Listen Up! Top 10 Business Podcasts for Entrepreneurs

Stay up-to-speed on the latest business and marketing trends,and learn from the success of other entrepreneurs by tuning into these podcasts.Entrepreneurs are unique. By nature, they share a number of personality characteristics: tenacity, passion, and flexibility among them. Entrepreneurs bend rules and see things differently. They are comfortable living with ambiguity and uncertainty. And above all, they know that to succeed, they need to learn and grow. What better way to do so than take any opportunity to hear from experts in the field—to take the time to listen to business podcasts while exercising, working, or relaxing? Yet which ones should you choose? We took the liberty of locating some of the top podcasts for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Be sure to add these to your playlist:1. Stanford’s Entrepreneurial Thought LeadersThis weekly seminar series on entrepreneurship offers insight from today’s highly accomplished leaders. Succinct, each podcast averages 35 minutes. Talks include “Embrace the entrepreneurial journey” with Jane Chen of Embrace Innovations, “How a Facebook designer thinks” with Julie Zhuo of Facebook, and “Inspiring creativity with great content,” by Brit Morin of Brit & Co.2. Entrepreneur on FireAwarded “Best of iTunes,” each daily podcast averages 30 minutes. Guests share their worst entrepreneurial moment, an “ah-ha” moment, how they turned their business into a success, and more. At the end of each interview is a “lightening round” where host John Lee Dumas gets Internet resources, action steps, and extra details that all entrepreneurs can use. Explore building respect and credibility with Betsy Allen-Manning, a nationally recognized leadership speaker and author, building a business and brand via networking with entrepreneur Meghan Alonso, and how to mentally detox to increase productivity with Vernetta R. Freeney, creator and producer of the podcast “A Toast to Truths.”3. MixergyWith a library of more than 1,000 interviews, host Andrew Warner helps us learn from proven entrepreneurs by delving into their startup stories to share their challenges and successes. What’s more, he has pooled together some interviews to create course series with topics like “Mobile App Design,” “Preselling,” and “How to Have a Profitable Launch.”4. Youpreneur FMBuilding a personal brand, delegating, creating and launching products—the topics on Youpreneur will help entrepreneurs with all steps in the business building process. British entrepreneur and author Chris Ducker’s podcast helps folks navigate the world of solopreneurship and entrepreneurship in the 21st century.5. Marketing SchoolJust 10 minutes a day gets you a bit of creative online marketing advice. Hosts Neil Patel and Eric Siu are digital marketing pros who share their knowledge to help you get your business to the next level in manageable daily bites.6. Social ProsWhether you are adept at social media or still struggle with strategy for it, Jay Baer of Convince & Convert and Adam Brown of Salesforce can help. These podcast co-hosts interview a leading social media strategist each week—examining the latest trends in social media.7. The Growth ShowHubSpot produces this podcast that features guests who’ve been there—telling just what it’s like to grow a business, an idea, a movement, or a team. It’s a great source for ideas and strategies. Topics and guests include: “What one entrepreneur learned from 100 days of rejection” with Jia Jiang and “The hashtag’s creator is glad he gave it away for free” with Chris Messina.8. The School of GreatnessEntrepreneur, former pro athlete, and New York Times bestselling author Lewis Howes hosts The School of Greatness, which inspires us to aim for the stars and pursue our dreams. This is one of the most popular podcasts each year as Lewis insightfully interviews influential business leaders, athletes, and celebrities to find out what makes people great.9. The Big ShiftIf you have passion for what you do and want to make a difference in the world, this podcast is for you. Host Bill Baren seeks heart-centered entrepreneurs who want to create their dream businesses. His podcast is values-based, motivational, and designed to help you succeed. Baren and guests cover topics that include the following: marketing, pricing, sales/enrollment, mind-set practices, motivation, socially responsible investing, and making values work at a profit. Typical podcasts are short and manageable, lasting between seven and 15 minutes, with a few lasting up to an hour.10. Smart Passive Income PodcastIf you want to work smarter, not harder, listen to Pat Flynn’s podcast. Flynn is known for building an almost entirely online business through passive income. Learn about automation, crowdsourcing, building trust, niche sites, social media, outsourcing, search engine optimization, podcasting, ebooks, and more. Find out what you need to know to take your business to the next level.Give these podcasts a listen and tell us what you think on Twitter at @WedPlanMag. WPM__Beth Erickson, editor, Wedding Planner Magazine,La Crosse, Wis.