Kiran Chawla - Inspirational Women — MODERN GRACE magazine

FULL INTERVIEW

MG: Where were you born and raised?

KIRAN: Jackson, MS

MG: If not Louisiana, what led to you move here? When?

KIRAN: Dad got a better job so we moved to Louisiana in 1995

MG: In which city do you mostly reside?

KIRAN: Now it’s Baton Rouge, but it was New Orleans

MG: What is you educational background and/or experience?

KIRAN: College graduate with a major in broadcast journalism with a minor in criminal justice

MG: Currently, where are you employed?

KIRAN: This feels great to say!!! I work for MYSELF under the company Unfiltered with Kiran!

MG: What is your job title?

KIRAN: Owner, CEO, Manager, Investigative Reporter, Reporter, Editor, Photographer, Digger, shall I keep going??? I’m blessed to finally have been able to get some help now to reduce some of my titles

MG: If you haven’t lived in Louisiana your entire life, what led you to move here?

KIRAN: Dad’s job

MG: What is your favorite part about living here?

KIRAN: The people and the food….it’s hard to say which one!

MG: What is an event in your life that significantly changed the course of it?

KIRAN: Well….June 9, 2020, my former employer of nearly 10 years pulled the rug from beneath me and we parted ways. It was deep Covid at that time so it was really difficult to find a job and after spending several months applying, I finally decided I wanted to try my own thing. I wanted to go back to the journalism I knew 20 years ago and up came the idea of Unfiltered with Kiran – The News You Deserve. Unfiltered.

MG: What negative impacts did that event have for you, even if only temporary?

KIRAN: I lost my identity. I thought I lost who I was, my confidence and who I had been for nearly 20 years. One of the first questions you get is “what do you do for a living?” Well, what was I supposed to say now. Was I supposed to carry my head down now? Was I supposed to be ashamed? I went down a very, very dark tunnel and I say tunnel for a reason, because there was light at the end of that tunnel. What was meant to be an “end all” for my career from my former employer, I turned into my inspiration and challenge to make something of myself with the talent I knew and had done for two decades. I still never forget the darkness in my life because I want to use that to shape my future and hopefully, never let that happen again.

MG: What good came out of that event for you? How did it improve your life?

KIRAN: It’s been the best improvement! I’m mentally happier! I’m no longer working in an extremely hostile, back-stabbing work environment and told what I can and can’t cover. I work for myself and the team I do have, they all know I won’t tolerate a hostile work environment. We’re truly a team. I never realized the importance of mental health until all this happened. I used to think regardless how miserable you are, at least I had a paycheck. But now, I realize a paycheck isn’t worth losing your sanity and risking your mental and physical well-being.

MG: How do you feel you have overcome that event?

KIRAN: I feel like God gave me a challenge and told me “Just trust me, I have a plan for you.” I trusted in Him and kept on knocking on doors down a long hallway but they kept closing in my face. The reason they kept closing in my face was because He wanted me to keep walking down the hallway and the opening was already there, it was to launch my own company. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words.

MG: What advice would you give to someone who is going through something similar?

KIRAN: Life will pull the rug from beneath you over several things and you will fall to your knees, be it a job, relationship, family, friends, etc…You will fall down many times in your life, but the true judgement is whether you get back up. Who cares if you fall down? Get back up and try again. If you fall again, try it again. Don’t be above trying. What’s the worst that can happen? Something doesn’t work out for you? Well, at least you gave it a shot and tried. Now you won’t have that regret that you never even tried. ALWAYS GET BACK UP!

MG: When was a time that you stuck up for yourself and how did that enhance your life?

KIRAN: During grade school, I was too timid to stand up for myself. Yes, you read that correctly! There came a turning point in my life when I realized if I didn’t value myself, why should anyone else? I did start standing up for myself to my bosses. Looking back now, I have zero regrets for standing up for myself. I’m sure that played a huge part in their decision because we constantly went back and forth because I stood my ground, but I have no regrets for standing up for what I believed in.

MG: Have you received any special awards, recognition, or acknowledgements?

KIRAN: 14 Edward R. Murrow Awards, 2 Emmy’s, 225 Magazine’s Best TV News Personality, La Association of Broadcasters Reporter of the Year, Associated Press Newsperson of the Year, Women in Media’s Excellence in On-Air Broadcasting

MG: What quality about yourself are you most grateful for?

KIRAN: Being able to look at the cup as half full, not half empty (granted I have my bad days too)

MG: What about yourself are you most proud?

KIRAN: My faith in God

MG: What do you consider to be your life motto?

KIRAN: Let your past shape your future.

MG: Who inspires, or has inspired, you in your life?

KIRAN: My parents. They came to this country knowing only a handful of people leaving their immediate families behind. They started by sleeping on the floor because they had to earn money to buy a bed. They worked for every single thing they have today. Nothing was handed to them because they happened to know someone in a profession. Despite the cultural differences, even when my dad got passed up for jobs, he kept his head up and my parents kept working hard to ensure my brother and I were properly taken care of. They always made sure we had everything we would ever need, including till now. I’ll say it repeatedly, my brother and I are who we are today because of our amazing parents.

MG: Here can be the hardest one for many, tell us about yourself. Anything additional you want to share? It can be anything from your favorite recipe, to the worst time of your life. Anything more you want to share with us.

KIRAN: I thoroughly enjoy traveling and seeing our beautiful country! If you get the opportunity, buy yourself a camper and just hit the road! Also, if you ever get the opportunity to rescue a dog, do it. It’ll be one of the best experiences of your lifetime because truly, it’s not you rescuing them…it’s them rescuing you! I love cooking and I cook a little of several different cuisines. My favorite food is sushi (& crawfish) and my favorite color is turquoise! I love long walks and just being outdoors.