Q & A's with Monika Deol

1. How did you start your career in media?
I was at university and enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program. I was also pursuing a career in music on the side as a singer and a club D.J., when I literally fluked into television.

2. What were some of the challenges you faced in pursuing a media career and how did you overcome these challenges?
The first challenge was breaking barriers within my own community. In the eighties, Indian girls were not encouraged to be in media, much less singers or club D.J.'s, so I had to prove to my family that I was just as dedicated to it as they were in pursuing their degrees. For me, it was simple. I worked eighty hour weeks, no days off, no complaining. I just got the job, no matter how big or small done to the best of my ability. I did not study radio or television, so I had to learn it on the job. There were times when I made a fool of myself on live, national television, but I learned it's not about failing, it's about how you recover.

3. If you did not partake in a career in media, what other profession would you have pursued and why? What did your family encourage you to be?
My family members are all academics and my parents and sisters all have Master's degrees. They strongly encouraged me to be a lawyer; but music was my passion and I had always dreamed of being a successful songwriter and singer.

4. In your opinion, to what extent has the career world for women progressed since you broke through the glass ceiling? What other changes would you like to see moving forwards?
There are definitely more women in the upper echelons of all professional fields. The pay, I think is an area where there is not as much consistency and an area women should be concerned about.
I think women still have to make more difficult choices than men do. It was a sacrifice for me to give up my media work, and an unusual decision in my line of work. It was the right thing for my family. Women still have to make choices when there are children and family involved that men do not really think about. Part of that is men needing to change their attitudes about a woman's role. In our community, that is still a work in progress. I think women should be supported in their choices, whether it is staying home, working, or both.

5. What do you love the best about you or your life?
I love my husband and my children and the depth they have brought to my life. I strive to be a better person and I think I have become a better person because of them. Professionally, I have been incredibly lucky; I have had a dream career and I am able to keep using my skill set in a relevant way.

6. Who were/are the role models in your life and what did you draw from them?
My mother, Ajit Deol, would be number one. She was a maverick for a woman of her generation. She did her Master's Degree and worked as a teacher in India at a time when most women just got married. She and my Dad arrived in Northwestern, Ontario with three young daughters and she was forced to juggle career, family, and housework. My parents taught us to work hard, be adaptable, and never take anything for granted.

7. The biggest lesson I have learned in life is.
Work hard, be adaptable, and take nothing for granted. Invest in yourself and work hard for the first twenty years, so that you can enjoy the next twenty. Otherwise, you'll play for the first twenty years and do nothing but work for the next forty.

8. If you had to give one piece of advice to someone following your path, it would be?
Dare to dream and dream big, follow your instincts, and compete with yourself, not anyone else. Be helpful and kind to others, and stay away from nasty influences like drugs, jealousy, and laziness.

9. What are your fondest memories growing up? Have they shaped you in anyway in your adult life?
We always had a Babaji's Room in our house. I have very fond memories of my Mom doing prayers. That emphasis on faith has had a huge impact on my life; I think I made good decisions in my personal choices that did not compromise my values and gave me the strength to navigate my way through a heady career that could have been overwhelming. Prayer and faith in God is a guiding force in my life.

10. What is your life like now? What projects are you working on?
I am married and have four amazing children. I do a lot with my family. Outside of that, I volunteer at my children's schools and I am involved in all kinds of charities and fundraising projects. I am on the Advisory Boards of Birks Jewelers and Wear Else Clothing. I also contributed to the recent book, "Between Interruptions; 30 Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood".