My name is Otegha Uwagba and I'm addicted to podcasts.
I may have been a little late to the game, only discovering their appeal when I was setting up Women Who - the platform for working women that I launched last year- but podcasts have now become nothing short than a way of life for me.
On holiday last summer, all the books I'd brought along for poolside reading were just a bit heavy, in every sense of the word, so I idly downloaded the first few episodes of The Pandolly Podcast (recently re-launched as The High Low Show), and plugged in.
Cue me snorting with laughter and pausing every few minutes to (poorly) relay an anecdote to my increasingly uninterested friends.
Like listening to two of your best mates lovingly take the piss out of each other at the pub, I loved co-hosts Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton's jokey rapport.
More importantly, I loved the ease of the medium, which promised all the fun of taking part in a lively conversation, without actually having to make an effort to say anything.
Call me lazy, but I was hooked.
Since then, rarely a day goes by without me greedily scanning through my iPhone's Podcasts app to download newly released episodes.
At weekends I'll easily listen to 3 or 4 podcasts in a row while pottering around the kitchen or tidying my flat.
And while my podcast habit started off as a way of filling dead time (morning commute, I'm looking at you), listening to them has become a leisure activity in itself.
My WhatsApp group chats are now more likely to revolve around a dissection of the latest episode of Ira Glass's This American Life than they are the latest Netflix show.
For those whose podcast knowledge doesn't extend much beyond Serial (which, confession – I stopped listening to 3 episodes in), it's not all true crime stories and unsolvable mysteries.
My go-to podcasts tend to be careers-focused.
Thanks to the various podcasts on my roster, I've learned everything from how to navigate the often murky waters of freelance life to how to manage co-workers, via the ins and outs of negotiating a better salary.
So, whether you're a 9-5er or self-employed, here's my selection of the best podcasts for working women.
1. Bad With Money
Professional funnywoman and YouTuber Gaby Dunn has somehow done the impossible, making a podcast about money that's both fun and (whisper it) educational.
Covering everything from how to start investing your money to sorting out your pension plan – if you've got questions about your personal or professional finances, this one's for you.
2. Ctrl Alt Delete
Blogger and social media maven Emma Gannon's podcast guests read like a 'Who's Who' of talented creative types sharing their thoughts on careers, feminism, and how to navigate a life lived online.
It's like eavesdropping on two of your mates having a chat over a cup of tea – if your mates happen to be people like Lena Dunham, Liz Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed (all previous podcast guests).
3. Hiding In The Bathroom
Tackling all the big issues, from dealing with Imposter Syndrome to how to handle a difficult boss, Forbes podcaster Morra Aarons-Mele's revolving door of power women is a treasure trove of practical advice to help you get ahead at work, as told by some of the best in the game.
If you want to hear how journalists including Ann Friedman and Jessica Bennett approach their careers (and who doesn't?), look no further.
4. How I Built This
This NPR series pretty much does what it says on the tin – tune in to hear the stories behind some of the world's most innovative businesses, creatives and entrepreneurs, straight from the (work)horse's mouth.
With everyone from fashion designer Kate Spade to serial entrepreneur Richard Branson sharing their pearls of wisdom, this is an A+ resource of killer business advice.
5. Open Account
Another money-focused podcast, former MTV host Su-chin Pak takes a slightly more serious approach to talking finances than Gaby Dunn's lolathon, delving into the emotional aspect of our relationships with money with skill and sensitivity.
Skip to the episode where she interviews straight-talking New York restaurateur Eddie Huang to get a snapshot of the series at its best.
6. Motivate Yourself with Richard Nicholls
The thing I love most about this podcast is it's bite-size nature.
Episodes are rarely more than 15 minutes long, meaning you can get a motivational pick-me-up from personal development coach Richard Nicholls in the same amount of time it takes you to pop to the shops to pick up some milk.
FYI: episode #127 on how to stop procrastinating is a revelation.
7. Girlboss Radio with Sophia Amoruso
LA entrepreneur Amoruso's podcast is heavy on cool-girl points, with guests including Glossier CEO Emily Weiss, Vice Media Executive Creative Director Amel Monsur, and ClassPass co-founder Payal Kadakia.
With a heavy focus on self-starting entrepreneurs, this one's for moguls-in-the-making.
8. Monocle 24
Global affairs and culture journal Monocle's collection of podcasts are a brilliant way of staying up to date with current affairs and trends – vital if you work within the creative industries or media (and generally just a good thing to do anyway!).
The Entrepreneurs and The Big Interview are both great starting points if you're feeling slightly overwhelmed by the huge range of options at your fingertips.
9. Oh Boy
Part of Leandra Medine's quirky-cool Man Repeller platform (but actually hosted by filmmaker Jay Buim as opposed to Medine herself), settle in for inspiring conversations about life and work with an all-star cast of women that includes Alexa Chung, Hari Nef, and blogger Garance Doré.
10. Harvard Business Review Ideacast
Get yourself an MBA without the hefty price tag, thanks to this ensemble cast of Ivy League business, management and leadership experts talking about… business, management and leadership, of course.
A word of warning: these archives are colossal, so make life easy for yourself and think about exactly what you need help with before you start browsing.
Otegha Uwagba is the founder of Women Who, a platform for working women, and the author of the upcoming career guide Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women (published this June by 4th Estate)
