Kanika Chadda-Gupta is a mom of three (twins plus one!), journalist, and entrepreneur with a knack for storytelling. All of these aspects were recently brought together to create her podcast, That’s Total Mom Sense. In her interview with Jejune, Kanika defines ‘Mom Sense’ and ‘Dad Sense’ as a parent’s built in sixth sense, or, “…our very own superpower of intuition.” The podcast invites some influential guests to share their own stories and parenting advice, as Kanika has found that storytelling is the best way to connect and grow with her audience. Kanika was born in Bombay, India and is a founding member of RISE100 by Sundara, which is a program that works towards providing mentorship and resources to female entrepreneurs in low to middle income countries. Read on in our interview with Kanika to learn more about That’s Total Mom Sense, her parenting advice, and how she is giving back.

Where are you based?
Secaucus, New Jersey, which is a stone’s throw away from NYC.

You are a mom of three, twins plus one! How has motherhood changed your own outlook on life?
I had my three kids in the span of a year and a half, so I was thrown into the deep end! It was either drown or doggy-paddle my way to the top! Motherhood has taught me patience and acceptance. I’m extremely organized and type A, so I had to learn rather quickly that I can’t control the daily challenges that come with child rearing. We must also realize that our kids, as innocent and impressionable as they are, are in fact our teachers in life. We are the students.

You were born in Bombay, India and are a trained Indian classical dancer. How do you relay your culture onto your kids?
India is my second home. I grew up in the US, and then returned to my birthplace to work as a television anchor for CNN, which was a familiar yet immersive cultural experience. Life came full circle!

The most important philosophy I have taught my kids is sanatana dharma, which to me, is to carry out one’s purpose in life, serve others, and remember where you came from. We are bilingual and speak Hindi at home. Also, my kids love when I regale them with tales from the great epics and Bhagavad Gita, something my grandmother had passed down to me.

I trained in the dance form of Kuchipudi for nearly fifteen years under Smt. Anuradha Nehru, who is a disciple of the late legendary maestro Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam. I went on to perform with the Sa Dance Company at venues including Alvin Ailey and the Museum of Art and Design. Now my five-year-old daughter is finding her roots in Indian dance. I love her enthusiasm and the flair she brings.

Do you have any tips for preserving your own identity after having kids?
As my friend Eve Rodsky illustrates in her latest book, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too Busy World, I think it’s imperative for parents to hone in on a special interest. One that fulfills and gratifies you in a way nothing else can. This could be writing, becoming a Barre instructor, doing stand-up comedy, or studying to become a sommelier, for me — it’s podcasting. Whatever it is, make time for it and encourage your partner to do the same. It’s life-changing and will motivate you to show up as the best version of yourself in all facets of your life.

Motherhood is the inspiration for your podcast, That’s Total Mom Sense. How would you define ‘Mom Sense?’
In a nutshell, ‘mom sense’ and ‘dad sense’ is a parent’s built-in sixth sense. It’s our very own superpower of intuition. We all have an inner knowing, and when you have kids, it extends to them. Trust it. It’ll never steer you wrong.

You have invited a number of influential guests to your podcast to share their own stories and parenting advice. Why is it important to you to highlight the stories of others as well?
There’s no rule book to parenting and we all have a story. Stories are the most powerful way to connect and grow. According to the Harvard Business Review, studies proved that human interest stories with emotional content shared with an audience resulted in a better understanding and recall of key points weeks later.

As a journalist and podcast host, I’m hardwired to be inquisitive and ask questions you wouldn’t expect to encourage my guests to peel back the layers. I interview global icons and thought leaders by design because we all know of their career success, but we may not know how they navigated breastfeeding or how they taught their child to read or the values they consider most important to pass on to the next generation?

Beauty industry titan Bobbi Brown shared that she was the PTA president for her three sons when they were in grade school. Though she spent a ton of late nights scaling her business, she believed that her involvement in her children’s school would have a lasting impact on them.

Designer Rebecca Minkoff shares her life story in her book Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success. She made headlines when she featured a model breastfeeding during New York Fashion Week. I love that she used her platform to normalize nursing in public, which is the most natural phenomenon and should be accepted, not shunned.

Bollywood icon Kareena Kapoor Khan divulges that whether she’s a size 0 or a 10, she feels confident in her skin, so much so that she did national campaign ads with Puma when she was pregnant with her second son. Pregnant women work out. This should be on the billboards we see.

I’ve found that these raw conversations are what are most intriguing and inspiring to share with my audience.

What do you hope your listeners take away from each episode of ‘That’s Total Mom Sense’?
That’s Total Mom Sense has three pillars - to be informative, interesting, and inclusive. Rather than mindless banter and commiserating about parenting, my guests share their life lessons and tangible advice. Each interview and topic discussed is meant to help you problem-solve as a busy parent and feel empowered, engaged, and entertained.

