Beyond the Applause Podcast

Who taught us what it means to be successful? And how much of what we've spent our lives chasing did we actually choose?In this episode of Between Us, Christopher and Tanya explore the expectations, ambitions, and unwritten rules that shaped their definitions of success. From the demanding world of professional ballet to the pursuit of leadership and achievement, they reflect on the milestones they worked so hard to reach—and what happens when the things that once defined success no longer feel quite as meaningful.But first, they kick things off with their signature opening segment: a little good news, some well-deserved praise for someone making a difference, and something interesting that's caught their attention lately.Then it's into a candid conversation about ambition, validation, identity, and the freedom that comes from questioning the rules we've spent a lifetime following.Can we separate what we genuinely want from what we've been conditioned to pursue? And what does success look like when we're finally the ones defining it?Because sometimes the most meaningful achievement isn't reaching the next milestone. It's deciding for yourself what success looks like.

In this episode of Beyond the Applause, @tanyahoward and @christopher_in_toronto sit down with designer, television personality and creative entrepreneur @andrewpikeinteriors to explore a career that has taken him from retail and interior design to television, media and beyond. With more than a decade as a familiar face on The Marilyn Denis Show, Andrew reflects on the opportunities, unexpected turns and personal choices that have shaped his life and career.The conversation explores ambition, identity, creativity and the difference between being recognized for what you do and knowing who you are beyond your work. Andrew shares his perspective on staying relevant in an ever-changing industry, navigating reinvention and finding fulfillment in a life that doesn’t necessarily follow a conventional path.It’s a conversation about design and creativity, yes. But it’s also about embracing change, challenging expectations and discovering that success doesn’t always look the way we imagined it would.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 lately.

What does it mean to build a life in an industry where image is everything? In this episode of Beyond the Applause, Tanya and Christopher sit down with Canadian supermodel Liisa Winkler to explore her remarkable career in fashion and the person behind the photographs and runway shows. From the era of the original supermodels to today's rapidly changing fashion industry, Liisa reflects on ambition, beauty, identity and the pressures and possibilities of a career spent in the public eye. The conversation explores how our relationship with success and self-image evolves over time, what it means to age in an industry obsessed with youth, and the importance of staying true to yourself as life and priorities change. 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 lately.

What happens when you don’t realize you’re surviving because you’ve become incredibly good at it? In the first Between Us episode of Beyond the Applause, Tanya and Christopher turn the microphones on each other for a candid conversation about survival mode — and the surprising ways it can show up as ambition, discipline, resilience and success. They explore the qualities that helped them navigate very different lives and careers, what happens when those same strengths begin to come at a cost, and the strange experience of discovering that your circumstances can change long before your habits do. Along the way, they consider what it means to stop constantly managing life and begin choosing which parts of themselves they actually want to carry forward. Tanya and Christopher also share some good news, celebrate a few of the people in their lives, and catch up on what’s been happening lately.

What happens when a life in dance expands beyond the stage? In this episode of Beyond the Applause, Tanya and Christopher sit down with choreographer, dancer and artistic leader Robert Binet to talk about creativity, ambition and building a life in the arts. Rob reflects on his journey from a young dancer at Canada’s National Ballet School to creating work for some of the world’s leading dance companies, and what he has learned about success, identity and finding his own voice along the way. The conversation explores the expectations we place on ourselves, the courage it takes to follow curiosity into unexpected places, and what it means to keep evolving when the path ahead isn’t clearly choreographed. 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 lately.

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.