The Imperfects
The Imperfects

The Imperfects

Hugh van Cuylenburg, Ryan Shelton & Josh van Cuylenburg

Overview
Episodes

Details

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.

Recent Episodes

Shane Jacobson - Permission To Laugh
APR 19, 2026
Shane Jacobson - Permission To Laugh
How do you make sure your kids are proud of who they are? 💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy Propelled to international stardom after the release of Kenny, Shane Jacobson’s overnight success was years in the making. Joining us in the studio, Shane is incredibly generous in sharing the cataclysmic impact that humour and laughter has had on his life from a young age. Now at the age where he has attended more funerals than 21st’s, Shane talks about his realisation that he is in for the long mourn, and why he allows himself to feel joy during times of intense grief. Sharing a giggle at a funeral? Absolutely. In a beautiful moment of connection with Hugh, Shane chats about parenting the ‘premium package’ (his neurodivergent child). Shane, this was incredibly joyful. If you’d like to watch this full video on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/VHaK2fSiasA  0:00 – A bird in her where?3:19 – Butt of the joke12:34 – The evolution of good manners 17:47 – Seeking validation 27:17 – Giggle at a funeral42:00 – Autism, ADHD, Tourette’s: The Premium Package!55:58 – Becoming softer1:00:25 – Parenting your parents1:08:03 – Don’t wait for the moment1:18:04 – 5 things we can do to be warmer 🫖 Other episodes of The Imperfects mentioned in this episode Dr Emily - Truth v Harmony - https://bit.ly/4etnytQ 📺Things to watch Kenny - https://bit.ly/427rUzv Shane’s AFI win (go to 6:12) - https://bit.ly/48HyzEb 📋Check-in Questions to ask someone if they might be depressed - https://bit.ly/4dOYuNS 🩷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.
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93 MIN
Esther Perel - It’s Not Them, It’s You
APR 12, 2026
Esther Perel - It’s Not Them, It’s You
Are you stuck, focusing on what's wrong in your relationship? Deeply embedded in the work of intimacy, desire and relationships, psychotherapist and best-selling author Esther Perel, ask us to take a look at ourselves first, rather than listing the short comings of our partner. 💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy In this Academy of Imperfection, Hugh (who sadly was violently ill last time we talked to Esther) comes armed with questions about the mental load (with love, from Penny), and how to navigate their differing needs for affection. Ryan asks Esther whether we’re capable of falling in love with AI, and Josh wants to know why we sometimes put up walls with the ones we love the most. And, if you’ve ever asked yourself any of the below, this episode’s for you; is working from home causing social atrophy? what does it mean to be an embodied creature? what are the downfalls of a frictionless relationship? Esther, you are welcome back anytime. ANYTIME. If you want to watch this full episode on YouTube, follow this link - https://youtu.be/u5HsDD9bjRQ  🫖Other episodes of the Imperfects mentioned on this episode Esther Perel - Let’s Be Better Lovers - https://bit.ly/41m8R4f Hugh & Penny - The Elephant in the Relationship - https://bit.ly/3PPugAp 💻Things to check out Where Should We Begin? At Work card game - https://bit.ly/48jpQYJ 🎧Things to listen to Where Should We Begin - Esther’s podcast - https://bit.ly/4dtsNJK My AI Loves Me Better Than Anyone Ever Could - Where Should We Begin - https://bit.ly/4twUbeC Esther Perel on Why A.I. Intimacy Feels Safe but Isn’t Real - https://bit.ly/4sofVsf 📖 Things to read Mating in Captivity, by Esther Perel - https://bit.ly/3Os5Dcx The State of Affairs, by Esther Perel - https://bit.ly/48yFn74 📺 Things to watch Rethinking Infidelity TEDTalk - https://bit.ly/4seN3md Love Story - https://bit.ly/4ct63se 🩷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   0:00 – Intimacy: what has changed, what has stayed the same? 6:23 – This is my partner, AI 14:08 – A mismatch of affection 23:56 – Bids for connection 32:08 – Can you repair trust? 41:02 – Post-traumatic Growth 49:43 – The central hub of our needs 58:38 – The Mental Load Pt. 2See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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71 MIN