I recently launched a monthly spin-off series called “What Matters Most with Maple,” with my co-host Michael Perry, who’s a tech founder (CEO, Maple) and father of two. We want dads to pull up a seat at the table and have open discussions around infertility, co-parenting, dividing the workload at home, debunking gender norms as we raise our sons and daughters, and family values.

So, whether you’re a mom, dad, caregiver, entrepreneur, millennial or Gen Z who wants to drive change, there’s something for everyone on this show!

In your podcast, you have touched on teaching kids how to meditate. Why is this important to teach kids early?
Mindfulness and meditation are lifelong practices, so when you start young, you’re far more equipped in the long run. When children are aware of their emotions (name it and claim it - “I am feeling angry because”...”I feel sad when”), they understand that feelings and thoughts can come and go, much like clouds floating in the sky, and they learn to manage them.

My friend and podcast guest Suzanne Tucker, CEO of Generation Mindful, created plush toys that have colors and shapes to signify different feelings to provide a sensory experience for a child who may be too young or differently wired to articulate themselves.

Tejal Patel, author of Meditation for Kids, provides 40 exercises like box breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 5, exhale for 8 counts) and windmill breath (blow into your index fingers spinning around like a propeller in front of your mouth) that kids love.

Boundless Blooms, founded by Kaajal Agnani, has great guided meditation cards for and powerful affirmations that parents can read aloud to their kids.

You are also a journalist and entrepreneur, working with CNN India, Zee TV, and being the founder and CEO of Kronologie Agency. How have these careers translated into your future projects?
Storytelling has always been the common denominator in my career. In television, I found ways to tell untold human-interest stories like “A Day in the Life of Rubina Ali,” the young girl who was cast from the slums in Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire and interviews with South Asians who went against the grain and made waves in mainstream media like Lilly Singh and Kunal Nayyar.

I’m always iterating and reinventing so I launched Kronologie Agency, a full-service digital marketing firm, to help SBOs share a compelling narrative through their online footprint.

Now, with my podcast, my interview skills, scriptwriting, design, branding, marketing, and social media know-how all come to play. My website is a destination for my audience to dive into a variety of topics, interviews, and video series with like-minded brands. I love engaging with my tribe and serving and supporting them the best way I can.

Do you have any advice for working moms and dads suffering from guilt?
Never feel guilty for trusting your mom sense and dad sense. We can’t be at two places at once; so, why feel bad about it? Instead, be clear about how you’re going to show up for yourself and for your family, and make each decision with conviction.

There has been an increase in transparency regarding parenting since the pandemic. Do you believe that this is effective or harmful towards new parents?
I think it’s vital for parents to be transparent and open. Now when we hop on a Zoom, we ask, “How are you doing. Really, how are you?” And we feel open to share that it’s been rough, school closures threw us for a loop, or we’re cajoling our toddler who runs in the room. It’s refreshing that we don’t have to fake it anymore. We should keep showing the challenging moments and being real. We can’t put a filter on everyday life.

You are a founding member of RISE100 by Sundara, which is a program that works towards providing mentorship and resources to female entrepreneurs in low to middle income countries. Can you explain a little more about this program and your involvement in it?
RISE100 by Sundara, the brainchild of Erin Zaikis, is a women-led non-profit dedicated to finding solutions to the global water and hygiene crisis. We appoint female leaders in countries like India, Zimbabwe, Nepal, Armenia and Kenya, to come up with sanitation solutions in their communities. As a founding member, we hand-select these community leaders from hundreds of applications and fundraise for their cause. I also serve as a mentor. One of my mentees, Shreya Krishnan, is an MBA student and Co-Founder of the Better Design Foundation, based in Bangalore, India. She and her team aim to create shifts in culture through better habits and habitats and built the first toilet for a slum community, leveraging grey water reuse and off-grid management. It’s groundbreaking to be a part of.

Has the pandemic affected the work of this organization at all? How could people help?
Yes, the pandemic has made it difficult to meet with government officials, which has its bottlenecks, but our leaders have made headway despite this. Our founding team and members meet on Zoom each month to discuss plans and updates. You can donate to RISE100 by Sundara here.

Do you have any goals that you hope RISE100 can achieve within the next few years?
We hope to grow our Rise Fellowship program and align with more global organizations to further these female leaders’ necessary work.

Do you have any tips for parenting during the current wave of the pandemic? How are you staying positive?
I keep telling myself, “This too shall pass.” There will be school closures. We will have disruptions throughout this time, but if parents go in anticipating that rather than letting these occurrences derail their day, they’re better off. Start your day with a five-minute meditation followed by affirmations. It works wonders.

What is your motto in life?
“What we think, we become.” -Buddha

To learn more from Kanika Chadda-Gupta, please follow her on the platforms below:
http://thatstotalmomsense.com/
Instagram: @kanikachaddagupta
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-total-mom-sense/id1463443667
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/55ecHih4OhRJsj6fmpfogg

Majoring in Mom Sense With Kanika Chadda-Gupta