Libby Trickett surfaced from the pool at the Beijing Olympics, saw the number one next to her name, and waited for the feeling of being enough. It didn't come.

Libby is mum to five children, including baby Archie, who was snuggled on her chest throughout our entire conversation. She opens up about postnatal depression after her first daughter, Poppy, about the Father wound that quietly drove her to the pool every single day, and about the moment she realised that winning gold wasn't going to make her whole. We also explore her passionate advocacy for keeping girls in sport.

We explore:

• The relentlessness of early motherhood, and why admitting it's boring sometimes is actually the most honest thing you can say
• What Libby's postnatal depression cracked open in her - and why she now sees it as one of the most important experiences of her life
• The Beijing gold medal, and the moment Libby realised that winning the thing she'd wanted her whole life, still left a void
• Libby's advocacy work around girls and sport: why participation drops off and what we can do about it
• The only thing that matters in parenting - and why it's not organic food, sleep training, or getting the birth story "right"

What I keep coming back to, sitting with this conversation, is Libby saying: "I was always enough." Seven Olympic medals, world records, five children - and still, that simple truth was the hardest thing to find. What I love about Libby is that she's doing the work. She's right in it. And she's raising five little humans to know their enoughness from the start. To me, that's the most important gold medal of all.

[Recorded Remotely October 2025]

About Libby Trickett:

Libby Trickett is a seven-time Olympic medallist with four gold medals who represented Australia at three consecutive Olympic Games and held world records in the 100m freestyle throughout her career. She is a mental health advocate, author of the memoir Beneath the Surface, and a fierce advocate for keeping girls in sport. She lives with her husband, former swimmer Luke Trickett, and their five children.

Connect with Libby:

• Instagram: @libby_trickett
• Podcast: Play Well series - 8 Eps on Sportish

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

There are conversations that feel like they're about one thing, but they're actually about something else entirely. This one starts with laughter… and ends up in a tender place.

Ryan Shelton is such an excellent human. He's one third of The Imperfects alongside Hugh and Josh van Cuylenburg, and a face on Australian screens for the better part of two decades, from Rove to Hamish & Andy. I knew going into this chat that it'd be warm and funny and real.

We talk about what it costs to keep seeking approval, the psychology behind why so many of us are still waiting for someone to say "it's your turn now," and the surprising power of small, silly, seemingly pointless things. Ryan's beautiful quote - delivered with perfect comic timing and complete sincerity - might be my favourite callout from the whole season so far: "Silliness is worth taking seriously."

We explore:

• The fear that stops you putting creative work into the world - and what actually happens when you finally do it anyway
• "Juvenile condition" - the Adlerian psychology concept that explains why so many adults are still waiting for permission to start their own lives
• Laughter as a nervous system response - and why it shows up in the strangest, most inconvenient moments
• The "three-sided column" from The Courage to Be Happy - and how it changes who you think is responsible for your life
• Why silliness might be the most underrated form of connection and healing we have right now

All the fear, the procrastination, the need for approval. The creativity, the silliness, the courage it takes to put something out there, even when you're scared. Ryan reminded me to take that a lot more seriously - and to laugh a lot more while I'm doing it.

[Recorded January 2026]

About Ryan Shelton:

Ryan Shelton is one of Australia's most beloved comedians and writers. After two decades in Australian television - from Rove Live to co-writing Chris Lilley's We Can Be Heroes and producing Hamish & Andy's The Gap Year, True Story, and Perfect Holiday - he's now one third of The Imperfects, Australia's leading mental health podcast, alongside Hugh and Josh van Cuylenburg. In late 2025, he opened his debut solo art exhibition in Fitzroy: All This Work, Just For This. He takes silliness very, very seriously.

Connect with Ryan:

• Instagram: @ryansheltonography
• Podcast: The Imperfects Podcast

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

I grew up with Ali Daddo on my wall. And like so many of us, I looked at that image and thought - that's it. That's what it means to arrive. What I didn't know - what none of us knew - was that even being the ‘it’ girl comes with challenges.

This beautiful conversation really opens up about the pressures we feel as a woman, from the tween and teen years, into motherhood and menopause. We explore Ali's "standing in front of a 747 jet engine" image of society's pressure not to age, and what women actually find on the other side of all that noise.

We also get deep about long-term love - Esther Perel's three marriages to the same person, (what it takes to reinvent in the third one), and what "making art from a marriage" actually looks like in practice.

