21 Remarkable Podcasts You'll Be Glad You Learned About

Podcasts are the best ways to learn new and interesting things while on the go. I listen to them while walking the dogs, getting work done or while driving to and from meetings. Radio has become a distant sound that rarely comes through my speakers. Instead of listening to guys argue or the same songs over and over, I choose to learn something new.

A recent episode of The Portfolio Life inspired me to create a PDF copy of my 30-day writing challenge. If you haven’t downloaded a copy, you can find one here.

The same episode also introduced me to Art 2 Self and the concept of a motivational cartoonist. Who knew such a thing existed? I wouldn’t have either, if not for Jeff Goins and The Portfolio Life. Steph Halligan’s story reminded me to approach my work as a fellow traveler rather than an expert.

Podcasts are a great way to hear new voices and interact with the entertaining and insightful tales of others. I’m always on the lookout for something new to add to my cue and stumbling into new favorites all the time. Here are a few of my most recent finds.

Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast

Jocko Podcast

The Cheerful Visit

#STRask with Greg Koukl

The Portfolio Life with Jeff Goins

Copyblogger FM

The Writer Files

Signposts with Russell Moore

Reading Writers

Louder with Crowder

Home Row: A  Podcast with Writers on Writing

The Cold-Case Christianity Podcast

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe

I’m usually late to the party. If you’ve already heard of these and want some further ideas, here are some of my long standing favs:

The Briefing with Albert Mohler

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast

The Glenn Beck Program

Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

The Tim Ferriss Show  

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

Let My People Think

Just Thinking

I currently use an app called Overcast to stream podcasts. If you’d like to check it out, you may do so here. All the podcasts above and many more are only a search away. Enjoy!

Whether you’re new to the podcast world or simply looking for something new, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

What do you enjoy listening to? Is there any particular podcast you’ve found helpful and fun?

Monthly Mash Up (March 2017)

March was an amazing month in the Hagaman home, as we welcomed our first born, Hudson, into the world. As we celebrate his arrival, and try to figure out life anew, I’d like to share with you what I'm reading, pondering and enjoying. This was something that only email subscribers received, but is now a main stay on the blog. The last Monday or Thursday (or Friday as this week would have it) of each month I peel back the layers even more than usual to share the things that had the greatest impact on me that month. I hope the resources I share with you are helpful and brighten your day. If you do enjoy it, feel free to pass it along to family and friends.

Verse I'm Chewing On

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” - 1 Samuel 12:24

I’ve been meeting with a group of guys each Monday over the past month or so. We are reading through Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life together and encouraging one another to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. One way we have done that is through the memorization of Scripture. 1 Samuel 12:24 is one of the verses we memorized this month. It has been a solid reminder of God’s faithfulness to His people.

What I'm Reading

1. The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller - We continue to read this with our community group. It has been awesome so far. It’s served as a reminder of things we learned in Merge.

2. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - Long has this book been upon my reading list, which I finally picked up this month. The ending appendix entitled A Reader’s Guide to Using These Ideas may be all you need.    

3. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney - I continue to read this with a group of guys and am loving it. This past week, we read about silence and solitude which is a discipline I certainly should lean into.

4. The Way of the Writer by Charles Johnson - My wife has long known that I’m a sucker for good design and marketing. Chalk this one up to a well designed cover. As I fanned the pages I soon found myself thankful for Johnson’s counsel on the craft and the flow of ideas that came my way with the turn of each new page. The chapters are small—most of which can be read in a single session—and brimming with helpful advice on among many things the delineation between teachers and mentors, and the risks a writer takes.  

5. Night School by Lee Child - I’ve been a reader of the Jack Reacher novels for the last several years. In fact, I credit their oozing forth from the brain of Lee Child with my return to the fiction reading world. That said, any new release containing Reacher soon finds its way on my reading list. While not my favorite Reacher book, it still gets the job done in quintessential Jack Reacher style.  

What I’m Listening To

1. The Cheerful Visit - Our deer friend Andi launched a new podcast this month. In it she interviews believers all across the creative landscape about their journies, work and faith. Andi was kind enough to interview Hannah and I a while back, which you can now find up on show. Enjoy!  

