Here's some audio inspiration for CEOs, CMOs, founders, entrepreneurs or anyone at the helm of marketing at an ambitious, rising company.
1. How I Built This
NPR has a treasure trove of podcasts but perhaps none better that How I Built This, a podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built. Hosted by Guy Raz (@guyraz), each episode dives into triumphs, failures and incredible journeys as told by the founders of some of the world’s best-known companies and brands. Hear how the guys from Warby Parker were able to take on the Luxoticca monopoly. Learn about the disappointments and failures endured by Manoj Bhargava before launching 5-hour Energy drink. And find out why Patagonia chooses to operate the largest garment repair facility in North America, as told by their thoughtful founder, Yvon Chouinard. Every episode is audio gold to challenger brand marketers who are looking to change the game. One listen and you’ll binge on the entire series.
2. The ONE Thing
The ONE Thing: The Surprising Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan is the best business book to hit the shelves in recent years. While it is not a marketing book, its powerful concepts around habit building can certainly help challenger brand marketers outthink in a world where distractions abound and time is a precious commodity. Thankfully, the teachings from the book now live on in a podcast. While most of the episodes are engineered to help us think bigger, there are some topics and interviews that hit squarely on the challenger mindset. For example, listen to Episode 99 with Laura Sandefer, founder of Acton Academy and author of Courage to Grow. Her story of disrupting elementary education is inspiring; a reminder that no amount of constraints can stop an empowered challenger from changing the game.
3. Hack the Entrepreneur
A goldmine for entrepreneurs at every stage of business, Jon Nastor dives headfirst into the struggles, habits and realities of entrepreneurial life. As a musician in a punk rock band, Nastor proudly declares, “I like my businesses like I like my music: fast and independent.” In true Nastor style, his podcast is fluff-free and packed with actionable strategies. You’ll hear from experts such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Seth Godin, James Altucher, Pat Flynn, John Lee Dumas, Brian Tracy, and Jordan Harbinger.
