For many young people navigating their identity, the distance between who they are and who they are pretending to be is a landscape of quiet terror. Our guest this week is author, digital creator, and modern parenting voice Sean Szeps. Known to his massive global audience for his unfiltered humour and joyful, chaotic look at life as a queer dad, Sean has built a digital sanctuary rooted in radical self-acceptance.

But behind the infectious laughs and viral videos lies the memory of a boy who carried a suffocating weight for far too long.

In this deeply moving conversation, Sean takes us back to his childhood years in New Hampshire, pulling back the curtain on the intense anxiety, stress, and isolation that defined his youth. For years, he suffered in silence, trapped behind a wall of religious dogma and societal stigma that convinced him his truth was inherently broken. We explore the gruelling mental toll of hiding your true self—the constant vigilance, the fear of abandonment, and the exhausting worry of what might happen if the secret ever slipped out.

But everything changed at 11 o'clock on a Tuesday night, as a 15-year-old Sean finally found the immense courage to stand in his mother's bedroom doorway, shaking and sobbing, to hand her a letter. In that pivotal moment, his mother pulled him into an unbreakable embrace: "I love you more than anything in the world. There is nothing you could ever do wrong that will change that. I've got you."

This is an extraordinary, heart-wrenching, and ultimately triumphant look at the power of parental grace and unconditional love, and the courage to tell people who you really are.

📺 WE ARE ON YOUTUBE! Don't just listen—watch the full video version of this episode and subscribe to our channel so you never miss a moment: https://www.youtube.com/@YoureAGoodKidPodcast

📸 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: For exclusive episode clips, behind-the-scenes insights, and show updates, follow us at @youragoodkidpodcast.

⭐️ LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re enjoying the show and want to support us, please take a quick moment to drop us a review or a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other "good kids" find our community!

Disclaimer: This episode contains discussions of childhood self-harm. If this raises any difficult feelings for you, please reach out for support. In Australia, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. International listeners can find local resources at findahelpline.com.

Credits: Produced and Hosted by Dr James van Cuylenburg & Nick van Cuylenburg.

Audio production by White Owl Sound.

Season 2 is brought to you by Engage 1on1 Psychology

Special thanks to the wonderful Julia Ferracane from Righteous PR for introducing us to Sean and for recommending him as a guest.

If you believe in what we are doing and would like to support us to make more, then we will gratefully accept any donations here: https://youreagoodkid.com.au/support

Today's guest has graced the absolute pinnacle of the Australian modeling and media landscape; author, podcaster, and former model Ali Brahe-Daddo. As the definitive cover girl for Dolly, Cleo, and Cosmopolitan, Ali built a public persona in the late 80s and 90s that looked to the world like the ultimate health, happiness, and triumph.

But what happens when you strip away the flawless public image? In this deeply moving interview, Ali connects with her youth in a profoundly raw and emotional way. She opens up about a pivotal reality that had a major impact on her development: the intense isolation she experienced as a young girl, spending much of her childhood feeling unseen despite her massive public visibility.

Ali shares how these early dynamics reshaped her internal messaging, her desire to downplay herself and please others back to her childhood search for safety and structure. We also dive into how Ali has come full circle for her audience. The very same generation of women who looked up to her as a teen icon on their favorite magazine covers now look to her for guidance in midlife. Through her hit book Queen Menopause: Finding Your Majesty in the Mayhem, Ali has broken down walls and destigmatized the aging process, helping many women step out of the shadows of the "invisible years" and reclaim their power.

In their post-interview debrief, James and Nick unpack the fascinating psychology behind Ali's childhood blueprint:

• The Blueprint of People-Pleasing: How early childhood isolation and unmet needs can subconsciously create rigid "schemas"—internalized rules that convince us we must morph to please others just to secure safety, structure, and avoid abandonment.

• The Cover-Girl Paradox: Exploring the disconnect between external validation and internal belief, and why being an "invisible icon" on the front of Dolly or Cleo proves that global adoration can never replace the foundational, focused attention a child needs from those closest to them.

• From Teen Icon to Midlife Guide: How confronting the vulnerabilities of her past allowed Ali to become the ultimate companion for women navigating menopause—shifting the narrative from societal invisibility to internal majesty.

This is a rare, captivating look at a familiar face, proving that no matter how flawless the image we build as adults, we are all still carrying the boys and girls we used to be.

📺 WE ARE ON YOUTUBE! Don't just listen—watch the full video version of this episode and subscribe to our channel so you never miss a moment: https://www.youtube.com/@YoureAGoodKidPodcast

📸 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: For exclusive episode clips, behind-the-scenes insights, and show updates, follow us at @youragoodkidpodcast.

⭐️ LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re enjoying the show and want to support us, please take a quick moment to drop us a review or a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other "good kids" find our community!

Credits: Produced and Hosted by Dr James van Cuylenburg & Nick van Cuylenburg.

Audio production by White Owl Sound.

Season 2 is brought to you by Engage 1on1 Psychology

If you believe in what we are doing and would like to support us to make more, then we will gratefully accept any donations here: https://youreagoodkid.com.au/support

Today, we had the opportunity to speak to one of the most beloved media personalities in Australia. Our guest this week is advertising titan, broadcaster, and media executive Russel Howcroft. Widely known as the brilliant, sharp-witted panelist on ABC’s smash-hit show Gruen, and the co-host of Melbourne’s top-rated 3AW Breakfast radio program, Russel has spent decades at the absolute pinnacle of the Australian marketing world. He is the epitome of the refined, successful marketing man—a brand built on confidence, strategy, and triumph.

But what happens when you strip away the polished corporate image?

In this deeply moving interview, Russell connects with his youth in a way he rarely does publicly, in a revealing and emotional way. He opens up about a pivotal moment that had a profound impact on his development: the separation of his parents when he was a boy. Russell shares how this early disruption reshaped his worldview, and he traces the ultimate origins of his relentless drive to achieve and succeed back to his childhood dynamics.

He also shares a beautiful, deep connection to his past through nostalgic memories—particularly the safe, magical time spent at his grandfather’s house, which served as a crucial emotional sanctuary.

In their post-interview debrief, James and Nick unpack the fascinating psychology behind Russell's childhood blueprint:

The Architecture of Ambition: How early changes in family stability, like parental separation, can subconsciously ignite a powerful, lifelong drive to create order, security, and monumental success.

Nostalgia as a Psychological Anchor: The restorative power of childhood memories and how having a safe sanctuary provides a child with a vital blueprint for emotional security.

The Persona vs. The Inner Child: Exploring the contrast between the highly successful "adult brand" we present to the world and the deeply feeling child that still exists beneath it.

This is a rare, captivating look at a familiar face, proving that no matter how big the brand we build as adults, we are all still carrying the boys and girls we used to be.

📺 WE ARE ON YOUTUBE! Don't just listen—watch the full video version of this episode and subscribe to our channel so you never miss a moment: https://www.youtube.com/@YoureAGoodKidPodcast

📸 FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: For exclusive episode clips, behind-the-scenes insights, and show updates, follow us at @youragoodkidpodcast.

⭐️ LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re enjoying the show and want to support us, please take a quick moment to drop us a review or a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps other "good kids" find our community!

As mentioned in the episode, please check out the wonderul podcast Modern Wisdom.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/23-lessons-from-2025-1034/id1347973549?i=1000741796108

Credits: Produced and Hosted by Dr James van Cuylenburg & Nick van Cuylenburg.

Audio production by White Owl Sound.

Season 2 is brought to you by Engage 1on1 Psychology

If you believe in what we are doing and would like to support us to make more, then we will gratefully accept any donations here: https://youreagoodkid.com.au/support