Rooted and Routed Podcast
Rooted & Routed is a podcast built on human stories and lived experience from lives shaped by global mobility.
Hosted by Sabiya Pathan Withoeck, the podcast explores identity, belonging, and the real human impact of living between cultures, countries, and systems.
Through thoughtful, unfiltered conversations, Rooted & Routed brings forward voices shaped by cross-border lives, including expats, returnees, diplomats, leaders, founders, educators, parents, and third-culture individuals.
This is not a podcast about relocation checklists or surface-level expat stories. It is a space for real conversations that help listeners make sense of what global lives demand — emotionally, structurally, and personally, and what they quietly produce in return: empathy, adaptability, judgment, and perspective.
Across episodes, the podcast examines lived experience alongside the systems and ecosystems that surround global mobility; from work, education, and leadership to policy, culture, and family life, without losing the human lens.
Rooted & Routed is for anyone navigating life between worlds, and for those building, leading, or supporting global mobility ecosystems who want a deeper understanding grounded in real lives, not abstractions.
🎙 New episodes available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.
Rooted and Routed Podcast
From HORSEBACK in INDIA to Consulting in BELGIUM: SARAH’s Equestrian Path
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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.
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Rooted and Routed is a global mobility and cross-cultural storytelling podcast hosted by Sabiya Pathan Withoeck. New episodes every week.
Follow the show:
Instagram: @rootedandrouted
LinkedIn: Rooted and Routed
YouTube: @rootedandrouted
Website: https://www.rootedandrouted.com
Follow Sabiya:
LinkedIn: Sabiya Pathan Withoeck
For guest collaborations, sponsorships, and media inquiries:
info@rootedandrouted.com
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