Esha Chhabra: Harnessing the Power of Regenerative Business To Heal the World

Subscribe to Next Economy Now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.

In this era of entrepreneurial innovation, a plethora of startups are revolutionizing the traditional playbook of business. They're boldly challenging the established norms regarding the who, what, and how of conducting commerce. Innovation and creativity can be triggered by reinventing the way we carry out business, leading to the emergence of novel solutions to complex issues and fostering fresh opportunities for progress and growth.

Esha Chhabra is an accomplished author who specializes in writing about sustainability, international development, and the emergence of purpose-driven brands. Over the past ten years, she has made significant contributions to numerous national and international publications, establishing herself as a prominent voice in her field. Her writing offers insightful perspectives and nuanced, thought-provoking analyses of pressing issues. Her latest book, Working to Restore, sheds light on the businesses which have restorative and regenerative practices at their core; serving as a shining example for other visionary enterprises. In our conversation, we unpack her book's overall theme and ideas and how a shift in mindset can help change the world. 

We start by talking about what inspired Esha to become a freelance journalist, her focus on writing about solutions in a critical but optimistic way, and how being a first-generation immigrant helped inform her perspective. Then, we delve into how her writing goes beyond greenwashing, the overall themes of the book, how problems are opportunities for solutions, and what drives the companies striving to make a difference. We also discuss the role of storytellers, the knowledge gap that her book fills, how the average consumer can make a positive impact, and much more. Join us for an insightful conversation with Esha Chhabra as we explore how a shift in mindset can change the world.

---

Key Points From This Episode:

•   Background about Esha and her professional career journey. [0:01:28]

•   We delve into her book, Working to Restore, and what inspired her to write it. [0:04:53]

•   Her aspiration to trigger a profound shift in mindset among her readers. [0:07:49]

•   We discuss adopting open-source solutions and why collaborations are so vital. [0:11:48]

•   Esha explains the role of storytellers in breaking through the pessimistic noise. [0:15:30]

•   What impact she hopes the book will have on readers and how average consumers can make a difference. [0:19:50]

•   Discover what Esha has planned for the future and whether she will continue to write on the subject. [0:23:12]

---

Tweetables:

“If you want to think about how you are going reposition or re-fashion your life to be more eco-friendly and conscious, you can really do it in a lot of facets in your life.” — @esh2440 [0:06:01]

“There are so many opportunities if we just look at problems with a different lens. We can actually see a solution and actually see the opportunity to create a business around it.” — @esh2440 [0:08:44]

“I think people are yearning for storytelling that is very human at its core.” — @esh2440 [0:15:49]

“Don’t fall for words, I think the words [used] these days are really problematic.” — @esh2440 [0:22:22]

---

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Esha Chhabra: https://www.eshachhabra.com/

Esha Chhabra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshac/

Esha Chhabra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eshatravels/

Esha Chhabra on Twitter: https://twitter.com/esh2440

Esha Chhabra on Contently: https://eshachhabra.contently.com/

Working to Restore: https://bookshop.org/p/books/working-to-restore/

The Solutions Journalism Network: https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/

Beyond Surface Technologies: https://www.beyondst.com/

---

LIFT Economy Newsletter

Join 8,000+ subscribers and get our free 60-point business design checklist—plus monthly tips, advice, and resources to help you build the Next Economy: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter

---

Next Economy MBA

This episode is brought to you by the Next Economy MBA.

What would a business education look like if it was completely redesigned for the benefit of all life? This is why the team at LIFT Economy created the Next Economy MBA (https://lifteconomy.com/mba).

The Next Economy MBA is a nine-month online course for folks who want to learn key business fundamentals (e.g., vision, culture, strategy, and operations) from an equitable, inclusive, and regenerative perspective.

Join the growing network of 350+ alumni who have been exposed to new solutions, learned essential business skills, and joined a lifelong peer group that is catalyzing a global shift towards an economy that works for all life.

Learn more at https://lifteconomy.com/mba.

---

Show Notes + Other Links

For detailed show notes and interviews with past guests, please visit https://lifteconomy.com/podcast.

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It really helps expose these ideas to new listeners: https://bit.ly/nexteconomynow

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LIFTEconomy

Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifteconomy/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/LIFTEconomy/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy

Music by Chris Zabriskie: https://chriszabriskie.com/