Rooted and Routed Podcast
Hosted by Sabiya Pathan
Conversations on the hidden costs and unexpected gains of building a life between countries, hosted by an Indian-Belgian family in India.
A dual-format podcast. The main show features Sabiya Pathan Withoeck conducting in-depth interviews with individuals who have lived across multiple countries, focusing on the emotional and identity-level impact. A recurring 'special series' shifts the format, currently following the 2026 FIFA World Cup with her husband and son as a way to explore culture through the lens of a global sport.
“The show's power comes from its host's direct, personal stake in its central questions of identity and belonging. Unlike theoretical discussions, it's grounded in the lived reality of raising a cross-cultural family, blending deep interviews with a unique, family-centric sports series.”
Who hosts this show
Hosted by Sabiya Pathan Withoeck—rooted in India and reshaped in Europe—Rooted and Routed explores the nuanced reality of living between cultures. Through long-form interviews with expats, diplomats, and founders, the show unpacks themes of identity, belonging, and reverse culture shock. It is built on lived experience, as Sabiya raises an Indian-Belgian family in India, often featuring her husband and son. A recurring special series also follows the family's cross-cultural lens on the FIFA World Cup.
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01South Africa vs Canada: A Father and Son PredictJun 28, 2026 · 47s
- 02A Belgian Father and Son Predict the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round 1 #footballJun 20, 2026 · 16 min
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08The Expat Feels Home. The Local Feels Foreign. | Dieter Withoeck | #Belgium #IndiaMay 27, 2026 · 35 min
Notable episodes
- 01The Expat Feels Home. The Local Feels Foreign. | Dieter Withoeck
This episode with the host's husband perfectly encapsulates the show's core premise, exploring collectivist vs. individualist societies and the feeling of being an outsider in one's own home.
- 02A Belgian Father and Son Predict the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round 1
Introduces the unique special series format, showcasing the family dynamic and a different lens on cross-cultural life through sport.
What you'll be asked on this show
Sabiya Pathan Withoeck's interview style is deeply personal and conversational, leveraging her own cross-cultural experiences to build rapport. She often opens with broad cultural themes before diving into a guest's specific personal and professional journey. By sharing her own anecdotes and relating them to the guest's story—as seen in the interview with her husband—she creates a true dialogue rather than a simple Q&A. She skillfully transitions between high-level cultural concepts, specific business topics, and intimate personal reflections.
The primary format is a relaxed, long-form interview where the host, Sabiya, often shares her own experiences to build a dialogue with her guest. A second, distinct format is used for the FIFA World Cup series, where Sabiya acts as an off-screen moderator, guiding a structured prediction segment with her husband and son.
Questions Sabiya Pathan keeps coming back to
6 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Sabiya Pathan reaches for it.
personal
3- Q.01
“How do family and social connections differ between Europe and India?”
She asks this to establish the core cultural tension between collectivist and individualist societies.
- Q.02
“Does the weather impact how you feel and socialize?”
This question explores how environmental factors can influence social behavior and personal well-being.
- Q.03
“If you could combine one tradition from Belgium and India, what would that festival look like?”
A creative closing question meant to end the conversation on a light, imaginative note.
advice
1- Q.01
“Do you think there's a need for reintegration support when you return to your home country?”
This question is used to probe the often-overlooked challenge of reverse culture shock for expats.
future
1- Q.01
“What can you say about the growing business opportunities between India and Flanders?”
A question designed to transition from personal experience to professional expertise on bilateral trade.
process
1- Q.01
“How was your experience being part of the Belgian economic delegation to India?”
This seeks a first-hand account of a specific, high-level professional event.
Signature segments
- · FIFA World Cup Special Series
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically expats, returnees, diplomats, or founders with deep experience navigating life between countries. The show books people who can speak to the personal and professional challenges of a global life, such as the Belgian General Manager of a logistics company in India.
- Dieter Withoeckon The Expat Feels Home. The Local Feels Foreign.
- Elias Withoeckon A Belgian Father and Son Predict the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round 1 #football
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
No sponsors or advertisements were detected in the analyzed episodes.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Sabiya Pathan
People also ask
- What is the format of the Rooted and Routed Podcast?
- The show has two formats: long-form interviews with people who live between cultures, and a special series where the host's family discusses the FIFA World Cup.
- Who is the host of the podcast?
- The podcast is hosted by Sabiya Pathan Withoeck, who is from India, has lived in Europe, and is now raising an Indian-Belgian family in India.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast is actively releasing episodes, with the most recent content being a special series on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Who are the father and son in the FIFA prediction episodes?
- The predictors are Dieter and Elias Withoeck, the host's Belgian husband and their son.
- What is the main focus of the podcast?
- The show focuses on honest conversations about identity, belonging, and the hidden costs and unexpected gains of building a life between countries and cultures.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
Podcasts like Rooted and Routed Podcast
PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE
PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE
Um podcast brasileiro de longa duração onde dois apresentadores entrevistam médiuns, mentores e especialistas sobre suas experiências paranormais e estruturas espirituais.
Silicon Valley Girl
Silicon Valley Girl
An entrepreneur interviews the founders and scientists building the next wave of AI to uncover practical strategies for career and business growth.
The Arena
The Arena
A daily sports debate show where 3-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and a panel of former pros give unfiltered takes on basketball news.
Backstage with Millionaires
Pankaj Chauhan
A weekly news show and documentary-style channel breaking down the biggest stories and trends in the Indian startup and venture capital ecosystem.
Thomas Brush
Thomas Brush
A podcast for aspiring indie game developers, hosted by a solo dev who interviews peers about the practical and emotional journey of making games.
The Founder's Dream | Abhishek vyas
The Founder
A Hindi-language business podcast featuring long-form interviews with Indian startup founders about their real-world journeys and industries.
Rusty Quill Podcasts
Rusty Quill Podcasts
A network feed from a London-based production house specializing in full-cast speculative fiction and horror audio dramas.
HAHA Podcast
Three Korean-American sisters and YouTubers bring their chaotic, unfiltered group chat to a weekly video podcast.