From achieving financial security to candid conversations on parenting, there are a variety of podcasts hosted by women that are both entertaining and informative.
These podcasts, or on-demand digital audio files, can be easily accessed online through Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other audio streaming services and downloaded onto your smartphone, tablet or computer. Listen while you’re working out, taking a road trip, or simply craving an escape. Luckily, there’s a topic for everyone’s needs, so the next time you’re seeking inspiration, just put on your headphones and tune in to one of these five female-hosted podcasts.
Moms Moving On
For women going through a divorce, Michelle Dempsey-Multack has your back. The Miami-based author has her own business coaching women as they transition to a new life after marriage.
Multack knows what it’s like to go through a divorce. When her daughter was 2, Multack and her husband split up and she quickly learned there weren’t a lot of resources available to help women move on after their marriages end. In January 2020, Multack launched “Moms Moving On” (momsmovingon.com), a podcast designed to help women learn how to thrive after going through a divorce.
“My podcast was born from direct messages I received on Instagram,” Multack says. “I read hundreds of questions each week from women who needed help with everything from the legal process of divorce to co-parenting.”
Since launching her podcast, Multack has become a Certified Divorce Specialist and has also written a book, “Mom’s Moving On: Advice From Real Women on Conquering Divorce, Co-parenting Through Conflict, and Becoming Your Best Self,” due out in October.
Multack found love again and remarried. Her husband, Spencer, also has a daughter from a previous relationship. On her podcast, Multack discusses relevant issues such as dating after divorce and how to manage blended families like her own. Experts like Dr. Jenn Mann, author, psychotherapist and host of VH1’s “Couples Therapy” and Dr. Erika Velez, a Miami Lakes psychologist, have shared their insights on her podcast.
“My hope is that any mom who listens to my podcast realizes two things: there is life on the other side of divorce — a good one, if you do the work — and there are resources to help you get there,” Multack says. “From advice to uplifting tales of divorce triumph shared by our expert guests, I hope each episode gives women hope and great strategies.”
The Mom Hour
Listening to “The Mom Hour” (themomhour.com) featuring Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers is like sitting down to chat with two friends over a cup of coffee. Whether they’re discussing epic mom fails or how to cope with sleep deprivation, the two friends offer judgement-free conversations about motherhood and parenting.
Francis and Powers first met in 2011 when Francis was teaching an online class on how to get published as a writer. Powers, who was just beginning her career as a freelance writer, impressed Francis with her writing voice and professionalism.
“When I was looking for an editor to help me manage a blog project a year later, Sarah was the first person that came to mind,” Francis says. “We worked really well together, and when I started a women’s lifestyle podcast network in 2012 and decided to add a parenting show to the mix, I asked Sarah if she’d like to co-host ‘The Mom Hour’ with me.”
The podcast launched in 2015 and is often ranked in the top 10 shows in the parenting category on Apple Podcasts — an impressive accomplishment considering the two moms aren’t celebrities.
“I’m from the Midwest, Sarah is from Southern California; Sarah’s married, I’m divorced; I’m more laid back and a free spirit, while Sarah’s detail-oriented and a little bit Type A. I think the fact that we are so different, but genuinely like and respect each other and can find common ground even on difficult topics really appeals to our listeners,” Francis says. “We always try to be encouraging and compassionate and to keep it real.”
Powers agrees, noting there aren’t many conversational, mom-to-mom podcasts that have been around as long as “The Mom Hour.” Their show covers all stages of parenting, from pregnancy to teens, and they also address issues affecting moms such as body confidence and handling outside criticism.
“Between the two of us, Meagan and I have eight kids, the oldest being 23,” Powers says. “We don’t portray ourselves as experts but rather as moms who have lived through the guilt and sleepless nights of motherhood.”
Francis also launched a new podcast called “Mother of Reinvention” in mid-March that focuses on the journeys of women who find themselves “reinventing” in some way: transitioning into midlife, kids getting older or empty nesting, finding new passions, career pivots, starting new businesses and more.
HerMoney
Financial guru Jean Chatzky wants women to feel more empowered when it comes to making monetary decisions. An award-winning financial journalist, bestselling author and the co-founder and CEO of HerMoney, Chatzky says that the “HerMoney” podcast (hermoney.com), launched in 2016, strives to create a judgement-free zone for all things relating to money.
