Courage, Finding Common Ground & Choosing Love with Nisha Anand

Nisha Anand (CEO of Dream Corps) burst onto the public scene with her 2020 TEDTalk “The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground” which now has more than 1 Million views in over 5 languages. Her unique, powerful, and quite timely take on solving some of the world’s biggest problems has shed a spotlight on the way she has lived, led and worked all her life.

In this powerful interview, we shift that spotlight to behind the scenes for an inspiring (and entertaining) story. How does a public CEO, a leader, an activist, a wife and mother balance such important roles in such an intense environment? The answers may just surprise you as we cover everything from stepping into courage and taking on bold challenges to balancing the discomfort of achievement and choosing love for ourselves. Plus a ton of wild and amazing behind-the-scenes stories along the way. 

Sometimes the timing is just right - and it certainly is for this episode. Enjoy!

Some of what we cover during the interview includes: 

• Beginner’s mind
• Leadership lessons & letting others lead
• Taking risks
• Taking on big problems in a bold way
• Growth and getting uncomfortable
• A message or leaders that survived 2020
• Expanding your circle to solve problems
• Fear and finding your purpose
• Stepping into your courage
• Dealing with stress and overwhelm
• Staying calm in the middle of chaos
• Friends, mentors and family
• Staying curious
• Self-talk
• The competitive advantage nobody talks about
• Choosing love

GUEST BIO - Nisha Anand
Nisha Anand is the CEO of Dream Corps, the national nonprofit organization bringing people together across racial, social and partisan lines to create a better future for all. Previously, Nisha served as Chief of Staff to Van Jones, CNN commentator and NY Times Bestselling Author. 

A veteran fundraiser and consultant with decades of experience in nonprofit development and management, Nisha has also served as Director of Development for The Ruckus Society, a national direct action training organization, and for San Francisco Women Against Rape, the city’s rape crisis center. Nisha is a senior trainer and consultant with GIFT, the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. As a certified coach, Nisha is a pioneer in the field of “fundraising coaching”–providing a unique blend of coaching people through their issues around money.

In 1998, Nisha was arrested passing out pro-democracy leaflets in the military dictatorship of Burma and sentenced to five years in jail with 18 other international activists. Her arrest put her on the international stage, delivering speeches at numerous events and conferences and interviewing for TV, radio, and print. In 1999, she received her Masters Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the American University in Washington, D.C. 

Nisha lives in Berkeley, California with her husband, two teenagers, and their Great Dane.

RESOURCES

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nishamanand 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nisha-m-anand/ 
• Website: https://www.thedreamcorps.org/ 
• Personal Blog: http://nishaanand.org/
• TEDTalk: The Radical Act of Choosing Common Ground (Feb 2020)