As an MBA student, educating yourself on industry trends and supplementing coursework with business news will help prepare you for your career after graduation. When podcasts arrived on the scene, only a small population of U.S. adults were aware of the medium. In 2021, over 80 million Americans currently listen to podcasts, with expected growth through 2024. 

Listening to business podcasts can keep you informed of upcoming trends and improve your business acumen. Not only do podcasts highlight current and timely topics, but you can listen on your own time — on your way to class, during your study breaks, or while exercising.

Not all business podcasts are created equal, though, and there are many to choose from. We've narrowed down the list to our 12 favorites to get you started:.

1. How I Built This

Ready to be inspired by the creative and entrepreneurial minds behind many large companies? This weekly podcast, hosted by Guy Raz and sponsored by National Public Radio and WKSU, highlights the not-so-well-known stories behind some of the world's best-known companies. The podcast tells the narrative behind a different company each week, with episodes ranging in length from 1 to 1.5 hours. Past episodes discuss the stories of Audible, Moderna, Kayak, Burt's Bees, and Bobbie Brown Cosmetics. How I Built This is free and available via NPR.org, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. 

2. The McKinsey Podcast

Produced by the venerable McKinsey and Company consulting firm, The McKinsey Podcast features insightful and inspiring conversations with business leaders around the world. Topics include leadership, change management, digitalization, analytics, and deep dives into specific regions and industries. Recent episodes include "The Economic Impact of Ageism,” "From the Great Attrition to the Great Adaptation," and "Centered Leadership Creates Connection in Turbulent Times." With two new episodes a month, ranging from 30 to 45 minutes, and available free on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher, The McKinsey Podcast provides additional insight into the business world. 

3. MBA Insider

Produced by the MBASchooled community, MBA Insider provides advice for professionals and students on how to leverage knowledge, experiences, and skills gained from obtaining an advanced degree. The podcast series releases new episodes once or twice a week and covers a broad range of topics, often suggested by MBASchooled members. Recent episodes include “Breaking into Product Management,” "Investing in Female Entrepreneurs,” and "The Future of an MBA Education."

This business podcast series is free and available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

4. How I Got Here

Do you have a passion for learning about the personal journeys, motivations, and driving factors of successful business leaders and entrepreneurs? Focused on delivering “honest stories about making career decisions,” the hosts of How I Got Here sit down and chat with CEOs and other business professionals to deliver compelling and inspiring stories for their listeners.  Producers hope that these stories will give students seeking MBAs insights into their own career journeys. New episodes are released every two weeks. Recent topics on the podcast have included conversations with Dr. Howard Murad, founder of Murad Skincare, and Omar Shashine, corporate vice president of Microsoft.

The How I Got Here podcast series is free and available from Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

5. Knowledge@Wharton

Sponsored by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Knowledge@Wharton provides insight into business trends, breaking news, and market research. With new episodes each week, you’ll hear from different hosts and Wharton faculty, prominent business leaders, and government leaders on many relevant and insightful topics. Recent topics include "Should Employers Rethink What They’re Offering Workers?” "Doing Capitalism Differently — One Backpack at a Time,” and "Driverless Deliveries: How Close Are We?”

This podcast series is free and available from iTunes.

6. HBR IdeaCast

Hosted by Alison Beard and Curt Nickisch, editors of Harvard Business Review, this weekly podcast series features"leading thinkers in business and management." A new episode is released each week and recent topics include "Anti-Bias Policies that Really Work in Customer Service," "Tech's Exponential Growth and How to Solve the Problems It's Created," and "How to Make Strategic Career Decisions, Even in a Crisis."

This podcast series is free and available from Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

7. The $100 MBA Show

This award-winning podcast boasts more than 125,000 daily listeners in more than 30 countries. Named a top business podcast by Inc magazine and the #1 Work Smarter podcast by Apple, host Omar Zenhom offers practical business lessons with tips you can immediately apply to your career. Recent topics include "How to Name a Product,” "Why Most Businesses Fail," and "How to Scale Your Freelance Business with Zero Cost."

This daily podcast series is free and available from Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

8. Stern Chats

Hosted by current MBA Stern School of Business students at NYU, Stern Chats aims"to explore untold stories of students, alumni, administrators and faculty at NYU Stern.” New episodes are released weekly, featuring the stories and reflections of an individual within the Stern community. However, the episodes aren't just for Stern students; the lessons and stories discussed during each episode may apply to all MBA students and business leaders.

This podcast series is free and available from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.

9. TED Business

This business series of the popular TEDTalks podcasts is led by host Modupe Akinola, an experienced business professional, Associate Professor of Management, and Director of the Sanford C. Bernstein and Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Recent episodes feature interviews with entrepreneur Manoush Zamordi on "How Boredom Can Lead to Your Most Brilliant Ideas" and with Joseph Gordon-Levitt on "How Craving Attention Makes You Less Creative."

This weekly podcast series is free and available from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and Castbox.

10. Wisdom From the Top

A spinoff of NPR's How I Built This podcast with Guy Raz (see #1 on our list), Wisdom From the Top welcomes leadership experts and visionary executives from some of the world's largest brands. Listeners can expect to hear about unique aspects of the guest’s career development, coupled with powerful career advice. Recent episodes include interviews with Gatorade's Sarah Robb O'Hagan, PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi, and Lego's Jorgen Vig Knudstorp.

This weekly podcast series is free and available from NPR.org, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

11. Smart Passive Income

If you share a passion for online business strategy and growth, Smart Passive Income is the podcast for you. With weekly interviews, strategy, and advice on “the smart way” to build an online business, host Pat Flynn sits down with leading minds in business like Tim Ferris, startup investor and author of The 4-Hour Workweek, Ramit Sethi, bestselling author and founder of iwillteachyoutoberich.com, and Amy Porterfield, online marketing expert and creator of Digital Course Academy, to name a few. Listeners will learn about business and blogging strategies, income sources, and marketing tips.

Listen to Smart Passive Income for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Tunein.

12. Planet Money

Another NPR series, Planet Money focuses on the economy...but in a casual way. Producers describe the series as answering questions about the economy you might ask a friend at the bar. A recent episode, “Consider the Lobsterman,” discusses a conflict between Nova Scotia’s indigenous and commercial fishermen on the country’s largest export — lobster — and provides insight into current sustainable fishing initiatives.

This weekly podcast series is free and available from NPR.org, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Ready to develop your business skills and grow in your career? Earn your MBA from Johnson & Wales University — you’ll build the leadership and strategic skills you need to excel in your field. For more information, complete the Request Info form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email onlineadmissions@jwu.edu.