Best Finance Podcasts Every Business Owner Should Listen To
In today's busy business world, you need to stay up to date with the latest financial trends, strategies and insights to move your business forward. Podcasts have become an amazing way to consume this information on the go. Whether you're commuting, exercising, or just taking a break, these audio gems can turn idle time into learning opportunities.
Here is a list of the best finance podcasts every business owner should have in their rotation. From macro trends to practical financial leadership advice, these shows have helped many of our clients gain knowledge from some of the smartest minds in finance and business.
The CFO Show
Hosts: Melissa Howatson, CFO at Vena Solutions
The CFO Show is essential listening for any business owner who wants to hear directly from the financial helm of successful companies. Hosted by Vena's own CFO, Melissa Howatson, this podcast brings you face-to-face with C-suite executives who have navigated the complex waters of corporate finance across various industries.
This podcast stands out because it focuses on real-world challenges and practical solutions. Listeners get first-hand accounts of how top executives manage risk, overcome organisational hurdles and drive financial strategy. The podcast also highlights the importance of financial education and provides listeners with resources to improve their financial literacy. With guests from CFOs of startups to financial leaders of established corporations, the show has a broad perspective on financial leadership.
Topics:
The CFO Show breaks down financial complexity into bite-sized chunks that can be applied to any business. Whether you're a seasoned CFO or just starting out, this podcast offers the kind of financial wisdom that can only come from years of experience at the top.
Inside the Strategy Room
Hosts: Sean Brown, Global Director of Communications at McKinsey & Company
For business leaders looking to plan and transform their organisation, Inside the Strategy Room is invaluable. This podcast from McKinsey & Company brings together senior partners, industry experts and board directors to discuss the latest strategies for tackling the complex issues facing businesses today.
The podcast has a structured approach to exploring different parts of business strategy. It covers six areas:
Each episode goes deep into these areas with practical advice and frameworks to apply in your organisation. The discussions are based on McKinsey's research and real client work, so you get the academic rigour and practical application. The podcast also covers financial independence through strategic planning so you can achieve your long-term financial goals.
Topics often include:
Inside the Strategy Room is useful for leaders who want to be ahead of the curve in strategic thinking. The podcast's forward-looking approach helps you anticipate what's coming and is a tool for long-term planning and vision setting.
Masters in Business
Hosts: Barry Ritholtz, Founder and CIO at Ritholtz Wealth Management
If you want to get a broader view of finance and how it intersects with other disciplines, Masters in Business is essential listening. Barry Ritholtz, a veteran in the investment world, brings his sharp mind and curiosity to interviews with a wide range of guests, from Nobel laureates to bestselling authors and industry leaders.
What makes this podcast valuable for business owners is its exploration of how other fields—economics, psychology, technology, and more—impact financial markets and decision-making. Ritholtz's interviewing style is both inquisitive and conversational, so you get deep dives into complex topics but in an engaging and easy-to-understand way. The podcast also helps improve financial literacy by making complex financial concepts understandable and actionable.
Some of the topics include:
Masters in Business connects the dots between the different parts of the business world so leaders can get a more complete view of the economic landscape. The quality of the guests means every episode is full of useful information to inform personal investment decisions and business strategy.
CFO Thought Leader
Host: Jack Sweeney
If you're interested in the evolving role of the CFO and financial leadership, then CFO Thought Leader is worth your time. This podcast has in-depth conversations with finance chiefs from many different industries, so you get a glimpse into the challenges and opportunities facing modern financial leaders. It also helps you achieve financial freedom by giving financial leaders the ability to take control of their finances and plan for their financial futures.
What sets CFO Thought Leader apart is its focus on the personal journeys and leadership philosophies of successful CFOs. The conversations often go into how these executives navigated key career moments, made big decisions and developed their leadership style.
Topics covered include:
For aspiring CFOs or business leaders who want to understand more about the financial side of their business this podcast is a must listen. The CFOs featured come from many different backgrounds so you get a broad range of perspectives and experiences.
And it also looks at the broader business implications of financial decisions so it's relevant for anyone involved in strategic decision making.
