Youth workers often feel underrated and poorly understood in multidisciplinary conversations. While it may make us feel better to complain about our relatively marginalised youth worker status, it would be better for us to be proactive about explaining what it is that we actually do in language that makes sense to others. This article articulates two attributes of good youth work with a view to offering an example of what this might look like. The author argues that telling the story and theory behind distinctive aspects of youth work practice enhances the professional identity of the youth worker at the same time as equipping them to contribute meaningfully to multidisciplinary conversations about young people. (Contains 2 figures.)