The Effective Not Famous Podcast

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the world our younger generations are growing up in.

It seems like everywhere you look, there's this pressure to be somebody. To build a following, go viral, become an influencer, or have some kind of platform.

And look, I'm not against any of that. I think social media can be an incredible tool, and there are people doing some really meaningful things with it.

But I do wonder whether, somewhere along the way, we've started confusing being known with actually making a difference.

Because when I think about the people who've had the biggest impact on my life, most of them aren't famous. Some don't even have social media. 😂

They're just everyday people who've shown up, encouraged me, challenged me, or said something that's stayed with me for years.

And I think there's something worth unpacking there.

What are we actually measuring success by? How many people know our name? How many people follow us? Or the difference we're making in the lives of the people around us?

Because you can have a million followers and do incredible things. But you can also have no followers and completely change someone's life.

And I guess this is really my roundabout way of explaining why I'm relaunching Effective Not Famous.

This is the anchor for me. The north star. The heart behind the whole thing.

It's not about building a platform for the sake of having one, or chasing numbers, recognition or some version of success that looks impressive from the outside.

It's about people.

It's about being curious enough to sit down with someone, listen to their story, and recognise the value in a life that might otherwise go unnoticed.

It's about creating space for honest conversations, different perspectives, real experiences, and the things that shape us as human beings.

And for me, it's also deeply connected to my faith.

I genuinely feel like this is something God has placed on my heart. I don't necessarily know exactly what it's all going to look like or where it'll lead, but I know the heart behind why I want to do it.

And that's what I want to keep coming back to, especially as this podcast grows.

Because I don't want to get so caught up in building something that I lose sight of why I started.

Your worth isn't measured in followers, and you don't need to go viral to matter.

Maybe we need to spend a little less time worrying about being someone worth following and a little more time becoming someone worth knowing.

And if this podcast can help us recognise the value in one another, challenge the way we think, or remind even one person that their story and their life matter, then that's something worth doing.

That's the heart behind Effective Not Famous.

And I'm really glad you're here.

🎙️ Effective Not Famous
Presented by Hope Is My Homeboy.

Gary was at one of the lowest points of his life when an unexpected moment with his dog changed everything.After a relationship breakdown left him contemplating suicide, it was his little dog pressing against his leg that snapped him out of that moment. Years later, when Gary felt himself slipping back into a dark place, he made a radical decision: close his business, sell his belongings, pack up his motorbike and hit the road with his dog Cairo.What began as an attempt to get his own head right became something much bigger.In this episode of Effective Not Famous, we sit down with Gary and Nigel from Riders Against Teenage Suicide (RATS) and Cairo’s Suicide Awareness Ride.Nigel’s journey into the mission came unexpectedly too. After joining RATS, he was asked by the chairman to take over the organisation. Just three days later, that man passed away.Nigel was suddenly left carrying a mission with no real roadmap, much of the knowledge still in the founder’s head, and a decision to make about what happened next.He chose to keep going.Since then, Nigel and his wife have poured years of their own time, energy and personal money into RATS, helping build the charitable trust and showing up for individuals, families and communities affected by suicide.Together, Gary and Nigel share what they’ve learned from years of simply being willing to show up and listen.They tell stories of strangers sharing things they’ve never told their own families, grieving parents and partners, communities coming together after suicide, conversations on beaches and in pubs, and two complete strangers standing in the middle of a car park with tears running down their faces.We talk about suicide, grief, guilt, men’s mental health, purpose, service, dogs, motorcycles, “wind therapy”, the power of simply listening, and why sometimes the most important thing you can do is just show up.Gary and Nigel aren’t pretending to have all the answers.They just keep riding.They keep listening.They keep talking.Because you never know who might need that conversation, or what might be waiting just around the corner.🎙️ Effective Not Famous is presented by Hope Is My Homeboy.⚠️ This episode contains open conversations about suicide, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, grief and loss. Please look after yourself while listening.If you or someone you know is struggling or feeling unsafe in New Zealand, call or text 1737 anytime for free support from a trained counsellor.If there is an immediate risk to someone’s safety, call 111 or go to your nearest emergency department.Keep talking. Keep checking in. Keep showing up.#effectivenotfamous #hopeismyhomeboy #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #youarenotalone #dogssavelives #thepowerofconnection #mensmentalhealth #realstoriesrealpeople #ridersagainstteenagesuicide #keeptalking #storiesofhope #mentalhealthnz

I was terrified of being alone, so I signed up to run a marathon in a city where I knew almost no one.

