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Season 2 of the Rooted and Routed Podcast is officially wrapped, and this is your recap.

From authentic voices to deep-dive conversations, this season has been about growth, identity, and navigating change. Thank you to every subscriber, listener, and guest who joined the journey.

As we reflect, we’re also reimagining what’s next. The conversations are evolving in direction, in depth, and in reach.

We’re not just telling stories.
We’re exploring what it takes to begin, to adapt, and to create impact through lived experiences across cultures. Small steps that connect, bridge, and quietly transform lives.

👇 Got someone in mind whose story deserves to be heard?
Nominate a guest for Season 3; we’re always looking for voices that inspire, inform, and challenge the way we see the world.
All nominations will be thoughtfully reviewed by our team.

Drop your nomination in the comments or message us directly with a brief intro to their story.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
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Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

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In part 2 of our conversation, Carlos Ruano unpacks the quiet decisions and systemic gaps many never hear about — from pensions to policy reform, reinvention, and the emotional costs of service.

What We Cover in This Segment:

• Why some diplomats transition into real estate, coaching, or other services tailored to diplomatic families
• How working inside institutions contrasts with entrepreneurship: balancing structure, autonomy, and adaptation
• The emotional decisions behind leaving a diplomatic career to return home — and how priorities shift
• Concrete policy measures Carlos is proposing that require no new resources — just a shift in mindset and internal memos
• The pension dilemma: how years of service lost while following a partner abroad affect long-term security
• Comparative thoughts: Why some countries may already have better support systems for diplomatic families
• How educational systems abroad force families to pick between curricula, bilingual schooling, and cultural continuity
• Carlos’s passion project: linking nutrition with education in high-need areas, and the innovation in bridging ministries
• A touching personal story of a former student whose life was shaped by a radio-based education program
• Reflections on the unseen impact we have on others — sometimes by simply pointing someone toward an opportunity

Tune in to hear how Carlos imagines systems evolving, and how lived experience can push policy toward more human-centered change.

This is only Part 2. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, we encourage you to start there for full context.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/rooted-and-routed-podcast-5782163
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Player FM: https://player.fm/series/rooted-and-routed-podcast

Follow us: https://rootedandrouted.com

Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

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As always, Rooted and Routed isn’t here to deliver headlines. We’re here to hold space for the stories that shape people, quietly and powerfully.
In this part 1 episode, Sabiya sits down with Carlos Ruano — a diplomat, academic, and cultural observer who has lived in 10 countries, worked in international diplomacy, global education, and policy design, and held roles from UN specialist to radio host, academic mentor to diplomatic spouse. He offers layered insights into identity, service, and belonging. His journey isn’t just professional; it’s personal — shaped by systems, family, movement, and meaning.

📌 What We Explore Together:

- How a childhood marked by catastrophe — a major earthquake in Guatemala — became a foundational anchor for resilience and purpose

- What it means to stay grounded when your roles, locations, and responsibilities are in constant motion

- The idea of Liminality — living between identities, between geographies, and between assignments — and learning to adapt through it all

- Why answering “What do you do?” isn’t always simple when your work spans disciplines, borders, and belief systems

- What it means to live both as a diplomat and a diplomatic spouse — and how those shifting roles impact identity, agency, and emotional well-being

- Raising children in diplomatic circles — and the emotional tension between craving stability and growing up in constant movement

- The often overlooked realities of life as diplomatic spouses — and how marriage, mobility, and identity intersect in systems that haven’t caught up with modern family dynamics

- The quiet trade-offs behind a life of global service

🎧 Whether you're part of the global mobility world or simply curious about the lived realities of those who carry purpose across cultures, this episode offers a rare glimpse into what it truly means to serve — not just as an individual, but as a family.

🔔 If you’re here for depth, for human truth, for cultural storytelling beyond the mainstream—this is for you.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/rooted-and-routed-podcast-5782163
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Player FM: https://player.fm/series/rooted-and-routed-podcast

Follow us: https://rootedandrouted.com

Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

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When you build a team across continents, how do you turn multiple worldviews into business results, not chaos?

In this episode, Bindi Basan shares how she created multicultural teams that didn’t just show up, but stood out. We also dive into how she uses her fitness and dance practices as leadership tools; consistency, resilience, focus and how those bleed into work when it matters most.

