On this week's episode of the podcast we talk to Australian comedian Becky Lucas. Becky has written a book -Acknowledgements, and as you will hear Hugh is BIT of a fan. We cover a-lot in this ep, from bitchy English exchange students, Becky’s parents' divorce, 'dick-lit’, the stresses of lock down; and somehow we manage to squeeze in a discussion of 90s NBL basketball under the ‘auspice’ of a special birthday surprise. Afterwards we discuss the role of laughter and comedy in our lives and why laughter is such an incredible thing for changing our mood and improving our mental health. Yep, as I said, we cover quite a lot... If this chat has brought up any troubling emotions or thoughts for you, as always we strongly recommend Lifeline on 13 11 14. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Becky Lucas - The power of laughter

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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Unfortunately, we all know what bad leadership looks like, for many of us, it doesn’t take long to think of examples…but what does it actually take to be a ‘good leader’?
This week in the Academy of Imperfection, Hugh, Ryan and Josh are joined by a legend of the sport, former rugby league player and current coach of the Queensland Maroons, Billy Slater. Billy has been called the best fullback ever to have played the game. As a player, he’s won more awards than we could possibly list. As a coach and a leader, he is nothing short of inspiring.
In this episode, Billy talks about leadership, coaching and how he approaches it. He shares how playing to your strengths can actually be more beneficial than lingering on weaknesses; he discusses how sometimes, good leadership requires ‘letting go’; and he shares why he spends so much time creating feelings and moments for his players, reminding them that what they’re trying to achieve is something bigger than themselves.
You can watch the full episode with Billy on youtube here. https://bit.ly/3Vpl2Ll
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:


Billy Slater - Leading from the (Full)Back

How kind is your inner voice? What does it say to you when your with friends, having family dinner, at work, when you mistakes, or, when you look in the mirror?
We all have an inner critic and for lots of us, that voice can be loud and relentless - holding us back from thriving, from living the life we want to live and being the person we want to be.
In this episode of the IMPERFIX, we jump back into an episode with Dr Em and get up close and personal with ‘our inner critics’.
In this snippet we explore the role of the inner critic, what’s its purpose? How can we learn to live with, and maybe even befriend it.
To listen to this full episode with Dr. Em, follow this link: https://link.chtbl.com/Innercritic
Links mentioned in the episode:


IMPERFIX: Dr. Em - Befriending Your Inner Critic

Its hard to imagine a life more remarkable, or as unique as that of Nathan Cavaleri.
Nathan rose to fame as an 8 year old blues prodigy, regularly appearing on Aussie TV screens in the 90’s, but there is so much more to Nathan and his story than that. Whether it’s touring Australia with the likes of Jimmy Barnes; or touring America with blues Legend B.B. King; being signed to Michael Jackson’s label; or starring in a Baywatch spin off with David Hasselhoff; Nathan’s life from the outside, really does look perfect. However, as we all know, perfect isn't what this podcast is about.
In this episode, Nathan talks about the challenges he has faced along the way. From his battle with Leukaemia as a child; to his overwhelming struggles with anxiety as an adult that resulted in him passing out on stage. Nathan is a wonderful person, a beautiful storyteller and he’s a real joy to listen to in this episode of the imperfects.

To watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link: https://youtu.be/9XlJBw6fdq8 

To see Nathan perform live & check out his tour dates follow this link: https://bit.ly/3Kgqz0x
To book Nathan for speaking events, or exclusive performances, follow this link: https://bit.ly/44Z6IN0
To follow Nathan on Twitch, where he live streams his creative process and regularly connects with  fans, follow this link: https://bit.ly/3yqDutY
Links mentioned in the episode and extra resources:
 


Nathan Cavaleri - The Ups & The Blues

After his sister, Niki, was murdered by her ex-partner, Tarang Chawla made a decision - that he wouldn’t allow Niki to be remembered as just another statistic. Since then, Tarang has become an activist, working to reduce incidents of all forms of violence and abuse towards women in Australian.
In this episode of the IMPERFIX, we reflect on a conversation we had with Tarang back in 2022. Here, Tarang discusses the importance of believing and supporting women when they disclose abuse, and understanding the role of power, control, and gender inequality in such scenarios. Tarang also emphasises the need to separate individuals from their potentially abusive behaviour, underscoring the collective responsibility of men in combating violence against women.
Here are some important links from this episode.


IMPERFIX: Believing Women with Tarang Chawla

Taking a risk, by definition, is hard. A lot of us spend most of our life avoiding risks, under the assumption that it’s the ‘safe’ thing to do.
As Dr Em explains, we have an evolutionary instinct for self-preservation; tendencies to overestimate danger and underestimate our ability to cope; and we often have early childhood experiences and messages around safety that can coalesce into ‘playing it safe’ behaviours.
In this episode, Dr Em reveals that paradoxically, if we spend our whole life avoiding risk, then we are guaranteeing a less engaged, less fulfilling, less ‘lived’ life than we are capable of. That in fact, avoiding risk, is the biggest risk of all.
Dr Em, also offers strategies to guide us in the direction of letting a little more risk into our everyday lives.
To watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link: https://bit.ly/4dMUP0l
There is a lot mentioned in this episode, find it all below:
 


Becky Lucas - The power of laughter

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