen to in 2024
1. The Happiness Lab
The Happiness Lab is hosted by Dr. Lauries Santos. She discusses the science of happiness and provides practical insights for leading a happier and more fulfilling life. She is a professor of psychology at Yale University.
She shares inspiring stories that are backed by the latest scientific research. An offbeat but definitely one of the most interesting podcasts to listen to.
2. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin is the bestselling author of the book – The Happiness Project And Better than Before. She believes that when we know ourselves and what works for us, we change our habits and our lives.
Along with her co-host Elizabeth Craft, Gretchen shares her best suggestions, ideas, and interviews that can help you build daily habits that lead you to a happier and better life.
3. Life Kit
Life Kit is a self-improvement podcast by NPR, hosted by Mariella Segarra. Here she talks to experts like therapists and psychologists. This podcast can give you some great advice on how to proceed when you feel lost or stuck in a situation.
They talk on various topics like love, friendship, finance, life’s purpose, and gratitude. According to Life Kit, every human needs a little help and they think by sharing expert-led life advice, they might be of some help to you.
4. Honey I Blew Up The Business
Honey I Blew Up the Business is hosted by Dan Kirby. Here he talks about building your mindset, personal development, and growing your business. He has interviewed many entrepreneurs who faced difficult challenges but came out stronger and shocked others.
They cover many aspects like how to tap your potential, how to face your fears, and how to become your best version. They are soon returning with the 3rd season of the podcast.
5. Speak Up
Speak Up is hosted by Laura Camacho and is ranked as the top 2nd Communication Skill Podcast. She invites specialists and industry leaders to share their secrets of effective communication. Here she talks bout how to become a better communicator to grow in the professional world.
She introduces herself as a “Culture fixer and career accelerator” who coaches companies and leaders to better their communication skills.
6. Help Me Be Me
Sarah May Bates hosts the podcast Help Me Be Me. This one got on my list since it shares the most practical tips and tools to deal with your emotional issues.
Each episode is divided into three parts to deal with the problem – the what, the why, and the how to solve it (tools).
Sarah is a self-love and relationship coach. According to her, whenever you are feeling stuck in life, there is a why behind it. Once you understand that, the solution becomes clear.
7. How To
How To is hosted by Cortney Martin and Curvell Wallace. By far, this podcast has one of the most unique concepts that I have come across. Every week they bring a regular podcast listener on the show to solve their issues with the help of industry experts.
You can also reach out to them by sending a mail or a voicemail and get the problem to your solution. Cortney E. Martin is an award-winning journalist. Carvell Wallace is a writer and New York Times best-selling author and has earlier hosted podcast Finding Fred.
8. Afford Anything
Afford Anything podcast is hosted by Paula Pant where she talks about how to attain financial freedom. It is based on the concept that, “you can afford anything but not everything”. This applies not only to money but also to time, focus, energy, and attention.
Paula interviews academicians, authors, and researchers in her podcast. She talks to them about investing, financial psychology, real estate, entrepreneurship, fraud, lifestyle, critical thinking, decision-making, and other tangent topics.
9. CEO School
CEO School is a podcast hosted by Suneera Madhani. According to her, less than 2% of female founders make $1 million in revenue. In her podcast, she invites a female entrepreneur to share their story. The founders talk about how she built her business and guides budding female entrepreneurs to be on top.
Her mission is to share her knowledge and empower and support women to earn more than 7 figures in revenue.
10. Sleep With Me
Sleep with Me is hosted by Drew Ackerman. This is an offbeat bedtime story podcast to help grown-ups to fall asleep. This podcast will not just help you sleep better but it will also feel like a warm hug if you live alone.
Featured in the NY Times, Buzzfeed, The New Yorker, Mental Floss, and NOVA, this one-of-a-kind venture combines the condition of insomnia with laughter and takes the listener on a light-hearted ride of bedtime storytelling.
This podcast made it to my list of the most underrated podcasts to listen to as it helps you to not feel alone in a deep night. It makes you feel as if you have someone around them to talk to.
11. Meditation Minis Podcast
Designed by Hypnotherapist Chel Hamilton, Meditation Minis Podcast brings to you short audio meditation to help you feel stress-free and boost your self-confidence.
This meditation blessing has found its place in popular lifestyle & wellness publications like Healthline, Bustle, Buzzfeed, and many more. With over +40 million downloads, you cannot miss this one, especially if you go through regular anxiety or tension in your life.
