The Swades Podcast

Jay Panjwani

The Swades Podcast 🎙 is a space for real, unfiltered conversations about courage, resilience, and the human spirit. 🌍 From students finding their way in education to entrepreneurs building businesses against the odds, every episode highlights stories of struggle, strength, and inspiration. ✨ Hosted by Jay Panjwani – educator, storyteller, and digital marketing lecturer – the podcast shares journeys that remind us we’re never alone in our challenges. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jaypanjwani

  1. 10h ago

    From NBC to Finland: A Life Shaped by Culture, Courage & Curiosity | Barbara Crawford | TSP017

    What can a lifetime of living, working, teaching, and communicating across cultures teach us about people? In this episode of The Swades Podcast, Jay Panjwani sits down with Barbara Crawford, an intercultural communication expert, consultant, educator, and former journalist, for a deeply personal conversation about career, culture, identity, resilience, and finding belonging far from home. Barbara’s journey has taken her across careers and cultures — from journalism and her experiences connected with NBC in the United States to eventually building a new chapter of her life in Finland. She reflects on persistence, rejection, unexpected career changes, moving to another country, becoming an educator, and discovering new strengths at different stages of life. The conversation also explores why intercultural communication matters in increasingly multicultural universities, workplaces, and societies. What happens when people with very different cultural backgrounds study and work together? Why do misunderstandings occur? And how can curiosity help us understand one another better? Barbara also shares what Finland has taught her, the relationships she has built along the way, and what it feels like to say goodbye to a place that eventually became another home. 🎙️ In this episode: • From journalism and NBC to a new life in Finland• Persistence, rejection, and career reinvention• Moving abroad and adapting to another culture• Becoming an educator• Intercultural communication and cultural differences• Multicultural students, teams, and workplaces• Identity, belonging, and human connection• Finding new strengths later in life• Friendship and building a family away from home• Why curiosity can take us a long way A conversation about much more than moving between countries — it’s about how the people, places, careers, and cultures we encounter gradually shape who we become. 🎙️ The Swades Podcast — TSP017Hosted by Jay Panjwani

    From NBC to Finland: A Life Shaped by Culture, Courage & Curiosity | Barbara Crawford | TSP017
  2. Jul 13

    The Argentine Way: Growing Through Curiosity 🇦🇷 | Candelaria

    What does it mean to grow up in Argentina? How do curiosity, culture, and courage shape the person we become? In this episode of The Swades Podcast, Jay Panjwani sits down with Candelaria from Argentina for a thoughtful conversation about identity, curiosity, mental health, speaking up against injustice, and the challenges young people face in today’s world. Candelaria shares her experiences growing up in Argentina, reflects on the importance of family, education, and cultural traditions, and explains why she considers herself a “justice seeker.” Together, they discuss the pressures created by social media, the growing awareness of mental health, and how international experiences help us see the world from a different perspective. The conversation also explores Argentine culture through its traditions, food, mate, and the values that continue to shape the country’s younger generation. Whether you’re a student, educator, parent, or someone who enjoys learning from different cultures, this episode offers meaningful insights into personal growth, resilience, and the power of staying curious. 🔹 Topics Discussed: • Growing up in Argentina beyond Buenos Aires• The Argentine way of life and cultural identity• Speaking up against injustice• Mental health and young people• Social media and unrealistic expectations• Competition, resilience, and personal growth• Family traditions and the culture of mate• Education, studying abroad, and curiosity• Building confidence through new experiences 🎙️ Hosted by Jay Panjwani The Swades Podcast brings together inspiring conversations with students, entrepreneurs, academics, professionals, and changemakers from around the world. Through stories, cultures, and lived experiences, we explore the ideas that connect us beyond borders.

    The Argentine Way: Growing Through Curiosity 🇦🇷 | Candelaria
  3. Jun 6

    Passion, Identity & Culture: Lessons From Rome to Finland | Pier Paolo

    🎙️ TSP015 – How Rome Shaped My Identity & Changed The Way I See Humanity | Pierre Paolo What shapes who we become? Is it our family, our culture, the city we grow up in, or the experiences we collect along the way? In this episode of The Swades Podcast, Jay Panjwani sits down with Pierre Paolo, an exchange student from Italy, for a thoughtful conversation about identity, culture, passion, creativity, and personal growth. Growing up in Rome, Pierre shares how Italian culture influenced his worldview, why he believes in seeing people as human beings beyond labels, and how travel and international experiences can challenge our assumptions about life. The conversation also explores cinema, following your passion despite uncertainty, balancing dreams with practical realities, overcoming fear, and the lessons learned through studying abroad in Finland. Whether you are a student, a dreamer, a creative professional, or someone navigating life’s uncertainties, this episode offers valuable reflections on identity, courage, and personal growth. 🔹 Topics Discussed: • Growing up in Rome and Italian culture• Identity and personal development• Seeing people beyond labels• Passion versus career security• Cinema, creativity and storytelling• Following dreams despite uncertainty• Exchange student experiences in Finland• Fear, failure and resilience• Life lessons and personal growth 🎙️ Hosted by Jay Panjwani The Swades Podcast shares inspiring stories, immigrant journeys, student experiences, cultural perspectives, and meaningful conversations from people building lives across different parts of the world

    Passion, Identity & Culture: Lessons From Rome to Finland | Pier Paolo

About

The Swades Podcast 🎙 is a space for real, unfiltered conversations about courage, resilience, and the human spirit. 🌍 From students finding their way in education to entrepreneurs building businesses against the odds, every episode highlights stories of struggle, strength, and inspiration. ✨ Hosted by Jay Panjwani – educator, storyteller, and digital marketing lecturer – the podcast shares journeys that remind us we’re never alone in our challenges. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jaypanjwani