My Annual Review: 2024 Edition

Each year I provide a “year in review” to highlight successes and learnings. This year, something a little different. I hope it inspires.

Grief changes you. After losing my nephew to suicide 13 months ago, I threw myself into the vital work of mental health advocacy and youth support. I was once in the position where I felt that I had plenty of answers. But until last year I’d never had to ask the questions.

The answers are mostly the same… but the questions have made me offer them differently. And I got involved because these conversations can’t wait.

Where Change Happens: On the Frontlines of Mental Health

I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of organisations that aren’t just talking about mental health—they’re transforming how we approach it. Logan’s passing catalysed my involvement in this work, and as a result, I’m grateful to now be an ambassador for these three amazing organisations:

Gotcha 4 Life

Gotcha 4 Life isn’t just another mental health org—it’s a lifeline for blokes who’ve been told their feelings are a weakness when they’re actually their greatest strength. Gus Worland and his team have built something radical: a space where men can drop the tough-guy act and actually connect, heal, and grow. They’re basically rewiring what masculinity looks like, one brutally honest conversation at a time. And today they’ve moved beyond talking about men’s mental health, with a focus on mental fitness for all, starting in primary school. 

R U OK Day 

These amazing people have turned a simple question into a national movement that says: Your loved one’s struggle isn’t a burden; it’s an invitation to show up and be human. They’re teaching us that checking in isn’t just nice; it’s necessary. And… it’s R U OK Day every day!

Top Blokes

Top Blokes is the mentor every teenage boy wishes he had growing up—the older brother who tells you it’s okay to be vulnerable, to ask for help, to be something more complex than the narrow box society tries to stuff young men into. They’re not just supporting teens; they’re creating a generation of men who understand that emotional intelligence isn’t soft; it’s strength.

Fighting for Our Kids’ Future

Our children face a digital tsunami that’s reshaping their world. It is hitting them at a profoundly sensitive time for brain development, emotional development, social development, and more. 

Working alongside powerhouse advocates Rebecca Sparrow and Madonna King, we’ve pushed back hard—and won. Queensland schools are now phone-free. 

And the federal government is moving on social media restrictions for under-16s. Through the Unplug Childhood campaign, we’re showing parents they’re not alone in wanting better for their kids.

Changing the Conversation About Consent

Sexual respect isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s non-negotiable. The federal government’s Consent Can’t Wait campaign takes this message nationwide, challenging outdated attitudes and building a culture of genuine respect. Being an ambassador for this work reminds me daily: the right conversations save lives.

Where Real Change Happens

Speaking at the Lifeline Gala Dinner and Fundraiser this year was the hardest speaking event of my life. Talking to donors, survivors, telephone call-centre volunteers, and those who have been bereaved showed me something profound: change happens person by person, conversation by conversation. Whether it’s in conference halls or chance meetings in a school carpark (or even in the surf), the message stays the same: you’re not alone, and help is here.

My core currency is impact. It’s difficult to know what impact we have on others. But I hope that this year has been one that has made a difference in the lives of those I’ve worked with and shared ideas with—or just sat with and listened to.

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To every teacher, principal, leader, counsellor, carer, or parent who’s chosen to be part of this journey: you’re the real champions of change. Your daily acts of compassion and courage create ripples we may never fully see, but that transform lives nonetheless. I might share some ideas… but you’re the one doing it. 

Thank you for being open to my ideas. Thanks for having me in your life in whatever way worked for you, whether through podcasts, newsletters, memberships, talks in your school or organisation, or anything else at all. 

As we close this year, I’m struck by how much light exists in seemingly dark times. Through the Happy Families community, I’ve seen countless examples of people showing up, speaking up, and lifting others up.

Here’s to the conversations that matter. Here’s to the work that lies ahead.

With renewed purpose in 2025,

Justin