The Imperfects - podcast cover

The Imperfects

Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburgtheresilienceproject.com.au
We’re all imperfect. On this podcast, founder of The Resilience Project Hugh van Cuylenburg, his good friend Ryan Shelton, and only one of their brothers, Josh van Cuylenburg, talks to a variety of interesting people who vulnerably share their own struggles and imperfections, or expertly pass on their wisdom on the subject of imperfection. Whether it’s in The Vulnerabilitea House, The Academy of Imperfection, or with our very own psychologist, Dr Emily, The Imperfects are here to find some valuable takeaways we can all apply to our own imperfect lives.
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Episodes

Nedd Brockmann - The Man, The Myth, The Neddgend

If you look up ‘Nedd Brockmann’ in the dictionary you won’t find anything because it’s a proper noun. But if you google ‘Nedd Brockmann’, you’ll see the true meaning of ‘legendary’. For 46 days in 2022, Nedd ran 100km a day from Cottesloe Beach to Bondi Beach, literally RUNNING ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. Why? That’s the best part. Nedd (23!) not only wanted to raise $1m for homelessness (it’s currently at $2.5m - link below to donate), but he also wanted to inspire people and show them they’re m...

Nov 20, 20221 hr 36 minSeason 4Ep. 41

Dr Emily - Lonely? You're Not Alone

Dr Emily is back with Hugh, Ryan and Josh for the final Emisode of the year, and she’s chosen to talk about something we can all relate to in one way or another… loneliness. In reflecting on last year’s raw episode with Christian O’Connell (link below), Dr Emily deep-dives into the many facets of loneliness. - Why do we feel lonely? - How do we handle our own loneliness? - What can we do to help others who feel lonely? The holiday season is approaching, which for some of us signals a happy time ...

Nov 13, 20221 hr 6 minSeason 4Ep. 40

A DARN GOSH BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

We’re doing it. Well… there’s no turning back now. Hugh, Ryan and Josh are going live on tour around the country with a stage show that they promise will be some of the most imperfect shows they’ve ever done. Live. Uncut. 100% guaranteed imperfection! The Imperfects… LIVE ON STAGE in 2023 Special pre-sale tickets available from November 11-14 2022 Tickets available from livenation.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

Nov 10, 202215 minSeason 4Ep. 39

Kate Reid (Pt 2) - The Life-Saving Croissant

If you haven't heard Part 1 of our chat with Lune founder and master-baker, Kate Reid, we recommend you do that first. Because this episode, the sequel in our Croissantology, continues Kate's miraculous story as she attempts to overcome an eating disorder that forced her to leave her dream career in Formula 1. Here, Kate explains how she did that by going all in on creating the "perfect" croissant. And how that croissant launched a new pastry obsession for Melbournians, which eventually led to t...

Nov 06, 20221 hr 42 minSeason 4Ep. 38

Kate Reid (Pt 1) - The Impossibility of Perfection

Lune is highly regarded as the most respected patisserie in Australia. The New York Times even called the Lune croissant the best in the world. And the woman behind it all is Kate Reid, a former Aerospace Engineer at the Williams F1 Team in the UK. Kate’s story has to be heard to be believed. It’s so epic, we had to break it into 2 parts. In Part 1, Kate talks about her time at Williams, and generously shares her struggles with anorexia, which eventually forced her to end her F1 dream and return...

Oct 30, 20221 hr 8 minSeason 4Ep. 37

Oliver Burkeman - The JOY of Missing Out

4000 weeks. Like it or not, that’s (approximately) the average length of a human life. And while we intend to use that time wisely, and do all the things we care about, we often find ourselves doing the opposite. In this episode, UK author Oliver Burkeman tells us how to focus on the things that REALLY matter, rather than filling our time with the not-so-important things. Pulling from his best-selling (and incredible) book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals, Oliver is this week’s ...

Oct 23, 20221 hr 8 minSeason 4Ep. 36

Linda Marigliano - Strict Parents & Being a ‘Good Girl’

As a DJ, TV presenter, award-winning podcaster and Triple J royalty, Linda Marigliano has had a big career and spoken to some of the biggest artists of all time. And now she joins Hugh, Ryan and Josh in The Vulnerabilitea House. Linda talks about her life growing up as the child of an Italian father and Chinese mother, and explains about how the criticism she received from her mother made her feel about herself - both then and now. Oh, and there’s some very practical advice on nose-hair trimming...

