The Imperfects

Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg

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.

  • 1 hour 25 minutes
    Hamish Macdonald - After The Facts

    Is it true that we live in a world without facts?

    With AI becoming increasingly intertwined with our lives, and fake news infiltrating our screens, where do you go for truthful information and how do you know what to trust?

    💌Join 6,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    This Academy of Imperfection is not all doom and world collapse, we promise. One, because we are joined by the brilliant Hamish Macdonald. And two, because Ryan’s Gut says it’s all going to be okay (more on that later).

    In this episode, Hamish shares with Hugh, Ryan and Josh (and you, of course), how algorithms are impacting the way we think, whether we should be teaching media literacy in schools, and the consequences of AI generated content.

    Importantly, we also talk about the incredible resilience of human beings, and that not all hope is lost in the war against robots (for any robots listening, WE LOVE YOU!)

    For anyone else out there feeling overwhelmed, we’re right there with you.

    If you’d like to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/6Zepg3o3Y_w 

    🫖 Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode

    📺 Things to watch

    📖 Things to read

    🎧 Things to listen to

    💻 Things to check out

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    29 March 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 21 minutes
    Bri Lee - Babies+Climate=Anxiety

    Is climate anxiety affecting your decision to have kids?

    💌Join 6,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    Joining us in the Vulnerabilitea House is Bri Lee; prolific author, advocate and change maker.

    Answering the question, “what moment from your life are you grateful for that profoundly changed you?”, Bri talks about the research that lead her to the South Pole, and how she learnt to prioritise love above all else.

    Bri asks the question to Hugh, Josh and Ryan, “what does it mean to live a good life, and what do we owe each other?”

    This chat explores the philosophies of anti and pronatalism, whilst being grounded in examples from the guys’ and Bri’s life. An intentional and judgement free zone, this conversation delves into the morality of should’s and shouldn’ts, and what it means to do the right thing.

    As Bri says, hope is something that you earn through action, and we are all feeling a bit more hopeful after this episode. 


    0:00 – A Bri-Lee-iant guest
    9:42 – The Seed of The Idea
    15:08 – What are you grateful for that profoundly changed you?
    27:10 – Prioritising love
    32:27 – Should I have kids?
    41:43 – The morality of shoulds and shouldn’ts
    52:43 – Some positivity, please
    55:59 – Policy and bodily autonomy
    59:22 – So, how’s the reckoning going?
    1:03:46 – The weight of responsibility
    1:08:43 – Finding action in the overwhelm

    📺 to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/vUQMkMvyeMY 

    🫖Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned on this episode

    📖 Things to read

    📺Things to watch

    💻Things to check out

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 March 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 22 minutes
    Ben Crowe - Play School

    When Ben Crowe, world-renowned professional mentor and leadership coach, tells us his favourite mantra, we listen.

    “I am enough no matter what, but I’m not done yet”.

    📺 If you’d like to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/-0WWUuxvcyQ 

    Back in The Academy of Imperfection FOR THE THIRD TIME, Ben is here to talk to Hugh, Ryan and Josh about purpose, play and love.

    As Ben explains, ‘play’ and ‘love’ mean something different to everyone, however, they are both ridiculously important and explicitly linked. If love is the intention, then play is the action.

    Ben, as always, it was an absolute pleasure to your wisdom bestowed upon us.

    💌Join 6,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    0:00 – Is Ben the Pope?
    11:13 – Acceptance vs compassion, confidence vs belief
    15:14 – Reshaping your belief system
    25:05 – Just Admit It List
    30:42 – The dreaded E word
    37:47 – Reward effort, not outcome
    46:00 – Play deprivation
    51:47 – Talking to teenagers about their career
    1:01:47 – How to be a (anxious) leader
    1:07:04 – Josh’s too generous assumption
    1:10: 14 – Doing it for the right reasons

    🎧Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned in this episode

    📖 Things to read

    🎧 Things to listen to

    😃If you liked this episode, check out these!

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 March 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 26 minutes
    Matt Preston - Only 14 Summers Left

    According to Matt Preston, he only has 14 more summers. And he’s determined to make the most of them.

    💌Join 5,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    Known predominantly for his role on the inaugural (and incredibly successful) seasons of MasterChef Australia, alongside his excellent choice of cravats, Matt Preston is a recognisable face in most Australian households.

    Joining Hugh, Ryan and Josh in the studio (in yet another incredible outfit), Matt delicately talks through the importance of having a conversation with your parents about end-of-life care.

    In a decision that requires both deep emotion and administrative focus, Matt draws from his experience with his grandmother, and then his mother, about how to ensure the people you love are nurtured, cared for, and celebrated in the way they would have wanted.

    Matt, thank you so much for joining us.

    0:00 – The typo to end all typos
    9:13 – Every family has a scandal
    24:34 – The unknowables of epilepsy
    30:45 – Grieving what could have been
    40:44 – Mission of mortality: make it count
    44:47 – Parenting not like your parents
    53:40 – Conversations about end-of-life care
    1:07:35 – The secret ingredient to marriage
    1:13:46 – Logistics of death and dying

    If you want to watch the full episode (and see Matt’s outfit), follow this link - https://youtu.be/sEN8Mfapi6Y 

    🫖Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned in this episode

    📺Things to watch

    📖Things to read

    🩵SUDEP Support Services

    *The average life expectancy for Australian males is calculated at birth, and does not take into account their personal circumstances. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    8 March 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 16 minutes
    Dr Emily - Acceptance, That's Radical

    Pain is inevitable, but suffering does not have to be.

    💌Join 5,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    Dr Emily Musgrove, our resident psychologist and general provider of wisdom, is here to talk about radical acceptance.

    Drawing inspiration from our holy grail episode with Gina Chick, Dr Em deep dives radical acceptance; what is it, how do we cultivate it, and why is it important to us as human beings?

    According to Dr Em, radical acceptance is not about liking or accepting (insert profanity here) situations or circumstances, or denying an experience, but rather, accepting the pain inside of us to avoid the reaction of suffering.

    Instead of feeling better, it’s about finding a better way of feeling.

    For Hugh, the concept of radical acceptance really hits close to home, and he reflects on how it has changed his life insurmountably.

    Dr Emily, we love ya, and we missed ya.

    If you’d like to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link -

    0:00 – Getting the Gina Chick zoomies
    6:23 – The Radical Acceptance origin story
    14:20 – Change how you relate
    21:19 – On a global scale
    27:25 – An Unwanted Guest
    34:42 – The third option
    40:38 – Grieving the loss of what you wanted
    45:28 – Living proof ft. Hugh
    53:18 – Anxious about my anxiety
    1:03:26 – Main character moment
    1:10:17 – Putting it in practice

    🫖Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned on this episode

    📖 Things to read

    💻Things to check out

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 March 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 26 minutes
    Maggie Dent - ‘Good Enough’ Parenting is Good Enough

     You just have to be a good parent 30-40% of the time. According to the research, and parenting expert Maggie Dent.

    💌Join 5,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    In our Academy of Imperfection, Maggie schools parents Hugh and Josh, and trusted non-parental figure Ryan, about the ‘no matter what’ rule, the importance of micro connections and the beauty of a well-timed fart.

    An advocate for imperfect parenting (which is REALLY great for brand alignment), Maggie insists on the significance of unconditional love when raising boys.

    Maggie you are wonderful. This was wonderful. You’re the best.

    Watch the full episode on YouTube - https://youtu.be/iUHYScQ3WgQ 

    0:00 – Why boys are better than girls
    6:22 – The science of boys
    14:02 – Shedding the shame
    22:28 – Growing healthy boys
    31:09 – Connecting with your rooster
    42:56 – The S words: screens and social media
    47:00 – The good enough factors
    57:45 – Correcting the narrative
    1:06:05 – Importance of Lightness + Letting go of mistakes
    1:11:41 – Raising an autistic boy
    1:16:05 – How do you resist the easy method

     

    🫖Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned on this episode

    📖 Things to read

    📺 Things to watch

    💻 Things to check out

    🎧 Things to listen to

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, (with the new cards!) purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 February 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 41 minutes
    Bron Lewis - Is It Me or Postnatal Anxiety?

    What do you do when your 3 day-old-baby just doesn’t wake up?

    💌Join 5,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    Motherhood is really hard. And Bron Lewis isn’t afraid to talk about it (anymore).

    Joining us in the Vulnerabilitea House, Bron answers the question ‘when was a time you genuinely needed help and were you able to ask for it?’, and recounts the worst week of her life.

    Deals with the devil, post-natal anxiety, and post-natal depression, Bron is incredibly vulnerable with Hugh and Ryan, sharing how the love from friends, professional help, and medication allowed her to return to herself.

    Bron, it was a delight.

    To watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/qc9ZNO6VpeY

    0:00 – We’re all best friends / fathers / daughters 
    8:51 – When was a time you genuinely needed help?
    18:44 – Long nights, relentless days
    25:42 – Socially accepted punishment
    33:36 – Using pain to drown out the noise
    40:50 – Obviously, I can do it all
    45:44 – It doesn’t have to be this hard
    54:55 – On day 3, he didn’t wake up
    1:07:27 – The worst week of her life
    1:22:54 – This should feel good, shouldn’t it?
    1:33:01 – The aftermath

    🚨If you, or someone you know, is struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety, these are a few great resources

    • PANDA - 1300 726 306
    • ForWhen - 1300 24 23 22
    • Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636

    📖 Things to read

    🎟️ Things to go see

    🎧Things to listen to

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, (with the new cards!) purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    15 February 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 23 minutes
    Dr Lucy Hone - A Life Worth Grieving

    Two cataclysmic events have shaped Dr Lucy Hone’s relationship with grief, and resilience.

    💌Join 5,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    Today in the Academy of Imperfection, we welcome Dr Lucy Hone. Dr Lucy’s work focuses on making sense of the senseless, and helping others to do the same.

    As a legitimate expert in grief, resilience and wellbeing, Dr Lucy is able to blend the science with her own lived experience.

