The 11 Best Podcasts of 2021 From Salesforce

As the host of the Salesforce podcast Blazing Trails and leader of the company’s podcasting efforts, I listen to a lot of podcasts. And I’m not the only one. According to The Infinite Dial, approximately 80 million Americans – 28% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 – are now weekly podcast listeners, a 17% increase over 2020. Last year’s list emphasized connection to the outside world as we lived our lives isolated at home. This year, the strongest episodes grapple with the uncertainty ahead of us. This includes the future of work and a new Digital HQ, as well as sustainability as a competitive advantage. The best podcasts of 2021 deal with the opportunities presented by this momentous shift in our lives.

I hope you find something great here — be it a new idea, a new mindset, or just a laugh — to carry you into 2022 feeling inspired.

1. The Future of Hybrid Work: Ray Dalio and Karen Mangia on Reimagining How and Where We Will Work

As society starts to reawaken, businesses are faced with the difficult challenge of defining what “normal” means. Companies big and small allow employees more flexible work options — but what does this hybrid work model look like? How do you develop a meaningful company culture and continue to create a value-driven workplace without everyone in the office?

Ray Dalio, legendary investor and founder of Bridgewater Associates, and Karen Magia, vice president of customer and market insights at Salesforce, discuss how to be purposeful about culture and mission, remote team advice for managers, and the role data and technology can play. Listen now

2. Values Create Value: A Conversation with Jon Fee and Frank Cooper

What does it mean to be a purpose-driven business? And how does having a mission help with hiring, employee satisfaction, and customer loyalty?

Frank Cooper III, CMO of BlackRock, and Jon Fee, SVP and head of global marketing for Salesforce.org, discuss purpose-driven change in their careers. They also cover how they define a mission, create buy-in with employees and customers, and why mission will be a key differentiator in the future of business. Listen now

3. Humanizing Marketing

This series within The Marketing Cloudcast explores the intersection of technology and human connection in brand messaging. How do you build a data-driven model that delivers relevant, personalized messages to customers and prospects? Hosts Tina Rozul and Marty Kihn are joined by Shannon Duffy, EVP of Digital 360 Marketing. They chat about why authenticity and empathy are crucial to marketing today, and the role of technology in making that happen at scale. Listen now

4. Black Women in Leadership: A Conversation with Soledad O’Brian, Elaine Welteroth, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and Minda Harts

The question for Black women should never be, “Do I deserve to be in this room?” It should be “Does this room deserve me?” From Dreamforce 2021, moderator Soledad O’Brian and a panel of powerful women discuss Black women in leadership. O’Brian, an award-winning journalist and author, is joined by New York Times bestselling author Elaine Welteroth, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and workplace and equity consultant and award-winning author Minda Harts.

The panel discusses leadership challenges, overcoming double standards, and what “Black excellence” means to them. Plus, they explain that to do the right thing, you must be willing to champion change that makes people uncomfortable. Listen now

5. How Google’s Office of the CTO Is Redefining Collaboration

In this episode of IT Visionaries, Will Grannis, managing director, office of the CTO at Google, explains how his team works with some of Google’s biggest clients to redefine the customer experience through innovative technologies. Listen now

6. Redefining the Future of Work: A Conversation with Jennifer Tejada, Chairperson and CEO of PagerDuty, and Stewart Butterfield, CEO and Co-Founder of Slack

As employers continue to navigate the changing landscape of work, many are faced with a myriad of difficult decisions. Should employees return regularly, irregularly, or at all? What digital tools should we invest in and rely on? And how can we build an amazing workplace culture with a partial- or fully-remote staff?

Butterfield and Tejada join Fortune Magazine’s Michal Lev-Ram for a discussion about managing and leading increasingly digital teams. They share their personal experiences, recommendations for fostering meaningful, remote relationships, and the tools they use every day to stay connected. Listen now

7. Pessimist or Realist? A Conversation with Scott Galloway on the Future of Everything

Scott Galloway, professor at NYU Stern, co-host of Pivot, best-selling author, and host of the Prof G Show, joins the podcast with Karen Mangia of Salesforce. In this wide-ranging conversation, they share their perspectives on the long-term economic and social effects of the pandemic, the ever-evolving relationship between consumer and brand, and the rapid acceleration of digital. Listen now

8. The Fallacy of Feedback: A Conversation with Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

“I’d love your feedback …” It’s a phrase we use every day. We say it to our direct reports, co-workers, bosses, and customers. We think that feedback is what we need to grow as individuals and as employees – but what if we told you that the entire way we think about, deliver, and receive feedback is all wrong?

Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall, co-authors of “Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World,” have spent years studying the impact (or lack thereof) of feedback on teams’ success. They have some news for us: Feedback does not create growth. In this discussion, they share the fallacy of feedback, and how managers should really be engaging with their teams to encourage meaningful growth. Listen now

9. Sustainability as a Competitive Advantage: A Conversation with Marriott’s Denise Naguib and Salesforce’s Patrick Flynn

The climate crisis is a complex issue that requires unified action. But what can we do to decrease waste, lower our carbon footprint, and live, work, and play more sustainably?

Denise Naguib is the VP for sustainability and supplier diversity at Marriott International and Patrick Flynn is the VP of sustainability for Salesforce. In this episode, they share what they are doing to make it easier to understand our impact – one data point at a time. They discuss sustainability as a competitive advantage, carbon accounting, the power of partnerships, and how they are using technology to understand the climate crisis – and cure – better than ever before. Listen now

10. Why Hiring Military Veterans Is Good Business: A Conversation with Taylor Justice, Co-Founder and President of Unite Us

In honor of Veterans Day, we spoke to Taylor Justice, who, after leaving the military in 2007, co-founded Unite Us, a tech startup that reached unicorn status this year and is valued at more than $1.6 billion. Taylor discusses how the pain points of his transition from active duty military to civilian inspired him to start his company.

After Taylor, we hear from Sam Allen, the COO of Salesforce.org. He’s a former Marine, and he joins us to talk about Salesforce’s commitment to helping reskill veterans. Listen now

11. Working Toward Company Alignment with Cal Henderson, Slack Co-Founder and CTO, and Genevieve Weber, Salesforce Platform, SVP and COO

Henderson and Weber, chat about how new systems of communication are implemented and how work culture is changing. They also discuss how companies have to adapt quickly and focus on both physical and virtual spaces. Listen now