Your Neighbourhood Show By Ubuntu Foundation
Theme:
Your Neighborhood Show is a podcast by the Ubuntu Foundation about building and celebrating community. Hosted by Carolyn, the series delves into the universal human experience of connection and disconnection, highlighting personal stories of belonging, resilience, and community-building.
Purpose:
Through heartfelt conversations and inspiring stories, the podcast aims to normalize moments of disconnection in life, explore ways to overcome them, and celebrate the power of human connections in enriching lives. Carolyn’s own journey of rediscovering community after moving across countries serves as the foundation for the series.
Key Focus Areas:
- Stories of Connection and Disconnection:
Real-life stories from diverse guests about their struggles and triumphs in finding belonging. - Community-Building Strategies:
Insights and practical tips for fostering meaningful relationships and building supportive networks. - Highlighting Inclusive Initiatives:
Featuring organizations and initiatives that create spaces of belonging for marginalized groups, promote peace, or bring people together. - Personal Growth Through Community:
Exploring how connecting with others fosters personal transformation, resilience, and happiness.
Target Audience:
Anyone who has felt disconnected, seeks a sense of belonging, or is passionate about building stronger, more inclusive communities. Whether you’re a neighborhood advocate, a community leader, or just someone searching for ways to connect, this podcast provides stories and strategies that inspire and resonate.
Why It’s Unique:
Rooted in Carolyn’s own experiences of culture, migration, and resilience, Your Neighborhood Show brings warmth and authenticity to conversations about community. By sharing deeply personal and diverse stories, the series humanizes the universal need for connection and offers listeners actionable ways to build their own network of support and belonging.
Your Neighbourhood Show By Ubuntu Foundation
Episode 13 - Failing Forward: Jordan’s Journey From Numbness to Self-Love
Content Warning: This episode includes discussions of emotional trauma, depression, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.
🎯 Episode Synopsis
In this deeply heartfelt and emotionally resonant episode of Your Neighborhood Show, host Carolyn sits down with her 21-year-old nephew, Jordan Lobo, to explore his powerful journey through childhood joy, adolescent trauma, and eventual emotional healing. From the innocent games of early childhood to the crushing betrayal of his closest friend, Jordan opens up with rare vulnerability about the experiences that shaped him—and nearly broke him.
Listeners are taken on a raw, honest path through depression, emotional masking, and isolation as Jordan navigates years of silence and self-loathing. But this isn't a story of despair—it’s one of resilience and transformation. With honesty, insight, and grace, Jordan recounts how a single conversation with his father sparked a radical shift in how he approached failure, leading to a year of profound self-recovery and emotional reawakening.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who’s ever struggled with vulnerability, identity, or mental health—and especially for those learning how to be kind to themselves again.
đź“Ś Episode Breakdown
00:00 – 04:00 | Welcome & Introduction
Carolyn introduces the show and its mission: celebrating the full human experience—connection and disconnection alike. She warmly welcomes her nephew and guest, Jordan Lobo.
04:01 – 11:00 | Childhood Joy & Funny Family Stories
Jordan shares playful and heartwarming childhood stories, from his mother’s clever tricks to cleaning up after parties to his love for Sudoku with his grandfather.
11:01 – 17:30 | The Prank That Changed Everything
Jordan recounts a traumatic incident of emotional betrayal by his best friend, leading to a deep loss of trust and the beginning of emotional masking.
17:31 – 27:00 | Boarding School and the Masks We Wear
Jordan opens up about creating a persona to hide his true self in boarding school—one built on academic success, fitness, and humor—all while internally struggling.
27:01 – 33:00 | Life-Altering Moment on a Hiking Trip
A near-death moment during a school hiking trip triggers a realization: he no longer values his own life—a haunting but pivotal turning point.
33:01 – 39:30 | Lockdown, Love, and Isolation
Jordan discusses the emotional complexities of living with his girlfriend during lockdown, the toxic fallout, and how emotional numbness began consuming him.
39:31 – 44:00 | Failing School, Failing Self – And a Father’s Words
After failing his final school board exams and losing his identity pillars, Jordan hits rock bottom. A conversation with his father introduces the idea of “failing forward.”
44:01 – 47:30 | One Year of Self-Healing
Jordan shares how taking a year off before university gave him the space to slowly rebuild—starting with simply acknowledging his pain and forgiving his failures.
47:31 – 48:00 | Final Reflection
Jordan’s advice to his future self: “Stop being your own worst critic.” A powerful closing reminder that growth begins with compassion—especially for yourself.
✨ Themes Explored:
Emotional masking and teenage trauma
The power of storytelling and self-reflection
Healing from depression and self-loathing
The importance of vulnerability and parental support
Redefining failure as a path to growth
📢 Perfect For:
Teens and young adults navigating identity and mental health
Parents seeking insight into the inner world of their kids
Listeners who appreciate raw, emotional storytelling with real-life lessons