Dr Emily - Overcome With Overwhelm?
APR 5, 2026
Dr Emily - Overcome With Overwhelm?
Looking for strategies to help deal with the overwhelm of, well, everything? Same. Dr Emily, our resident psychologist, is back in the studio to talk through overwhelm; how to greet it, how to get through it, and how to build your resilience towards it. 💌Join 6,500+ people getting our takeaways and favourite moments from this episode in our weekly newsletter - http://bit.ly/45NyQDy In this episode, Dr Emily introduces how to understand your ‘window of tolerance,’ the cost of being overwhelmed for too long, and what happens when we slip into avoidance. OF COURSE, this episode is delightfully sprinkled with practical strategies that you can do right now, in this moment, to ease the burden of the overwhelm. Dr Em, this episode was an emotional regulation for the ages. 🫖 Other Imperfects episodes mentioned in this episode Dr Emily - How to Stress Less - https://bit.ly/4tiZa2y Mick Fanning - Riding The Waves Of Loss - https://bit.ly/4s29wCI 📖 Things to read Burnout, by Emily and Amelia Nagoski - https://bit.ly/4c18Yah 💪 Things to do The Hulk Progressive Relaxation Technique - https://bit.ly/3PFv4Yq 🩷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.
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62 MIN
Hamish Macdonald - After The Facts
MAR 29, 2026
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 Hamish Macdonald - How To Be You - https://bit.ly/3PtetHg Dr Emily - Hope - https://bit.ly/4uR5pfg Dr Emily - The Certainty of Uncertainty - https://bit.ly/4dHwHPa 📺 Things to watch The Matter of Facts - https://bit.ly/4bQ27jT I tried to prove I’m not AI by Howtown - https://bit.ly/47ogudU 📖 Things to read Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari - https://bit.ly/47kHUkO 🎧 Things to listen to Global Roaming Podcast - https://bit.ly/3NMm8jf 💻 Things to check out Maryanne Wolf’s Research on reading - https://bit.ly/4t8Qqff Tristan Harris’ Work on AI - https://bit.ly/4bwwBZj Notebook LM Podcast feature - https://bit.ly/40UM7Ip 🩷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.
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85 MIN
Bri Lee - Babies+Climate=Anxiety
MAR 22, 2026
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 guest9:42 – The Seed of The Idea15:08 – What are you grateful for that profoundly changed you?27:10 – Prioritising love32:27 – Should I have kids?41:43 – The morality of shoulds and shouldn’ts52:43 – Some positivity, please55:59 – Policy and bodily autonomy59:22 – So, how’s the reckoning going?1:03:46 – The weight of responsibility1:08:43 – 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 Ryan Shelton - To breed, or not to breed - https://bit.ly/3PbhEmR Ann Davidman - Should I have kids? - https://bit.ly/4brc477 📖 Things to read Seed, by Bri Lee - https://bit.ly/3PhepKv Eggshell Skull, by Bri Lee - https://bit.ly/473kvV4 Who Gets To Be Smart, by Bri Lee - https://bit.ly/4bwOAh1 The Work, by Bri Lee - https://bit.ly/4rzflar Beauty, by Bri Lee - https://bit.ly/3NMnrPf Love 2.0, by Barbara Fredrickson - https://bit.ly/40ylOYp Better To Not Have Been, by David Benatar - https://bit.ly/3NmtHx5 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - https://bit.ly/3Phc7Lt Ipsos Perils of Perception Climate Change - https://bit.ly/4cP32mT 📺Things to watch An Inconvenient Truth - https://bit.ly/4bPolUk 💻Things to check out Freadom Inside Project - https://bit.ly/4bhVxnm Peter Singer Pond Proximity thought experiment - https://youtu.be/Gu-WUHD6mKg 🩷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.
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81 MIN