We explore:

• The "currency" of appearance: what we inherit, what it costs us, and what happens when the market changes as we age
• The grandmother whale theory: why Ali believes women stop being fertile because they're meant to lead
• Reinventing long-term love post-menopause
• Aviiana, the wellness platform Ali co-founded with Mary Doube, and the whole vision to help women thrive with confidence
• What it feels like to finally be "out of the game you never asked to be in" - and why that might be the most liberating thing that's ever happened to us

Ali is a little further down this path than me and I am so grateful to have her shining a light from up ahead. What she's showing me is that the other side isn't smaller. It's more. More voice. More space. More of yourself. 💛

[Recorded Remotely November 2025]

About Ali Daddo:

Ali Daddo began her career as one of Australia's most recognisable models and presenters before spending 25 years in the United States, where she worked as a birth assistant and Steiner early childhood educator. She's the author of Queen Menopause: Finding Your Majesty in the Mayhem, co-host of ‘The Heart of It’ podcast with hubby Cameron Daddo, co-founder of the women's wellness platform Aviiana, and host of the Foxtel LifeStyle wellness series, Gen Well.

Connect with Ali:

• Website: aviiana.com.au
• Instagram: @alidaddo
• Podcast: The Heart of It

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What if the story you tell about your body isn’t really yours to begin with?

In this warm, honest, and beautifully grounded conversation, I sit down with Steph Claire Smith – co-founder of KIC, model, podcaster, and mum – to explore the imprints that shape how we see ourselves, and what it takes to slowly, gently, rewrite them.

Steph grew up in the public eye at a time when the wellness world had a very particular idea of what health was supposed to look like. We talk about what it meant to internalise that, how it showed up in her relationship with food and her body, and the long, non-linear journey towards actually feeling at home in herself.

We also talk about motherhood, the pressure of building a business in the health and fitness space while doing your own inner work, and why Steph believes the most powerful thing she can do for her daughter is to keep going on her own healing journey.

We explore:

• Growing up in the public eye – and what that does to a young woman’s sense of self
• The shift from performing wellness to actually living it
• Building KIC from the inside out – and why the mission has always been bigger than fitness
• Motherhood as a mirror: what Steph sees in herself through her children
• The ongoing, imperfect work of breaking old patterns

What stayed with me after this conversation was Steph’s honesty about navigating the public eye and staying true to yourself.

[Recorded January 2026]

About Steph Claire Smith:

Steph Claire Smith is the co-founder of KIC, a leading Australian health and wellness app focused on movement, mindfulness and nourishing food. A model, podcaster and mum, Steph has been open about her own journey with body image and mental health, and uses her platform to champion a more balanced, compassionate approach to wellbeing.

Connect with Steph:

• Instagram: @stephclairesmith
• KICApp: kicwellness.com

Use the code humansbeing for one month free when you sign up to the KICApp via the above website on a monthly subscription. Available for new and returning users only.

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What if the feelings you’ve spent a lifetime pushing down are the very things asking to be heard?

In this solo episode, I want to talk about something people ask me about all the time – what does it actually mean to “do the work”? I recognise that the majority of us grew up in homes where feelings weren’t exactly welcomed. Anger got shut down. Tears got ignored. Mistakes got shamed. And so we learned pretty early that the safest thing to do was to push it all down and get on with it. The problem is, those feelings don’t go anywhere. They just wait.

We explore:

• Why most of us were never taught to process our emotions – and how that shapes our adult behaviour
• The “dark night of the soul” – the crisis moments that often push us toward deeper self-examination
• The loneliness of changing when the people around you aren’t
• What does doing the work actually look like – inner child work, journaling, reparenting
• How to start noticing your triggers as invitations, not problems
• Why going slowly and gently is not weakness – it’s wisdom

What I know from many years of working with people – and from my own journey – is that nobody ever regrets doing this work. Nobody regrets healing. The invitation is simply to get curious, go gently, and take one step at a time.

[Recorded October 2025]

About Lael Stone:

Lael Stone is an educator, counsellor, and author of Own Your Story: Understanding your past to create your future. With over 20 years of experience working with families, Lael helps people understand how their childhood imprints shape their adult lives – and how to do something about it.

Connect with Lael:

• Instagram: @laelstone
• Website: laelstone.com.au

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What if the worst thing that ever happened to you turned out to be the thing that taught you how to live truly?

In this deeply moving and beautifully honest conversation, I sit down with Lisa Corduff – podcaster, storyteller, entrepreneur, and solo mum to three extraordinary kids – to explore what it means to carry grief, raise children through loss, and still choose joy.

