5 Best Podcasts of 2020

If you’re new to this, podcasts are here to stay, and I’d like to give you my top five recommendations. These recommendations are in no particular order and represent an array of different types and styles of podcasts.

I jumped onboard the podcast train a few years ago and I’ve never left. If you have a set of earbuds or headphones and a pocket to tuck your phone into, podcasts are easy to listen to while performing other tasks, such as sweeping, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc.

My favorite place to listen to them is in the car while I drive. My husband and I both discovered podcasts are the best way to stay awake while driving on a long road trip. I hope you find something you like here and let the podcast host you choose to listen to know you loved their stuff!

1. The Office Ladies by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

If you only saw their performance on the American version of the show The Office you might not know that in real life, Pam Beasley and Angela Martin (played by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey) are really best friends. They created this podcast to take us all back through each episode of the show offering insider information you’d never know unless you were there on the set with them. Even better, they invite other cast members as guests on the podcast to discuss their roles in specific episodes as well. Some guests include Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Creed Bratton, and Oscar Nuñez, among others. If for nothing else, you should listen just to hear from the actors who played the iconic roles on the show. If you love The Office and play it whenever you finish another show, or if you just really like trivia information, this one is a great listen. I can also personally vouch for its entertainment value at keeping you awake while driving long distances. They’ll make you laugh. They’ll make you cry. Go give this one a listen.

2. Take These Ashes by Heather Lobe Johnson

Created by my good friend Heather Lobe Johnson this year, she’s a breath of fresh air among the pile of ashes left by 2020. Heather uses her podcast to explore broken relationships, grief, forgiveness, anger, trauma and God’s redemption. She uses personal conversations, as well as experts, to show that what we hope and pray for through God’s redemption is often nothing like we thought it would be. If you have a hard story (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) this podcast will be a welcome resting place for you. Heather invites you to sit on the bench with her and offers healing to the hurting. I hope her words will be a light in the darkness to you, as she walks you ever closer to our friend, Jesus.

3. 10 Things to Tell You by Laura Tremaine

Laura speaks to a lot of different topics on her podcast, including some that might feel more uncomfortable than others. But as the name of her podcast suggests, she gives her own personal thoughts and stories on the show, along with a few guests. What I like about her podcast is the interactive nature of it. She provides a topic, discusses it with you from her perspective without trying to persuade you of her opinion, and encourages you to take the topic to your journal or to a friend to think it through for yourself. I enjoy listening to her thought-provoking content while driving, but constantly find myself inn need of a pen and paper to joy down my thoughts. Definitely give her a listen!

4. That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs

A podcast centered around in-depth interviews, Annie’s podcast always has at least one new episode I can’t wait to hear. As the name suggests, Annie loves doing what’s fun and asking her interviewees what sounds fun to them. She expertly pulls the best information and knowledge from her guests to create the most interesting and engaging episodes. My favorite episodes are the ones where Annie laughs, which is most episodes. You can’t go wrong with this pick.

5. The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman

I saw another friend on Instagram recommend this podcast, and they used this phrase to describe Emily and her style: “If a person was a deep breath, that would be Emily P. Freeman.” If you receive my weekly emails you know I recommend her a lot (if you don’t get those emails, you should sign up for the below!) Her podcast episodes not only provide more thought-provoking content, they always leave me feeling a little closer to God. She doesn’t even have to talk directly about the Lord for my soul to feel like it’s scooting in closer to Him. Emily helps me think more clearly about my decision-making and teaches that a regular practice of reflection can clear away the fog in my brain. Best of all, her episodes are blessedly short. If you listen to them on a faster speed, you might even be able to squeeze in more than one episode on your trip to the grocery store.

I hope you enjoy these podcast recommendations. If there’s a podcast you love that isn’t listed here, I’d love to know what you’re listening to. Just leave a comment below to let me know!