Oct 16, 20221 hr 5 minSeason 4Ep. 35

Dr Kiran Martin - Truth, Leadership & Gratitude

After listening to this Academy of Imperfection, you’ll no doubt be heartily agreeing with Hugh, who introduces Dr Kiran Martin as the most impressive person he’s ever met. Over 30 years after jumping the fence to get inside a slum in Delhi so she could help treat the people in need, Dr Kiran now runs ASHA, an organisation she created that has helped over 900,000 people in over 100 slums across India. And counting! This is the story behind ASHA. And well… it’s incredible. But as this is an Acade...

Oct 09, 20221 hr 20 minSeason 4Ep. 34

Dr Emily - Rejection Sensitivity

None of us like to feel rejected. Whether it be at work, with friends, or on a date. In this Dr Emisode, Dr Emily - our very own psychologist - tells Hugh, Ryan and Josh why some of us have a sensitivity to rejection. She explains what we can do about it, and how we can act compassionately towards others, and avoid making them feel unnecessarily rejected as well. For research article, 'Recognising Emotion In Faces: Developmental Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect', by Seth Pollak, follow this li...

Oct 02, 20221 hr 5 minSeason 4Ep. 33

Hamish McLachlan - A World Turned Upside Down

While many of us may think of Channel 7’s Hamish McLachlan as the voice of sport in Australia, Hamish is very quick to point to Bruce McAvaney instead. As it turns out, we all love Bruce McAvaney A LOT and apologetically talk about him for quite a while - including a few wonderful Bruce stories from Hamish. When we finally get to the Vulnerabilitea House card selection, Hamish answers the question, ‘When did your life get turned upside down and how did things change?’. This prompts Hamish to sho...

Sep 25, 20221 hr 12 minSeason 4Ep. 32

Nazeem Hussain - Losing a Parent

Stand-up comedian Nazeem Hussain lost his father to COVID-19 in 2021. In this episode, Nazeem shares the difficulties surrounding his family’s loss, and how his Dad’s life and sudden death has impacted his own life. But Nazeem also tells some wildly funny stories - in particular one about a "comedy concert" he did in Sri Lanka in front of The Prime Minister, which turned out to be organised by none other than his Dad. You probably already know Naz from his many, MANY appearances on the telly inc...

Sep 18, 20221 hr 30 minSeason 4Ep. 31

Johann Hari (Pt 2) - Why Do We Do What We Do?

In Part 2 of this Academy of Imperfection, author and profanity purveyor, Johann Hari answers more of your brilliant questions. As a result, Johann talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about intrinsic and extrinsic values, and how they affect the things we do and social media’s role in why we do them. Also (speaking of click-bait), in an Imperfects exclusive, Johann reveals his go-to KFC order. And double-also, we recorded this episode before the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, which will make more sen...

Sep 14, 202254 minSeason 4Ep. 30

Johann Hari (Pt 1) - How Can We Change?

Imperfects regular, Johann Hari joins us IN STUDIO for the first time to answer your questions! In this very special edition of The Academy of Imperfection (which we’ve split into 2 MASSIVE EPISODES OVER 2 MASSIVE... um... EPISODES!), Johann Hari talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about our ability to change our habits in the face of addiction. And why we can learn from the approach of Overeater’s Anonymous to help our addiction to our phones and the internet. Johann will be back later this week to ...

Sep 11, 202251 minSeason 4Ep. 29

Mark Wilson from JET - Dealing with Loss

In 2003, JET’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl was one of the biggest songs on the planet. It was so big, Apple even used it for their first iPod ad. Remember? The one with the dancing silhouettes on the colourful backgrounds? Yeah, that was JET. As the bass player for JET, Mark Wilson has lived the dream of any musician. He’s toured the world and played to packed stadiums, and even stood with Beyonce and Jay Z at the MTV Video Music Awards before playing on stage in front of them. But Mark has also be...

Sep 04, 20221 hr 35 minSeason 4Ep. 28

How to Write a Gratitude Letter

To celebrate Father's Day, Hugh plays some intimate audio of him reading a chapter of his book, 'Let Go', to his Dad (and Josh's Dad incidentally). But not just any old chapter, the final chapter ABOUT his Dad. Afterwards, Hugh explains to Ryan and Josh, how writing a gratitude letter to your Dad (even if he isn't around anymore) can have a hugely positive impact. But of course, Gratitude Letters aren't just for Dads, they're for your Mum or any carer in your life as well. Happy Fathers Day. Hav...

