Emotions of Change

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 tell...

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 t...

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 Ch...

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 B...

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: TED talks, White House invitations, Instagram spotlights, photos with royalty - all while training thousands of young activists aro...

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...

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 prote...

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...

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...

Ep. 1 - The part we keep quiet with Michelle Grant.  After many years of hosting change-maker communities, Michelle Grant started to notice something. That there was plenty of space to talk about vision, strategy and impact. But no space to sit with the raw, contradictory, and often inconvenient emotions that come with trying to make a positive difference in the world. The actual experience of fee...

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...