Exchanges at Goldman Sachs
Hosts: Various Goldman Sachs Professionals
For a deep dive into global markets and economic trends, Exchanges at Goldman Sachs is top-notch. This podcast taps into the expertise of one of the world's leading investment banks to give you sophisticated analysis and forward-looking insights.
This podcast is useful for business leaders because it covers global economic issues and their impact on different industries. The show features Goldman Sachs economists, analysts and industry experts, so you get the level of insight that's usually reserved for the bank's top clients. It also covers the financial services industry, how market myths can hold back financial aspirations, and the need for more understanding of the sector.
Topics include:
Exchanges at Goldman Sachs do a great job of presenting a balanced view of complex topics, often with different perspectives on the same issue. This helps you develop a deeper understanding of the forces shaping the global economy, which is essential for making good business decisions.
The podcast also looks at long term trends and structural change in the global economy. This forward looking perspective is particularly useful for leaders involved in strategy and long term decision making.
Bloomberg Surveillance
Hosts: Tom Keene, Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz
If you need to stay on top of the daily market moves and breaking news, then Bloomberg Surveillance should be on your playlist. This daily podcast is the audio version of Bloomberg's morning TV show.
What makes Bloomberg Surveillance so useful is that it puts the daily news into context. The hosts are all seasoned financial journalists and bring a deep understanding to the conversation, often connecting the dots between unrelated events to give you a complete view of the global economy. The podcast also covers the stock market and looks at investment strategies and the macro factors that drive market performance.
Features:
The daily format is perfect for busy executives to stay up to date with the news that matters to their business. The hosts are sharp and ask great questions, so you'll get more than just a summary of the day's news.
With a wide range of guests on the show, you'll get different perspectives on the key issues and challenge your thinking.
Freakonomics Radio
Host: Stephen J. Dubner
It’s not a strictly finance podcast, but it proves invaluable for business leaders: a fresh perspective on how economic principles apply to the world in ways you never thought possible. Hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics books, this podcast applies economic thinking to a wide range of topics from business and politics to sports and pop culture.
What makes Freakonomics Radio valuable for business leaders is that it challenges conventional wisdom and reveals hidden patterns in human behaviour. By looking at the incentives that drive decision-making across different domains, the podcast gives you insights that can be applied to business strategy, organisational behaviour and market analysis. It also gives you practical advice on money management so you can improve your financial skills and strategies.
The podcast looks at:
Freakonomics Radio is great at taking complex ideas and making them simple and fun. For business leaders, this is a powerful way to think about the challenges and opportunities in their businesses.
The podcast's interdisciplinary approach—drawing on psychology, sociology, and data science—will help you see the bigger picture of the factors that affect your business.
HBR IdeaCast
Hosts: Alison Beard and Curt Nickisch
It is not exclusively finance-focused, but it's an essential resource for business leaders to stay up to date with the latest management thinking, including financial strategy and leadership. This weekly podcast features interviews with top business and management thinkers, often touching on financial topics within the context of organizational leadership. It helps you achieve financial success by showing you how to apply investment principles.
What makes HBR IdeaCast so good is the combination of academic rigour and practical application. The podcast takes research-based insights and turns them into actionable strategies that leaders can apply in their businesses.
Some of the finance-related topics covered include:
HBR IdeaCast is great at connecting financial concepts to broader business challenges and opportunities. This helps leaders see the bigger picture of how financial strategies fit with other aspects of business management.
The variety of topics and guests means you'll hear different perspectives and ideas. Useful for leaders who want to expand their management toolkit and stay ahead of the curve in business and finance.
Summary
Staying up to date with financial trends and strategies through these podcasts is essential for business leaders in today's rapidly changing world. These shows offer valuable knowledge and ideas to help you navigate modern business challenges.
The key is to listen consistently and think about what you've learned. Discuss the ideas with your team or colleagues, and consider applying them to your business. For additional insights on finance, check out our blog and newsletter.
Make these podcasts part of your routine, and they'll become a valuable tool for staying current with financial thinking and leadership. Regularly listening and applying these ideas will help you become a more informed and effective business leader.
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