In this special birthday episode, Joy reflects on the meaning behind her name and what it represents in her life and work. The episode begins with her parents, Herbert and Phyllis Anderson, sharing the touching story of how they met unexpectedly in 1964, fell in love quickly, and decided early on that their first daughter would be named Joy - a name that symbolised their gratitude, faith, and delight in life’s surprises.

Joy then reflects on growing up with such a name, exploring the tension between joy as a noun - a state of being - and as a verb - something active and dynamic. Through personal stories, linguistic insights, and reflections on joy as both resistance and resilience, she connects her name to broader ideas of purpose, social change, and finding light in the unexpected.

Episode Highlights

• 00:27 - Introduction
• 02:18 – Surprised by Joy
• 06:56 – Faith and Financial Grace
• 09:07 – Owning the Name
• 13:37 – Joy Is Not the Goal
• 16:01 – Joy as Resistance

Relevant Links

• Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn
• Joy’s LinkedIn
• Is joy an act of resistance? - Code Switch - NPR
• Audre Lorde, Joan Wylie Hall (2004). “Conversations with Audre Lorde”, p.92, Univ. Press of Mississippi

Part of the ImpactAlpha Podcast Network

https://impactalpha.com/podcasts