At 27, following the end of a long-term relationship, Charline found herself back at her father’s home in France, asking a life-changing question: What am I going to do now?

Her answer took her to the other side of the world.

Leaving behind the familiarity of her small hometown, Charline travelled alone to Aotearoa New Zealand—despite the fear, uncertainty and challenge of communicating in English. What began as a working holiday became a much deeper journey of finding herself, reclaiming her freedom and learning to put her own happiness first.

In this heartfelt conversation, Charline speaks about losing herself in relationships, protecting her energy, challenging the expectations placed upon women and discovering the confidence to live on her own terms. She also reflects on the influence of her grandmothers, the unexpected kindness she encountered while travelling and the freedom she experiences through dance.

Her message is simple but powerful: do not wait until fear disappears. Take the opportunity, follow what calls you and allow yourself to change. “If you’re scared, just go.”

Behind every migrant family is a story of sacrifice, resilience, and love that often goes untold.

In this deeply personal conversation, Helen Lee shares her journey as a 1.5-generation Korean New Zealander—growing up between two cultures, rediscovering her Korean identity, and finding purpose through community service.

Helen reflects on the extraordinary courage of her parents, who left South Korea to build a new life in New Zealand, the profound impact of losing her father at just 19 years old, and how grief transformed the way she saw her mother—not only as a parent, but as a woman navigating her own loss.

Together, we explore identity, belonging, volunteering, intergenerational change, migrant family life, and the quiet strength that shapes the next generation.

This is more than a conversation about migration. It is about the people who came before us, the legacy they leave behind, and how love continues through the lives we choose to live.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Growing up as a 1.5-Generation Korean New Zealander

• The untold sacrifices of migrant parents

• Reconnecting with cultural identity

• Losing a parent at a young age

• Grief, resilience and healing

• Community, volunteering and public service

• Health equity and public policy

• Why belonging matters

• Carrying a parent's legacy into the future

If this conversation resonates with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. Every story reminds us that none of us walks this journey alone.

What does it mean to grow up openly gay in the conservative American South during the 1960s and 70s?

In this deeply moving conversation, Mark shares an extraordinary life shaped by courage, resilience, heartbreak, faith, and hope. From surviving hate crimes, sexual assault, addiction, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, to rebuilding his life while living with Parkinson's disease, Mark reflects on nearly seven decades of lived experience with remarkable honesty.

Now living in a nursing home in Colorado, Mark speaks openly about loneliness, ageing within the LGBTQ+ community, and why so many older queer people feel forgotten. Following a simple act of kindness on social media that connected him with people around the world, he reminds us how even the smallest gesture can create a ripple effect that changes someone's life. Together we explore:

• Growing up openly gay in conservative America

• Living through the HIV/AIDS epidemic

• Recovery from addiction and finding hope again

• Living with Parkinson's disease

• Loneliness and ageing in the LGBTQ+ community

• Faith, resilience and finding purpose

• Why we must remember and honour the generation that paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights

• The power of kindness, connection and human dignity

This is more than one man's story. It is a reminder that behind every freedom we enjoy today are people whose lives were shaped by courage, sacrifice and perseverance.

If Mark's story touched you, please consider liking this video, subscribing to the channel, and sharing it with others. Together, we can ensure that the voices of LGBTQ+ elders continue to be heard and remembered.

In this episode of the Authentic Leadership Podcast, Sophie Jing reflects on a lifelong journey of becoming. Drawing on the wisdom of her grandmother and her own experiences as a mother, author, marathon runner, and PhD researcher, she explores how each generation of women shapes the next.

Together, we discuss identity, migration, motherhood, curiosity, education, and why life is not about reaching a finish line but about continuing to grow. Sophie's research seeks to honour the voices of the women who came before her while creating space for the generations that follow.

This conversation is a celebration of resilience, authenticity, and the enduring legacy passed from one generation of women to the next.

In this episode of the Authentic Leadership Podcast, Ivan Yeo sits down with Kevin McAfee, founder of Wellbeing Solutions, to explore his journey from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to New Zealand and the mission that now drives his work.

Drawing on his background in technology and his passion for helping others, Kevin shares how concerns about mental health and suicide led him to rethink how support systems are designed. From using football as a vehicle to teach resilience and belonging among young people, to developing innovative AI and text-based tools that place people before data, Kevin offers a fresh perspective on wellbeing and prevention.

Together, they discuss:

⚽ Building resilience in children through sport and community

💙 Why mental health support should begin long before a crisis occurs

🤖 The opportunities and limits of artificial intelligence in mental health

📱 Creating technology that prioritises human connection and trust

🌏 How travel, migration and life experiences shaped Kevin's outlook

🤝 The importance of belonging, relationships and support networks

🔍 Why people should always come before systems and statistics

Warm, practical and deeply purpose-driven, this conversation offers an inspiring look at how compassion, innovation and community can come together to create meaningful change.