At the time, I was leaving a relationship that was hurting me and losing a friendship I thought would always be there. Running gave me somewhere to put the grief, anger and fear. Five months later, I stood at the start line of the Auckland Marathon.

Along the way, an eight-year-old girl named Lily ran beside me and told me to chase my dreams. Near the end, I met an older man who was running alone too. We crossed the finish line together. Then I looked around and realised no one I knew had come to see me finish.

I sat in a nearby park and thought about the person I’d been when I first signed up. I had done something I once thought was impossible, and for the first time, being on my own felt different.

In Episode 002 of Effective Not Famous, I share what that marathon taught me about leaving painful relationships, choosing the people around you, and learning to trust yourself.

If you’ve ever stayed somewhere because leaving meant facing life alone, I hope this story meets you where you are.

Subscribe for more honest stories and conversations about the things that shape us.

Effective Not Famous is presented by Hope Is My Homeboy.

Welcome to the very first episode of Effective Not Famous.

This one has a bit of history behind it.

I originally recorded this episode back in 2023 and released it as an audio-only podcast on Spotify. No cameras, no big production. Just me, a microphone and a story I'd been carrying for a long time.

Now, three years later, as Effective Not Famous comes to life in a whole new way, it felt right to go back to where it all started.

So I kept the original words from 2023 and recorded the visual version now.

And honestly, it's pretty surreal.

A lot of life has happened since I first said these words. I've grown, changed, learnt a lot and probably see some things differently now.

But I didn't want to rewrite the past from the perspective of who I am today.

Those were my words then.
That was where I was at.
And that's part of the story too.

The heart behind why I wanted to create this podcast still means just as much to me today. If anything, I understand it even more now.

Before I sit down with other people and ask them to share their stories, it feels right to take you back to mine.

In this episode, I talk about losing my dad and brother to suicide, growing up around grief before I really understood what grief was, and navigating faith, identity, bullying, rejection and an environment that slowly chipped away at who I was.

Then came a moment where everything broke.

And strangely, that moment became the beginning of rebuilding my life.

This isn't a perfectly packaged success story. It's about the messy stuff that shapes us, the people who step in when we need them, learning to recognise your own worth, and what can happen when you finally decide that your story isn't finished.

It's also the beginning of what I want Effective Not Famous to be.

A place for conversations with people who might not be chasing fame or recognition, but who are doing meaningful things, overcoming hard things, helping people and making a genuine difference in the world around them.

Because some of the most impactful people you'll ever meet aren't necessarily the most famous.

They're just effective.

This is Episode 01.

The original words from 2023.
A new visual in 2026.
And the story of where this all began.

🎙️ Effective Not Famous
Presented by Hope Is My Homeboy

Subscribe and come along for the conversations ahead.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube:
@theeffectivenotfamous

Learn more about Hope Is My Homeboy:
hopeismyhomeboy.com

⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses suicide, grief, bullying and mental health. Please take care while listening and reach out to someone you trust or an appropriate support service if you need support.

Need support? ❤️

If this conversation has brought something up for you, please don't feel like you have to carry it alone. Reach out to someone you trust, or connect with one of the support services below.

• 1737: Call 0800 1737 1737 or text 1737 anytime, 24/7, to speak with a trained counsellor. Health New Zealand

• Lifeline Aotearoa: Call 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357 for confidential support. Lifeline

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) if you or someone you know may be thinking about suicide. Health New Zealand

• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234, available 24/7 for young people and people supporting young people. Youthline NZ

• Immediate danger: Call 111 or go to your nearest emergency department.