Happy spring, everyone! New season, new month, and a new installment of our popular new blog series MNN Diaries, a collection of written-form Q&As that allow us to get to know MNN producers and hosts on a more personal level. Together, these posts offer a clear picture of the diversity of MNN’s programming—and of the people behind it. We kicked off the series with Jason Gomez, the creator of a successful hip-hop focused show called “Freak It Wit Da Fellaz, then we continued with Ann Northtrop and Andy Humm of “Gay USA.”

This month we’re offering up Denise Goins, whose year-and-a-half-old program, “Let's Talk Film,” offers movie reviews with a twist: They’re delivered by a rotating panel of everyday women around New York City, providing a real female perspective in place of the uppity insider language you get from the male-dominated pro film review crowd.

Here, Denise explains how her experience with MNN has opened her eyes to opportunities she wouldn’t have sought out otherwise. Enjoy!

What led you to MNN?

I came to MNN through my affiliation with the Writer’s Guild of America. The WGA had offered an opportunity to learn Final Cut Pro for free and as it turned out, MNN was the facilitator of this course. Once I completed this class, I took a couple of other classes and before I realized it, I was producing and editing my own television show for programming on MNN.

What have you learned—about the craft, about yourself—while creating a TV show at MNN?

MNN allowed me the chance to hone skills I would not have been able to learn professionally. I have been working in broadcast production for television for over ten years, and seldom are you in a position where you have the time to be cross-trained in various realms of television.

I think the thing I have learned most about myself during this process is how to have more patience with myself as well as with others.

How would you like your show to impact your audience?

I would like for our audience to feel enlightened and informed by the discussions we provide with regards to the many types of film our panelists review and critique.

How has MNN changed your life, present and future?

Because I am creating content in a manner I never dreamed of and it has given me a broader perspective for the potential of future possibilities. MNN created an opportunity and an outlet for me to discover a hidden talent and turn it into a viable entity that provides a service to others.

In three words, why do you love the work you do at MNN?

It brings results.

Watch “Let’s Talk Film” every other Sunday at 11am on MNN2 and MNN.org. To learn more, check out letstalkfilm.com, and follow the show on YouTube and Twitter.