Into Deep

Sunshine Zerda is a wellness facilitator, community builder, and former Team USA gymnast who helps people create higher-quality life experiences through music, movement, and connection. In this conversation, we explore inauthentic living, the “golden handcuffs,” corporate burnout, trauma, identity, and what it takes to build a life that actually feels aligned.
Sunshine opens up about spending years in a high-paying corporate career that looked successful on the surface—but felt deeply unfulfilling underneath. Caught between stability and truth, she shares the internal conflict of knowing something wasn’t right, while feeling unsure how to change it.
She also speaks candidly about her upbringing, surviving childhood abuse, and how those early experiences shaped her identity, relationships, and the patterns she carried into adulthood. From toxic dynamics to eventually finding safety and support, her story is one of both awareness and transformation.
Together, we explore how people lose connection to what they love, why fear and conditioning keep them stuck, and how taking small, intentional steps can begin to shift everything. We also dive into the role of movement, community, and environment in healing and creating a more aligned life.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a life that looks good but doesn’t feel right, this conversation is a powerful reminder that change doesn’t require a perfect plan—just the willingness to take the next step.

Career change, burnout, purpose, and starting again in your 30s.
In Episode 26 of Into Deep, Geoff sits down with Ram Castillo — former design director, author, Lifeline crisis support worker, and psychology student — for a powerful conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really means to build a life that feels aligned.
After spending 20 years in the creative industry and achieving many of the goals he once dreamed of — speaking around the world, writing books, and working at the top of the design ladder — Ram realised something surprising: success on the outside didn’t guarantee fulfilment on the inside.
What followed was a deep personal reinvention.
Ram shares the story of stepping away from an established career in design to pursue psychology in his mid-30s, the fears and doubts that came with that decision, and how mentorship, reflection, and support from his wife helped him navigate a major identity shift.
We also explore Ram’s work as a Lifeline crisis support worker, where he’s spent years holding space for people experiencing loneliness, emotional pain, and suicidal thoughts. Through this work he’s come to understand a powerful truth — that sometimes people don’t need to be fixed, they need to be witnessed.
Ram also opens up about his childhood experiences with bullying, growing up in a Filipino immigrant family in Sydney, and a recent spinal surgery that forced him to confront fear, surrender control, and reassess what truly matters.
This episode is a deep reflection on purpose, mental health, personal growth, and life transitions.
What You’ll Learn
• How Ram realised his “ladder was leaning against the wrong wall”
 • Why external success doesn’t always equal fulfilment
 • The identity challenges behind major career transitions
 • Lessons from working on the front line at Lifeline
 • Why witnessing people can be more powerful than fixing them
 • How Ram navigated fear and surrender during spinal surgery
 • The importance of mentors during life reinventions
 • Ram’s evolving definition of success
Connect with Ram
Instagram: @ramcastillo
 LinkedIn: Ram Castillo
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Instagram: @intodeep_pod
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Instagram: @geoff_elevate
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Topics: career change, burnout, purpose, psychology, mental health, loneliness, identity, personal growth, life transitions

Geoff sits down with world title–winning and commonwealth games medal winning boxer Kaye Scott — known in the boxing world as “The Glamour” — for a conversation that goes far beyond the ring.
Kaye shares how she fell into boxing at 19, walking into a PCYC gym where she was the only woman and was largely ignored for months… yet kept showing up anyway. We unpack what it takes to stay the course when you feel out of place, and how that relentless consistency shaped her mindset, identity, and career.
Kaye also opens up about a defining moment in women’s sport: female boxing was once illegal in NSW, and she became the first legally sanctioned female bout in the state — a pivotal moment in the fight for opportunity and recognition.
We talk about:
The mindset shift that helped her become a world champion (and finally allow herself to feel proud)
Why being kinder to yourself improves performance 
The “bittersweet” reality of silver medals and chasing the top spot for years
Losing her Olympic dream after weight divisions changed, and what it forced her to face
Identity beyond sport — who are you when the thing you do gets taken away?
The reality of pay gaps in boxing, and why many champions still work “normal jobs”
OnlyFans sponsorship: judgement, autonomy, and using platforms as tools
Her definition of success: financial stability, health, purpose, relationships, and impact
If you’ve ever struggled with setbacks, perfectionism, or detaching from outcomes — this episode will hit.
🎧 Listen now: Episode 25 with Kaye Scott — available wherever you get your podcasts

Follow Kaye
Instagram: @kayescott
Follow Into Deep
Instagram: @intodeep_pod
Follow Geoff
Instagram: @geoff_elevate
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Rawson Kirkhope grew up in a home shaped by domestic violence, fear, and trauma — experiences that left him living in survival mode and carrying the effects of PTSD well into adulthood.
In this episode of Into Deep, Rawson shares his story of growing up in Tasmania, including the night his father attempted to take his mum’s life, the shame and silence that followed, and the years he spent not realising how deeply that trauma was still shaping his anxiety, anger, and hypervigilance.
We talk about the long road back — from joining the Navy and finding structure and discipline, to doing the inner work through therapy, journaling, and movement.
Today, Rawson is the co-founder of Virtus, one of Sydney’s fastest-growing gym communities, built around connection, accountability, and creating the environment he wishes he had growing up.
This conversation is about turning pain into purpose, facing your fears, and becoming the person you needed when you were younger.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in survival mode, overwhelmed by your past, or like your nervous system is always “on,” this episode will resonate.

Connect with Rawson
https://www.instagram.com/rawsonkirkhope/

Virtus
https://www.instagram.com/virtus/

https://virtus.com.au/

Follow Into Deep
https://www.instagram.com/intodeep_pod/

Follow Geoff
https://www.instagram.com/geoff_elevate/

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In Episode 23 of Into Deep, Geoff sits down with Nick Slater — actor and full-time content creator best known for his viral relationship skits and attachment-style characters — for a conversation that moves far beyond social media.
Nick shares his journey from growing up in Brisbane to acting from a young age, landing a US network TV show, chasing Hollywood, and ultimately returning home to rebuild his life. From there, the conversation opens into avoidant attachment, modern dating, self-esteem, and why Nick believes love is not just a feeling — but a daily choice.
Nick also speaks candidly about losing his dad to a brain tumour, the impact of being given time to say goodbye, and the moment that reshaped how he views life, health, and spirituality.
Together, Geoff and Nick explore masculinity during conflict, emotional regulation, meditation, visualisation, and the rituals Nick uses to support his mental and physical health — including sauna, ice baths, and intentional movement. They also unpack the darker side of social media, the importance of curating your algorithm, and why presence in real life matters more than ever.
If you’ve been navigating dating apps, relationship triggers, grief, or the pressure to “make it,” this episode offers grounded insight, reflection, and perspective.
Follow Nick Slater
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nick.slater/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nickslater

Follow Into Deep
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intodeep_pod/

Follow Geoff
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoff_elevate/

If this episode resonated, consider following the show, leaving a rating, and sharing it with someone who might need it.