My Most Authentic Life

Recorded in Toronto to kick off the Toronto International Film Festival, this special episode was created in collaboration with and in support of the inaugural International Queer Pavilion at TIFF: The Market.

What happens when living openly turns you into a symbol for something bigger than yourself? Mathieu Chantelois, Executive Vice President at the Canada Media Fund, joins Fede Vargas to reflect on a journey spanning reality television, marriage equality and fatherhood.

From becoming a queer role model before he felt ready to seeing his own family reflected on screen, Mathieu shares the personal side of visibility and representation. The conversation also explores the creator economy, the success of Heated Rivalry and why giving people the power to tell their own stories matters.

This is a story about identity, hope and possibility. For anyone who has felt the pressure to represent more than themselves, it is a reminder of what living authentically can open up for the people coming next.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Chapters

00:00 Marriage equality and a historic moment in Canada
01:00 Getting married before the law could change
02:00 Facing protests after his wedding at Toronto City Hall
03:00 When his family learned about the marriage through the media
04:00 What marriage equality meant to an older queer generation
05:00 How Mathieu landed on U8TV: The Lofters
07:00 Inside one of Canada’s earliest reality TV experiments
08:15 Becoming a queer role model before he was ready
09:00 The emotional cost of hate and visibility
11:00 The pressure of representing an entire community
13:20 How fatherhood changed his view of representation
14:30 Seeing his family reflected on screen for the first time
16:15 Why queer representation still matters
17:00 Why TIFF’s first Queer Pavilion matters now
20:15 The stories that shaped Mathieu
21:00 C.R.A.Z.Y., Jean Marc Vallée and queer storytelling
23:15 Why the Canada Media Fund began supporting digital creators
24:45 The creator economy wake up call
26:00 Empowering Canadian creators to tell their own stories
27:00 What makes Canadian storytelling different
28:15 Heated Rivalry and the power of creative risk
29:00 How Heated Rivalry became a breakout success
31:00 What success looks like when creators no longer need support
32:00 Why 2026 feels like another turning point for media
33:30 The future of queer storytelling in Canada
35:00 The greatest gift Mathieu discovered about himself
36:10 The hardest truth he has learned
37:30 What authenticity means to Mathieu

Links

Mathieu Chantelois on LinkedIn
Canada Media Fund
International Queer Pavilion

Production Credits

In collaboration with International Queer Pavilion
Studio Partner: IAVA Productions
Post Production Editor: Jay Nuñez-Cauich
BTS & Social Media Content Producer: Nathalia Molano

My Most Authentic Life

A podcast and media platform exploring clarity, reinvention and the human stories behind big life changes.

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when your mind turns against you for nearly a decade?

Before becoming a peak performance coach, entrepreneur, investor, and mental health advocate, Alex Wisch spent years navigating severe depression, financial collapse, isolation, and the slow unraveling of identity that can happen when life stops moving in the direction you imagined.

This conversation explores what it means to rebuild from the inside out. Not through quick fixes or motivational slogans, but through routine, acceptance, self awareness, and the uncomfortable process of learning how to keep going when certainty disappears.

Fede Vargas and Alex talk about resilience, performance culture, mental health, burnout, recovery, and the tension between ambition and wellbeing. They also explore the quieter side of transformation. The small daily decisions that slowly reshape a person over time.

This is a story about survival, reinvention, and finding meaning after life falls apart.

If you’ve ever felt lost inside your own mind, disconnected from yourself, or unsure how to begin again, this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Alex Wisch’s journey

02:00 Depression, financial collapse, and rebuilding

07:00 Resilience, routine, and acceptance

11:00 Morning and evening habits

16:00 Community, recovery, and self care

21:00 Rethinking work culture and burnout

25:00 Building visibility and purpose online

27:00 Closing reflections

Alex Wisch

Website: www.wisch.com

LinkedIn: Alex Wisch

Instagram: @wisch.fit

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when you finally let go of the pressure to become something?

Chris Connell, an actor who has spent years navigating rejection, reinvention, and the pursuit of success, found clarity in an unexpected place. Not through booking roles or hitting milestones, but at his lowest point, questioning his worth and everything he thought he needed to become.

In this conversation, we explore the tension between ambition and identity. The grind of constant rejection. The illusion of external success. And the internal shift that changes everything. Not when you achieve more, but when you stop needing to.

This is a story about pressure, perspective, and what it means to feel like you’re enough, without the validation you thought you needed.

If you’ve ever questioned your path, tied your worth to outcomes, or felt the weight of expectations you put on yourself, this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 Neighbor to guest

Chris Connell
https://www.instagram.com/chriswconnell/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3578806/

My Most Authentic Life

A podcast and media platform exploring clarity, reinvention, and the human stories behind big life changes.
https://www.youtube.com/@mymostauthenticlife

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web

Instagram @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How far would you go for something that isn’t guaranteed to work?

René Escobar Jr., a Canadian-Panamanian actor who stepped away from a traditional path in criminology, has spent years navigating what it means to pursue a career built on uncertainty. From early confidence to facing constant rejection, his journey sits at the intersection of obsession, sacrifice, and the tension of choosing something that doesn’t promise anything in return.

