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What's Next? | The Art of Personal Branding

On this episode of What’s Next?, we hear how one Buffalonian took her passion for storytelling and animation and turned it into a Hollywood career. Mia Kai Simonne Moody joins Jay Moran to detail the lessons she learned and skills she honed to land a dream job working on one of television’s longest-running animated shows – “Family Guy”.

More from Mia Simone Moody

After the episode, we continued our conversation with Mia Kai Simonne Moody to find out what she's reading, listening
to, and more.

Books:

"Girls and Their Horses" by Eliza Jane Brazier

"Creating Blockbusters! How to Generate and Market Hit Entertainment for TV, Movies, Video Games, and Books" by Gene Del Vecchio

Podcasts:

"What's Next?"

What people aren't talking enough about:

"I think a lot of people are not talking about what they want to do in their lives. It's always easy to talk about things going on in the world, I would like to see people water their own gardens as well. In my own life, I've seen magic happen when I started focusing more on myself, where I want to go, what are the resources I have available, and what do I need to do to position myself to get where I'm trying to go. I hope one of the things that you start talking about is yourself. And elevators! Elevator pitches are real! I can't tell you how many times I've had a 25-second conversation that changed my life. And it starts with being able to pitch yourself in 25 seconds."

Final thoughts:

"Be a light in the world and remember that lighting someone else's candle does not take away from your light."

Latest Episodes
  • On this episode of What’s Next?, Kelley Clem of Hospice Buffalo and Palliative Care Buffalo explains the differences between the two forms of care and why early intervention can improve quality of life for patients living with chronic illness.
  • On this episode of What’s Next?, Anne Ryan, Executive Director of Read to Succeed Buffalo, discusses the importance of teaching reading from birth through third grade and the impact of programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
  • As Buffalo approaches the fourth anniversary of the May 14 Tops mass shooting, this episode of What’s Next? centers on reflection, accountability, and community dialogue.
  • In this special episode of What’s Next?, we revisit powerful conversations from Truth Be Told, Buffalo Toronto Public Media’s 12-part podcast series hosted by Wil Green exploring the lasting effects of systemic racism across Western New York.
  • On this episode of What’s Next?, Executive Director Kristen Heltman-Weiss and Deputy Director Hamadi Ali.
  • Today on What’s Next?, we speak with Regina Barber, physicist and host of NPR’s Short Wave. Barber shares how her upbringing in a racially divided community and her love of Star Trek helped shape her path into science. The conversation also explores the ongoing challenges and progress around racial equity.
  • Today on What’s Next?, we take a closer look at the future of the Kensington Expressway through the Queen City Forward initiative. We speak with Taje Jenkins-Jones and Ryan Whalen of the New York State Department of Transportation about how listening sessions are helping shape the process and why input from residents, especially those most impacted, is critical.
  • SUNY campuses across New York are facing mounting financial challenges, with Buffalo State and SUNY Fredonia dealing with significant structural deficits. In this episode of What’s Next?, Fred Kowal, President of United University Professions, discusses the impact of past budget cuts, the current funding gap, and what it means for students and faculty.
  • A new report from the University at Buffalo School of Law examines the impact of cooperation between local agencies and federal immigration enforcement, highlighting concerns about human rights and community trust. In this episode of What’s Next?, we explore the findings of Ending Complicity: The Harms of State and Local Collusion with Federal Immigration Enforcement.
  • On this episode we highlight three conversations heard on previous episodes. We revisit conversations with Ben Hilligas, Jessica Bauer Walker, Sam Radford, and Syntyia Taylor.