I always thought podcasts were something that people with passions for really obscure topics (knitting or TV show fan clubs comes to mind) listened to. It was only once my boss at Runners Connect recommended I start the Run to the Top podcast that I really started to pay attention.

One thing you will learn about podcasts though, once you start listening to them, you get HOOKED! You want to listen to them while you shower, while you drive, while you do chores. You can’t get enough of them, and there are so many out there for so many different topics, you can find a podcast about anything (hello knitting and The Bachelor fan club!).

Today I thought I would write about why you might want to check out podcasts if you haven’t before, who are podcasts aimed at, and why should you care?

So why podcasts? Why now?

• Podcast app on iPhone.
  • Apple has made this app un-deletable, and it is automatically downloaded for every iPhone user. We all know Apple does their homework on what the latest trends are!
• Our attention spans are so short
  • I find I really have to concentrate to read an entire blog post now without skimming, and this way I do not have to take the “effort” to read something….wow that makes me sound lazy!
• Podcast shows are constantly growing
  • Every day new podcasts show up, about every topic you could ever imagine

And why I enjoy podcasts so much

• Intimacy
  • There is something personal about feeling as though you are in a conversation with two other people. You hear this conversation in-between your ears, and I often find myself saying “yes!, uh huh, oh yep, thats me”, as if I was there. You get to know the host, and as creepy as this sounds, kind of become their friend as you learn about their likes and dislikes, and what is going on with their life.
• You can multitask!
  • I am constantly trying to multitask, and I know I am not that great at it, but with podcasting, you can do it while you do something else. Texting and driving is bad, but with a podcast you can listen and learn, but still be paying attention to your driving. Or how about household chores? You can learn and grow your knowledge while doing the dishes, or vacuuming!
• Learning
  • I have learned so much listening to podcasts, from self help podcasts like Brene Brown, to how to become a better social media manager, which makes me better at my job. I love learning new things, but because it is in a conversation form, it does not feel like a lecture, instead you can pick and chose at what is interesting for you, absorb that information, and zone out when something is not applicable.
• Its 30-60 minutes
  • You do not have to worry about a playlist, or finding enough to last your entire task, but you can just click it, and let it go! I love this for days when I listen to it while I run.
• Working while you are not
  • This means I can be working, learning new information, while I am doing in otherwise dead time; driving, cleaning, preparing food.
• Learning about the lives of celebrities/well known people
  • As you are hearing the interview between the podcaster and their guest, you are learning little things about the guest that you could not learn in a 2 page interview in a magazine, or on a blog page where it is all edited. You get to hear it out of their mouth, and listen to their response to particular questions. I love that it makes them seem more real, more human!
• Running related
  • As I mentioned, there are topics for EVERYTHING, and if you are a runner lover, there is so much you can learn about running, where it is explained to you clearly. If the podcaster is good, they will make sure things are clarified if the guest can be confusing, so it is a great place to truly understand concepts.

Honestly, you can search for ANYTHING, and there will be a podcast about it. Find your interests, and give it a try.