So let's get started with my coaching podcast recommendation. And that is a lovely show called Mind Witchery by Natalie Miller. So I really love Natalie Miller. I first became familiar with her and her work when she was a part of Rachael Rogers, “We Should All Be Millionaires Club”, she was one of the coaches there. She has since moved on, and really gone all in on her own coaching business. And her podcast Mind Witchery is such a lovely introduction to who she is as a coach, and what she stands for. Each episode is so beautifully produced. And she combines her personal experience with practical wisdom to help us live better lives. Natalie is not afraid of a little woo, and neither am I. And so I really appreciate how she also pulls in her familiarity with astrology and with more metaphysical elements. So fair warning, if that is not your speed, this might not be the show for you. But even still, I would encourage you to at least give it a listen. Because when she is talking about ways that we can treat ourselves more kindly and more compassionately, ways that we can manage our own anxiety, or our own inner critic, and how we can show up and really lead lives that are more fulfilling and more enjoyable. There's so much wisdom in what she has to share in this podcast. So, I cannot recommend highly enough that you check out Mind Witchery by Natalie Miller, it has been one of the most delightful inspiring shows that I have listened to all year. Every time I listen to her voice, it feels like I'm being wrapped in a hug. So if you're looking for that gentle, compassionate, and yet highly actionable podcast, Mind Witchery is definitely for you. So Mind Witchery is my number one coaching podcast from 2021. Now because of the nature of my work, I listened to a ton of business related podcasts as well. And one of my very favorites is the Online Business Show with Tyler J. McCall. Now this has been a really interesting year for that show, and for Tyler himself. And he has shared on the podcast a lot about his own personal and professional evolution this year. And so where we began with the show in 2021, is a little different than where we've landed at the end of 2021. And I am so grateful that he is sharing his transformation with us. One of the things I most appreciated was that he took a social media sabbatical for about 90 days over the summer. During that time, he was really able to reflect on how he wanted to move forward in his business, what was working, what wasn't working, and what he wanted to stand for. Some of you may be familiar with Tyler's work in the world of Instagram; he runs the Follower to Fan Society. And he is really who I think of as the go-to expert for all things Instagram related. But as many of us who run online businesses know, we often outgrow our initial niche, or our initial programs. And I get the sense that that's what's happened to Tyler this year. He's realized that he's able to have a tremendous impact in the online business space. And it's not just limited to Instagram marketing. And so by taking that social media sabbatical, by giving himself the time and the space to really get clear on who he is and what's important to him, he was able to create an entirely new vision and mission for his business. And it's really exciting to see what he's creating now and how he's choosing to serve people in the online business space. He's also bringing on wonderful guest experts to speak about topics that are relevant to online business owners. So whether you explore his back catalogue, or whether you just get started with some of his more recent episodes from the fourth quarter of 2021, I know that you are going to find tremendous value in the Online Business Show. So search for the Online Business Show with Tyler J. McCall. And I think you will find that to be an extraordinarily helpful resource for you in 2022. So we've talked coaching, we've talked business, I want to switch gears a bit and talk about one of my favorite podcasts in a genre that I listened to quite a bit, which is news programming. In 2021, I made the conscious decision to cut back on how much news I was watching on television. Because I find that the visual images that I see on the news really stay with me, to the point where sometimes they're almost haunting. And while I think it's important that we are aware and informed citizens. I also knew that consuming news via television was not in my best interests. So I have turned to podcasts as my primary way of staying informed. So I listened to a ton of NPR podcasts. I listen to Up First every morning. I listened to Consider This at the end of the day. The NPR Politics Podcast is one of my favorites. I love The Indicator and Planet Money. I basically listened to just about every NPR show out there. And so I get a lot of news that way. But my favorite news oriented podcast of 2021 is not an NPR show. In fact, I would say it's more of an indie podcast. Some of you may be familiar with it. It's called Pantsuit Politics. So this show has been around since 2015. But I have to admit, I was a late comer to it. I didn't discover it until this year. But once I did, I was hooked. Because I so appreciate the way the co-hosts, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, approach news, and politics, and current events in a way that to use their word is quite nuanced. So even between the two of them, they don't always agree on everything. And yet they know how to have a conversation that is respectful while exploring different perspectives of a given topic. Honestly, I think if more people in the world could take a nuanced approach to what is happening around us, we would be in a much better position to connect with and communicate with each other instead of what we're seeing as the increasing polarization between people and communities. So that's one of the reasons that I