Real Simple magazine has been a favorite of MARKETLINK principal Stephanie Craft since it was first published in 2000. When she learned of a podcast from the writers and editors of the magazine, she was excited to hear what was offered.

The podcasts offer four separate topics to appeal to any listener’s taste: Labor of Love, Things Cooks Know, Adulthood Made Easy, and I Want To Like You. Stephanie enjoys the freedom the format offers. “I can decide which topic I want to listen to based on my mood or what sounds interesting to me at the moment,” she explains.

Just like the magazine, the podcasts give smart and reasonable solutions for everyday challenges. In a recent Things Cooks Know episode, Stephanie learned about the basic items one should keep in a kitchen pantry and how long those items last. “I discovered which food items should be rotated out --- like spices. I think I’ve had some bottles in my cupboard for ten years!” she confesses.

Her favorite podcast topic – I Want To Like You – features experts to help you deal with challenging people, or shall we say, people with certain personality types who may be oversharers, complainers, passive-aggressive, lazy, or messy eaters. “It’s people we all work with, live with, are friends with, or are related to!” laughs Stephanie. What did she learn? “Each podcast helped me understand why they are the way they are. And I learned about myself and how to be a better person.”

Stephanie’s top takeaway is a simple and beautiful one: We’re all human. “When I listen, I’m reminded none of us is perfect and as we learn to better adapt to each other, we’re also improving ourselves.”

Real Simple’s 207 timeless episodes were produced between 2015 and 2017. Labor of Love and Adulthood Made Easy episodes are also included in their own separate podcasts.