Multispective Podcast: The Two Sides Of Every Life Story

 In today's extreme partisan world, how unique is it to have a podcast that is about multiple perspectives? Consider how in today's U.S. politics, elected officials are castigated for compromising with the other party.  

In today's societies around the world, we see only one side -- our side. Jennica Sadhwani wanted to do something about that myopic view of our world and its people. 

Multispective is a podcast that started in January 2022. It's a show worth your ear time because it enables listeners to follow vicariously the obstacles the guests on the show battled and ultimately overcame.

I reviewed this podcast over a year ago, and during that time, the show has truly hit its stride.

Here's the mission statement from the Multispective creators: "Multispective is all about building perspectives. No story is one-sided, no two journeys are the same, and people's lives are never as they seem."

The host of Multispective, Jennica Sadhwani, notes,
"We believe each person has a unique story to tell. Experiences, both good and bad, shape our everyday lives. Many of us go through similar things, yet our stories are never the same."

Multispective is a podcast that shares these stories of triumph through tribulations. They invite guests from all over the world to share their life experiences, providing their perspective on society and culture today.

The name of the podcast itself is inspired, suggesting a view from many different angles and, of course, perspectives. Jennica has completed 89 episodes, and the show continues to improve. A visual representation, such as a line chart or bar graph, would effectively illustrate growth and improvement in areas including sound design, hosting skills, interviewing proficiency, narrative rigor, and audience connection. 

In each episode -- there have been 88 to date -- a guest or guests are interviewed by Sadhwani about their life experiences. In fact, the very first episode explored mental health in prison, especially prisoners in maximum security, where that can often be isolated torture. 

In the last three years, Multispective has dealt with surviving a high school shooting, being diagnosed with, and being treated for, a rare form of cancer, dealing with bipolar disorder, being a cult survivor, and a woman who suffered female genital mutilation at six years old.

A recent episode in March asked, "How does a narcissist manipulate someone to the point of losing themselves?" Jennica's guest, Corine,  knows firsthand. After years in a toxic relationship with a narcissistic partner, she not only lost herself, but also her connection with her two children. In this eye-opening episode, she broke down the traits of a narcissist, the subtle and dangerous ways they manipulate, and the warning signs to watch for. Most importantly, she shared how to protect yourself from falling into the same trap.

Just like with this March show, the episodes are well-constructed and designed to be engaging and ear-worthy. Here's why.

The intro music is a dirge-like guitar riff that sets the mood for the show appropriately.

The sound production value is excellent, with mics balanced evenly for host and guests. Even guests who are remote are well-balanced and easy to understand.  

Each episode begins with the guitar riff and then Sadhwani speaks, detailing the specifics of this episode. Lately, they've been incorporating audio clips of the guest along with the summary, which only spikes interest in the episode. It is also a solid strategy for attracting new listeners who may be exploring and hit on an episode of the show.

 The linchpin of the podcast, however, is Jennica Sadhwani. As an interviewer, she's excellent. Nicely done, the way she guides her guests through the interview process. Sadhwani is careful with her guests. It's clear she's not trying to exploit them, but assist them in sharing their personal narrative. 

Sadhwani asks questions that require the guest to organize their thoughts, refine their life story, and explain their experiences. She asks strong follow-up questions that keep the guest on track.

Sadhwani is clearly searching for insights inside the narrative of her guests, not sensationalized details that can shock.

As a host, Sadhwani infuses controlled empathy into her voice and tone. It's obvious she cares about the people she's interviewing.
Jennica Sadhwani has a bachelor degree from the Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, which is a private, coeducational academy for Chinese students. She also holds a Master Of Science degree from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 

Like many adept podcast hosts, Sadhwani has only continued to improve. She's Caitlin Clark from 25 feet away from the basket, but instead of a ball and a basket, Jennica has insight and eager listeners.

Value-added independent podcasts, such as Multispective, rely on donations or subscribers to continue their journey.

It's interesting that shows like Multispective often find themselves in different genre categories based on the app or feed in which they are placed. Sometimes shows like Multispective are in health, mental health, self-improvement, culture, and even relationships.

To me, it's people who enjoy the plentiful true-crime podcasts who might most enjoy Multispective. On true-crime podcasts, the villains and victims take center stage. Yet, it's the victims who easily earn our empathy and concern. 

There are numerous (too many) podcasts with celebrities interviewing people who have suffered life trauma, like addiction, abuse, and mental illness. These network-supported podcasts rely on the name recognition of the celebrity to drive listeners to these shows. Yet, I have not found any celebrity who adeptly handles guests who have experienced trauma as well as Jennica Sadhwani. The difference between Jennica and the celebrity with the copycatted podcast is what author Dennis Lehane once said, "Sympathy is easy because it comes from a position of power. Empathy is getting down on your knees and looking someone else in the eye and realizing that you could be them, and that all that separates you is luck."

In Multispective, the podcast does a superb job of enabling the victims of life and its tribulations to frame how they succeeded where so many others fail. 

In July 2024, Multispective won the Ear Worthy Award as Best Life Lessons podcast. It was an award well-deserved. 

Listen to Multispective. It's not only one of the best independent podcasts, but also one of the best podcasts overall. Period.