Sometimes it feels like every woman and her dog have a podcast. However whilst there are lots of general business podcasts out there, global business podcasts are somewhat thinner on the ground. Identifying the best podcasts for international business, not focused on a specific market, can be tough so here are 5 global trade podcasts I listen to myself.

One of the advantages about podcasts is that it takes relatively little in terms of know-how or team to get started, however that’s often also the downfall of many shows. It becomes a huge burden to the hosts to continuously source guests and also produce the show, edit it and then of course market it. Even for seemingly successful shows it’s rare for them to be contributing directly to the host in terms of revenue so I often find that shows stop due to burnout, lack of resources etc.

However, these are 5 global business podcasts that (as of end March) 2023 are regularly producing new episodes. Some of them I’ve been honoured to be a guest on myself. You can also check out my podcast round up from around 2 years ago for more interesting shows!

Interlinks Podcast with Patrick Daly one of my favourite global business podcasts

Interlinks is a programme about supply chain. globalisation and technology and how they shape our modern world.

In each programme, Patrick Daly interviews a person from another country or with strong connections to another country or countries to get their unique perspective on globalisation as it has affected them both personally and professionally.

There is a little bit of history, a dash of economics, a sprinkling of business and an overlay of personal experience both from Patrick and from his interviewees from around the world. 

Although there is a strong focus on supply chain type questions, such as planning or sustainable packaging, guests are drawn from a really wide range of backgrounds and have deep personal experience.

I was honoured to be a guest in 2021, and you can find my episode here:

Culture Matters Podcast

Logo of the Culture Matters podcast - one of the best podcasts for international business

In business, the impact of cultural differences are still under-estimated. We talk a lot about globalisation. The world seems to be getting smaller, and yet we all bear the mark of the culture in which we grew up. This often leads to misunderstandings that are detrimental to your business. More attention to cultural diversity should be a top priority for companies and organisations.

Culture is a complex concept though: You get your cultural identity as you grow up, whether you like it or not. This cultural footprint stems from learned behaviour. Why is a German always on time? Why is a Frenchman’s lunch break so important? Why is it difficult for Indians to say no? Why are the Dutch so much more direct and candid than the Belgians?

These might be stereotypes but there’s a grain of truth in each of them and if we don’t understand how to work together with other cultures then the problems are pre-programmed.

Chris Smit and Peter van der Lende interview a variety of guests with solid international experiences. If you want to improve your own cultural competence with a strong management focus then this global business podcast is a must to listen to. I enjoy the mix of management practical tips for international business combined with stories and a variety of perspectives.

VistaTalks

VistaTalks

VistaTalks is the podcast of globalisation expert Vistatec. They pride themselves on offering “Interesting Discussions with Interesting People from all around the World”.

The guests cover a huge range of topics from localisation to PR, strategy, building high performing teams, industry events etc.

As with this blog, their guests cover such a wide range of specialisations because that’s what goes into the tapestry of working internationally. It’s really hard to niche down without leaving something important out of the mix!

The focus here is more on localisation as that is what Vistatec are specialised in as a company, but there is truly a huge knowledge base covered with their episodes. I especially find some of the company case studies fascinating, but that perhaps has most to do with my inherent curiosity about how companies work and manage their international business.

I was a guest on episode 104 & really enjoyed my discussion with Maria Roa.

International Trade Resources

international trade resources podcast - one of my top 5 global trade podcasts

This certainly belongs in my top 5 global trade podcasts, although it’s perhaps not for everybody. Whilst most global business podcasts are focusing on various marketing or cultural aspects of doing international business successfully, then this show is discussing technicalities for fellow professionals.

Host Kim Kirkendall has a strong background in international business operations and selects her guests based on their technical practical experience.

This is the newest of the shows I’ve featured here and has been running since late summer last year, covering topics such as what you need to include in distribution agreements (both from a legal and commercial perspective), entering the EU, manufacturing in China, international data protection or getting funding for your export business.

The episodes are not designed for complete beginners in international trade but are packed with detailed knowledge and experience.

You can find my discussion with Kim about the commercial aspects of a distribution agreement below:

Kim has also been one of my discussion partners on International Expansion Explained. You can find the blog post summarising our discussion about international after sales service here, or the complete video of episode 11 of International Expansion Explained here:

How She Went Global Podcast

how she went global podcast - one of the best international business podcasts

On the How She Went global podcast, successful women entrepreneurs and business owners share stories about going global, and offer new ways to take on the world, stay inspired and have fun! They join host Laurel Delaney every month.

These discussions are not as technical as those on the International Trade Resources podcast, but offer interesting case studies with practical hints and tips.

You get to hear the real life stories about growing brands as a female entrepreneur and the (often fairly accidental) international journeys the guests are on with their products. Most of the companies featured are at a relatively early stage in their international expansion so they are getting to grips with the questions of localisation, marketing, shipping etc that form the building blocks of global trade.

Why did I choose these global business podcasts

Well, obviously these are 5 that I personally enjoy listening to on a regular basis and which are not focused on a particular country. (At some point I may do a post dedicated to China or Asia podcasts ????). I also didn’t want to include any podcasts produced primarily by universities or mainstream media outlets.

As of April 2023, these are also all podcasts who are publishing regular episodes – a number of the best international business podcasts are also on pause right now (including some of those I mentioned in my first round up post) & although I originally thought about including more than 5 podcasts I didn’t want to include something which is between series without any concrete dates for restarting.

Finally, my main reason for including these 5 is the fact that they focus on such different aspects of the international expansion journey. You have a variety of specialisations:

  • Supply chain and everything to do with planning
  • culture and the effect on management
  • localisation and marketing
  • technical operations questions
  • case studies

I feel that listening to these can give quite a complete overview of doing international business from a variety of different perspectives. That allows you to form a more balanced opinion of how to proceed with your own international expansion.

I’m also always open for new podcasts so if you have suggestions of great offerings in international business, please leave me a comment below!

Thinking that working with a consultant would accelerate your international expansion?

If you’d like to learn more about working with me for support on your internationalisation projects or personal export knowledge, you can book a 30 minute international clarity call here.

If you haven’t already signed up for my free e-book about how to select which international market to enter next, you can do so here, or using the form below.

If you enjoyed this content please share it on social media or recommend it to your network.

Pin this post for later!

If you enjoyed this post, you might find these posts about intercultural topics and business culture interesting:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Kathryn

2 Comments

  1. Would you be concerned about exchanging hyperlinks?

  2. you have got a terrific blog right here! would you prefer to make some invite posts on my blog?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Might Also Like...

Leaping red paper cut tiger
International Sales Team
Shanghai skyline by freeman zhou from Unsplash
picture of Kathryn Read speaking at an event in China