love Pantsuit Politics, is because of its nuanced exploration of these issues. I also very briefly had a chance to meet Sarah, at the Podcast Movement Conference in August, she and Beth were on a panel. That was phenomenal. It really was one of my highlights for that conference. And I can tell you just from my brief interaction with her, what you hear on the podcast is what you get in real life. She and Beth truly care about the show and their listeners, and they want to help all of us be more informed and more empowered citizens. And I just think that is such a beautiful mission. So if you enjoy news podcasts and you enjoy politics podcasts, you will certainly want to check out Pantsuit Politics. It's definitely my number one news podcast of 2021. So let's wrap up this week's minisode with something a little lighthearted and fun, and that is probably my overall favorite podcast of 2021, which is By the Book. Now, full admission. I have been listening to By the Book for at least five years. I mean, this show's been around a while, but I have so enjoyed this last season. It has been absolutely delightful. So if you're not familiar with the premise of By the Book, the two co-hosts, Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg, choose a self help book and they live by it for two weeks. Then the podcast is their discussion of what it was like to live by that book and ultimately whether they would recommend it or not. It is such a smart and funny podcast, and each season they typically have a different theme. So a couple seasons ago, they chose “self-help book throughout the ages”. So they looked at what was the most popular or most timeless self help book from a given decade. That was really interesting. During the pandemic, they had a season that was really more devoted to hearth and home since so many of us were spending time at home because of being quarantined or choosing to social distance. But this last season was just so fun and so delightful because they looked at self help books that were written by celebrities. And it was such a fascinating look at the intersection of celebrity culture and the self help industry. And what I found so interesting is that the celebrities whose books you think would probably be all fluff, were actually some of the most actionable and helpful books. Whereas some of the books written by celebrities that you'd think “oh, yeah, this is definitely going to be a good one”, wound up being their least favorites. Again, I don't want to spoil anything for you. So go ahead and find the By the Book podcast on your podcast player, you'll find it pretty much anywhere. And take a listen to this last season. I think you will be absolutely delighted by it. I so appreciate how they are able to weave humor and fun with some very serious topics. They do not shy away from talking about racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia. This is a very progressive show. And yet, they also don't take themselves too seriously. I think they really hit the sweet spot on this, and I have a feeling you'll enjoy the show just as much as I do. So that's it, my friends. Those are my four top podcasts from 2021. Mind Witchery with Natalie Miller, The Online Business Show with Tyler J. McCall, Pantsuit Politics with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. And finally, By the Book with Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg. You can find links to all four of these podcasts in this episode show notes page, which you can find at CoachwithClarity.com/2021podcasts. Now, these podcasts really represent just a fraction of so many good podcasts that I had the opportunity to listen to this year, and I'm on the hunt for some new ones to add to my podcast feed. So if you have a podcast you think I should be listening to, let me know. Come send me a DM over on Instagram, I'm @CoachwithClarity. Or hit me up in my inbox the email is info@CoachwithClarity.com. 

Okay friends, that is it for me today and when we next connect, it will be 2022. We are about to start a brand new year together. And I have to say, as 2021 comes to a close, I think back over my highlights and all that I have to be grateful for this show and specifically you are at the top of my list. I am just so thankful that I have the opportunity to create the show week after week and that you are out there listening to it and letting me know your thoughts. Nothing delights me more than getting a DM or an email with your thoughts about the show. It is such a privilege to make the show but honestly I could not do it alone. I am very grateful to my Operations Manager and all around Wonder Woman, Robyn Blanton. She is extraordinary and I could not do the work I do for Coach with Clarity without her. I am also tremendously thankful to Brittany Felix and Alex Stennett over at Podcasting for Coaches. They are my production team who helped make sure that I sound good every week for you. And let me tell you if you are not listening to Brittany's podcast Podcasting for Coaches, you need to be listening to it if you want to start your own podcast or if you want to be a guest on other people's podcasts. There is so much valuable information in Brittany’s show. So there's your bonus podcast recommendation for today's show. And in fact we will drop a link to my interview on Podcasting for Coaches so you can get an idea of what Brittany show is like, it is so good and I know you're going to want to subscribe. I hope that you have a joyous and safe end to 2021, and I cannot wait to spend 2022 with you. We have some really exciting shows planned for you and some new developments over here at Coach with Clarity HQ. So more to come on that in the new year. But for now, my name is Lee Chaix McDonough, wishing you a very Happy New Year and reminding you to get out there and show the world what it means to be a Coach with Clarity.