Trademark Podcast

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