Values Week: Podcasts

[Noah]

Values define us. They make up who we are and guide us throughout our lives. Listening is an integral part of forming and exploring these values. From the people we talk to, the tunes we jam out to in the car, to the podcasts we listen to on a walk, listening shapes our values. Today, I'll be talking about podcasts: an emerging form of media that not only entertains but also educates, inspires, and brings us together through listening. As the Star Program here at the Spotify Community evolves, we've introduced our own set of Values, and today I am thrilled to highlight podcasts that embody them.

I've been listening to podcasts in some form or another for well over ten years. I remember I was first introduced to them in the form of the Vinyl Café radio show hosted by Stuart McLean on CBC Radio, our public broadcaster here in Canada. The show was most famous for its "Dave and Morley Stories" segment, which told of the misadventures of Dave, his wife Morley, and their family. Since then, I've had the opportunity to expand my podcast selection through Spotify and enjoy podcasts like 99% Invisible, Ear Biscuits, Radio Headspace, How to Save a Planet, Ologies, and more! Podcasts and shows represent many of the Values we've introduced to the Star Program through their stories, lessons, and guests. Now, without further ado, let's check out some podcasts submitted by Rock Stars and Spotify Staff to represent our new set of Values!

Respect

To start off our podcast countdown, let's check out episode one, "How do you steal from a pirate?" from the Spotify: A Product Story podcast. This podcast episode, submitted by @MattSuda, is an excellent example of respect. Focusing on the story behind the creation of Spotify, this episode tells of how Spotify helped to combat the blatantly disrespectful practice of piracy in the music industry. Listen to the podcast below to hear the whole story!

Episode Link - How do you steal from a pirate?

Inclusion

Next up, let's talk about "The Inclusion Summit" episode from the Spotify Jobs podcast, submitted by @EthanS1. As the title suggests, this episode focuses on inclusion, discussing how a grassroots initiative started by Spotifiers 7 years ago has evolved into an annual Inclusion Summit. Check out this podcast to learn about what the Inclusion Summit is and why it's important to Spotifiers.

Episode Link -  The Inclusion Summit

Teamwork

"Knowledge Sharing: A Sneak Peek into Facebook's Engineering Teams" is a great episode from the Level-up Engineering podcast, submitted by @Hubo. Featuring an interview with Balázs Balázs, a former Engineering Manager at Facebook, this episode tackles teamwork through exploring the knowledge-sharing strategies used by Balázs and his engineering teams at Facebook. Make sure to give this podcast a listen to get some tips, tricks, and real behind-the-scenes stories about how knowledge-sharing works with real people.

Episode Link - Knowledge Sharing: A Sneak Peek into Facebook's Engineering Teams

Support

A recent episode, "Understanding yourself and your emotions," from the Mindset and More podcast, submitted by @Melody, focuses on how we can support ourselves by gaining an understanding of ourselves and our emotions. While we typically associate the word 'support' with supporting others, it's important to acknowledge that we also need to take time to support ourselves. In this episode, we learn how to honour our emotions, use them to understand ourselves better, feel more in control of situations, and avoid bottling up emotions.

Episode Link - Understanding yourself and your emotions

On the topic of supporting mental health, I'd also like to mention a favourite podcast of mine called Radio Headspace. Specifically the "Planted In The Present" episode. In this episode, Eve Lewis Prieto, Headspace's Director of Meditation, talks about the importance of living in the moment. As someone who often spends far too much time thinking ahead and focusing on planning the future, this episode really spoke to me. If you too want to work on living more in the present moment, do give this episode a listen!

Episode Link - Planted In The Present

Responsibility

On the topic of responsibility, let's check out the "Have we planted too much faith in trees?" episode from The Climate Question podcast, submitted by @AdamDam. As the horrific consequences of climate change continue to become more apparent, we need to take on environmental responsibility and take action collectively. In this episode of The Climate Question, experts discuss whether or not we are putting too much faith in trees. Although politicians and large corporations love planting trees as a natural solution to climate change, there are signs that trees may be capturing significantly less carbon than we had hoped. To explore this topic further, make sure to check out the podcast below!

Episode Link - Have we planted too much faith in trees?

Fun

Last, but certainly not least, let's check out "Link's RV Trip Fail," one of my personal favourite episodes from Rhet and Link's Ear Biscuits podcast. Since the duo started this podcast back in 2013, this podcast has remained a favourite of mine. Their stories, conversations, and guests, make for a fun and very entertaining podcast! In this episode, Rhet and Link discuss the hilarious adventures they had while on their recent family vacations. If you're looking for a podcast to brighten your day, I could not possibly recommend a better one.

Episode Link - Link's RV Trip Fail

Bonus: One Episode, Six Values

The first episode from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archwell Audio podcast, "2020 Archewell Audio Holiday Special", submitted by @Katerina, amazingly contains all six of our values. This episode brings together guests worldwide to get their thoughts on what they learned from 2020. Featuring Brené Brown, James Corden, Naomi Osaka, Elton John, and many more guests, this podcast manages to represent all of our values in the stories they share throughout the podcast.

Episode Link - 2020 Archewell Audio Holiday Special

Thank you to all of the amazing Rock Stars and Spotify Staff who submitted podcast episodes to be featured in this blog — I couldn't have done it without you! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to feature all of the episodes, but I encourage you to check out the playlist below for some more amazing podcasts! Keep an eye out for @Hubo's blog post this Friday featuring tunes that represent our values!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3BomshkI4CPPcm0MooqX5q?si=c4d80e40ab0a4a2b