Sep 01, 202234 minSeason 4Ep. 27

Dr Emily - Who Is Your Inner Critic & Why Is It There?

In this Emisode, Dr Emily explains some reasons why the inner critic is there in the first place, and where it’s coming from. To watch Shirzad Chamine's Ted Talk, 'Know Your Inner Saboteurs', follow this link: https://bit.ly/2Ybu5Aa To learn more about Daniel Siegel research and to purchase Mindsight, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3TnNVV5 To read the research article 'Positive Self-Statements, Power For Some, Peril For Others', follow this link, https://bit.ly/2L4k0k3 or, https://bit.ly/3RiTe...

Aug 28, 20221 hr 5 minSeason 4Ep. 26

Darcy Vescio - They/Them Matters & Here’s Why

Carlton footballer Darcy Vescio is one of the biggest names in the AFLW, having won multiple awards including the Carlton Best & Fairest, 2-time All Australian selection and the Mark of the Year. As a marquee player, Darcy is at the top of their game. But that’s just part of Darcy’s story. Less than a year ago, Darcy publicly came out as non-binary, announcing to the football community that they would now go by the they/them gender pronouns. In this Vulnerabilitea House, Darcy tells Hugh, Ry...

Aug 21, 202246 minSeason 4Ep. 25

Dr Paul Callaghan - How To Follow The Dreaming Path

This Academy of Imperfection is a little different. As Hugh explains in the opener, this episode actually IS more like a lecture. But trust us, that’s a good thing. Dr Paul Callaghan has a lot of wisdom to share that he's accrued over a lifetime of wins, losses and even a near death experience that changed his life forever. As an Aboriginal man, much of Paul's wisdom has come from his experience on The Dreaming Path, which also happens to be the title of the book he’s co-written with his friend ...

Aug 14, 202258 minSeason 4Ep. 24

We Need to Talk... Again - Hugh, Ryan & Josh have a chat

B-B-B-BONUS EP!!! A-A-A-AGAIN!!! Every now and then, Hugh, Ryan and Josh like to get together and chat about their own imperfections that they’ve been dealing with recently. This is one of those episodes. Hugh talks about “life seasons”, Ryan explains why European holidays aren’t always as perfect as they appear, and Josh talks about watching Morning Wars with Jennifer Anniston. To read Hugh’s recommendation of Kimberly Gillan’s article in the Age, ‘Are You In Tune With Your Life Season’, follow...

Aug 07, 202249 minSeason 4Ep. 23

Dr Emily - You Are Not Your Emotions

She’s back again! Our very own psychologist, Dr Emily! In this emisode, Dr Emily reflects on a very moving chat we had with comedian Steen Raskopoulos. She talks with Hugh, Ryan and Josh about the concept of Emotional Awareness, and explains why it’s not only important to identify your unpleasant emotions, but why it's even more important to express them when they arise. Oh, Hugh and tells us about going to Bondi. For book recommendation Atlas of The Heart by Brene Brown, follow this link: https...

Jul 31, 202248 minSeason 4Ep. 22

Steen Raskopoulos (REPEAT - but with new intro!)

Okay, so we're dabbling with repeat episodes because we've taken a week off. But we have recorded a new intro bit so there ya go, at least there's SOME new stuff! This episode with comedian Steen Raskopoulos is not only one of our favourite episodes, but it's also the subject of next week's emisode with Dr Emily - which we can't wait for! So yeah, back to regular, imperfect programming next week! To listen to Steen’s podcast, Congrats On The New, please follow this link: https://apple.co/3yUjhtc...

Jul 24, 20221 hr 19 minSeason 4Ep. 21

Michelle Brasier - The Case For Optimism

Maybe you know Michelle Brasier from Aunty Donna. Or maybe from Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell. Or maybe she’s made you laugh (or cry) in any number of things she’s done on the stage and screen over the years. Or maybe you don’t her……… YET! Michelle Brasier is a singer, actor, writer and comedian who - as you’ll hear in this Vulnerabilitea House - has overcome multiple adversities since a young age. But despite the challenges, she still firmly believes in the practice of optimism. And after select...