2. Back In Black - You’d quickly realize I listen to a broad array of music, if you were to take a look at my Spotify listening history. This past month’s training was powered by the stylings of AC/DC. I’d turn on Back In Black and crank the dial all the way up, with each heavy set.

New Practice I’m Trying

Keeping a Writer’s Notebook - Charles Johnson mentioned the keeping of such a book countless times throughout The Way of the Writer. A writer’s notebook is where we capture, “images, ideas, scraps of language, character sketches, overheard dialogue, and so forth,” to be used as we revise and rewrite our work. More than just a notepad for writing down things to do, it serves as a repository of language and thought to be dipped in and drawn from as we sit down to construct prose and story alike.

My most recent entries have been new words I’ve learned of late. I’ll share two of these new entries to my vocabulary with you here.

Oeuvre - the works of a painter, composer, or author regarded collectively; body of work

Raconteur - a person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way

From the Internet

1. Why You Should Not Be Running by Mark Rippetoe - Most of us associate exercise with some form of endurance activity. Perhaps it’s time to rethink that paradigm and associate it with the lifting of heavy things. I know that’s not popular, but it might be exactly what we need.

2. Permission by Austin Kleon - I’ve read so many books, but the ones that have impacted me the most, have been those that have left me with a feeling of freedom to be, do or pursue something I previously thought I couldn’t. In a word, they gave me permission; which is a different way of saying that they inspired or gave me the kick in the pants I needed. Austin’s book, Steal Like An Artist, did this for me in January, and his blog continues to do the same on a more regular basis.

3. Weekly Questions - This is an oldie, but a goodie. Hannah and I were first introduced to this set of questions as we went through Merge a little of five years ago. They have been of great help to us these last several years, as we have sought to pursue one another relationally and otherwise, and build a strong marriage.

The Cheerful Visit with Andi Jamison

Chalkboard by Viv Jordan

Hannah and I were interviewed on a podcast a few months back. As an avid listener to podcasts, we leapt at the chance to take part in one. I’ve often wanted to start one myself, but never quite took the plunge. I’d interview strangers on the street, and others who’d agree to humor me. All those mock interviews gave me a deep appreciation for those who do it on a regular basis. Interviews are hard. You have to ask the right questions in the right order and hope you get it right.

Andi was an absolute joy to sit down with. She asked good, specific questions that gave us a direction to run without painting us into a corner. She was great. Andi wasn’t trying to expose us, catch us off guard or make us look any particular way. She came to the table with a honest desire to learn something new and make a deeper connection.

That’s exactly what you want to take place in any interview. A genuine thirst to learn and to understand go a long long way. Yet we seldom see it when we turn on the evening news or some program purporting to be objective journalism. There are thankfully a growing number of young men and women moving into the void media left behind with a healthy curiosity about the vast world we inhabit and a microphone on the table allowing many many more to join them on their journey.

Andi officially launched her new project, The Cheerful Visit, this month.

“The Cheerful Visit was born,” Andi said, “out of a love for people, a curiosity and drive of seeing the unique and awesome means God has gifted his Church and dispersed them among our cities to glorify and specifically serve. This podcast will introduce you to creative individuals within my world as well as other talents and vocations, retelling their journeys, sharing in their gifts, projects they’re excited about, joys and struggles, and how they incorporate their faith into the facets of what they do.”

Hannah and I first worked with Andi as part of our work as wedding photographers. We love the great people we get to meet, and their commitment to service and excellence. There is little the vendors we have the pleasure of working with won’t do to go above and beyond for their clients. I believe this attitude and posture of service stems from the deep well of committed followers of Christ in the wedding industry. In fact, it’s one of our favorite aspects of the industry. We rub shoulders with some of the most faithful people we know who are using the gifts and talents the Lord gave them in a way that makes much of Him every weekend.

“My sincere prayer and hope in this,” Andi said, “is that you leave encouraged and spurred on to work for purposes beyond yourself, find courage to take risks within the unique placing and gifts you've been given, and how much beauty and excitement can come when we give God the reigns and act upon the gifts and opportunities that He gives us specifically for his glory and praise.”

I look forward to seeing where Andi’s new and exciting venture leads. She has some amazing guests lined up who will be dropping encouragement, wisdom and good stories each and every week. Go subscribe on iTunes and enjoy our chat with Andi today.