Swan Dive | Podcast Guru

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Swan Dive Podcast celebrates people who pivoted to chase their dreams: artists, entrepreneurs, musical legends like George Clinton, Olympic gold medalists, Africa’s first black female neurosurgeon, journalists, formerly incarcerated persons and every day people from all walks of life ... share what drove them to find the courage to chase their dream. Hosts and lifelong friends, Stuart Sheldon and Ron Rothberg, launched Swan Dive in 2020 as Ron prepared for his own swan dive. After an illustrious 25-year media sales career he returned to his passion - content creation. Stu leapt from Wall Street to the arts three decades ago and never looked back. They approach each guest's dive through these distinct lenses, aiming to reveal something precious and inspiring. Follow now on Apple Podcasts ... or wherever you listen to podcasts. Share your Swan Dive story with us and we may feature you. Find us @stuart_sheldon and [email protected].

Recent Episodes

Ashaari Pope - "Music is My GPS" - From Paint Store to R&B Star

“Music is more than art to me, it’s my GPS.” — Ashaari Pope — Miami New Times shouted out Ashaari as one of "7 South Florida R&B Artists to Watch in 2024," writing that, "Her songs groove on a lustrous soundscape that transports the listener to her vantage point. Whether she’s admiring an attractive woman or tucked away on a romantic getaway, her music can easily become the soundtrack of your next rendezvous." As you can hear at the top of this episode, they're spot on; her work is...

64 MIN

Josh T Franco - Dance in Museums - Multi-Talented West Texas Artist Becomes US Latinx Art Forum Director

Josh T. Franco is an artist and art historian from West Texas who believes that art history is made by hand. Cultured Magazine included this creative powerhouse in their 2026 list of 12 Art-World Tastemakers We’re Most Excited About. Franco actually wears four creative hats: artist, art historian, curator and new Exec Dir of US Latinx Art Forum. He grew up immersed in the ever-evolving wonderland his grandfather created in his backyard in Marfa, TX, full of eclectic found objects, sculptures ...

59 MIN

John Medina - "The Cure Complex" - Formerly Addicted & Incarcerated, Now Working to Rehabilitate the Prison System

John Medina's short film, The Cure Complex, explores the epidemic of drug addiction in prison and the systemic failures that perpetuate Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the prison system. "Recovery is an industry, and industries need customers. Rehabs don't succeed when people move on, they succeed when people stay," says Medina, whose own journey through addiction and incarceration motivated him to be an agent of change. His film highlights the importance of addressing the root causes of subs...

46 MIN

Kent Mendoza "Million Dollar Cage" - Child Tried as an Adult and Imprisoned Now Advocates for Better Juvenile Justice

Los Angeles County has the largest juvenile justice system in the country, and for too long, black and brown youth in LA have been shuttled into a system that favors cages over care. Represent Justice Ambassador, Kent Mendoza, was one of those young people, and now works to make sure our kids wonʼt face a similar fate. “A Million Dollar Cage,” produced by Kent, follows his journey as he fights to transform L.A. County’s youth justice system and create alternatives to incarceration. In collabo...

52 MIN

The Truth Behind The Mask - NaJei (GiGi) Webster - The Trials of Reentry After Life in a Cinder Block Cell

NaJei (GiGi) Webster wrote and directed the short-film, The Truth Behind The Mask - The Harsh Realities of Reentry, now streaming to 100 million viewers on Tubi. Based on her own incarceration story, The Truth Behind the Mask is one of five films presented by Represent Justice that feature lived experiences that delve into themes of reentry after prison, youth justice, alternatives to incarceration, and the criminalization of trauma. After serving nearly a decade in prison, GiGi is passi...

59 MIN