Changemaking isn’t just strategy, indicators, or mission statements. It’s deeply emotional.
In this show, we dive into the emotions behind doing work that tries to make the world a better place. From anger to compassion, anxiety to joy, we’re here to share things we don’t usually see in LinkedIn posts or slide decks.
Why does this matter?
Because when you're trying to create change, feeling a lot is not only normal, it’s inevitable. Yet we rarely get space to understand how those emotions shape our work. That’s what this show is here for.
In each episode we explore one emotion through the raw, unfiltered story of a woman leading change somewhere in the world. These are not polished success stories. They’re honest and brave stories from the messy middle - the vulnerable, often invisible parts of change-making.
Then, we speak with guides - philosophers, therapists, practitioners - who help us learn how to navigate these emotions in ways that support both our well-being and our well-doing.
We made this podcast to help change-makers like you feel less alone and more supported in your emotional journey to make a difference.
If you’re doing the work and feeling everything that comes with it - we made this for you.
🎧 Come join us! 🎧
We didn’t expect this: We’re nominated for a Webby Award!
Last week, we opened an email that changed everything: Emotions of Change has been nominated for a Webby Award, alongside some of the biggest names in podcasting and narrative audio. In this very short episode, we go back to that moment. The missed call. The voice message. The shock and delight. And what this recognition means to us as a small, women run and independent production from Zurich telling stories from around the world that aren’t usually heard. If this podcast has meant something ...
5 Sept 2025
Bonus Episode: The story behind the stories
Ep. 9 - Bonus Episode: The story behind the stories with Michelle Grant and Katarina Hagstedt What does it take to create a podcast that feels into the emotions at the heart of change work? In this special bonus episode and season finale, host Michelle Grant and producer Katarina Hagstedt go behind the scenes of Emotions of Change. Together, they reflect on what it really took to make a podcast that doesn't just talk about emotions, but feels them, in real time. From pre-interview...
21 Aug 2025
When anger has nowhere to go
Ep. 8 - When anger has nowhere to go with Sarah Queblatin, Jennifer Cox and Laura Calderon de la Barca Anger is one of the most misunderstood emotions in change work. It can be explosive, uncomfortable, even frightening, especially for those of us who’ve been taught to suppress it. But what if anger isn’t something to manage or avoid, but something to compost? In this episode of Emotions of Change, Sarah Queblatin, a regenerative designer and founder, shares what happened when the organizatio...
14 Aug 2025
Two big scoops of compassion
Ep. 7 - Two big scoops of compassion with Bärbel Weiligmann and Chandra Easton What does it take to stay soft while doing hard things? In this episode of Emotions of Change, we meet Bärbel Weiligmann, a global nutrition leader whose work touches millions, and whose leadership is grounded in something rarely celebrated at scale: compassion. Not just for others, but also for herself. We follow Bärbel through three defining moments: a quiet connection on a tea estate in Assam, a coffee date shar...
7 Aug 2025
Anxiety that wraps around you
Ep. 6 - Anxiety that wraps around you with Shomy Hassan Choudhury What happens when the world asks too much, and you say yes to all of it? In this episode of Emotions of Change, we meet Shomy Hassan Choudhury, a global sanitation activist whose life looks dazzling from the outside: TED talks, White House invitations, Instagram spotlights, photos with royalty. But when political violence erupts back home in Bangladesh, and she finds herself helpless from afar, anxiety begins to wrap around her...
31 Jul 2025
The grief that doesn't end by Monday
Ep. 5 - The grief that doesn’t end by Monday: Jess Schulschenk and Bayo Akomoloafe on Grief What if grief isn’t just about losing someone you love, but also about stepping away from work you once loved? In this episode of Emotions of Change, we sit with Jess, a South African change-maker who, for a time, led an innovative sustainability initiative in her country. Until she realized it was time to let go. Her grief wasn’t just professional. It was ecological, political, and deeply personal - g...
24 Jul 2025
Joy is what remains
Ep. 4 - Joy is what remains with Malika Virah-Sawmy. Joy can feel out of reach in a world on fire, especially for those of us trying to 'fix' things. In this episode of Emotions of Change, we meet Malika, a Mauritian conservationist whose journey took her from academic success and global institutions to collapse, and surrender, in the forests of Berlin. After giving everything to protect nature and still feeling like it wasn’t enough, Malika began asking different questions. What if our ecolo...
17 Jul 2025
When guilt becomes the fuel
Ep. 3 - When guilt becomes the fuel: Renata Minerbo, Miki Kashtan and Aurelia Saint-Just on Guilt. What happens when the fuel behind your change work isn't just clarity or care, but also guilt? In this episode of Emotions of Change, Brazilian social entrepreneur Renata shares how the weight of privilege slowly pushed her from purpose into burnout, and what happened when she finally stopped to question the guilt driving her. Alongside reflections from host Michelle Grant and insights from non-...
10 Jul 2025
Even the brave get stuck
Ep. 2 Even the brave get stuck: Zoya Miari and Britt Frank on Self-Doubt. When Zoya Miari fled war for the second time, she arrived in Switzerland carrying more than just her past, she carried a vision. A storytelling platform for displaced people, built from her own experience as a Palestinian-Ukrainian refugee. But between nursing shifts, family responsibilities, and self-doubt whispering “you’re not enough,” that vision nearly stalled. In this episode, Zoya and host Michelle Gr...
8 Jul 2025
The part we keep quiet
Michelle Grant explores the unspoken and often difficult emotions that arise when individuals strive to create positive change in the world, in this interview episode.
2 Jul 2025
Emotions of Change is Coming Soon!
The podcast explores the emotional aspects of changemaking, acknowledging the range of feelings experienced when striving to improve the world.
Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100
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