The HBO series John Oliver had a truly epic season finale a few weeks ago when the host literally blew up 2016 after numerous people had flipped it the bird.
While many people may have considered 2016 a bit of a disappointment on the world scene, I end the year feeling like I have a lot to be grateful for.
One of the things I am always grateful for is Personality Hacker’s weekly podcast.
Joel and Antonia started the Personality Hacker podcast at the beginning of 2014. Their first episode was “Setting Intentions With A Family Mantra.” In that episode, they talked about their purpose in creating the podcast:
“The point of Personality Hacker is fundamentally to use your own mind, leverage your natural talents, and build skills around those talents to optimize things like relationships and work productivity so you can be a happier person and the best version of yourself.”
Since that cold winter day in January 2014, Antonia and Joel have never taken a week off from the podcast. There is a podcast for every week of the year – even if family obligations or illness may postpone its release – there will still be 52 podcasts recorded a year.
In the spring of 2015, Personality Hacker released its second podcast – PHQ. Since then, 54 PHQ podcasts have addressed the personal questions submitted by you, the PH community.
Podcast Milestones for 2016
Now that we have had a brief history of the Personality Hacker Podcast, here are some of the milestones from 2016:
- Reached 100 Episodes (not counting PHQs)
- Exceeded 2 million downloads
- Set up Speakpipe on the PHQ Question Form so people can record their own voices asking questions.
- Made the podcast available on multiple platforms, such as:
The Personality Hacker podcast is downloaded all over the world. What are people saying about it?
Here are some of the recent comments made by podcast listeners:
- “Thanks to both of you for all the great information you continue to provide.”
- “I’ve begun making a diagram of every person in my personal sphere who has indirectly been served by Personality Hacker in a positive way. It reveals that your effect is larger and more impactful than you know! I’m grateful for Personality Hacker.”
- “Just found this podcast! Wow, what a great in-depth discussion. I’ve known for quite awhile that I’m an INFP but have never really taken/had the time to really understand what that means until now. This podcast had me in tears at times (not to be dramatic) simply because I experienced a form of validation.”
- “I appreciate your quest to deepen your knowledge of Jungian typology and your willingness to share it. I have learned much from this podcast, which has helped me with my clients.”
- “I cannot rate this podcast’s value in my life right now highly enough. – INFJ”
12 Best Podcasts of 2016
If you’re anything like me, you love “Best of… “ lists that come out at the end of every year. It’s always exciting to see if your favorites make the list, or if you may have missed a particularly good episode.
So, what were the most popular Personality Hacker podcast episodes of 2016? Based upon the number of downloads, here they are:
#12 – Using The 7 Chakras For Personal Growth (July 4)
As a Massage Therapist and an INFJ, I have to admit this is one of my favorite episodes. Antonia and Joel’s intention in this episode was to bridge the gap between the esoteric world of Chakras and the most concrete world of societal maps and models. They adapted the 7 Chakras to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and asked their listeners to open their minds to new ways of seeing reality.
(For more information on Chakras, check out Antonia’s article “Chakra Exercises for Highly Sensitive People.”)
#11 Healthy Extravert Personality Types (Part 2): ESFP, ESTP, ENFP, ENTP (April 25)
This past spring, the Personality Hacker podcast did a series on how each personality type shows up in its healthiest manifestation. This set truly demonstrated the depth of knowledge Joel and Antonia have for typology. They broke each episode into groups that show similar behaviors when healthy and unhealthy. For instance, did you know that you can tell when an EP is healthy or unhealthy by the way they make people around them feel? If an EP is making someone feel unsafe, it indicates they aren’t in a healthy place. An EP that has mastered their introverted copilot will have a steady energy and make people feel secure around them.
#10 How To Get Better At Personality Typing (November 28)
This podcast came out just a few weeks ago as an introduction to our flagship program, Profiler Training. It has proved very popular with our listening audience. We like to encourage everyone to seek understanding of all who they encounter. We think this creates compassion and prevents misunderstandings. This podcast covered the dichotomies – Introvert/Extravert, iNtuitive/Sensor, Thinker/Feeler, Perceiver/Judger – and had a treasure trove of useful information for all the MBTI fans.
#9 Healthy Extravert Personality Types (Part 1): ENTJ, ESTJ, ENFJ, ESFJ (April 18)
Part one of the series that was released last spring covers all the EJs and how they can show up as healthy manifestations of their types. One thing Antonia said again and again during this series was, “When we are unhealthy we can look very different from each other. But healthy looks the same.” This is a handy hack into our own personalities and can give us a target for our personal growth. For instance, healthy EJs are grounded, focused, and more likely to prefer a few intimate connections over a plethora of shallow ones.
#8 Your Inferior Cognitive Function (August 1)
Number 8 on our list of the most downloaded podcasts also involves typology. On occasion, we run into someone who feels they are equally adept at all the cognitive functions in their stack – even their inferior function (aka Blind Spot). In this podcast, Antonia and Joel discuss what it means to be good at something. The example that stands out in my mind is their illustration of Extraverted Thinking (Te). Somebody may think they are pretty good at making to do lists and checking the goals off one by one, but that doesn’t indicate Te is a strength. When Te is a strength, it can create (and delegate) the plans for a cross country, super highway system with all the necessary on-ramps and off-ramps – and do it in a way that will be sustainable. If the idea of doing that makes your head explode, you may not have Extraverted Thinking as a strength.
