6 Inspiring Podcasts For eCommerce Entrepreneurs

eCommerce business owners work a lot. And when they’re not working, they’re travelling. And when they’re not working or travelling, they’re probably thinking about working or planning their next trip.

Podcasts are a perfect way for the busy bodies of the world to enjoy media. All that’s required is a pair of ears (one will do just fine), a pair of headphones, and a phone or a laptop.

Both the popularity and the quality of podcasts has grown exponentially in recent years.

This is especially true in the business space, where successful entrepreneurs have developed their own podcasts to help guide, inspire, and educate their fellow business thinkers who are perhaps earlier on in their journey.

Your time is precious, we get that.

That’s why we’re going to take a look at 6 inspirational podcasts that we believe stand out, and are definitely worth your time.

The Diary of a CEO

Hosted by: Stephen Bartlett 

At the age of 30, Stephen Bartlett has already made his millions from a social media marketing start-up and is the youngest ever investor to star in Dragon’s Den.

Even more remarkable is his venture into podcasting.

As of 2023, The Diary of a CEO has exceeded 10 million monthly downloads, and the high calibre of recent guests doesn’t suggest the popularity is going to subside anytime soon.

The Diary of a CEO is a raw, unfiltered, and intimate look into the hearts, minds, and careers of some of the world’s most successful people.

Recent guests have included serial entrepreneur Richard Branson, national treasure Stephen Fry, and renowned journalist Louis Theroux.

Bartlett is a fantastic interviewer, leading the conversation while providing his guests with as much time as they need to air their thoughts.

Although ‘CEO’ is in the name, you might not immediately associate every guest with the world of business. That being said, every single guest shares unique insights into what it means to be successful, and with the podcast airing at 6am every Monday, it’s the perfect way to kick off the week with a spark of inspiration.

How I Built This

Hosted by: Guy Raz

In this podcast, journalist Guy Raz sits down with the founders of some of the world’s biggest companies to uncover what it takes to build success, brick by brick.

You’ll hear from the minds behind some of the most recognisable brands in business, from ice cream innovators Ben and Jerry’s to accommodation experts AirBnB. Other iconic guests include the founder of Wikipedia, Buzzfeed, Beyond Meat, and many more.

How I Built This is as much about failure as it is about success. You’ll quickly discover that each and every one of these amazingly successful entrepreneurs have had more than their fair share of doubt, defeat, and in some cases, disaster.

It’s good to be reminded that failure is an essential step in every business journey, and that behind every success story there are one hundred stories of failure.

This podcast reaffirms that the true success stories come from how we use our failures, and even our traumas, to learn, grow, and develop.

On Purpose

Hosted by: Jay Shetty 

Jay Shetty has led a remarkable life. After dropping out of business school, he moved to India and spent several years living in an ashram as a monk.

Fast-forward to 2023, and he’s written a best-selling book, appeared on multiple late-night talk shows, and built a global online brand.

Shetty is a walking example of two things that shouldn’t really work together; a successful businessman and a spiritual teacher.

Through hours of conversations with like-minded guests, Shetty teaches us that it’s possible to build a successful business without losing yourself along the way.

Don’t for one minute think Shetty is going to try and convince you to become a monk or start following a religion.

The conversations in On Purpose are full of practical, motivational, and inspiring discussions to help you lead a more fulfilling life while in pursuit of success.

My First Million

Hosted by: Shaan Puri and Sam Parr

This one’s a solid listen if you need a catalyst to get the creative juices flowing. It covers all things business, from identifying business opportunities for budding entrepreneurs to jump on, to in-depth discussions with the minds and creatives behind highly successful companies.

While some episode titles might fall into the clickbait or sensationalist category, there’s plenty of meat to be found inside.

Virtually every episode of My First Million manages to offer something practical, whether you’re just starting out or already have a successful business under your belt.

And, the charisma of both the guests and the hosts make this podcast remarkably listenable. It’s full of infectious enthusiasm that’ll probably inspire you to start a new business tomorrow – and have fun doing it.

The Tim Ferriss Show

Hosted by: Tim Ferriss 

All amazing things are built on the shoulders of giants, and The Tim Ferriss Show succeeds in proving this to be true.

With mighty guests including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Jackman, LeBron James, and Rick Rubin, just name a few.

Tim Feriss himself has no shortage of credentials. He’s written multiple bestselling books about lifestyle optimization, and invested or advised on multiple start-ups that have gone on to be massively successful, including Shopify, Uber, and Evernote.

Ferriss’ deep understanding of what it takes to be successful makes him the perfect tool to dissect the minds of his guests. This careful probing results in a great deal of tips and tricks that we can take away and use in our own business journeys.

Masters of Scale

Hosted by: Reid Hoffman

Hosted by co-founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, Masters of Scale is about how the most successful business people in the world scale their companies.

When we say successful, we mean successful. Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Reed Hastings of Netflix, and Howard Schultz of Starbucks are just a few examples of crazy-successful guests that’ve scaled truly monolithic companies.

While this one’s no longer airing, there’s plenty of evergreen content in the digital vault to enjoy. Whether you’re dreaming big or simply curious about what it takes to scale from start-up to blue-chip, Masters of Scale is about shooting for the stars and then never turning back.

Closing thoughts

While neck deep in growing a business, most entrepreneurs don’t really have the time to sit down with a developmental book or watch an inspiring documentary.

Podcasts are a perfect solution, whether you’re looking to build resilience, scale your business, better organise your life, improve your mental health, build the best teams, and so much more.

On that note, if you’re struggling with time-management in your business, James and James can help.

We specialise in saving eCommerce businesses tonnes of time every day by taking fulfilment off their hands. We make managing inventory across all your channels a breeze, too.

For a no-obligation chat about the perks of outsourcing fulfilment, get in touch with us today.