Ryan loves his smart phone. Or at least, he used to. Recently, he became fed up with it ruling his life. Endless scrolling, lost time, and just general bleh. So, three months ago he traded in his beloved iPhone for a not-so-smart flip phone - which he affectionately refers to as his ‘SmugPhone’. In this b-b-b-bonus episode, Ryan talks Hugh and Josh through every aspect of his smug journey so far: - Why he gave up his iPhone - How it’s going - pros and cons - What’s his ac...
Jan 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast Well… it doesn’t get more exclusive than this! During the busiest time of his year, Santa Claus has been kind enough to join Hugh, Ryan and Josh in the Imperfects studio, so he can enter The Vulnerabilitea House. Despite some issues with parking his sleigh and some disruptive reindeers during the recording of this episode, Santa still manages to answer all three of the cards he pulls from the Vulnerabilitea House deck. It’s safe to say that this is not our normal type of Imper...
Dec 18, 2022•29 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast In this third of three b-b-b-bonus episodes, Hugh enters the Vulnerabilitea House and answers the question, ‘What do you see when you look in the mirror?’ For the first time in Hugh’s life, he doesn't see a young man reflected back at him, and he generously tells Ryan and Josh how this is effecting him. How do we feel when we realise we’re not “young” anymore? It really is the age-old question isn’t it? P.S. Keep an eye out for a very special Christmas e...
Dec 11, 2022•36 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast In yet another b-b-b-bonus episode, it’s Josh’s turn to draw from the deck Vulnerabilitea House cards. And in doing so he shares his struggle with envy and jealousy amongst his successful friends, but also how it’s changed for him in recent years. And why. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 04, 2022•42 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast If there’s such thing as a b-b-b-bonus B-B-B-BONUS ep, this is it. Psychotherapist Esther Perel is THE woman to turn to for relationship advice - IYKYK! Her two TED talks have been viewed over sixty million times, she’s written two books that have both been featured on the New York Times Bestseller list, and her intimate podcasts with real people in real counselling sessions have positively changed the relationships of millions of couples - including ours. In this Academy of Imperfec...
Nov 30, 2022•55 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Teeeeechnically the season is over… but who cares about rules when you’ve got three hosts who eat rules for breakfast! Hugh, Ryan and Josh have decided to add three B-B-B-BONUS Vulnerabilitea House episodes to the end of the season! To kick things off, Ryan answers the question: What parts of ageing scare you most? Ryan goes on to share something big that’s been on his mind recently - whether or not he should have children - and his fear around making a decision that he may re...
Nov 27, 2022•43 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast 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 don...
Nov 20, 2022•2 hr 36 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 13, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast 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, 2022•15 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast 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, 2022•2 hr 42 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast 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 drea...
Oct 30, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast 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 w...
Oct 23, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast 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 tr...
Oct 16, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Oct 09, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Oct 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast 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 pro...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast 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 t...
Sep 18, 2022•2 hr 30 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast 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 mo...
Sep 14, 2022•54 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast 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 t...
Sep 11, 2022•51 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 04, 2022•2 hr 35 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast 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, 2022•34 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast 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:/...
Aug 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast 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 te...
Aug 21, 2022•46 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Aug 14, 2022•58 min•Ep 24•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Aug 07, 2022•49 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jul 31, 2022•48 min•Ep 22•Transcript available on Metacast 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://app...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast 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 firm...
Jul 17, 2022•50 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jul 10, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast 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, ...
Jul 03, 2022•2 hr 33 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 