In this special Pride Month conversation, I sit down with long-time Rainbow community advocate and media personality Steven Oates for an intimate and deeply personal discussion about identity, family, freedom and the changing landscape of LGBTQ+ communities.

Rather than focusing on titles and achievements, this episode explores the person behind the public profile. Steven reflects on growing up in Taupō, the profound influence of his parents, becoming involved in community activism and media, and the importance of living life without being defined by other people's opinions.

Together, we discuss:

✨ The love and acceptance Steven received from his parents

✨ Finding purpose through community and storytelling

✨ How Queer Nation and community media shaped his journey

✨ Turning 50 and entering a new chapter of life

✨ Why freedom begins when we stop worrying about what others think

✨ Social media, generational change and the evolving Rainbow community

✨ The importance of history, gratitude and making space for younger voices

✨ Why everyone has a story worth listening to

Throughout the conversation, Steven shares his characteristic humour, warmth and honesty, offering reflections on ageing, belonging, activism and what truly matters.

A thoughtful conversation about authenticity, legacy and the courage to simply be yourself.

From unemployment and years of struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, to becoming a leader in the lived experience workforce, Shelwin Khan shares his remarkable journey into peer support.

In this episode of the Authentic Leadership Podcast, Shelwin speaks openly about finding purpose through lived experience, the realities of rebuilding confidence after long-term unemployment, and why peer support has transformed his life. He also discusses the growing professionalisation of the peer workforce, the importance of training and volunteering, and what employers are looking for when hiring peer support workers.

This conversation offers hope for anyone considering a career in peer support and provides an honest look at both the rewards and challenges of walking alongside others on their recovery journeys.

From years of unemployment to becoming a peer support leader, Shelwin Khan shares how lived experience, recovery, and purpose shaped his journey and what it really takes to work in peer support.

A.K. has lived many lives. She grew up in poverty, survived a difficult childhood, became a national-level athlete, built a career in the music industry, started and ran her own successful business, left everything behind, became an international student at 40, and then rebuilt her life again in New Zealand.

From growing up in a one-bedroom flat in Kuala Lumpur to leading organisations in New Zealand, A.K. Yap's story is one of resilience, humility, and continual reinvention. In this episode, we explore migration, identity, burnout, leadership, and the courage to begin again. A conversation that reminds us that success is not just about achievement, but about finding meaning, balance, and becoming who we are meant to be.

What do migrants bring in their luggage besides clothes? Migration is never just about moving countries — it is about carrying invisible luggage: identity, language, hopes, grief, values, responsibilities, and ways of understanding the world.

This workshop explores the migrant journey through a unique, practical lens of intercultural communication, helping participants better understand the hidden challenges many migrants face as they adapt to a new environment. Using powerful metaphors, real-life stories, and cross-cultural frameworks, the workshop unpacks how culture shapes the way we communicate, build trust, make decisions, seek support, and navigate belonging.

Topics explored include:

• The migrant journey and hidden challenges of settlement

• Why communication styles differ across cultures

• Individualistic vs collective cultures

• High-context and low-context communication

• Trust, relationships, hierarchy, and cultural expectations

• The experience of 1.5 and second-generation migrants navigating two worlds

• Practical ways to strengthen intercultural understanding and connection.

Grounded in lived experience, migration realities, and established intercultural communication frameworks, this workshop invites participants to move beyond assumptions and deepen understanding of how culture shapes everyday interactions — in communities, workplaces, services, and relationships.

Whether you work with migrant communities, lead diverse teams, or simply want to better understand the human experience of migration, this workshop offers practical insights into building stronger connections, communication, and a sense of belonging.

In this deeply moving and powerful conversation, I sit down with Kerri Butler — founder of Take Notice, mental health advocate, and lived experience leader — to explore a journey shaped by resilience, whakapapa, injustice, healing, and the courage to keep fighting for change.

Kerri shares her personal experiences navigating the mental health system, the profound impact of her beloved nana’s journey through institutional care, and how witnessing systemic harm ignited a lifelong commitment to advocacy and transformation. Together, we discuss Māori wellbeing, lived experience leadership, rangatiratanga, intergenerational trauma, compulsory treatment orders, restraint and seclusion, and what true healing and partnership in mental health care could look like.

This is not just a conversation about mental health systems — it is a conversation about dignity, voice, identity, cultural connection, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood. Kerri also shares the story behind Tūmata Kōkiritia, a kaupapa grounded in whānau voices and collective healing, and why community-led solutions matter now more than ever.

There are moments in this kōrero that are heartbreaking, confronting, hopeful, and deeply human. At its heart, this episode asks an important question: How do we create systems that heal?