In this conversation, we explore what it really takes to stay on a path when effort doesn’t guarantee results. Not just externally but internally. The weight of rejection. The shift from emotion to detachment. And how resilience is built not through success, but through staying when it would be easier to walk away.

This is a story about identity, persistence, and the reality of committing to something that asks everything from you, with no clear outcome.

If you’re navigating uncertainty, questioning your direction, or feeling pulled toward something you can’t fully explain, this episode is for you.

Chapters

René Escobar Jr.
https://www.instagram.com/reneescobarjr/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7817746/

My Most Authentic Life

A podcast and media platform exploring clarity, reinvention, and the human stories behind big life changes.
https://www.youtube.com/@mymostauthenticlife

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recorded on location at Podcast Movement Evolutions during SXSW in Austin, this conversation explores what happens when you stop waiting for permission and start choosing differently.

Jason Moore, host of the Zero To Travel podcast, has spent over a decade living an unconventional path. From constant travel and unexpected jobs to building one of the most recognized travel podcasts, his journey reflects a deeper question. What does it actually take to trust yourself and move forward without certainty?

This conversation traces themes of fear, intuition, reinvention, and the tension between practicality and instinct. It is about the moments where clarity is not available, but action still is. And how confidence is built not before the leap, but through it.

For anyone navigating a transition, questioning their direction, or feeling pulled toward something different, this one will meet you there.

00:00 SXSW, podcasting, and the power of connection

Recorded at Podcast Movement Evolutions during SXSW in Austin. Great setup from Nomono, The Podcast Academy, and Simplecast.

Jason Moore

My Most Authentic Life

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when change stops being a choice and becomes survival?

In media, in business, and in life, the old model no longer holds. Stability feels temporary. Careers shift. Entire industries move faster than expected. The question is no longer whether change is coming. It is whether we are prepared to meet it.

This conversation with media cartographer Evan Shapiro explores what “change or die” really means in the creator economy. From predicting the rise of streaming to mapping the collision between traditional media and platforms like YouTube, his work sits at the intersection of data, storytelling, and reinvention.

This episode is not just about media trends.

It is about practicing change before it is forced.

For anyone navigating uncertainty, redefining a career path, or sensing that the ground beneath them is shifting, this conversation will meet them there.

You’ll learn:

• Why “change or die” is a mindset rooted in adaptability

This is a conversation about resilience, persistence, and choosing reinvention before it chooses you.

Learn more about Evan Shapiro:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshap-media-cartographer/

Watch the full conversation on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/czxFY11ysvA

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recorded on location at Web Summit in Lisbon, this special explores what happens when a week built around innovation reveals something more personal. The energy, the conversations, and the quiet moments in between point to a simple truth. You are never as far behind as you think. It is never too late to choose yourself.

This conversation with Ben Girardet traces themes of fear, clarity, reinvention, and the moment you stop waiting for permission. It is a look at identity, self belief, and the quiet turning points that shape a new chapter. For anyone navigating doubt or standing at the edge of change, this one will meet you there.

Links
Web Summit
https://websummit.com

My Most Authentic Life
A podcast and media platform that explores clarity, reinvention, and the human stories behind big life changes.
https://www.youtube.com/@mymostauthenticlife

Connect with Fede
https://calendly.com/mymostauthenticlife/meet-federico-vargas-my-most-authentic-life

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is the third and final Moment in our series with Bryce North.

This Moment dives into the mindset shift that every creator, founder, and builder faces. Bryce shares why fear, rejection, and repetition are part of the path, and why your first fifty attempts might fail before the next one finally hits.

A raw reflection on momentum, trust, content, and the power of showing up even when it feels uncomfortable. This Moment explores visibility, resilience, and the real work of building something meaningful.

Listen for a reminder that progress comes from trying, not perfection.

Check out My Most Authentic Life on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWx3QZQQB0g&t=29s

If you would like to explore how storytelling can build trust and visibility for your brand, book a chat with Fede at calendly.com/mymostauthenticlife/brand-connect.

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A short reflection from My Most Authentic Life.

Hit record. Press post. Let it live.
It does not need to be perfect to matter.
Showing up is the real work.

Watch the full moment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWx3QZQQB0g&t=38s

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This Moment dives into why vulnerability works. Why the polished, unapproachable founder is fading, and why real stories create trust, connection, and visibility.

Bryce North shares why audiences have stronger radar than ever for hype and sales tactics. When someone shares something real and human, it signals care, credibility, and leadership. Founders are not boring — they just need to articulate what they have lived.

Bryce breaks down how transformation stories build influence, how to turn experience into a story arc, and why the fastest path to trust is showing what you have learned, not what you claim to be.

Listen for a glimpse into how storytelling can shape your next chapter.
Check out My Most Authentic Life on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWx3QZQQB0g&t=29s

If you’d like to explore how storytelling can build trust and visibility for your brand, book a chat with Fede at calendly.com/mymostauthenticlife/brand-connect.

My Most Authentic Life Distributed by: Genuina Media

Follow Fede Around the Web:

• Instagram: @mymostauthenticlife and @itsfedevargas
• YouTube: My Most Authentic Life Channel
• Website: www.mymostauthenticlife.com
• LinkedIn: Fede Vargas and My Most Authentic Life

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.