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Best Casual Comedy Podcasts

If you want to feel as though you’re listening to a friend ramble on about their bizarre and interesting life, these comedic podcasts are exactly that. These are great to put on when you want a bit of a laugh and light entertainment.

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Why Won’t You Date Me?

Why Won’t You Date Me? is hosted by comedian, Nicole Byer, centering around Byer’s wacky dating experiences in both the past and present. She has new guests every week that come on and share their current dating life, any dating tips they may have, and whatever casual conversation comes up. Since Byer is a comedian, the guests are also typically comedians, actors, or even drag queens. A new episode airs every Friday, so there’s always more content to listen to. You’ll feel like you’re one of Byer’s closest friends as you listen to her divulge all of her dating and life stories.

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WTF

This podcast is hosted by comedian Marc Maron. Maron has been in the podcast game for many years, so there’s plenty of content for you to listen to. With new guests each week–ranging from comedians to politicians (and everything in between)--you truly get to know the guest from a different point of view than how you may have previously perceived them. WTF is a great podcast if you love learning and listening to celebrities chat about their life and background. 

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Working it Out

This podcast is all about comedy. Comedians on the show test out new material and see what works and what absolutely bombs. Hosted by comedian Mike Birbiglia, this is a great podcast to listen to if you’ve ever wondered about the process of creating a joke and bringing it to life on stage.

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Office Ladies

The Office fans, please step forward! Two of your favorite The Office actresses, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, give hilarious behind-the-scenes insights to Office episodes in this comedic podcast! Their anecdotes are priceless, and will provide you with hilarious background to your beloved TV show.

Best Self-Help Podcasts

Drop the traditional self-help book that advertises to everyone around you at the pool that you’re a hopeless mess. Instead, keep that delightful information a secret by plugging into a self-help podcast instead this summer! The following podcasts keep you entertained, while also helping you grow into the best version of yourself. 

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This Changes Everything

Our favorite TikTok-famous therapist and fellow Portlandian, Jeff Guenther (aka Therapy Jeff), is joined by Sarah Rice, AMFT, on a podcast that shows you that therapist really are just like us—that is, struggling with relationships, life, stress, and all of those emotions that we shove to the side. Whether you want to learn how to feel your feelings or identify relationship red flags, this duo makes the perfect podcast to listen to when you’re in the mood for therapy-that-doesn’t-feel-like-therapy.

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Self-Helpless

This is a podcast hosted by comedians Delanie Fischer and Kelsey Cook. The three female comedians talk each week about mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. They also have a guest on each week that share their tips as well, ranging from psychologists to other comedians. There’s always an inspirational quote you can grab from the show or a tip you can implement into your life. 

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Gettin’ Better

Another comedian, Ron Funches knows how to keep the energy light as the array of guests on Gettin’ Better bring their own unique perspectives to mental health. This is a great podcast to listen to if you want to grow in your self-love and welcome new methods to help you deal with rough times.

Best Science Podcast

Nerd out by the pool this summer with the following podcast that focuses on keeping science awesome and engaging!

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Ologies

This is by far our favorite science podcast. Hosted by writer and actress, Alie Ward, Ologies brings together specialists in various fields to talk about all things science. From volcanoes to the reproduction cycle of slugs, you’re sure to learn something new with every episode. Even for those who aren’t fully into learning about STEM, Ologies discusses science topics in a digestible way that allows listeners to connect the information back to how it impacts their own life. Definitely a podcast to check out if you want to learn some fun facts to impress your friends. 

Best History Podcast

Storytime by the pool, except make it historically accurate! These podcasts dive back into time and offer engaging historical content.

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The Memory Palace

When you’re in the mood for a short, yet dramatically poignant snippet from the past, host Nate DiMeo has an unparalleled skill as a storyteller to teleport you to a frozen moment in history. At under 20 minutes each, these stories are equal parts thought-provoking prose and poetry brought to life over a mic.

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Hardcore History

Hosted by writer and commentator, Dan Carlin, Hardcore History has an episode for almost any topic you want to hear about. Carlin is great at not only delivering the information in an interesting way, but also picking out interesting topics (some of which you may have never even heard of!). Every episode is more audiobook than podcast, diving deep into each topic, with some episodes running as much as five hours long! Whether you’re a history buff or not, you’ll learn something from this podcast. 

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Lore

Lovers of scary stories, rejoice! Lore is an award-winning podcast that gets deep inside folklore, urban legends, and true life situations to share what really haunts our dreams. But, the true power that this podcast wields is that it doesn’t fit neatly into any one box—you’ll find stories that are suspenseful, horror-filled, historical, or even filled with true crime!

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Stuff You Missed In History Class

Hosted by iHeart Radio, this historic podcast will keep you educated and entertained by the pool. Get smarter and tanner this pool sesh. Episodes cover lesser known facts and figures from previous time periods, and wander over a diversity of interesting topics. The two hosts, Holly and Tracy, approach their episodes with gusto and captivating storytelling ability.

Best Personal Finance Podcasts

Be the one cool person by the pool that is actively working on improving their personal finances (even though it may look like all you’re doing is lazily lying in the sun).

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Listen Money Matters

Money is a huge part of our lives, whether we want it to be or not. Created by Andrew Fiebert and co-hosted by Thomas Frank, this podcast breaks down American finances in a way that is both comprehensible and interesting, while covering how to save and how to spend. Smart spending is a central focus, with topics such as renting vs. buying and investing your money wisely.

