Weekend & Chill: Three Indie Podcasts For You!

 At Ear Worthy, we believe that independent podcasts are the core of podcasting, as they are creative, fresh, unique, and experimental. 

 It's your weekend. Why bother with the same ole' podcasts with a celebrity oversharing about their life, and interviewing a guest you've heard on 20 other podcasts. Go wild! Go crazy? Listen to an independent podcast, crafted by talented people who care. 

Here are three suggestions for your weekend. If you need more recommendations of the podcasts your ears and eyes deserve, check out the Best Independent Podcasts of 2026 

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 Young And Profiting

  There are numerous podcast listener studies and rankings that all agree that the number of podcast listeners continues to grow at a rapid rate. The other area of agreement is that younger people -- Millennials and Gen Zers -- make up the bulk of existing and new listeners.

Therefore, it makes sense to target an audience that is comfortable listening to podcasts and enjoys its content. 

That's exactly what Hala Taha, podcast host of the Young And Profiting podcast, has accomplished.

 Taha, a Palestinian-American born and raised in New Jersey, is that podcast entrepreneur who could out swim TV's Shark Tank celebrities. Hala started her career in radio production while in college at HOT97 on “The Angie Martinez Show.”

 Hala took a temporary exit from the entertainment industry to get an MBA. She has seven years of corporate marketing experience at HP and Disney Streaming Services. She started Young and Profiting Podcast and YAP Media as a side hustle, and now has several high-profile clients and over 40 employees.

 Hala's podcast strategy is to focus on her guests. She is careful to leave her personal life out of the conversations, which is a strategy honed from her life experience as a Palestinian.

Here is the tagline from Young And Profiting: "Join Hala Taha as she interviews some of the brightest minds in the world―turning their wisdom into actionable advice you can use in your life no matter your age, profession, or industry. Our subject ranges from enhancing productivity, how to gain influence, the art of side hustles, and more! If you’re smart and like to continually improve yourself, hit the subscribe button, because you’ll love it here at Young and Profiting Podcast. Part of the YAP Media Network."

In every episode of Young And Profiting, Taha interviews a guest who offers a skill, an insight, advice, support, and guidance for young professionals. Taha insists that any advice or insights are actionable, and that demand makes her unique.

Too many of these "I can make you successful" podcasts (usually about marketing) offer advice that sounds energizing and erudite without a specific plan of action. Taha does not let her guests wade into ethereal posing, but always returns to the interview to what's actionable for her listeners.

It's commendable, and her practicality illustrates how Hala Taha doesn't want to sell her listeners something but wants to help her listeners be able to sell themselves. It's a distinction with a difference. 

Hala Taha is one of those people whose career arc can make anyone feel like an underachiever. She lives her theories of life and demonstrates them in every episode.

While anyone can enjoy her podcast, I highly recommend it to young professionals who can listen to her podcast on their journey up the ladder to personal, financial, and professional success.

On a recent episode in December, Hala joined Jack Wagoner on The Grateful Podcast to share how she found clarity in one of the worst years of her life. She also breaks down how she built a top entrepreneurship podcast and her strategies for building a personal brand in today’s era of creator entrepreneurship.

Check out Young And Profiting.  We reviewed this show in 2024, and it's only gotten better.

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Music Tectonics Podcast

The Music Tectonics podcast has been known for exploring how technology is changing the way business is done in the music industry.

This podcast's mission is to provide the music tech and business community with valuable advice and educational insights.

Founded in 1999, Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. is a music tech PR firm composed of a diverse team of communicators, creatives, and business minds. Its roster includes clients in music technology, music gear, B2B music agencies, music consumer products and apps, artist-facing and label services, music sync platforms, music AI, fintech for music, and much more.

 The podcast has been around since December 2018. Dimitri Vietze has strong hosting skills. He's enthusiastic, but not fake; he's articulate but not arrogant; he's funny but not trying too hard to be witty, and he's a strong interviewer with good listening skills and adept at asking follow-up questions. 

