How do you learn to be kind to yourself when kindness wasn’t what you grew up with?

Writer and spoken-word artist Lauren Louisha joins me on The Human Mask for an honest conversation about surviving difficult beginnings, rebuilding self-worth and finding the courage to let yourself be seen.

Lauren talks about leaving home at 15, learning to care for herself, the beliefs we carry from childhood and what changed when she found a therapist she connected with. We explore her experiences of dyslexia, writing and creativity, the pressure of being visible online, and why being called “difficult” doesn’t always mean you’re wrong.

There’s humour, vulnerability and a question that runs through the conversation: how much of the life you want could you start building with what you already have?

We also discuss Lauren’s personal experiences of psychosis, trauma and spirituality. These are her experiences and perspectives, shared in her own words.

What part of Lauren’s story stayed with you? Tell us in the comments.

Follow Lauren:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@louishaaa_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louishaaa__/
Writing and other links: https://linktr.ee/laurenlouisha

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Content note: This conversation includes discussion of childhood abuse, grooming, mental health and suicidal experiences, and contains strong language.

#TheHumanMask #LaurenLouisha #SelfWorth

What does it really mean to trust yourself—and how much of who you believe you are was shaped by somebody else?

In this episode of The Human Mask Podcast, Alex sits down with Christina Alexandra (CDJ) for an open, thoughtful and unusually energetic conversation about identity, confidence, intuition and the relationship we build with ourselves.

This was a rare episode where Christina’s energy, curiosity and way of asking questions drew even more out of Alex than usual. Rather than a conventional host-and-guest interview, the conversation develops into a genuine exchange of ideas. Christina turns questions back towards Alex, challenges him to reflect in the moment and creates the kind of natural human connection that allows both people to speak with honesty.

Christina explains why confidence does not always need to announce itself. Sometimes confidence is knowing that you understand a subject and feeling no need to prove it. At other times, it means confiding in yourself: trusting your own judgement while continuing to act with warmth, boundaries and integrity.

The conversation also explores how childhood experiences can affect our voice and identity. What happens when a child learns that their thoughts need permission or validation? How can family anxiety, fear and learned behaviour become part of our own belief system—even when those fears were never based on our lived experience?

Alex and Christina discuss listening to the body, recognising when something or someone feels wrong, and understanding the difference between a sincere question and an attempt to provoke a reaction. They reflect on growth, adversity, protecting your peace and how maturity can mean walking away from drama you once would have confronted.

Christina introduces a powerful way of thinking about self-development: you are the house you live in. Reflection helps us repair the leaks and make the house safe, but once the work is done, we also have to remember to live in it and enjoy it. Personal growth should help us experience life, not leave us endlessly searching for another problem to fix.

The episode also considers gratitude, ambition, men’s emotional depth, nervous-system regulation and the difference between forcing progress and allowing yourself to enter a state of flow. For Alex—someone naturally driven by action and momentum—the discussion around slowing down, connection and flow becomes particularly revealing.

Some of the questions explored in this episode include:

• Who are you beneath other people’s expectations?
• What does real confidence look like?
• Are you listening to how you feel?
• Which fears are truly yours—and which were handed to you?
• Can gratitude and ambition exist together?
• How do you protect your peace without losing your strength?
• When does self-improvement become another form of avoidance?
• Can meaningful conversation help us find a natural state of flow?

If this conversation resonates with you, tell us what stood out in the comments. Subscribe to The Human Mask for more honest conversations about business, community, identity and self—and share this episode with someone who may need to hear it.

The Human Mask uncovers the real stories behind business, community and self.

What happens when you start questioning the rules you’ve spent your whole life living by?

Lindsey Kane joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about patriarchy, feminism, identity, self-awareness and personal growth — and, importantly, what all of that means for both women and men.

Lindsey is an entrepreneur, speaker, founder of The YES Club, the woman behind JOLT, and host of Bedtime Theories. Much of her work centres around challenging expectations, building self-worth and encouraging women to stop waiting for permission to live life on their own terms.

But this conversation goes beyond labels.

We question the systems and beliefs we inherit, how our experiences shape the way we see the opposite sex, whether feminism and patriarchy are always understood properly, and what happens when we become self-aware enough to challenge our own beliefs as well as everybody else’s.

It’s not about agreeing.

It’s about staying curious enough to examine why you believe what you believe — and how much of it is actually yours.

No labels. Stay curious. See yourself.