The change we need is human change, and it can start with you.

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-interviews and sound design to vulnerable retreats and growing pains, this conversation traces the creative journey, the unexpected lessons, and the personal shifts that shaped the series.  Together they unpack why most of us rush to tidy our emotions into insights, how “showing up anyway” became a quiet act of courage, and what happens when a facilitator dares to become a participant.  If you’ve been curious about the making of the show and what we learned along the way, or craving a glimpse into the messy middle of storytelling, this one’s for you. 

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 Sarah Queblatin, a regenerative designer and founder, shares what happened when the organization she built over seven years began to fall apart. As she fought through donor silence, the needs of her community, and board decisions she didn’t always agree with, Sarah found herself challenged: emotionally, financially, and spiritually. She embarked on a journey that took her from a silent retreat in France to chopping bamboo on a permaculture farm, and finally to the dusty trails of the Camino de Santiago. Along the way, she reconnected with her anger, not as something to fear, but as a source of protection, power, and possibility. After Sarah’s story, we are joined by Jennifer Cox, a psychotherapist, host of the Women are Mad podcast and author of the bestselling Women are Angry book. This episode is about learning to carry fire, and what becomes possible when we stop trying to silence our rage and instead learn how to let it move.

What does it take to stay soft while doing hard things? In this episode, 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 shared between grief and joy, and a breakdown after a funding call that ends with three scoops of ice cream and an unexpected act of self-kindness. Along the way, we explore what compassion really asks of us, especially when systems are slow, and we’re expected to keep showing up. In the second half of the episode, Buddhist teacher, author and translator Chandra Easton guides us through a compassion practice, a chance to move from hearing the story to living the feeling. This is a story about presence, permission, and the kind of care that keeps change work going.