#7 Working In The Career You Want (October 24)
This was another one of my favorites this year. Antonia and Joel shared their personal experiences in the job market and the lessons they learned along the way. The two lessons that stood out the most were: 1) Do something outrageous. Don’t force yourself to fit into the templatized world, and 2) Try new things. If they fail, try again. A lot of entrepreneurs have a ton of false starts before they hit the thing that works.
#6 Healing The Inner Child with Merja Sumiloff (June 20)
In this podcast, Joel and Antonia interview Merja about her findings with inner child work and self-parenting. One of her statements stands out to me: “Our life’s purpose lies hidden underneath the deepest wounds.” Heal the wounds and discover the gifts you are meant to bring to the world.
#5 Attachment Theory In Relationships (June 13)
Bruce Muzik of Love At First Fight did us the honor of recording two podcasts last spring (check out the other one here). This podcast on Attachment Theory discusses how our upbringing affects the way we interact in relationships. He analyzed three types of relationship characteristics: 1) Hailstorm, 2) Turtle, and 3) Fearful Avoidant. I’m still in awe at how precisely he described features I have seen in relationships around me and how perfectly they mirror the harm brought on by an insecure upbringing.
#4 Healthy Introvert Personality Types (Part 3): ISTP, ISFP, INTP, INFP (May 2)
Part 3 of the series last spring examined the healthy manifestations of the IP personalities. Once again, healthy types are healthy in the same way. So, what common trait do healthy IPs possess? They are unstoppable!
#3 How Personality Types Manage Energy (March 14)
A large portion of our audience is introverted. One thing introverts desire is greater energy, which they can only gain through improved energy management. In this podcast, Antonia and Joel discuss the cognitive functions we use that juice up our energy and the ones that have a tendency to drain our energy. Have you ever felt like you were in a cycle where every day was a bad day? Well, there is a solution for that. Check out the podcast!
#2 Healthy Introvert Personality Types (Part 4): ISFJ, ISTJ, INFJ, INTJ (July 4)
The final episode of this four-part series also happens to be the highest rated. I know I have mentioned how healthy types all have similarities, but that doesn’t mean health equals stereotypes. In this podcast, we were reminded that health and personal growth transcend stereotypes. And the healthiest manifestation of IJs? They aren’t victims. Now, would you call that a stereotype? If so, sign me up!
Honorable mention
You know when you are watching some reality show, and they go to a commercial break just before the final reveal? Don’t you hate that?!
Before we announce the most downloaded podcast for 2016 (and an extra bonus), I am going to mention a few of the runners-up:
Three Styles Of Relationships with Jayson Gaddis (February 22)
This podcast stands out in my mind as one of the most compelling of the year. I am reminded of his description of the three types of relationships. Do you remember what they are?
- Playful
- Comfortable
- Growth Oriented
Do you remember which one was a recipe for success? I recommend listening to the podcast again to gain greater clarity as to why one is to be preferred over the other two.
Neuroscience Of Personality With Dr. Dario Nardi (December 5)
This one just came out, and it has already garnered a lot of attention. Dario is hooking people’s brains up to an EEG and tracking their personality through brain waves. His insights into some of the personalities were fascinating. For instance, did you know ENFPs are the most homogeneous of all the types? Their brains look the most like every other ENFP. Check out the podcast and Dario’s book The Neuroscience of Personality. If typology is going to make it into the realm of hard science, Dario will be the one who helps us get there!
Can You Control Your Emotions? (September 12)
One of the most controversial podcasts we’ve ever done came out late last summer in response to some kick back Joel was receiving after posting a video on controlling emotion. This podcast is a direct response to some of the feedback he was getting that emotions are not positive or negative. In this podcast, Joel defends his approach and explains his observations in greater detail.
And now for the moment we have all been waiting.
Drum roll, please.
Without further adieu…
The #1 Podcast of 2016 is:
#1 How Types Say “I Love You” (February 1)
We always make February relationship month, and this last February was no exception. Antonia and Joel took an article Antonia had written the previous year and turned it into a podcast – and people loved it! This is the most downloaded podcast for 2016!
They carefully analyzed each judging function and revealed how it expresses love and receives it. I listened to this one twice and learned some intriguing insights about myself and my loved ones. If you haven’t listened to it, I encourage you to do so. If you have listened to it – do it again! I know you will discover something you missed the first time. I wonder what Joel and Antonia have in store for us this February?
But, wait…
We’re not done yet.
I promised you a bonus.
Do you want to know the most downloaded podcast episode of all time?
Are you sure?
INFJ personality type Advice (October 6, 2014)
This podcast blows every other podcast out of the water in regards to downloads (50,000 downloads) and comments (226 comments). INFJs may represent only 1.46% of the population, but we keep tripping over them here at Personality Hacker. They represent our largest demographic and their thirst for knowledge is never ending.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the listeners who have made 2016 a year of milestones. This podcast wouldn’t have made it this far without the loyalty of our listeners. Keep tuning in as we make 2017 better than ever!
So, what do you think? This podcast list was based on downloads alone. No other specs were considered, like comments or Facebook shares. Do you agree with this list? Did you have some favorites you would have liked to see? What, in your opinion, was the best podcast of 2016?
Want to learn more?
Discover Your Personal Genius
Share:
12 Best Articles of 2016
Developing Authenticity for ESFPs and ENFPs
1 comment
Love this Charis! <3