Meet Kanika Chadda Gupta | Journalist & Podcast Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kanika Chadda Gupta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kanika, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Podcasting is an increasingly popular pastime in the U.S with 79 percent of respondents being aware of the format, while over 82 million people listened to podcasts in 2021. This number is estimated to rise even further, reaching over 100 million listeners in 2024.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As Oprah Winfrey has said, “Everybody wants to fulfill the highest, truest expression of themselves.” Through my experience in broadcast journalism, digital marketing, and podcasting, I’ve found that storytelling through the interview format and forging genuine human connections is what fuels me.

I began my career as a television anchor for CNN and though my parents immigrated from India to the US when I was two, life came full circle when I was stationed to go back to my birthplace. I covered events that garnered global attention including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks where I met with survivors to Slumdog Millionaire’s Oscar victory when I released an expose on the life of the young child actress, Rubina Ali, who hailed from Dhairavi, the largest slum in the world, which has over one million residents. My preferred beat was human interest stories that prompted us to think, empathize, and learn from others’ successes and failures. Even when interviewing celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, and Kate Hudson at red carpet premieres, I consciously chose not to ask the trite questions like, “How do you feel after your film’s release?” or “Who are you wearing?” Instead, I’d ask, “You played a villain in this movie. What impact did that have on your own mental health,” or “If you wrote the script, what ending would you have conceptualized?” Given the raised eyebrows, pensive moments, and hearty laughs, I could see that A-listers appreciated my curveballs.

After a few years with the global news network, I moved back to the states to serve as the Head of Programming for Zee TV Americas, switched gears and worked as the Editor-in-Chief for an international online retailer, and then launched my own digital marketing firm, Kronologie Agency (www.kronologieagency.com). It was after I had my three kids (including twins) in the span of 18 months that I had my eureka moment. I began listening to parenting podcasts (often at 3 am when I was nursing or pumping) and heard the hosts and their guests commiserating and complaining about the toils of child-rearing. Don’t get me wrong. I do that too and turn to my WhatsApp threads and parent friends for solace, but I wanted to listen to those who could help me deal with the overwhelm, and not in a prescriptive way, more so through organic conversations and storytelling. And just like that, my podcast, That’s Total Mom Sense (www.thatstotalmomsense.com) was born! I interview industry leaders and public figures to share their life lessons and the legacy they hope to leave their children, who will go on to change society when they’re in charge. I feel these big picture ideas make the daily minutia make sense. Critics say my show is a cross between Oprah Winfrey’s “Super Soul” and Guy Raz’s “How I Built This.”

I launched my podcast on Mother’s Day in 2019 and though it’s become a scalable business, it hasn’t been without its challenges. I had to build my team from scratch starting with my web developer, audio engineer, and video editor. Over the years, I’ve expanded to work with a publicist (www.icon-publicity.com), marketing director, social media managers, and interns. With my journalism background and being accustomed to the newsroom, which is a fast-paced, team-driven operation, I knew I needed to make the investment to hire experts to build a high quality production at the onset. I began monetizing the show from day one, cold-emailing brands and founders in the parenting, lifestyle, and beauty sectors to run advertising and create campaigns that were relevant to my audience, parents ages 25-50 and 70% women. I learned to deal with rejection as I pitched to countless brands, but celebrated my wins as so many understood my mission right away. During the pandemic, I partnered with a learning app for kids called HOMER where CEO Stephanie Dua would join me each week and break down how to navigate remote learning, teaching sensory play and phonics, and how to build social emotional skills in our kids — topics my community of parents were yearning to learn about! And now, they could passively listen as they went about their busy lives. I’ve also worked as a brand ambassador for Gaiam, with famtech disrupter Nanit ($74m in funding), the March of Dimes, and the White House. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing luminaries including Chelsea Clinton, Kelly Rowland, America Ferrera, Bobbi Brown, Reshma Saujani, and Shannon Lee. I want the world to know their stories and for my loyal listeners to pay heed to their advice on how to discover your calling, activism, and what they focused on most as they continue to raise their children. That’s Total Mom Sense (“mom sense” is our intuition and inner knowing – something that isn’t unique to moms and is a superpower we all have) is my medium of choice to provide information, insights, inclusivity, and inspiration to others.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a University of Miami alumnus (Go Canes!), my first stop is visiting my alma mater. The campus has changed so much over the years and I still can’t get enough of those curly fries at The Rathskeller!

My favorite hotel is Eden Roc. I celebrated my birthday there with friends and we had so much fun hanging out in cabanas poolside or taking photos from our hotel room balconies.

I love Mila lounge. They have the perfect amalgamation of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, two of my all-time favorites. The soothing ambiance and fire dancers add to the intrigue and overall vibe.

My friends and I can’t leave without spending a day on the water. There are easy boat and yacht rental services available (www.getmyboat.com). We have a blast jamming out to Bollywood and Latin music, waving to passersby.

Going dancing is a must and my new favorite hotspot is Mayami. I love the indoor/outdoor layout where we can take in the night stars, enveloped by palm trees. It’s absolutely idyllic.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to Eve Rodsky, a Harvard-educated lawyer and bestselling author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space. Eve Rodsky is working to change society one partnership at a time by coming up with a new 21st-century solution to an age-old problem: women shouldering 2/3 or more of the unpaid domestic work and childcare for their homes and families. Learn more about her here: https://www.everodsky.com/

Website: http://kanikachaddagupta.com/podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kanikachaddagupta/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanika-chadda-gupta-28bb1911/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KanikaChadda

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kanikachaddagupta

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/kanikaChaddaGuptaXOXO

Other: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-total-mom-sense/id1463443667 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64QJeXqEuIIs3Nq7Scl8VL Pod.Link: https://pod.link/1463443667

Image Credits
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bLgHcWY7dY7T8G5m0yEbBhpybL-azjbk?usp=share_link Photography by: Rashmi Gill Photography (www.rashmigill.com)