Episode 47

Shut Down, Not Shaken Part 27 (What Grief Teaches Us About Grace)

Published on: 29th October, 2025

Cristin explores the lessons grief offers us, not just about loss, but about grace, community, and resilience.

Drawing on insights from From Grief to Grievance: Combined Axes of Personal and Collective Grief Among Black Americans (Wilson & O’Connor, 2022), Cristin examines how grief among Black women often operates on two levels: personal and collective. From the loss of loved ones to the systemic erosion of security, identity, and belonging, grief has been an ever-present reality in Black life. The episode connects these layers of loss to the mass layoffs of over 300,000 Black women in corporate spaces, the rollback of DEI initiatives, and the broader attacks on education, representation, and community care.

She invites listeners to hold space for their own losses, the seen and unseen, while also granting themselves the grace to slow down, feel, and heal.

Reflection Prompts

What does giving myself grace look like when I’m hurting or uncertain?

How has grief changed my priorities or purpose?

How can I find joy or peace, even in the midst of loss?


Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for At Ease: For Colored Girls Who Fled Corporate When Six Figures Wasn't Enough

About the Podcast

At Ease: For Colored Girls Who Fled Corporate When Six Figures Wasn't Enough
At Ease is a podcast for black women who have decided to trade hustling for fuller, bolder lives. Whether you quietly quit, took a leap of faith, pursued passion over a paycheck, or are building a side hustle, join Coach Cristin as we redefine success by re-shaping our minds. Cristin combines her lived experience and thought work to help women reconnect with their bodies, combat burnout, and build businesses.

About your host

Profile picture for Cristin Babb

Cristin Babb

Cristin is a certified professional coach, dynamic speaker, and international
presenter. As Founder of Cristin and Co., a boutique consulting and
coaching firm that leverages HR Solutions, Team Management, and Leadership
Coaching to help business owners build diverse teams and opt out of hustle culture. Some of her previous clients include Jelani Travel, Stephanie Dodier (Going Beyond the Food Academy), and Jefferson University College of Population Health.

When she’s not consulting or coaching, Cristin can be found at the playground
with her twin boys or traveling either solo or with a group of friends.

After earning her undergraduate degree in Marketing from Hampton University,
Cristin received an MPA from Old Dominion University. As a lifelong learner, she
has gone on to become a certified mediator and coach and most recently earned
a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the
The University of Southern Florida. As a multi-passionate entrepreneur, she has led
workshops with hundreds of women and teens in Trinidad and Tobago and Cape
Town, South Africa.