We recently connected with Kathy Chlan and have shared our conversation below.

Kathy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I am a mom to 2 boys – the oldest being developmentally challenged. My boys now are 27 & 30. I made a decision early in motherhood that I would ALWAYS choose laughter over crying. No matter what adversity our family endured, there was never a “woe is me” attitude.

When my oldest was playing baseball, one season he struck out every game. Riding home in the car, after the last game he looked sad. I proceeded to say “Wow Casey. You were the only one on the team to strike out every time. Nobody did that.” I acted so proud of that fact and all of a sudden, Casey burst into laughter. Take a bad experience and spin it. There is always a light in there.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

REAL LIFE. REAL TALK. REAL LAUGHTER.

I started Unfiltered Kathy about 10 years ago. At first it was to help moms realize that they were not alone and it was okay to be a hot mess. No one was doing this job perfectly and there were so many of us that were not “Pinterest Moms”.

My boys are now grown up and I’m realizing that, while they’re on their own journey, I’m about to be on one of my own.
I want to show you that being older doesn’t mean that you can’t try new things or have fun. Now, I’m taking risks in life and documenting them along the way. I want to empower other women to find themselves (and get out of any ruts!) to enjoy life, even with older kids.

I am an unfiltered lifestyle expert who looks at her everyday with positivity and never shies away from a challenge. A mom to 2 older kids, one with developmental delays, I share my prospective on the modern frontier for women: treating yourself, finding your passions, saying no, and of course my family’s crazy stories to help women realize that life is not that bad. Cue the positive spin.

The services I provide are for women of a certain age from fashion styling to beauty. Find lifestyle products that will make their life easier.

I have appeared in prints and broadcast outlets such as Thrive Global, CT Style & New York Living on WPIX. I am also a published author of “Maternally Challenged” which you can get on Amazon. Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Maternally-Challenged-Special-Needs-Taught/dp/0998760900

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Most people do not have the resources to even have a team. Best advice for me, being in this stage, was to get a mentor. Connect with someone in your industry or a similar one and ask them to be your mentor. This gives you the advantage of bouncing ideas and getting such monumental tips. Your mentor has “pounded the pavement”, so to speak, and has so much to offer you.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal that is driving my creative journey today is that I feel women of a certain age are not being heard. We still have a lot to offer and so much more to say. We are still sexy, fun, beautiful & smart women who still want to look and feel good. I hope more brands look in this direction and realize that. Women of this age are the ones spending the money more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://unfilteredkathy.com/about
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfilteredkathy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnfilteredKathy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathychlan/