Do you ever wonder what to do during your boring commute to work? I have a 40 minute drive to work each way, and I always wondered what I could do to fill the time more productively. (While still being an alert and aware driver… don’t text and drive, guys) I recently began filling my time by listening to podcasts. My car has a handy auxillary input port, and I bought myself a cable that I could plug into my iPhone. These are my top five picks that I think you should try.

1. Elise Gets Crafty

This was my gateway podcast. I had never even opened the podcast app on my phone (and I’ve had an iDevice since 2009) until Elise Blaha Cripe launched her podcast in March 2014. She’s willing to be open about her experiences as a maker and how she’s grown over the years.

My Favorite Episodes:
small-business discussion: let’s talk money | featuring Ann-Marie Espinoza
keeping it real | featuring Cathy Zielske
saying NO to say YES | featuring Tiffany Han

2. Seanwes

Business advice galore from Sean McCabe. Seriously, listening to his marketing strategy and his conviction to his values is so awesome. What started off as a way to share the process behind being a hand-lettering artist has evolved into business advice that is applicable to any business.

My Favorite Episodes:
Spouse Episode: The No-Debt Mentality
How Learn Lettering Made $80,000 in 24 hours
You Have One Life. Set Bigger Goals

3. Explore Your Enthusiasm with Tara Swiger

Tara is another person who provides valuable insights for makers, especially those who want to market their business.

My Favorite Episodes:
Be yourself
An Introvert’s Guide to Travel
How to Pick Your Goal

4. Verbal to Visual

This one is relataively new. Doug Neill shares about developing sketch noting skills. Half the episodes are about skill building and the other half are interviews with people who embrace visual thinking.

My Favorite Episodes:
The Research-Based Benefits of Writing by Hand
Curt Neill: How a Tumblr Blog Became a Published Book
Sacha Chua: Adventures in Sketchnoting and Semi-Retirement

5. The Lively Show

Jess Lively interviews guests who aim to live their lives with intention. The guests skew more towards bloggers, but it’s interesting to hear about people’s stuggles to become the kind of the persons they want to be.

My Favorite Episodes:
Embracing Minimalism with Dana Shultz (The Minimalist Baker)
Intentions, Values, and Meaning with Noah Kagan
Wardrobe Remixing and Closing a Business with Kendi Skeen (Kendi Everyday)

What Podcasts have you been listening to lately? Any other awesome ones I should try? Leave a comment below to share!