Parvati Shallow by Monty Brinton/CBSParvati Shallow, winner of Survivor: Micronesia
She schemed, she betrayed and it all paid off for Parvati Shallow, the Los Angeles-based charity organizer who, in a bit of an upset, took home Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites' grand prize. As a favorite, this was Parvati's second attempt at the $1 million, and this blindside queen proved the old adage that if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. TV Guide.com spoke with the newest member of Survivor's Millionaires Club and learned why she never said die.

TV Guide.com: Congratulations on your win and on making Survivor history by being part of the first all female final four.
Parvati Shallow: I know! That actually worked!

TV Guide.com: Did you expect that you would be going down in the history books when you returned to the show?
Parvati: I'm so excited about that. To start an alliance with this group of girls who were so brilliant and played their part so perfectly — I just couldn't have asked for anything better. Sometimes you'll get girls and they'll be jealous of each other, but it wasn't like that. We all worked so well together.

TV Guide.com: Now that you've got the money, what do you plan to do with your winnings?
Parvati: I'm just going to really focus right now on working and helping out the charity that I've been working for. It's called Knockouts for Girls, and we raise money for scholarships and provide boxing training for underprivileged girls.

TV Guide.com: What do you think made the jury vote for you over Amanda in the end?
Parvati: I think the jury respected how I plead my case at the end and how I stood my ground and didn't apologize for the moves I made. Outwit, outlast, outplay — that's the motto of the game. I made some bold moves, I took some big risks and I'm not going to apologize.

TV Guide.com: Did you understand Natalie's question to you at final tribal council?
Parvati: [Laughs] I think Natalie was trying to lighten the mood. Everyone was being so serious and spitting venom. Natalie and I were very close. I love her and she gets my sense of humor, and I think she was just trying to get me to relax.

TV Guide.com: Natalie got a harsh edit on the show. Did you see that side of her when you were playing?
Parvati: I think she was cast as the bitch. During the beginning of the game and when I was with her in Arai, she was so sweet — not a mean bone in her body. But all of a sudden she hit her stride, and she was thrilled to be actually part of strategizing and pulling off blindsides. I think that was exciting for her, and so she got a lot more vocal.

TV Guide.com: Did you ever consider taking Natalie to final three?
Parvati: I didn't, just because I made the original alliance with Cirie and Amanda. I felt so loyal to them from the beginning. I respect those girls so much. I think they're both brilliant strategists, and I couldn't have made it this far without them.

TV Guide.com: I was cracking up at you on Exile Island just sunning yourself. Did you ever even look for the idol?
Parvati: Actually I found the idol, but they decided not to show it. I lucked into it though. I found clues one and two, but then clue three was digging — it was not worth that much for me. So I went snorkeling, swam over to the side of a rock and I found the fourth clue floating in the water. It led me straight to the idol, but I left it there because I didn't want to bring the idol back and wreak havoc.

TV Guide.com: Was it easier the second time around for you?
Parvati: No. It was much harder because I played so ruthlessly and so hard. The first time I was out there, I was just having a good time. I was playing, but I wasn't driving myself forward. This time I didn't care about luxuries. I didn't care about going on rewards. I wanted to win.

TV Guide.com: Amanda mentioned on the reunion show that she came out of this with trust issues. Has Survivor taken a toll on you?
Parvati: Absolutely. I was completely traumatized. I was an emotional wreck. Usually I am very stable, but I was having meltdowns. I'm not the kind of person who runs around stepping on people to get ahead. I'm just not cutthroat in real life. The line was blurred between the game and reality when I got back. It was [also] a harder island. It had the worst weather, and we had less food.

TV Guide.com: Did you ever consider giving up?
Parvati: No, no, no. I was in it to win it.

TV Guide.com: Now that you're the big winner, are we going to see you popping up on a bunch of reality competition shows?
Parvati: I am done with reality competition shows. I might be hosting something hopefully, but my stint as a reality contestant, I think, has come to an end.