Bridget Todd is the creator and host of iHeartRadio’s critically acclaimed podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet and the founder of Unbossed Creative, a mission driven podcast production company.
She got her start teaching courses on writing and social change at Howard University.
Since then, she’s trained human rights activists in Australia, coordinated digital strategy for organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Women’s March, and MSNBC, and ran a training program for political operatives that the Washington Post called the Democratic Party’s “Hogwarts for digital wizardry.”
Formerly, she cohosted iHeartMedia’s Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast bringing feminist issues to 2 million ears a month and hosted a global salon with AFROPUNK where she talked to high-profile women like Ava Duvernay and #MeToo creator Tarana Burke.
I’ve been working in podcasts since 2012 (yup, that’s before Serial), but I’ve been a podcast appreciator for even longer than that.
When I moved across the country for a tech job in San Francisco, it was my favorite podcast hosts that kept me company and made me feel a little less alone.
My favorite podcasts are the ones that feel like conversations with friends and the ones that leave you feeling connected to your fellow humans.
These are some of the podcasts that made me fall deeper in love with the medium and challenged me to pick up the mic myself.
Uhh Yeah Dude
Uhh Yeah Dude was the first podcast I ever listened to and it remains the funniest podcast I’ve ever heard (once I had to pull over because I was worried I’d crash my car from laughing too hard). Hosted by Jonathan Larroquette (son of the actor) and Seth Romatelli, the podcast expands on the “two dudes talking” format to dive into everything from bad advice columns, scientific studies, and wacky news stories.
Who? Weekly
We all know A-listers like Kim Kardashian and Brad Pitt, but what about the world of influencers, D-listers, and YouTubers that you know are famous for something, but you just aren’t sure what? Who? Weekly creates a framework for dissecting and discussing the D-list sort of celebs that show up in our media landscape.
Mystery Show
Mystery Show is the podcast that challenged my understanding of what a podcast could be. In each show, host Starlee Kine solves a mystery that can’t be solved by Googling. Along the way, she underscores the intricacies of human connections.
Start with the Britney Spears Episode: Case #2 Britney
Truth be Told
There are so many advice podcasts out there, but so few of them center communities of color, even though we give the best advice! Full of empathy and understanding, Truth be Told is like an advice show one of my open-minded aunties would produce.
Song Exploder
On Song Exploder, musicians explain the hidden stories behind their songs and end up revealing intimate details you’d never pick up on even after listening to them on repeat. Because you don’t hear much of the host, the artist’s voice takes center stage and each episode ends up sounding like a podcast hosted by your favorite musician.
Committed
I love hearing the details of other people’s relationships. From adult film stars to nomadic travelers, Committed breaks down the unbelievable but true ways people have found and kept love.
Advice For And From The Future
What should you do if your boss asks you to embed a tracking microchip into your arm? Would you move to futuristic Akon City in Senegal, designed by hip hop star Akon? This podcast answers all the most interesting questions from and about the future, today.
Dope Labs
Is “cuffing season” a real thing that exists in nature? What’s the science behind vibranium in Black Panther? Hosted by two dope scientists, Dope Labs hilariously uses science to answer questions from the culture.
Unladylike
Unladylike is a feminist podcast that looks at what happens when women break away from what it means to be a “lady.” They steer away from the more well worn angles of feminism and explore fresh and unexpected angles of what it means to be a woman.
Start with: How to Take a Hike
NATAL
NATAL isn’t just a podcast, it’s a movement. Born out of endless heavy conversations around Black maternal mortality, NATAL passes the mic to Black parents-to-be and medical professionals for real conversations around Black pregnancy. Their podcast even spun into a convening including elected officials to talk solutions.
Pocket Casts Blog 