The Rebuild
The Rebuild with Dillon Phaneuf
At some point, we all have to rebuild.
Sometimes it’s after everything falls apart, loss, failure, identity collapse.
Sometimes, life is good on paper, but something’s still missing. Either way, the work is the same: look inward, take ownership, and start again, brick by brick.
This show is about that process.
I’ve been coaching full-time for nearly 15 years. I’ve walked people through physical transformation, emotional healing, relapse, addiction, growth, success, and pain that doesn’t show up in check-ins. And right now, I’m walking through my rebuild.
This podcast is where I bring the rawness of that to the surface. You’ll hear conversations with people building something real, solo episodes where I process what I’m learning in real time, and moments that hopefully remind you you’re not alone.
Whether you’re at your best and want to go higher or on the bathroom floor trying to figure out what’s next, this space is for you.
Because even when it feels like checkmate, there’s always a better move.
The Rebuild
Episode 18: Autism, Aesthetics & Rebuilding Identity W/ Shaune Paldiwar
From nearly 200 pounds to the national bodybuilding stage, Shaune “Shoni” Paldiwar’s transformation has been radical, but the real story is everything beneath the surface.
In this episode, Dillon sits down with his client and competitor, Shaune, to unpack the journey from obesity to elite athletics, from high-level chemistry labs to entrepreneurship, and from polygamy to questioning faith for the first time.
Shaune is fully diagnosed autistic. She sees the world, and feels it, differently. And in this conversation, you’ll hear what it’s like to live, train, and rebuild a life with that kind of depth, intensity, and self-awareness.
In this episode:
→ What it took to go from overweight to elite athlete
→ Navigating autism inside contest prep and self-regulation
→ Leaving science and structure to chase freedom and entrepreneurship
→ Faith, polygamy, and spiritual curiosity after years of suppression
→ What “freedom” means when your brain doesn’t work like the world around you
This is a rare and powerful story.
One of discipline, identity, and what it means to finally ask, “Who do I want to become