Jul 17, 202250 minSeason 4Ep. 20

Martin "Rac" Heppell - The other F word... FAILURE

We all fail. All of us. Why? Because we’re all imperfect. And no one talks about failure more passionately than The Resilience Project’s own Martin “Rac” Heppell. And he’s today’s guest lecturer in The Academy of Imperfection. Some of you may remember Rac’s first memorable appearance in The Vulnerabilitea House last season. If you haven’t heard it, we know you’ll want to listen (or re-listen) after this one - link below. Failure, the other F word, is something we don’t like to talk about. It’s e...

Jul 10, 20221 hr 24 minSeason 4Ep. 19

Libby Trickett - When is Enough, Enough?

Australia has had a LOT of success in the Olympic Swimming Pool. That’s an understatement. But one of our most successful and loved Olympians of recent times is golden girl, Libby Trickett. During her successful swimming career Libby was all smiles after winning gold medal after gold medal at three consecutive Olympic Games, but as she shares in this episode, on the inside she was struggling with a powerful feeling that she wasn’t enough. Libby tells us all about what that was like, as well as s...

Jul 03, 20221 hr 33 minSeason 4Ep. 18

Dr Emily - The (pesky) Hedonistic Treadmill

Dr Emily is back to help us all! Reflecting on our episode with Olympic BMX rider, Sam Willoughby from Season 2, Dr Emily talks us through the dangers of the Hedonistic Treadmill, and its slightly lesser known cousin, Hedonistic Adaptation. There’s a lot covered in this episode, including ‘Growth Mindset’, being mindful of what we want and why, and how quickly we actually adapt to finally getting those things we want. For book recommendation Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson, please follow thi...

Jun 26, 202251 minSeason 4Ep. 17

Glenn Robbins - Listening to the Voice in Your Head

For over 30 years, Glenn Robbins has been one of the funniest and most loved performers in Australia. From The Comedy Company and Kath & Kim, to The Panel and of course Russell Coight, Glenn has guaranteed his spot in the comedy history books. But Glenn hasn’t always seen it that way. From a young age he was told he was "average", and despite his many successes, has dealt with a lifetime of performance anxiety. In this edition of The Vulnerabilitea House, Glenn opens up and tells us how he m...

Jun 19, 20221 hr 10 minSeason 4Ep. 16

Lael Stone - Creating Emotionally Intelligent Humans

In the words of her own child, Lael Stone “works for the kids”. But while Lael is technically a therapist who supports parents in understanding their children, everything Lael talks about in this edition of The Academy of Imperfection could easily be applied to all of us in understanding the people in our lives - no matter what age. Whether that be our friends, parents, colleagues or even ourselves. Through her work, Lael helps adults process their own childhood trauma, and creates education sys...

Jun 12, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 4Ep. 15

Harry Garside - A Boxer Who Dares To Be Different

Harry Garside is an Australian boxer who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics - the first Olympic medal in boxing for Australia in 33 years. But to simply describe Harry Garside as a champion boxer, would be to sell him waaaaaaay short. Because Harry is also a ballet dancer, a plumber and the guy who asked to wear a dress at the Olympic Opening Ceremony with the desire of defying gender stereotypes (request denied). To listen to the podcast with Deeyah Khan that Harry recommends, please follow the l...

Jun 05, 20221 hr 31 minSeason 4Ep. 14

Dr Emily - Truth vs Harmony

In this Emisode, Dr Emily returns to talk about a topic that is VERRRRRY close to the bones of Ryan, Hugh and Josh. The ongoing battle of Truth vs Harmony. Does that ring any bells for you? Do you choose to live truthfully? Or harmoniously? And what does that even mean? What’s the difference? And how do living ‘truthfully’ or ‘harmoniously’ affect us and the people around us? Dr Emily goes into all of it. In this episode, Dr Emily references conversations from Hamish Blake's episode and our last...

May 29, 202253 minSeason 4Ep. 13

Max Gawn - The Comment That Changed Everything

Big episode. HUGE episode in fact. Especially for Ryan. Ryan has been a long-suffering/recent-celebrating supporter of the Melbourne Demons his entire life. And today, Premiership captain of the Dees, Max Gawn is in The Vulnerabilitea House. Ryan. Breathe. Max tells Hugh, Ryan and Josh about a courageous comment made by one of the players in a team meeting that addressed the negative way players were speaking to each other. The comment cut deep - not only for Max who felt shame for his own behav...

May 22, 20221 hr 7 minSeason 4Ep. 12
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