Ep.22: Inspiration, Dedication, and Culture w/ Toni Kennedy
In this episode of 'Beyond the Threshold,' I am joined by Toni Kennedy, creator of the award winning kids and family podcast, "What’s Poppin’ Penny, voted Common Sense Media’s Best Kids & Family podcast of 2023 and awarded the 2025 Communicator Award of Distinction for an Educational Series.
In this episode we discuss:
- Toni's upbringing in St. Petersburg, Florida, being inspired by Sesame Street, and building a career as a child educator despite lacking a formal degree.
- How her daughter encouraged her to apply to Spotify’s SoundUp Family and Kids podcast accelerator program, which lead to the creation of, "What's Poppin, Penny."
- Navigating pushback on cultural and thematic elements like Black identity and lineage, and the importance of cultural experiences in storytelling.
- The exhaustive process of producing the show, self-funding and adapting the series into a book.
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