How did a New Orleans kid displaced by Hurricane Katrina find his way back home, and become one of the city’s most recognizable television personalities?
This week on Local Legends, Jonathan Forstall sits down with Malik Mingo, Emmy-nominated host of Great Day Louisiana on WWL-TV, for a funny, candid and inspiring conversation about Malik’s journey from New Orleans to Texas, and ultimately back to the city he calls home. Malik opens up about leaving New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, growing up in San Antonio and how that experience shaped the way he approaches life today. As Malik puts it, you may not always be able to control where life takes you, but you can control how you respond to it.
He also takes Jonathan behind the scenes of his television career, from starting out in hard news and realizing it wasn’t where he belonged, to making the decision to pursue the kind of television he truly loved: lifestyle and entertainment.
And the story of how Malik landed Great Day Louisiana might be the best part; he slid into the show’s DMs. What started as Malik asking for feedback on his television reel unexpectedly turned into a job interview, and eventually brought him back to his hometown to help build the career he’d dreamed about.
Jonathan and Malik also talk about the personality viewers see every morning, what goes into creating Great Day Louisiana, staying authentic on camera, the importance of human connection in an increasingly AI-driven media world, and why Malik’s infectious energy isn’t simply something he turns on when the cameras start rolling.
But underneath all the laughs is a bigger conversation about gratitude, taking chances and having the courage to pursue the life you actually want. Malik says he’s wanted this career since the 10th grade, and his philosophy today is simple: if you truly want to feel successful, go after your dreams.
