What Five Award-Winning Indie Podcasts Are Up To Right Now

 In July, 25 independent podcasts won the Ear Worthy Podcast awards for indie podcasts. These intrepid podcasters act as creator, writer, producer, sound engineer, I.T. troubleshooter, researcher, host, distribution pro, marketing guru, public relations professional, and, most important of all, financial backer for the podcast.

In short, they do it all for their podcast. 

Here are some key updates on some of the award winners. 

If you haven't listened to these independent podcasts, I urge you to check them out by clicking the link in the section about the podcast.

 The Life Shift focuses on candid conversations with people about the pivotal moments that changed their lives forever. The podcast highlights life-altering moments and humanizes the struggles and triumphs through them all. This podcast was also the winner of Best Indie Podcast Of The Year.

Host Matt Gilhooly has developed a bonus episode that recaps the final statements from episodes 101 - 110, where guests reflect on what they would say to themselves before their life-shift moment and offer advice to those going through similar experiences. These conversations are raw, personal, and deeply inspiring.

 Surfing Corporate, which won as Best Workplace Podcast Of The Year, helps listeners navigate the corporate waters, and surf the hell out of them, and "all without throwing fellow employees to the sharks or promising your firstborn to Satan. It CAN be done," according to the co-hosts Aileen Merciel & Glenda Pacanins.

Aileen and Glenda are ready to launch their new season on September 18th. Listeners can look forward to episodes where the co-hosts sit down with Kristi Coulter, former Amazon executive and author of Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career. 

Kristi Coulter pulls back the curtain on the high-pressure, high-stakes culture inside one of the world's most influential companies.

In another episode, Aileen and Glenda challenge the traditional view of categorizing bosses as either good or bad, focusing instead on those who embody both traits. 

Leaders who can be inspiring and brilliant, but also mean and volatile. Join them as they explore the psychology behind these unpredictable corporate characters.

 

  Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever--  is the winner of the Best Film History Podcast Of The Year. Each episode focuses on a film, director or theme and brings in experts to discuss its history, politics and influences. In the latest episode, host Ayesha Khan slips into the wayback machine to discuss Robert Duncan Milne, who is a lost pioneer of science fiction literature. Host Khan takes a huge jump back to the end of the 19th century and a side step to science fiction literature rather than film.

In the many stories Milne wrote he included themes of time travel, alien life, teleportation, cryogenic preservation, remote surveillance and much more. Think Jules Verne, yet sadly not as well known as the author of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. 

 "Fine" Dining is the hilarious search for the most mediocre chain restaurant in America. Host Michael Ornelas hits popular spots like IHOP, Texas Roadhouse, & Chili's to find the perfectly average 5-out-of-10 "fine" dining experience."

And now, it’s burger time. Septemburger is Fine Dining’s earnest attempt to find something actually great by pitting 24 burgers from eight different restaurants against each other in a single-elimination tournament. The contenders? Only the finest in fast-casual: Shake Shack, Steak ‘n Shake, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Whataburger, In-N-Out, Culver’s, Rally’s, and White Castle.

Listeners can even get in on the action by submitting their own Septemburger bracket by September 10th for a chance to win $500!The Septemburger series kicked off on September 4th and will run throughout the month, with new episodes dropping every week. Get ready for a burger battle like no other, and don’t forget to follow along on social media using the hashtag #Septemburger2024.

  6 Degrees Of Cats is the world’s #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast. Join cat worshiper Amanda B. as she investigates these and other hard hitting questions with a diversity of guest experts from across the globe.

 Right now, host Amanda B. AKA Captain Kitty is preparing for the new season in late fall. But fear not, cat lovers. 6 Degrees Of Cats has a Substack page that has regular posts called The Captain's Log.  Check out these twice-monthly posts and podcast archives to find out the answers to deep-seated cat questions, including their role in history, culture, and our constant struggle to figure out: "What is my cat thinking?"

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This review is part of an ongoing series of reviews, recommendations, and essays about Indie podcasters -- their craft, their challenges, and the critical role they play in podcasting. These entrepreneurs display skills as disparate as hosting, sound production, graphic design, scriptwriting, interviewing, marketing genius, and financial watchdog. They are the heart and soul of podcasting.