“Other people won’t make me happy, it has to be from within me.”  - Nina Dobrev

One of the things that even I struggle with is being complacent. It’s easy for all of us to feel comfortable where we are in life and settle for what we have.

In fact, it can be scary to try to push things even further.

Breaking out of that comfort zone and continuing to grow is the difference between being average and being great. 

Anytime you feel comfortable, that means you’re not challenging yourself and it’s time to make a shift. Maybe you need a new job or just to find ways to push yourself further. 

On this episode of The School of Greatness, we are joined by an inspirational and amazing actress, Nina Dobrev. She’s spent her whole life pushing the boundaries and keeps challenging herself any chance she can. 


You probably know Nina from the hit show The Vampire Diaries. Nina was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. She moved to Canada at the age of two and has lived in Toronto, Ontario ever since. From a very young age, she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts: Dance, Gymnastics, Theatre, Music, Visual arts, and Acting!

Modeling jobs led to commercials, which then turned into film auditions. Shortly after, she booked roles in the feature films Fugitive Pieces, Away from Her and the popular television series, Degrassi: The Next Generation.

We've become good friends over the past couple of years, and I'm constantly impressed by how Nina decides to push herself. Through all of her work, acting is her passion, and she sees it as an adventure that has just begun; she believes that the journey and the characters we create along the way will help us understand ourselves.

Discover all of that and much more, on Episode 590.


Some Questions I Ask:

Why did you get behind the #TimesUp movement? (8:20)

What can people do to stop the abuse? (12:48)

Did you have a hunger to work hard at an early age? (22:40)

Do you feel like you were good to everyone on your way up? (26:55)

What is the biggest insecurity you’ve overcome in your ‘20s? (28:10)

Did you see yourself being a star? (30:57)

When Vampire Diaries happened did you expect it to be a success? (33:21)

Did you see yourself doing things bigger than the show, or were you focused on the role? (36:20)

Did you struggle to find new characters to audition for? (40:20)

What do you enjoy more, being a character telling the stories or directing the stories? (44:38)

What’s a story you want to tell that hasn’t been told? (46:40)

What do you think is holding you back from being the woman you want to be? (47:35)

What’s the thing you are most proud of that most people don’t know about you? (52:30)


In This Episode You Will Learn:

About the abuse happening in Hollywood (10:55)

What it was like moving from Bulgaria to Canada (16:10)

The most important lesson her parents taught her (23:51)

Insecurities she had growing up (27:15)

Who taught her the most about abundance in her life (29:30)

Why she loves creating characters (32:45)

How she felt when Vampire Diaries took off (34:30)

What it was like choosing to leave a hit show (38:20)

What she's been writing (42:00)

What she wants to do next (46:15)

What it is about Audrey Hepburn that people love (47:10)

The greatest piece of advice she ever received (50:04)

A question she wishes more people would ask (55:44)

On Apple Podcasts

Nina Dobrev: The Balance of Acting, Advocacy, and Using Your Voice

Lewis Howes is a NYT bestselling author, Lifestyle Entrepreneur, former pro athlete and world record holder in football. The goal of the School of Greatness is to share inspiring stories from the most brilliant business minds, world class athletes and influential celebrities on the planet to help you find out what makes great people great.