A colleague recently asked Joy Anderson where she'd changed her mind—the kind of question you ask to find out whether someone is actually learning, or just defending old positions with better language. Her honest answer surprised her, and it probably won't be the one you're expecting. Because over 25 years, the changes that mattered most weren't reversals at all. They were quieter than that, harder to name, and they rearranged how she works, what she'll own, and where she draws the line.
Next, Joy walks through a handful of moments where nothing about the facts changed—same rooms, same partners, same work—and yet everything did. It's a reflection on the stories we tell ourselves about our place in the work, why they're so hard to let go of, and what becomes possible when we finally do. She closes by turning the question back on you: what are you looking at right now that might be ready to be seen differently?
Episode Highlights
00:00 - Introduction to the episode and core themes
02:35 - The question of changing one's mind and seeing differently
03:30 - Reframing support as infrastructure in social change work
07:21 - The shift from outsider to inside the work
09:16 - Personal reframing: recognizing limits as system design constraints
17:31 - The importance of seeing and acting on what you see
18:54 - Invitation to reflect on current frames and perceptions
Relevant Links
Criterion Institute website and LinkedIn
Joy Anderson's LinkedIn
Joanna Levitt Cea's LinkedIn
Dive Deeper
Fostering a Feminist Financial Imagination
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/resources/fostering-a-feminist-financial-imagination
This publication explores the role of imagination in creating alternative financial futures and aligns closely with Joy's discussion of reframing reality and expanding what becomes possible through new ways of seeing.
Framework for Financing the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/resources/framework-for-financing-the-prevention-of-gender-based…
The framework emphasizes finance as a system of power rather than simply a source of funding, echoing the episode's distinction between support work and infrastructure-building.
Reflection: Making Gender-Based Violence Material to the World of Finance
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/resources/reflection-making-gender-based-violence-material-to-th…
A classic Criterion reframe that demonstrates how changing the frame around a problem can fundamentally alter how finance interprets risk and opportunity.
A Commitment to Address Gender-Based Violence
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/resources/gbv
This resource highlights the importance of imagining alternative futures and changing assumptions about what finance can do, themes woven throughout this episode.
If you enjoyed this episode, consider listening to:
#84: Narratives, Local, and the Stories That Shape Finance
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/podcasts/podcast-episode-84
A conversation exploring how narratives influence financial systems and the ways stories shape what becomes visible and possible.
#82: How Staying in Paradox Can Sustain Hope and Drive Systemic Change
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/podcasts/podcast-episode-82
Joy examines the tensions and paradoxes that emerge when trying to create lasting systems change, complementing this episode's exploration of competing frames and perspectives.
#80: What Are You Willing to See? Disruption, Fault Lines, and the Moments That Matter
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/podcasts/podcast-episode-80
A reflection on disruption as a tool for revealing underlying systems, making it a natural companion to this episode's focus on perception and awareness.
#79: From Invitation to Trust: Rethinking Relationships in Finance
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/podcasts/podcast-episode-79
An episode about invitation, relationship-building, and the practices that create conditions for transformation.
#45: Making Sense of Complexity: Frameworks That Work (and Those That Don't)
https://www.criterioninstitute.org/podcasts/podcast-episode-45
One of the closest thematic matches in...