12. Nothing Much Happens
Nothing Much Happens was created by Kathryn Nicolai. She is a former yoga and meditation teacher. This is another bedtime podcast to make you fall asleep.
It is designed to help you combat your anxiety and struggle to sleep. Kathryn blends effective storytelling and brain training methods to help you build better sleep habits and have a peaceful sleep at night.
13. The Desi Crime Podcast
The Desi Crime podcast is hosted by Aryaan Misra and Aishwarya Singh. It brings you the stories of crime from the Indian subcontinent. The storytelling and narration make it even more thrilling and intriguing to listen to.
Featured in The Cosmopolitan, The Desi Crime is one of the best Indian podcasts to listen to if you enjoy crime, suspense & drama.
14. Respectfully Disagree
Respectfully Disagree is hosted by Srishti Malhotra. It is run by Swaddle, an independent digital publication and creative production studio.
In this weekly podcast, she discusses varied issues related to gender, family, health, and culture. One of the most informative podcasts to listen to, Shristi also discusses the experience and views of Gen Z on these crucial matters.
15. Small Business PR
Gloria Chou hosts Small Business PR. She is a former US diplomat turned PR expert. This podcast shares proven PR strategies to grow your business with the best bits of advice from top journalists and industry experts.
She guides small business owners to gain visibility and authority even on a low budget. She reveals real, proven strategies to level up your business which comes from her credible experience as a PR expert.
16. The Minimalists
The Minimalists, as the name suggests, is based on the philosophy of a minimal lifestyle. Bestselling authors and Emmy-winning documentarians Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus guide their listeners through the process of decluttering their lives.
Their philosophy celebrates the freedom of living with less, whether by donating the clothes in your closet or cutting down on impulsive actions. Joshua and Ryan assert that excess stuff in your life can stand between you and your personal growth.
According to them, decluttering is required in every area of your life, whether it’s your mind, interpersonal relationships, or materialistic stuff. Milburn and Nicodemus explore various topics, including professional identity, anxiety, and financial wellness. It has more than 400 episodes.
17. The Art of Entrepreneurship
The Art of Entrepreneurship is a 20-minute podcast hosted by Jackie Hermes. She gives to-the-point and actionable tips and insights to help you build your growth mindset and company.
Given that she has bootstrapped her marketing agency from zero to 7-figure, she shares unfiltered advice to entrepreneurs, side hustlers, freelancers, and professionals.
If you are short on time and have little attention span, this must be one of your go-to podcasts to listen to.
18. Leadership Biz Cafe
Leadership Biz Cafe is a podcast by Tanveer Naseer. He is one of the world’s top leadership thinkers and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker.
In his podcast, he hosts industry experts and discusses the opportunities and challenges leaders face in the real world. He gives his listeners valuable insights into leadership. This podcast has been ranked among the top 2.5% of podcasts globally.
19. The Habit Coach
Sometimes motivation falls short to keep you going after your goal. Building habits in your daily routine set up you for life in front of you. But how exactly do you build these habits?
Here Habit Coach Ashdin Doctor guides you on how to incorporate small- small habits in your life. He gives 5 minutes advice sessions on his podcast on everyday things like sleep, nutrition, de-stressing yourself, productivity, etc.
He shares easy-to-do habits and provides tips to help you keep focused.
20. Paisa Vaisa
Paisa Vaisa is a personal finance podcast, hosted by CA and investment research consultant Anupam Gupta. He hosts experts on personal finance covering mutual funds, loans, housing, crypto, education, and related things. This podcast has over 1million+ downloads.
21. The Seen and the Unseen
The Seen and the Unseen is hosted by Amit Verma who is a former journalist. He started it by discussing the intended and unintended consequences of public policies. But later it evolved into a deep-dive interview podcast.
The reason behind this name is while evaluating the consequences of any action, you need to look at both, its seen and unseen effects.
Conclusion
This was my list of the most underrated podcasts to listen to this year. These 21 podcasts are the best in their field.
Offering a range of captivating content across various genres, I have ensured there’s something for every podcast listener in this list.
Whether you’re interested in true crime, personal development, or simply want to expand your knowledge, these podcasts will keep you engaged and entertained throughout your audio content consumption.
I hope you choose the best one for you. Happy listening!