“Women not only earn about 80 cents on the dollar compared to the average man (for women of color, the gap is far greater), we also live about seven years longer and invest up to 40 percent less than men,” Chatzky says. “Women are faced with the quintessential challenge of having to do more with less, which is why financial independence for women is so incredibly important.”
Every week, Chatzky’s podcast helps women get closer to achieving their bigger financial and life goals with episodes that address pressing topics like how to invest in the stock market, when to ask for a raise or promotion, the best ways to budget, what to look for when hiring a financial planner and how to achieve work-life balance.
“We know the true path to financial independence for women starts with education, which we deliver in an engaging, compassionate and fun way, with expert guests and the latest research,” Chatzky says. “Plus, our listeners are candid about their financial concerns and many women can relate. Kathryn Tuggle, who not only appears on ‘HerMoney’ but also produces it, and I happily give listeners our take on what steps to take next to achieve their financial goals.”
Chatzky, who is based in New York, hopes that her podcast, books and TV appearances will help women change their relationships with money and level the playing field for financial security, confidence and power.
“At the end of each podcast episode, I want our listeners to feel inspired to take action in their financial lives or plan for their futures in a way that they might not have considered before,” Chatzky says.
“Our episodes go deep, with step-by-step instructions on how to take control of your money, so whether women are looking for a little inspiration or some serious handholding, we’ve got something for everyone.”
How Can I Help?
If you’ve ever thought it would be great to have a psychiatrist on speed dial, Dr. Gail Saltz’s podcast, “How Can I Help?” (drgailsaltz.com), is for you.
A clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, psychoanalyst, author and frequent television commentator on mental health, sex and relationships, Dr. Saltz has created a podcast that addresses many of the challenges that women are facing during the pandemic.
“Women struggle with anxiety and depression twice as often as men and during the pandemic women are coping with the stressors of job loss, financial strain, anxiety, domestic violence and depression more than men,” Dr. Saltz says.
“Women are much more likely to be the primary caregiver at home in addition to work, and as a result, many are having a tough time coping and are feeling very alone.”
While many women might benefit from seeing a mental health professional, Dr. Saltz says the stigma surrounding mental health, combined with issues such as access to mental health care and cost, prevent many from seeking counseling.
“Women need to know they’re not alone and there are things they can do to really help themselves. My podcast encourages women to send in their questions on whatever they are struggling with and I’ll answer them, just like they were in my office,” Dr. Saltz says. “They also hear from other women who have the same questions and concerns they do and then receive advice on ways they can help themselves.”
Dr. Saltz was inspired to launch her new podcast after the pandemic hit. “I knew we would be facing a surge in mental health problems and there wouldn’t be enough therapists to go around due to the huge rise in demand,” she says. “I decided a podcast would be the best way to field many of the questions I was already receiving and could also reach more women.”
With topics ranging from social distancing and feeling lonely to lowering pandemic anxieties and treating sleep problems, Dr. Saltz hopes her podcast will help women realize they aren’t alone and give them the tools they need to cope with COVID-19 stress.
Keeping It Real
One of the world’s foremost fitness experts, Jillian Michaels’ podcast offers in-depth interviews with some of the world’s leading voices in wellness. Guests have included Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, author and chief medical correspondent for CNN, dating coach Hayley Quinn and Olympic alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn.
“On my podcast, I strive to give women access to top experts, inspiration and information that moves me personally,” Michaels says.
“I look for relatable guests who can address relevant topics including careers, parenting, relationships, and cutting-edge fitness info. The goal behind the show is to help people live their most healthy, empowered life.”
Michaels (jillianmichaels.com), who launched her podcast in 2011, has devoted her career to helping others achieve their health and wellness goals. In addition to appearing as a personal trainer on the hit reality show “The Biggest Loser,” Michaels had a hugely popular Los Angeles-based radio show at KFI, debuted her own fitness app and is a bestselling author.
Looking to the future, Michaels says that she’s excited for her podcast to continue exploring the most important topics pertaining to women’s health and wellness. “From world-class athletes to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists to the most highly regarded doctors and health care specialists, I’m proud that my ‘Keeping It Real’ podcast is authentic, raw and filled with passion to keep people entertained and empowered,” Michaels says.