Keypoints Explored in Part 2:

• Hiring people who don’t think like you — deliberately challenging your blind spots.
• Empowering team members from diverse backgrounds and letting their ideas influence the product and business strategy.
• The importance of creating environments where employees thrive. Even top performers won’t give their best if space to grow is missing.
• Cultural overlaps: When Punjabi values and Egyptian hospitality “meet” in an office — how much more alike we are beneath the surface.
• How fitness taught Bindi the power of consistency, handling pressure, and staying focused when the noise is loud.
• The role of dance (learning choreography, performing) in building cognitive agility, teamwork, and performance under stress.
• The specific example: the Egyptian colleague in Dubai who insisted to host a lunch, as a gesture of respect — and what moments like that reveal about values.
• Why leaders should look beyond just experience and technical prowess — what people do in life outside their career can reveal leadership potential.

Watch or listen to the full episode on Rooted & Routed Podcast available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple & more.

If you've ever led (or been part of) a multicultural team, we'd love to hear:
What is one practice that your team adopted that made cultural collaboration smoother?

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
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Follow us: https://rootedandrouted.com

Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

Send us a text

What happens when your cultural heritage comes from one country, but your upbringing and worldview are shaped by another, and then you return to that ancestral culture as an expat?

In this episode, Sabiya welcomes Bindi Basan, a British-born transformation leader with Punjabi roots, whose global career has taken her from Yorkshire to Mumbai, Dubai, Singapore, and beyond.

Together, they explore the subtle and surprising layers of of identity, leadership, cultural nuance, and unconscious learning.

Key themes explored in this part:

• Navigating leadership as a Third Culture Kid
• What it’s like to be an expat in the country your grandparents called "home"
• Holding onto inherited culture while the homeland evolves
• Language, identity, and the subconscious cultural code-switching
• Hidden blind spots of global leaders and cross-cultural teams
• How intuition and lived experience shape cultural sensitivity
• The reality of being misidentified, and misunderstood, across geographies
• Social etiquette from Japan, to India, and the power of adaptation
• When intuition meets experience: sensing unspoken tensions in diverse teams

Subscribe for Part 2, where we dive deeper into leading with authenticity, resilience, and creative expression.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/rooted-and-routed-podcast-5782163
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Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

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#rootedandroutedpodcast #studententrepreneur

======
CHAPTERS: SEASON 2 - EPISODE 8 - SARAH OLIVIER - PART 2
======
00:00 Coming Up
00:43 Sarah Strides (www.sarah-strides.com) and Sarah's support system
02:42 Living Independently
03:29 Belgian Government's Student Entrepreneur Initiatives
05:41 Ghent University
07:20 Role of personal stories amongst young entrepreneurs
08:58 Which Terrain does Sarah prefer to ride on - Asia or Europe?
10:13 Japalouppe Equestrian Centre in Pune, India
10:48 International Competitions
11:57 Sarah's advise to Expats and Young Entrepreneurs
13:12 Presenting the Veterinary All-in Customer System App (VACS app) at universities
15:15 Forced to adapt to the environment
16:02 Conclusion
16:55 Outro


In this inspiring part 2 episode, Sabiya sits down again with Sarah Oliviers—Belgian equestrian consultant, founder of Sarah Strides, and creator of the VACS app—for an honest deep dive into how she balances her many roles as a student entrepreneur and global equestrian.

🎯 Key Takeaways from this episode:

Routine, Resilience & Relationships
Sarah reveals the power of her personal support system and how meticulous organization (yes, even writing down “clean the kitchen”) helps her juggle riding, business, and vet school.

Founding VACS & Sarah Strides
Get the behind-the-scenes of how VACS was born from lived frustrations in the equestrian industry—and how Sarah’s startup mindset is reshaping vet-client dynamics.

Student Entrepreneurship in Belgium: Expectations vs. Reality
Sarah discusses the real-world challenges of navigating Belgian student-entrepreneur policies—and the gaps in support despite good intentions.

Why Riding in Asia Still Feels Like Home
With rich insights from training in India and Japan, Sarah opens up about how environment, not luxury, makes all the difference in sport and life.