A December episode covered new music tech breakthroughs for 2026 

First, Rachel Francine of SingFit, who discussed pioneering music as medicine by bringing therapeutic singing programs to senior living communities

Next, Matt Sherman from Str3amcore Labs shared how he's helping IP owners manage their catalogs with blockchain technology, drawing on his family's hundred-year legacy in music (his grandfather wrote "It's a Small World").

Finally, John Gearty from PulseJet took us inside the future of music entertainment, with immersive VR experiences, including a nine-song album with Björk where you can literally walk around inside the music.

Check out the Music Tectonics podcast.  If you're interested in the music business, music tech, and music as an artist, the podcast is certainly worth some of your ear time.

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Better Call Daddy

Better Call Daddy is a podcast for people who love stories. Hosted by Reena Friedman Watts (Jerry Springer Show, Court TV), everyone from influential business leaders to phone sex workers are featured on the show. 

Reena insists: "Nothing is censored here."

Each episode, Reena interviews a person of interest, and her father will chime in with his words of wisdom. That's the crux of the premise. Reena's Dad weighs in with his wisdom. Given the sad state of American men (when you have to resort to Joe Rogan as your advocate, you know you're in trouble!), it's refreshing to see a man -- a father, no less -- dispense wisdom. 

Of course, the "unknown" of every episode is: "What will he have to say? And will the guest agree?"

Reena observes: "Discover an episode and don’t forget to listen till the very end!"

Reena is amazingly prolific, with over 400 episodes since 2020. The show has thousands of listeners each episode, which, for an indie podcast, is a remarkable feat. 

Reena Friedman Watts is a self-proclaimed "mompreneur" and the founder of MegaWatts Productions, a full-service production company

. Reena started in radio at an NPR station at Purdue University, which led to an internship and eventual promotion to producer at The Jerry Springer Show. 


She later moved to Los Angeles and worked as an interviewer for VH1 and E! and as a producer on shows like Nanny 911, Divorce Court, and Court TV. 

After taking a career break to raise her four children, Reena transitioned into event planning in the corporate space, organizing "Lunch and Learn" events. This experience ultimately led her to focus on events for entrepreneurs.  Leveraging her extensive production background, Watts also works as a podcast coach, helping her clients with everything from storytelling and guest selection to production and branding.  

As a podcast host, Reena has that quality of a superb host that Elaine Appleton Grant of Sound Judgment calls "hostiness." Her voice is perfectly pitched for audio, and she infuses meaning and insight into her words. No social media influencer vacuousness for her. She's also an excellent interviewer and knows how to take control and get the most out of a guest.

The addition of "Dad's advice" (aka Wayne) spices up the typical interview show. 

The show's marketing pitch says:

"Reena loves a story, and she’s fascinated by the people behind them. In fact, she lives to bring stories to life! Her appetite for storytelling has taken her to unexpected places, from the Jerry Springer Show to the legal drama, Court TV. And now, telling compelling stories is a family affair."

 

Despite the Jerry Springer connection, there are no fisticuffs on the show.  Some of my favorite episodes include the September 3 show titled,

Perseverance, Podcasts, and Going For the Brass Ring with Freddy Cruz. I admired this episode because Cruz acts like a model for aspiring indie podcasters. 

On the show, Freddy Cruz opens up about his entrepreneurial spirit and how he visualized his dream studio long before it became a reality.

He discusses the importance of perseverance, hard work, and the unexpected paths that lead to success, emphasizing that dreams don’t always materialize overnight but can come true with dedication and effort. Cruz offers insights into the podcasting landscape, his evolution from radio to producing podcasts, and the creative processes behind his writing. He reflects on his experiences with self-publishing and the challenges he faced along the way, including the emotional toll of losing an editor during a critical project.

 Better Call Daddy is one of the best indie interview shows in podcasting. Reena Friedman Watts is a superb host and interviewer and her relationship with her father, Wayne, rekindles the importance of family in our society as a cohesive force.