• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Arts & Entertainmentpodcasts

Podcast recommendations for a better life and career from Fortune’s 40 under 40

Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 5, 2020, 8:00 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Our mission to help you navigate the new normal is fueled by subscribers. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

They say listening to podcasts makes you smarter, and if the accomplishments of Fortune’s 40 under 40 are anything to go by, that certainly appears to be true. Across a spectrum of professions from finance to entertainment, some of the brightest young minds use podcasts to stay sharp and informed.

Here are some of the top choices for podcasts from this year’s 40 under 40.

Charlotte Clymer, writer, LGBTQ advocate, and consultant

I love Radiolab from WNYC Studios. The way they take a subject and look at it from numerous angles, uncovering meaning in every facet, is so inspiring and motivating. Anytime I feel the need for a little push that’s authentic and earnest, I’ll listen to an episode or two to be reminded of what brilliant and thoughtful folks are doing in the world.

Mona Chalabi, data editor for Guardian U.S.

I loved, loved, loved The Ballad of Billy Balls by iO Tillett Wright. In the podcast, I think iO walks a delicate line between journalism and inserting himself into the story, and he does it incredibly well! I think that’s always a difficult balance for any journalist, and iO showed me the value to listeners of occasionally letting yourself into the story.

Adelina Grozdanova, cofounder and head of investor group at Upgrade

A few years ago I came across a podcast by John Allison that he did after he had retired as CEO of BB&T Bank. He discusses the values and philosophy that guided his career.

Two parts resonated with me the most. First, his emphasis on being a lifelong learner, always trying to read and learn more from one’s experiences—especially the failures. One key point he makes is to “evade less and focus more.” He gives an example that some of the best leaders fail when they evade and don’t analyze information because they won’t like the answer. Be equally comfortable with success and failure and never stop learning from either one.

The second one is about the importance of self-esteem to one’s happiness. Unlike a lot of things in life, self-esteem can’t be given, it has to be earned. For most of us the fundamental driver of self-esteem happens to be work because of the long hours and energy that we commit to work. My favorite quote from the podcast is the following: “Something I said to the employees of BB&T many times: It matters a lot to BB&T whether you do your job well, but it matters a lot more to you. You might fool me about how well you do your job, you might fool your boss about how well you do your job, but you will never fool you. If you don’t do your work the best you can possibly do it, given your level of skill, given your level of knowledge…you’ll lower your self-esteem. Good news is, the flip side is also true. Do your work the best you can possibly do it and you’ll raise your self-esteem, which is more important than whether you get a promotion or more money because it’s fundamentally about your character.”

Ron Steslow, cofounder and adviser for The Lincoln Project

Making Sense with Sam Harris. Sam’s wide-ranging and fearless conversations often help me draw connections between things I’m thinking about or working on. I also listen to the Slate Political Gabfest with John Dickerson, Emily Bazelon, and David Plotz, with religious consistency—love that trio.

Kristin Smith, executive director for Blockchain Association

Crypto is super complicated. There’s a lot of jargon. There are a lot of factions within the industry. I didn’t start getting into it until 2017, so I had a lot of catching up to do. The biggest help in getting up to speed was Laura Shin’s Unchained podcast. She talks to everyone in the field and has a sort of methodical way of explaining the issues that I found really helpful. Over time, by listening to her, I was able to learn the crypto basics. It gave me the knowledge and confidence to make the change to specialize in this industry.

Jason Kander, president of national expansion for Veterans Community Project

Marc Maron’s WTF podcast is a go-to for me. Though I’m not a comedian or an actor or a musician, I gain a lot of wisdom from the conversations he has with entertainers and am able to relate it to the performative aspects of my work.

Racquel Bracken, partner at Venrock

Anything on How I Built This with Guy Raz. The stories from entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses and the never-ending tales of heartache, perseverance, and resilience. I am a resilience junkie—I think it’s the most important quality in great humans, and I love getting to celebrate stories of coming back from being down but not out!

Taylor Lorenz, technology reporter at the New York Times

Yeah, But Still is an excellent Internet-culture podcast that is constantly keeping me informed about new and weird things happening on the Internet. I love it, and the topics they discuss always inspire me. 

Prem Tumkosit, managing director at Merck Global Health Innovation Fund

Ultimately, a lot of what I do as an investor is use analysis to tell the story of ideas, companies, and people. So I find that the most helpful podcasts are the ones where you can see how the author or storyteller can help you structure a strong narrative. The podcasts that I go to are things like This American Life, Radiolab, and the Risk podcast—shows that explain complicated or uncomfortable topics in a way that people can understand or relate to.

Lindsey Finch, global privacy and data protection officer at Salesforce

Kara Swisher’s podcasts—currently Pivot and previously Recode Decode. She helps me stay on top of what is happening with the tech industry with a healthy side of policy.

Last, but not least: A bonus audiobook from…

Steve Martocci, cofounder and CEO at Splice

Recently I listened to The Outsiders audiobook, which my board member Adam D’Augelli recommended. It’s full of stories of nontraditional CEOs and how they evolved and thrived as capital allocators. The transition from founder to CEO isn’t easy and continually changes as you scale. The stories in the book are helping to guide me into the next phase of my journey.

About the Author
Aric Jenkins
By Aric Jenkins
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Matt Freese stopping a soccer ball entering the goal
SuccessCareers
Team USA’s goalkeeper passed on Manchester United, the club that helped shape David Beckham’s career, for Harvard—and has zero regrets
By Preston ForeJune 23, 2026
14 hours ago
mex
North AmericaWorld Cup
After FIFA priced them out of their own World Cup, many Mexicans take their TVs to the street
By Megan Janetsky and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
16 hours ago
gg
CommentaryWorld Cup
CPJ: press freedom must endure the American World Cup
By Gypsy Guillén KaiserJune 23, 2026
20 hours ago
toy
Arts & EntertainmentBox office
A $1 million horror film and a 30-year-old franchise are saving Hollywood’s summer
By Jake Coyle and The Associated PressJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
duck
North AmericaMexico
Mexico City’s unofficial duck soccer mascot stole the presidential press briefing
By The Associated PressJune 22, 2026
1 day ago
Steve Jobs became a billionaire thanks to a Pixar gamble. Now ‘Toy Story 5’ is breaking box office records thanks to that bet
Arts & EntertainmentSteve Jobs
Steve Jobs became a billionaire thanks to a Pixar gamble. Now ‘Toy Story 5’ is breaking box office records thanks to that bet
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 22, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
18 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
20 hours ago
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Investing
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
17 hours ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.