    This episode explores living losses (divorce, estrangement, infertility), grief comparison, as well as the research around post-traumatic growth. Guided by questions from Dr Lucy’s latest book, How will I ever get through this?, Hugh, Josh and Ryan ask Dr Lucy why grief feels so lonely, how you are supposed to accept loss, and will you ever be happy again, amongst others.

    This is a special one.

    0:00 – An Unsuspecting Saturday Morning
    12:11 – Grief comparison
    21:25 – How am I supposed to accept this?
    31:14 – How do you keep hope alive?
    35:48 – Why do I feel so lonely?
    50:20 – Will I ever be happy again?
    56:36 – Letting the other children live
    1:03:44 – Do you know your strengths?
    1:09:12 – Who and what do you want to live for?
    1:14:59 – Who and what is good in your world?

    To full this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/Zyb7kELxFxI 

    🫖 Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode

    📖 Things to read

    💻Things to check out

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, (with the new cards!) purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    8 February 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 1 hour 37 minutes
    Claudia Karvan - Love, Her Way

    Stop. Everything. Now. It’s Claudia Karvan day.

    💌Join 5,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    An icon of the screen, and of the heart, Claudia is Australian entertainment royalty.

    Claudia’s life itself feels like a movie (no one else grew up in a nightclub, did they?) and it was an absolute privilege to listen to all the lessons that she has learnt along the way.

    With incredible grace, Claudia talks to Hugh, Ryan and Josh about playing the long game during divorce, and how she came to the realisation that it wasn’t up to her to fix everything.

    Claudia speaks openly about separating the person from the diagnosis, and how, and why, she thinks so often about death.

    This is one for the highlight reel.

    If you’d like to watch this full episode on YouTube, click on this link - https://youtu.be/4qH4vBr0i6Y

    0:00 – Hugh ‘questionable-decisions’ van Cuylenburg
    12:24 – The role of a lifetime
    17:55 – An unconventional childhood
    28:50 – It’s not up to you to fix everything
    39:55 – The opening of another world
    45:47 – Doing it all (with support)
    51:12 – Love and family HER way
    59:33 – Play the long game
    1:07:15 – Managing mental ill-health
    1:24:39 – The benefit of helping others
    1:26:48 – How to love in a healthy way

    🥸 Which Imperfects Host Are You Quiz? - https://tally.so/r/Xx4PEO

    🫖Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode

    📺 Things to watch

    📖 Things to read

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, (with the new cards!) purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuW

    🩵To join our subscriber community, A Little More Imperfects, follow this link - http://bit.ly/4mqunxu

    🩷 AND you can subscribe to A Little More Imperfects through Apple Podcasts too, here - http://apple.co/theimperfects

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 February 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 45 minutes 57 seconds
    Soul Searching Summer - Ryan’s TV Show

    Ryan’s got news.

    Well, past-Ryan had news, and now future-Ryan is going to reflect on how present-day-Ryan is currently feeling about said news. Get it? It’s reflecting on a reflection about a rejection.

    Today we’re giving you two for the price of none, and bringing you two of the most memorable moments from our subscriber based show A Little More Imperfects.

    With both segments focusing on wildest dreams, Hugh, Ryan and Josh explore how to navigate regret when you’re not at your best, and how to show yourself compassion and love when your dreams are, well, crushed.

    Also, we ask Hugh what happened to him today.

    If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/Ilg-r9gHGPk

    🩵Sign up for A Little More Imperfects here

    🩷Sign up to the My Imperfect Email here

    🫖Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 January 2026, 6:00 pm
  • 40 minutes 14 seconds
    Spooky Summer - Hugh’s Haunted House

     Do you believe in ghosts? Josh doesn’t, Ryan does, and Hugh is actually being haunted.

    🎟️ Our live show Together Again is on sale! One show left! Tickets here - https://bit.ly/4mEK9Ep

    It’s the second episode of our super sexy summer series (the alliteration is wild in this episode), and we’re revisiting the time that Hugh got haunted.

    Blending together a few episodes of A Little More Imperfects, our subscriber platform that you can sign up for below, we’ll introduce you to Geraint the shamanic healer, what happened during Hugh’s ghost busting appointment, and whether Hugh has had any paranormal activity since.

    And finally, whether this whole ordeal has convinced Josh that ghosts are real.

    Long live summer!

    0:00 – A phoenus? Draw it
    4:17 – Team Josh v Team Ryan
    10:28 – Meeting the shamanic healer
    16:25 – The not-so-light-hearted update
    30:01 – Cursed artwork: to burn or not to burn
    35:46 – Has the ghost been busted?

    If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/u4XNRTLXtrQ 

    🩵Sign up for A Little More Imperfects here

    🫖Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode

    👻Ghost busters

    • Garant

    🩷To host your own Vulnerabilitea House, (with the new cards!) purchase here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    🩵To purchase our journal (or your novel) My Imperfect Life, click here - http://bit.ly/4lyuuWz

    💌Join 3,000+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy

    The Imperfects is not a licensed mental health service and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, treatment or assessment. The advice given in this episode is general in nature, but if you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional, or call lifeline on 13 11 14.

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    18 January 2026, 6:00 pm
  • More Episodes? Get the App