Diana Kelly Levey

10 Podcasts Freelancers Should Listen to for Career Advice

woman listening to headphones while freelancing on computer

November 14, 2022

When I need a break from writing freelance articles, interviewing sources, and emailing editors and clients, I love to listen to podcasts for freelancers as well as a few other categories of podcasts. I’ll go on a walk outside and listen to a podcast for freelance writers that teaches me something or gives me fresh insights into a new topic.

I used to mainly listen to podcasts in the business, personal finance, productivity, and health genres, but, as the podcasting world has grown exponentially in recent years (it’s expected to jump 45 PERCENT to 1.13 billion) I add more podcasts about freelancing, content marketing and the business of freelancing when I find some I like or I hear someone interviewed on another podcast.

Listening to podcasts for freelancers while walking my dog, or running errands and driving helps me feel productive, and I try to pick up some interview tips from the freelance podcast hosts. Sometimes I’ll even discover new freelance writing websites for freelancers to check out.

In fact, I’ve been lucky enough to be the freelance expert being interviewed on a few podcasts for freelancers as well. It’s so much fun. If you’d like to learn more about how I got started with freelance writing and hear some of my best freelance writing tips for success, listen to the podcasts for freelancers where I was interviewed as a guest or contributed tips, including:

Deliberate Freelancer (13 minutes in)

Glamour’s She Makes Money Moves

Wellness Wednesdays,

Wellpreneur,

Alex Cespedes’ Or So I Thought

(Want to chat about having me on your podcast as a guest? Reach out here.)

10 Podcasts for Freelancers This Freelance Writer Recommends 

Download these podcasts for freelance writers. Here are the top 5 podcasts I listen to each week. 

(Updated August 2022)

  1. Best of Both Worlds Podcast with Laura Vanderkam and Sarah Hart-Unger

This podcast isn’t about freelancing necessarily but it’s about balancing having a career you love and a family. Laura Vanderkam is a journalist and author I’ve interviewed several times in the past and she has a lot of great time management tips. Oh, and she also has five kids! Sara Hart-Unger is a physician, mom of three and blogger. Tune in for interviews and conversations about making time for work and family.

Get Vanderkam’s morning habits and those of other organized people here.

2.  High-Income Business Writing Podcast

Freelance writer and coach Ed Gandia interviews freelance writers and various freelancers to learn about their successful careers, how they got to where they are now, and their advice for other freelancers. I love hearing about the different types of freelancers out there, as well as hearing that they have some of the same challenges and struggles I do. If you want to learn more about business writing as well as how to find high-paying freelance clients, Gandia’s guests have good advice on how to do that.

3. Melanie Padgett Powers’ Deliberate Freelancer Podcast

I met Melanie at an ASJA conference a few years ago but was already listening to her podcast about freelancing. She’s not about the “feast or famine” mode of freelancing and encourages freelance podcast listeners to earn higher incomes doing work they love. She also has a lot of great interviews with industry veterans I admire who share helpful, actionable tips in this freelance podcast. Melanie recently featured some of my time-tracking tips for freelancers on a podcast episode. Listen to it here.

4. Freelance Friday Podcast with Latasha James

I’ve been listening to Latasha’s podcasts for freelancers for about a year or so (and occasionally tune into her YouTube channel) but she’s been a full-time freelancer for nearly a decade. Her background is more freelance social media management but she seems to have a down-to-earth but driven approach to freelancing that I love. She seems like a hard worker who knows how to manage a variety of clients.

5. Free Mama Radio with Lauren Golden 

Lauren created the Free Mama Movement to help women learn how to work from home while still spending the quality time they want with their families–I support anyone encouraging others on how to freelance with a family. Now that so many of us are working from home and juggling children and childcare situations that are anything but ordinary, tune in for tips in her podcast for freelancers that help women think beyond working certain 9 to 5 hours with their careers. Here’s how I work from home with a baby.

6.  The Marketing Mentor Podcast from Ilise Benun

Many of Ilise’s interviews seem to be with her freelance coaching clients (or freelance experts who pitched her) but she tackles specific topics in this podcast for freelancers that I find helpful in my freelance writing business, like discovering a high-paying freelance niche, creating sales funnels, passive income, and more. Even if you’re not doing much content marketing writing–it’s one of the types of freelance writing that pay well!–I think freelancers will get helpful business tips from these relatively short conversations and expert interviews in this podcast for freelancers.

7. The Writer’ Co-op Podcast with Jenni Gritters and Wudan Yan

Jenni and Wudan have insightful, honest conversations about freelance writing, work-life balance, and yes, freelance rates, with each other and their guests. I like hearing about how Jenni is balancing freelancing with children at home, too, and Wudan has a ton of great ideas on places where freelancers can find money (like grants!) and new clients. I like when they discuss rates–especially how much do freelance writers make.

8. Her Money

Personal finance journalist Jean Chatzky interviews male and female authors, entrepreneurs and personal finance experts about business and money topics. These personal finance podcasts usually drop on Wednesdays and include their ‘mailbag’ reader questions at the end of the podcast. I get ideas for personal finance topics and potential article sources to interview for future articles while listening.

If you’re ready to earn a higher income by writing for a new niche, check out the most profitable freelance writing niches of 2022.

9.  The Dave Ramsey Show

This might be an unconventional pick for the best podcasts for freelancers but hear me out.  Dave Ramsey is a personal finance guru known for his aversion to debt. While I enjoy hearing Ramsey’s personal takes on the financial news and current events, I’m most entertained by hearing callers’ personal stories. Listening to anecdotes that run the gamut from divorce, death, losing a job, and trying to pay off tons of student loan debt from every corner of the country makes me feel very grateful for my own life and that I get to be a freelancer working a job I love that pays well. It also helps me stay focused on my financial goals. (In this article, I interview Ramsey’s daughter, Rachel Cruze, and other personal finance experts about how to reach your money goals.)

 

10. The Writing Coach Podcast with Rebecca L. Weber

I am a recent subscriber to Rebecca podcast for freelancers but I like that she has short episodes tailored to niche topics that freelancers who have been working in the industry for a little while will appreciate–like how to sort your freelance articles, freelance scope creep, and even how to write faster–particularly article pitches. I look forward to listening to more of her episodes in the future.

With so many podcasts for freelancers out there, it can be tough to know how to divide your time.

I hope this list helps you find some new personal favorites and discover the best podcasts for freelancers to listen to that help your business.

Which podcasts for freelancers and freelance writing podcasts do you listen to?

Learn how you can become a full-time freelance writer or start freelance writing as a side hustle after enrolling in and taking my e-course, “Get Paid to Write.” Sign up now to learn how you can earn thousands of dollars freelance writing from home!

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