Diasporaa 05-07-25 Jambo, eh?: Sam Bhatnagar’s Journey from Kenya to Canada

Alternative Talk- 1150AM KKNW

Welcome to Diaspora, the show where we share the remarkable stories of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. In this episode of Diasporaa, host Aditya Mehta sits down with Sam Bhatnagar, an entrepreneur from Vancouver, BC, originally from Chandigarh, India, who shares his remarkable immigration journey. Sam recounts his early life spent in Kenya, transitioning to Canada in 2005, and the challenges and triumphs along the way. He discusses the importance of adapting to a new culture while staying rooted in one's heritage, and his family's successful venture into the financial advisory business. The conversation explores the dynamics of the Indian community in East Africa, the process of immigration to Canada, and insightful advice for new immigrants. The episode also touches on Sam's personal life, including his experience with the Canadian health system during his son's birth and the importance of maintaining a work-life balance in a family-run business. 00:00 Introduction to Diasporaa 00:21 Meet Sam Bhatnagar: From Chandigarh to Vancouver 02:20 Life in Kenya: A Journey of 17 Years 03:54 The Indian Community in East Africa 09:02 Moving to Canada: A Family Decision 12:21 Settling in Canada: First Impressions and Challenges 13:58 Starting Over: New Jobs and New Beginnings 17:04 Building a Financial Advisory Business 22:47 Advice for New Immigrants 25:31 Overcoming Negative Experiences 26:21 The Importance of Reaching Out 29:25 Balancing Cultural Exposure 32:04 Managing Family Business Dynamics 36:42 Navigating Parenthood and Healthcare 41:51 Building Connections and Abundance Mindset 47:36 Funny Cultural Mix-Ups 49:31 Nostalgic Sounds and Smells 51:11 Conclusion and Farewell List of Resources: Chandigarh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandigarh Greater Vancouver Board of Trade: https://boardoftrade.com/ Gujaratis in East Africa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarati_people#East_Africa Lake Victoria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Victoria Best Cities for Quality of Life Rankings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_quality_of_life_indices About the Podcast: Diasporaa was the name of Aditya's startup based in Vancouver, BC. It focused on helping new immigrants in Canada find their feet, get off to a running start and ease their assimilation into Canadian life. A big part of the platform were conversations, community and support. Though the startup stopped growing once Aditya moved to Seattle, WA - it remained alive in the form of several discussion groups and online communities. Now, Diasporaa has been resurrected in the form of a podcast focused on sharing interesting immigrant stories from the South Asian diaspora and uncovering how much we have in common despite our differences. It is available on YouTube, all major podcast platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc. and is also broadcast as a radio show on Alternative Talk 1150 AM and 98.9 FM HD Channel 3 on Wednesdays from 2-3pm PST. About Aditya Mehta: Aditya is a Bombay boy who has lived in Austin, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Vancouver before making it to his current home in Seattle. He has degrees in marketing, urban planning, real estate and strategy but has spent his career in financial services, social media and now real estate - mostly as an entrepreneur and partly as an employee at Amazon. He balances Indian, Canadian and American culture, loves helping those who are new to North America and looks forward to the interesting stories that his interview guests bring each week. When not podcasting, he is helping his wife Prachi build her pharmaceutical business or hanging out with his son Arjun. Connect with Diasporaa: -Instagram: @diasporaapodcast -YouTube: https://linke.to/dspyoutube -Bio Link: linke.to/diasporaa -Listen on Spotify: https://linke.to/dspspotify -Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://linke.to/dspapple -Diasporaa Podcast on KKNW Alternative Talk Radio: https://linke.to/kknw1150