Lisa's husband Nick died in September 2019 while travelling in India and Lisa’s challenge was to keep showing up, to stay open to find joy even inside profound grief. We talk about the gifts that grief can give, the messy reality of solo parenting, what it means to let yourself fall apart so you can come back together differently, and the extraordinary five-month adventure Lisa took her kids on when she realised she needed to stop pretending she was okay.

We explore:

• What Lisa's children taught her about joy and grief coexisting
• The "good vibes only" trap – and why grief has to be felt to move through
• Keeping Nick present in positive and loving ways as the kids grow
• Becoming the "fun parent" and straddling joy and boundaries solo
• What it really means to live fully in the face of death
• Crafting the story your children carry: the power of the imprints we give in our darkest moments

What struck me most in sitting with Lisa was her willingness to hold all of it at once. The sadness and the adventure. The grief and the laughter. The very worst thing and the extraordinary life she has built in its shadow.

[Recorded October 2025]

About Lisa Corduff:

Lisa Corduff is a podcaster, storyteller, and entrepreneur passionate about helping women find and share their own voices. She is the host of Conversations with Lisa, where she explores big topics including AI, climate change, and what it means to raise children in this moment in time. Lisa also teaches storytelling and is a passionate advocate for women claiming the power of their own stories.

Connect with Lisa:

• Instagram: @lisacorduff
• Podcast: Conversations with Lisa: This Moment in Time

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What if the moment that changed your life wasn’t a success story... but a 15-year-old boy dying with his feet planted on the ground, reminding you not to waste yours?

In this raw, joyful, and deeply moving conversation, I talk with Tommy Herschell – former Queensland primary school teacher, founder of ‘Find Ya Feet’, and one of the most genuinely human people I’ve had the privilege of knowing.

This conversation is about the moment Tommy hit rock bottom. It’s about what it really means to find your feet – to stop, think about where you are, and think about the best person you can actually be. And it’s about the extraordinary ripple effect that happens when blokes – young and old – are finally given permission to feel.

We explore:

• Bastien Madrill – the 15-year-old whose final days completely changed Tommy’s life
• Why Tommy calls his work “mental mechanics” and why that reframe matters for boys
• The pit crew theory – how to choose the mates who will actually change your tyres
• People pleasing, self-worth, and the real reason we’re always the last to leave the pub
• What a session with one boy who stayed seated after a workshop taught him about the power of being heard
• The red truck theory of teenage behaviour – and what it means for every parent listening

I’ve known Tommy for a while now, and every single time I’m around him I leave feeling like the world is going to be okay. Not because everything’s easy – but because people like Tommy are out there in schools every single day, making space for the conversations that save lives.

[Recorded remotely, October 2025]

About Tommy Herschell:

Tommy Herschell is a former Queensland primary school teacher and the founder of Find Ya Feet – a not-for-profit organisation delivering mental health workshops to men and boys aged 10 to 70 in schools, sporting clubs and corporate settings across Australia. Tommy calls his work “mental mechanics” rather than mental health, and describes himself as a story farmer – creating spaces where vulnerability is modelled and blokes learn that speaking up isn’t weakness. His work is supported by ambassadors including Mitch Marsh and Nicho Hines, and the organisation is about to release its first children’s book, Timmy and the Wonky Fence.

Connect with Tommy:

• Instagram: @FindYaFeet
• Website: findyafeet.org

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What if authenticity isn’t something you find... but something you return to?

In this warm, honest, and at times deeply moving conversation, I sit down with Kat John; coach, author, and one of those rare humans who just radiates something you want to lean into. Kat helps people come home to themselves, their hearts, and what really matters. And in this conversation, she does exactly that - for herself, and for all of us listening.

We explore:

• The ego voice that tells us we’re not doing enough - and how to hold it with compassion instead of feeding it
• The dance between significance and simplicity - and why we don’t have to choose
• Kat’s remarkable healing journey - from brain surgery and chronic pain to living pain-free through the power of visualisation
• What it means to be cut off from your body early in life, and the slow, brave work of coming home to it
• Five Rhythms, movement, and why healing so often lives in the body rather than the mind
• The complex, beautiful, challenging space of being a step-parent
• Perimenopause, rage, and learning to feel the feelings we were never allowed to have
• What it looks like to build a brand and a life from a place of radical authenticity

[Recorded October 2025]

About Kat John:

Kat John is a coach, speaker, and author of Authentic - a book about coming home to who you really are. Through her words, her work, and her deeply relatable presence, Kat reminds us that authenticity isn’t something to perform - it’s something to return to. She hosts the podcast Authentic, and runs programs including The Good Life and Authentic - The Program.

