We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kathy Chlan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kathy below.

Kathy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

My parents did something that I didn’t realize was so powerful at the time—they never questioned my big dreams. I was that kid who always had some wild idea about what I wanted to be, and instead of rolling their eyes, they just let me dream. They never batted an eye at the “crazy” things I imagined for my life. That kind of quiet support gave me the confidence to try things, take risks, and believe that my ideas were possible. Looking back, I realize they gave me the greatest gift a parent can give a dreamer: they never made me feel like my dreams were too big. When I would get discouraged and let “imposter syndrome” get under my skin, their response was this – “you are exactly where you should be at this time. Have faith.”

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a lifestyle expert, content creator, and TV personality who focuses on making everyday life feel a little more fun, stylish, and doable—especially for women over 50. My work lives at the intersection of beauty, fashion, home, and real-life humor. I love sharing tips that help women feel confident, put-together, and a little more joyful in their daily lives.

My path into this industry wasn’t exactly traditional. I didn’t start till I turned 40. My oldest son is special needs and life had a lot of adversity for some time. I took a comedy improv class in NYC and loved it and then started taking hosting classes. I’ve always been a big personality and a natural communicator, and over time I realized I had a knack for taking lifestyle ideas—whether it’s a beauty product, a fashion trend, or a home hack—and making them relatable and easy for real women to try. That led me into television, digital content, and social media, where I now regularly share lifestyle segments, product recommendations, and entertaining conversations about everything from midlife beauty to the little “WTF” moments of everyday life.

Through my TV appearances, social platforms, and digital shows, I provide lifestyle tips, product discoveries, and honest conversations that help women navigate midlife with confidence and humor. Whether it’s a beauty favorite that actually works, a fashion tip that flatters women over 50, or a simple entertaining idea, my goal is always to make things approachable—not intimidating.

What sets me apart is that I’m completely unfiltered and relatable. I’m not pretending life is perfect. I talk about the funny, messy, and very real parts of getting older while still celebrating style, beauty, and living well. My audience knows they’re getting honest opinions, practical ideas, and a lot of laughs along the way.

I’m incredibly proud of building a platform where women feel seen and included. So much media focuses on younger audiences, but women over 50 are vibrant, curious, stylish, and still very much evolving. I love being a voice in that space and creating content that reflects the lives we’re actually living.

At the end of the day, my brand is about celebrating life with a little humor, a little honesty, and a lot of personality. I want people to know that you can age, laugh at the chaos, try new things, and still look and feel fabulous while doing it.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One thing a career in media teaches you very quickly is resilience. There are a lot of “no’s,” a lot of waiting, and a lot of moments where you wonder if the opportunity you’re hoping for will ever come. Early on, I had plenty of doors that didn’t open the way I expected them to. Segments didn’t always get picked up, ideas didn’t always land, and sometimes you feel like you’re shouting into the void.

Instead of letting that stop me, I learned to pivot and keep creating. I kept pitching, kept showing up, and kept building my own platforms where I could share my voice and ideas. Over time, that persistence paid off with television segments, digital shows, and a growing audience who connected with my honest, unfiltered take on lifestyle, beauty, and midlife.

That journey taught me that resilience isn’t about never facing setbacks—it’s about continuing to believe in what you’re building even when the path isn’t perfectly clear. Every “not right now” pushed me to get more creative, more determined, and ultimately build something that feels very authentically mine.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that you have to play it safe or “act your age” in order to be taken seriously. For a long time, especially as a woman getting older in media and lifestyle spaces, there’s this subtle pressure to tone things down, be a little quieter, or fit into a certain box. I had an audition once for a really great gig. I went in and I felt like I was my authentic self. A couple of the casting directors laughed, but the “head” one didn’t crack a smile. He told me to quiet down the “funny”. I thought ‘WTH” – my answer to him was this – “If you think this is too funny, you should hear what I didn’t say.” At that moment, I realized I would not be getting this gig. On the train ride home, I cried – but then got mad and realized it was their loss. Funny always wins and being “toned” down is not in my vocabulary.

But the truth is, the very thing that makes my work resonate with people is that I’m the opposite of that. I’m outspoken, a little unfiltered, and I say the things many women are already thinking but don’t always hear out loud. The backstory is that earlier in my career I sometimes felt like I had to smooth out those edges to fit what people expected.

Over time, I realized the magic was actually in leaning into who I really am. Once I stopped trying to “polish” my personality and just showed up as myself—funny, honest, and a little irreverent—my voice, my brand, and my audience all grew stronger. The biggest lesson was realizing that authenticity is far more powerful than trying to fit someone else’s idea of who you should be.

Contact Info:

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