Think about all the different types of relationships in your life.
Friendships. Dating, Marriage. Parenting. Coping with grief and loss.
It's a wide-ranging spectrum and one that interconnects you with everyone you come across in your daily life.
Optimal Relationships Daily is the ‘relationships' show in the Optimal Living Daily network. It was created to help you learn how to optimize these very different relationships which we all experience to some extent.
Here's a list of recommended podcasts in the relationships field. It includes bloggers we've featured (up to #4), and other podcasts we think you might find helpful.
How would you describe the state of your current relationships? If you're seeking tips to improve them, give these podcasts a listen to find the episode which understands what you're going through and how to improve it!
1. Optimal Relationships Daily (ORD Podcast)
Who: Hosted daily by actor and all-round nice guy with the smooth vocals, Greg Audino
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Optimal Relationships Daily is a blogcast. It narrates quality relationship blog posts to you to save you the time of going through and reading them all by yourself!
Joc Marie was the original host of ORD. She decided to pass the torch to a new host earlier this year so that she could spend more time on bringing up her two young kids. Greg Audino has been the new host since January. He also hosts Optimal Living Advice where he takes in questions from listeners on everything related to living a fulfilling life.
Fun Facts:
- Mentioned on Click Orlando.
- Recommended by The Book Seller for “short bursts of how to live your best life.”
- Host Joc Marie is a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate while host Greg Audino has acting credits in Westworld and NCIS.
2. Purpose Driven Mom Show – Motherhood Podcast
Who: Hosted by Cara Harvey
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Cara Harvey's posts are narrated on ORD Podcast. She worked as a teacher for eight years until burnout set in. Now she works as a mentor to other mothers who want to achieve their goals and live a less frazzled life.
Fun Facts:
- Cara believes that living with mom guilt is NOT how to live life.
- Blogs about self care, mom life, financial fitness, and systems and routines.
- Cara struggled with believing in herself when she was growing up. Nowadays she feels a calling towards helping others and taking care of herself at the same time.
3. Coming Back – Grief and Healing Podcast
Who: Hosted by Shelby Forsythia
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Coming Back is a unique podcast hosted by intuitive grief guide, Shelby Forsythia. Shelby lifts the veil off the grieving process to discuss a variety of emotions and reflections related to this difficult life experience. Fear and dread are not shunned emotions here, but feelings to bring out into the open to enhance the connections that matter the most to you.
Fun Facts:
- Featured in Oprah Magazine and Huffington Post.
- Shelby is a Reiki Level II Practitioner and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®.
- Medium blog posts include What Most People Don’t Get About Pet Loss and Realizing I’m Really Going to Die Someday.
4. Simple Saturdays – Motherhood Podcast
Who: Hosted by Shawna Scafe
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Simple Saturdays is hosted by Shawna Scafe, who is a writer and minimalist mom. She gives encouragement and tips on decluttering, motherhood, minimalism, and intentional living.
Fun Facts:
- Shawna learned about minimalism a few years into motherhood and started taking steps to declutter her home. As she went along, she found herself getting up close and personal with the other areas of her heart and life that sought to be decluttered as well.
- Contributor to Huffington Post Parents Canada.
- Offers life coaching to mothers which includes goal setting, the Enneagram, and self-awareness.
5. Deeper Dating – Dating Podcast
Who: Hosted by Ken Page
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Ken Page is the author of the bestselling Deeper Dating: How to Drop the Games of Seduction and Discover the Power of Intimacy. His podcast is packed with wisdom and research to help you find the deep and lasting love you desire.
Fun Facts:
- Featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Match.com, and others.
- You can submit a question to Ken on love, dating, intimacy, and related topics. He does his best to answer your question during his live Q&A sessions.
- Ken has led a great number of workshops on intimacy and spirituality for participants that number in the thousands. These live events provide a refreshing alternative to the bar scene and myriad of other superficial dating events.
6. I Do / Relationship Advice – Dating Podcast
Who: Hosted by Chase and Sarah Kosterlitz
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Chase and Sarah are newlyweds. They face the daily struggles of maintaining a healthy and lasting relationship while parenting. They share their stories, the advice of others, and insights from experts on the keys to a successful union.
Fun Facts:
- A recommended relationships podcast by Refinery29 and Women's Health.
- Chase and Sarah run an online 14 Day Happy Couple Challenge to strengthen your partnership.
- Episode titles include “Brain First Approach To Relationships” and “Setting Emotional Boundaries In Your Relationship.”
7. Marriage Therapy Radio – Marriage Podcast
Who: Hosted by Zach and Laura
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Zach Brittle and Laura Heck are straight-talking marriage therapists tackling common complaints in the marriage experience. Topics include conflict, compatibility, money, communication sex, in-laws, infidelity, future dreams, and more.
Fun Facts:
- Recently celebrated 100 episodes in Feb 2020.
- Zach and Laura are Certified Gottman Therapists.
- Episode titles include “Parenting Teen Girls” and “The Importance of Predictability.”
8. Marriage and Martinis – Marriage Podcast
Who: Hosted by Danielle and Adam
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Marriage and Martinis attempts to present an authentic marriage: the love, hate, and everything in between. Danielle and Adam explore the heartfelt, embarrassing, and sometimes inappropriate aspects of parenting and marriage.
Fun Facts:
- Danielle is a SAHM to three children and two rescue dogs. She has been with Adam for over 20 years!
- Danielle's memes and writing can be found on Scary Mommy, Love What Matters, Huffington Post, and Upworthy.
- Adam has been part of a family business since his teenage days. He loves tech-related subjects and is somewhat of a makeshift bartender for friends and family.
9. Mom and Dad Are Fighting – Parenting Podcast
Who: Parenting Advice by Slate / Hosted by Jamilah Lemieux and Dan Kois
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: Jamilah Lemieux and Dan Kois share the ups and downs of bringing up kids. They also offer advice on parenting children from the toddler to teenage ages.
Fun Facts:
- Slate is a daily online magazine with a podcast network. It was founded in 1996 as a general-interest publication with a witty take and strong editorial voice.
- Jamilah is a communications consultant and award-winning writer who enjoys challenging the status quo.
- Episode titles include “Pretty White Boy Edition” and “Mom and Dad Are Fighting: Whoops, a Baby Edition.”
10. Zen Parenting Radio – Parenting Podcast
Who: Hosted by Todd Adams and Cathy Cassani Adams
Where: Website | Spotify | iTunes
What: For over 10 years, Todd and Cathy have shared their life lessons and experiences with being a spouse, parent, and human being. Their show focuses on spiritual growth, compassion, and emotional intelligence.
Fun Facts:
- Zen Parenting's most downloaded episode is “Fault and Responsibility.”
- Recommended by Fatherly.com and Modern Parents, Messy Kids.
- Podcast guests include psychologists, advocates, and relationship empowerment specialists.
