#87 the Money Koan: towards a new philosophy of curren(t)cy and care with investor Jenna Nicholas

Send a love messageAndrea Hiott in conversation with investor Jenna Nicholas. Jenna discusses her book The Enlightened Bottom Line and how spirituality, love, and purpose can inform investing and business rather than oppose them. She traces formative experiences from ages 11–14 in a Swiss “Transformation for Peace” program and speaking at Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey, including meeting Desmond Tutu, to the confidence instilled by her mother and grandmother, faith, and a lifelong practice of hosting “Saturdays at Jen’s” discussion groups.After moving from London to Stanford, she was inspired by social entrepreneurs, worked on socially responsible investing in China with mentor Wayne Silby (Calvert Funds), and later organized experiences and interviews exploring profit–purpose paradoxes. She describes practices like symbolic objects to bridge divides, dreams-based decision-making in the Amazon, and a HEAL framework (Hope, Empathy, Abundance, Legacy), emphasizing pauses, stewardship, seven-generation thinking, and money as “currency” valuable when in motion.Find Jenna’s book The Enlightened Bottom Line here.Parker Palmer conversation with Andrea is hereJacob Needleman conversation with Andrea is here.00:00 Welcome and Book Setup00:25 Teen Years and Abbey Speech02:25 Tutu High Five and Lasting Joy04:01 the Women Who Raised Her06:48 Holding Paradox in Community08:56 From Stanford to Impact Investing11:40 Choosing Stanford by Fate14:43 Wayne Silby and Legacy Shift17:18 Bhutan and Business of Happiness19:24 Enoughness and Inner Compass22:52 Saturdays at Jens Conversations25:14 Fierce Love in Organizations27:25 Creating Listening Spaces28:03 Building Impact Experience28:40 Coal Meets Solar Values30:13 Redefining Money Capital34:00 Heal Framework Questions35:37 Hope Empathy Abundance37:16 Playful Abundance Wand40:04 Amazon Dream Circles43:03 Death Joy Legacy46:31 Stewardship Seven Generations49:02 Reflection Questions Pauses52:40 Grandmother Loving Kindness55:37 Honoring Stories Love57:15 Podcast FarewellThe Enlightened Bottom Line by Jenna NicholasJenna’s Substack is here.Jenna on LinkedInBaha’i FaithBooks discussed in addition to the Enlightened Bottom Line:InnSaei: the Icelandic Art of Intuition by Hrund GunnsteinsdottirThe Soul of Money by Lynne TwistSupport the showBuy Holding Paradox: The Navigational Approach to Mind and Consciousness by Andrea HiottSign up for Making Ways newsletter and projects.Please rate and review with love. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.