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The Iced Coffee Hour

This podcast is hosted by YouTuber, real estate investor, and 30-year-old millionaire, Graham Stephan, and his editor, Jack Selby. Each episode of The Iced Coffee Hour features a new guest who talks about how they save their money, spend their money, and how much they earn. Stephan then puts his opinion in as to how well the person is saving and what they can do better. A finance podcast that’s done in a casual and entertaining format, if you love hearing money secrets of strangers and critiquing finances, this one’s for you. 

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The Ramsey Show

Best-selling author and financial guru, Dave Ramsey, is one of the biggest names in the personal finance game. He continually promotes financial independence and streamlining your saving habits. This podcast is super empowering and practical for anyone looking to find ways to build their personal wealth and cut out negative financial decisions that have been holding them back!

Best News Podcasts

If you want to stay up-to-date on current events and news stories, news podcasts are an amazing option for busy individuals. Get the rundown on the latest news updates, issues, and topics with the following podcasts!

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Up First

Hosted weekdays by Rachel Martin, Noel King, and Steve Inskeep, NPR’s Up First publishes daily episodes that cover three important topics in just 15 minutes, making it a great way to start the day. Sundays they do a special longer episode centering on one specific current event.

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The Daily

A New York Times podcast hosted by Michael Barbaro, The Daily is a 25-30 minute deep dive on one topic. An informative listen!

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In The Thick

This podcast features a thorough discussion on a variety of topics ranging from politics, to culture, to race, all from a POC perspective. Co-hosted by award-winning journalists, Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela, In the Thick offers two shows a week: one episode is a deep dive, while the Friday episode is a shorter "sound off" on the week's events. While sometimes the topics can be uncomfortable to hear, we think that's exactly what we need!

Best Career Podcasts

Let’s grow that business and career mindset by the water this summer. These podcasts will get your mind turning and creative juices flowing while you soak up some sun.

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That Creative Life

This podcast is hosted by YouTuber and entrepreneur, Sara Dietschy. It centers around talking to guests that have creative jobs, with a focus on how they got to the level they’re at and how they manage mixing business with creativity. Since guests are typically fellow creators or entrepreneurs, if you have–or want to transition to–a creative job or simply like learning about the unique lives of creators, this podcast is a great one to check out.

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How to be Awesome at Your Job

Why be okay at your job when you could be awesome? Hosted by Pete Mockaitis, How To Be Awesome At Your Job delivers helpful insights on how some of the most hard-working and dedicated people out there are able to sustain this energy. This podcast is sure to give you insights into how you can better operate at your job, have more motivation, and truly love what you do. It doesn’t matter what field you’re in or even if you’re a student, you can learn some great tips on how to push yourself in your career. 

Best Crime Podcasts

It’s that itch that you just have to scratch. Get your fill of fascinating crime drama and stories with these three popular podcasts! 

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Criminal

In a world now saturated with crime podcasts, this one was one of the first. Hosted by Phoebe Judge, the podcast covers various true crime in a similar style to the ID murder television shows. Judge is great at telling the stories in a way that draws you in and leaves you wanting to hear more.

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Serial

This is another crime podcast that launched the entire genre. Hosted by Sarah Koenig, Serial set the standard for true crime storytelling in podcast form.

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Crime Junkie

Get your true crime dosage with Crime Junkie! This podcast gained popularity for its true crime stories and has remained at the top of the charts since its conception in 2017. The two hosts have a knack for storytelling that ropes listeners in!

Best Music Podcast

Music by the pool is a great, relaxing go-to. In between blasting your favorite jams, check out the following music podcast!

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Song Exploder

Hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, Song Exploder explores all things music and the secrets held within songs. In fact, the podcast has grown so popular that it’s now even become a Netflix show. During each episode, a musician joins and breaks down their song, lyric by lyric. What’s revealed is an in-depth look at why the artist wrote the song, what they were dealing with at the time, and what the spark of inspiration was, leading to various tangents about the artist’s life. Music fan or not, this is a great way to hear the backstory to the tunes you listen to all the time. 

Best Sports Podcast

If sports are on your mind this summer, here is a fantastic sports podcast that will keep you in the loop of games and sporting events.

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Sports Wars

Rather than just a re-telling of games you would rather watch on TV, Sports Wars is a show about the stories behind sports rivalries and the loyalties of fans.  Hosted by Dan Rubenstein, this is a great podcast for anyone who likes sports (and a bit of drama and conflict). 

Best Health and Fitness Podcasts

These two health and fitness podcasts will keep you on track for taking charge of your personal health and wellness, and get you inspired to make the best choices for you and your body this summer!

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Mind Pump

Three former personal trainers take the mic in this podcast centered around all things fitness. They are blunt and most importantly, informative and practical when it comes to fitness advice and guidance. Their years of experience training and working in the fitness industry is obvious as they take on various topics, especially lifting.

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Nutrition Diva

Stay focused on health and happiness this summer when you listen to these short, sweet episodes that are bite-sized but informative. The Nutrition Diva, Monica Reinagel, covers a wide variety of highly-discussed topics on all things food. She approaches nutrition holistically and balanced, encouraging only positive relationships with food!

Listen and Relax This Summer!

Enjoy this summer with a cold beverage and an entertaining podcast by the pool. There’s a podcast out there for everyone, so don’t be afraid to dive into the world of audio information!