Sarah’s Golden Rule for Growth: Just Ask
From riding lessons with Olympians to university speaking gigs, Sarah shares how asking—with confidence and clarity—has opened doors throughout her journey.

💡 Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, an equestrian, or a globally-raised student wondering how to carve your own path—Sarah’s story offers valuable lessons, practical insights, and a whole lot of encouragement.

📲 Follow Sarah's journey:
Instagram: @sarahs.strides.official
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-oliviers-411540357
Sarah's Website: https://www.sarahs-strides.com
Veterinary All-in Customer System App (VACS app): https://www.vacs.vet

📺 Don’t forget to Like, Subscribe, and hit the bell 🔔 for more inspiring stories from global minds!

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
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Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

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What’s it really like growing up as an expat kid—and how does that shape your future?

In this powerful episode, host Sabiya Pathan Withoeck sits down with Sarah Oliviers, a Belgian veterinary student, international show jumper, and tech founder, to share her incredible journey—from discovering horse riding in Pune, India, to launching a veterinary admin app called VACS.

In Part 1, we cover:

• Sarah’s early days riding and competing in India—and how community shaped her passion.
• The cultural shift from collective sports in Asia to individual competition in Europe.
• Her academic transition back to Dutch-language university life in Belgium.
• How growing up between India, France, and Belgium built adaptability and depth.
• Lessons learned from training with Olympic-level riders—and what not to copy.
• Why the bond with her horses is non-negotiable.
• The story behind VACS: a startup born from frustrating vet bills and a gap in the market.

This is our first episode featuring an expat kid as the guest, not the subject—and Sarah’s story proves just how grounded, entrepreneurial, and insightful the next generation can be.

Key takeaway: Cross-cultural experiences don’t scatter identity—they sharpen it.

Don’t miss Part 2, where we go deeper into her entrepreneurial journey, startup development, and the future of vet tech in Europe.

Subscribe & hit the bell to stay updated! Share this episode with someone who grew up between worlds—or is building their own.

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/rooted-and-routed-podcast/5204852
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Follow us: https://rootedandrouted.com

Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.

Send us a text

In this heartfelt Part 2 episode, media founder, writer, and PhD researcher Joanna Dukkipati joins Sabiya Pathan Withoeck for a rich, reflective conversation that flows from food and migration to parenting and decolonising language, to claiming space and redefining inclusion.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

- Food as a thread of identity:
Joanna shares her new documentary project exploring ethnic food stores as cultural lifelines for migrant communities in Ireland. What does craving a vegetable like tindli or okra reveal about homesickness, identity, and access?

- The gaps in representation in Irish media:
From token diversity to accent biases, Joanna speaks candidly about the blind spots that persist—and how meaningful representation starts with equity in decision-making.

- Third-culture parenting:
Raising her son as a third-culture child has prompted Joanna to rethink language, cultural conditioning, and the responsibility of curating belonging.

- Accents, bias & reclaiming narrative power:
They dive deep into how colonial mindsets shape accent biases, language fluency, and assumptions in media and social spaces—and why we must consciously decolonise our ears.

- Why stepping away is also leadership:
Joanna reflects on her decision to transition from day-to-day operations of Good Day Cork, a platform she founded, and how it’s blossomed through collective leadership.

- Hopes for future storytellers:
From wearing saris in every space to breaking norms through softness, Joanna shares her hopes for a generation of storytellers who lead with courage, nuance, and care.

This episode is for anyone navigating questions of identity, language, parenthood, inclusion, or simply trying to stay rooted in their values while evolving with grace.

Listen now or watch the full episode. Like, share, and comment if this conversation resonates with you.

#RootedAndRouted #GoodDayCork

🎧 Available now on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SIZRiApXjy4UzKVP1Yrzv
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1755695962
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9fdd33e4-4e7a-4be7-b7c6-9f2ce76c5580/rooted-and-routed-podcast
Podcast Index: https://podcastindex.org/podcast/6956558
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Player FM: https://player.fm/series/rooted-and-routed-podcast

Follow us: https://rootedandrouted.com

Join us and dive into the fascinating world of expat life. Your journey towards connection, culture, and community starts here.