Connect with Kat:

• Instagram: @kat.john
• Podcast: Authentic. The Podcast
• Book: Authentic
• Programs: The Good Life + Authentic - The Program

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

What happens when the voice in your head that's kept you "safe" your whole life starts to get quieter... and you're not sure who you are without it?

In this beautiful, warm and deeply honest conversation, I sit down with Josh van Cuylenburg - co-host of The Imperfects podcast (one of Australia's biggest mental health podcasts), freelance filmmaker, visual storyteller, musician, dad of two little humans, and a really, really lovely guy!

Josh and I explore the beautiful, messy reality of parenting two little boys, what it really feels like to be in the trenches of fatherhood, and the courage it takes to say "I'm struggling" before you reach that breaking point. We talk about that inner critic that's been with him since he was a teenager, how becoming a dad was the first time he truly told it to be quiet, and how Josh found the courage to speak and perform publicly after years of believing he couldn't.

We explore:

• The power of apologising to our kids – and why it doesn't weaken us, it strengthens the relationship
• Co-sleeping, bedtime, and why lying next to your child isn't indulgent – it's building safety
• How his son needing him more before starting school is actually a beautiful sign of secure attachment
• The inner critic – how it kept him small, how fatherhood began to shift it, and the strange vulnerability of life without it
• Why safety is the key to everything – sleep, exercise, risk-taking, and being truly ourselves

[Recorded January 2026]

About Josh van Cuylenburg:

Josh is one-third of The Imperfects podcast alongside his brother Hugh van Cuylenburg and Ryan Shelton. Originally the show's producer, it didn't take long for Hugh and Ryan to realise Josh's wisdom, curiosity and very good questions were being wasted behind the scenes. He's also a freelance filmmaker and visual storyteller, and in 2023 released his debut single "We Were Here" after years of believing he couldn't write music. He's a dad to two boys, Charlie and Auggie, and reckons that ‘Bluey sleepy time’ is possibly the greatest seven minutes in TV history.

Connect with Josh:

• The Imperfects podcast: Available on all podcast platforms
• Music: "We Were Here" on Spotify and Apple Music

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.

Sometimes the challenges in life bear the greatest rewards!

In this honest and tender conversation, I sit down with Sarah Pound, nutritionist, recipe writer, author of two best-selling cookbooks, and the creator behind Wholesome by Sarah, where over 1 million followers turn to make food feel effortless and joyful.

But this conversation goes way beyond recipes and Instagram. Sarah and I explore the beautiful, messy reality of navigating competition, comparison, and understanding that creativity comes in many forms. We explore:

• Reframing "imposter syndrome" as simply lacking experience (and why that's actually okay).
• Navigating motherhood and running a business and finding the middle ground.
• Competition, comparison, and the discomfort of jealousy, but staying in your own lane.
• Building a business on your own terms, not how it's "supposed" to be done.
• The Imprints we want to pass on to our children about food.

What I loved about this conversation was Sarah's willingness to be so real about the parts of success that don't get talked about – the isolation, the comparison, and trusting the journey even when it feels like it's falling apart. Sarah shares about her own growth around emotional intelligence and reminds us that you can be wildly successful and still be working through your stuff. You can have it all together on the outside and still be figuring out who you are beyond what you do.

[Recorded October 2025]

About Sarah Pound: Sarah is a nutritionist, recipe writer, content creator, and author of two best-selling cookbooks, including her latest, "Family Food". As the creator of Wholesome by Sarah, she's built a community of over 1 million followers by making food feel simple, delicious, and guilt-free. Sarah is also co-founder of Simply Wholesome Pantry, recipe writer for Good Food Australia, and radio co-host for Wellness Australia. Beyond the beautiful food content, Sarah is a mother navigating the beautiful messiness of building a business whilst raising her family and doing her own inner work.

Connect with Sarah:

• Instagram: @wholesomebysarah
• Web: wholesomebysarah.com.au
• Cookbooks: "Family Food" and “Wholesome by Sarah”

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Connect with Humans, being™:

• Web: humansbeing.au
• Instagram: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• Facebook: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• TikTok: @humansbeingwithlaelstone
• YouTube: @humansbeingwithlaelstone

Humans, being™ is produced on the lands of the Bunurong and Wadawurrung people. We pay respect to their unique and diverse cultures and to elders past, present and future.