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Published by Christopher Gillis and Tanya Howard
Two former high achievers — a recently exited C-suite and public sector executive and a celebrated former National Ballet of Canada soloist — unpack what happens after the dream is achieved. Beyond the Applause explores shame, reinvention, sexuality, grief, ambition, parenting, and what it means to build a second life that’s more honest than the first.
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From the feed
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What happens when reinvention becomes about more than your career? In the third episode of Beyond the Applause , Tanya and Christopher sit down with Aaron Hastelow to talk about his new self-help book exploring wellness, personal growth and the lessons he has gathered through his own experiences. Aaron opens up about his newfound sobriety, why he chose to write about it, and what he has learned about himself along the way. The conversation explores wellness, identity, creativity and the ongoing work of examining the lives we’ve built — and deciding what we might want to change. Aaron also reflects on his own remarkable reinvention, from performing on stages across Canada to building a successful career in graphic design and technology. Together, Aaron, Tanya and Christopher explore what it means to evolve, to tell the truth about where we are, and to discover that success can look very different from one chapter of life to the next. As always, Tanya and Christopher share a piece of good news, praise for someone in the lives, and share some of the interesting things they've been up to lately.
How did Christopher Gillis end up in front of a podcast mic? In the second episode of Beyond the Applause , Tanya turns the questions on Christopher as he reflects on a life that has moved from dance and theatre to government and executive leadership — and, eventually, through burnout and back toward creativity. Christopher talks about ambition, identity and the complicated relationship between achievement and self-worth, as well as the decision to step away from a life that looked successful on paper and begin asking what he actually wanted his life to look like. Tanya and Christopher also share some good news, celebrate a few of the people in their lives, and catch up on some of the interesting things they’ve been up to this summer.
How did Tanya Howard end up in front of a podcast mic? In our first episode, Christopher turns the questions on Tanya as she reflects on growing up in South Africa, her climb to the top of the international ballet world, and the role friendship and family have played along the way. Tanya talks about changing identity, learning to look more broadly at life and what happens when you can no longer do the thing you've done your entire life. Christopher and Tanya also share some good news, celebrate a few people in their lives, and catch up on what they’ve been up to this summer.
Find out how Olivia Dean inspired the creation of Beyond the Applause.
Ranking source
Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed September 20, 2026.
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