Toni Renee was raised just outside of Columbus, Ohio, in a city known as Reynoldsburg. Before becoming a global influencer marketing and strategy manager, she was an all-city honorable mention athlete who played basketball as a point guard from age 9 until college while also running track. The basketball piece stands out as one of the most important parts of her for teaching her self-control and structure.

Toni’s college days, which most students fill with exploration, parties, and dusk-until-dawn affairs, were overtaken by the fact that she worked two jobs the entire time she was enrolled because she prioritized paying rent. In the wake of graduating, things didn’t precisely turn another page; she had to work at Amazon, Starbucks, and a pizza shop while in Kentucky because she couldn’t find gainful employment in her field.

It all changed on a whim after Toni sparked a conversation with Taylor, a friend from New York City who was photographing fashion in Paris at the time. “I wish I could do that,” she said to which he responded, “Why can’t you?” It turned her life around within weeks. With $80 to spend on a China Bus ticket, $300 in spending money, and a remote job she had just landed with Solange Knowles’ brand Saint Heron, Toni found herself leaving Ohio for New York City and has since been there for eight years.

Her career went from dead-end jobs to pivotal career moments, such as writing and running social media for Saint Heron to becoming a writer for The Source magazine. Paper Magazine would also find itself on her newly established resume, as well as Purple PR, Nas’ Mass Appeal, RCA, Interscope, Coach, and now Topicals, a new skincare brand co-founded by Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng that Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji have invested in.

You have been utilizing your University of Cincinnati communication degree, but I would like to know why you chose that degree.

My story is interesting because I did not know what direction I wanted to go in leaving high school. My mother wanted us to learn responsibility and pushed my sisters and me to go to college to learn the skill sets needed to be adults in this fast-paced, ever-changing world. College was scary for me, but it turned out to be just what I needed.

I initially started at Central State University, an HBCU. That experience was amazing because it was great to see people who looked like me and who I could relate to in either powerful positions, i.e., deans, professors, or students who were serious about their work. I ended up leaving Central State for the University of Cincinnati (UC). When I arrived at UC, I enrolled in Urban Planning and Architecture. I didn’t get accepted into the art program, which led me to say, “Alright, let’s just focus on communications,” which is how I graduated with my bachelor’s degree.

Solange Knowles and her Saint Heron label, as far as I can tell, were the catalysts for your professional career. How did you land that position?

I began working for Solange before arriving in New York. I was still in Ohio, but it was remote, so it worked out because I was writing for her online platform she had just launched around her album “A Seat at the Table,” which set the tone for everything to come. Diane “Shabazz” Varni, one of her close friends, started following me on Instagram and we began interacting. One day she hit me up saying she loved my taste and that it’s really cool. She went on to ask if I’ve ever been interested in writing for a magazine, and at the time, I was honest and said, “I don’t really have a background in that, but I’d love to give it a try.”

She then informed me that Solange was launching a platform called Saint Heron and that she “Shabazz” would love for me to write about Black culture, music, my interests, and what I like. I was given a lot of freedom to learn journalism and talk about the things I’m interested in. They helped me craft how I see art, music, and my lens on it. As I became more familiar with Saint Heron and their vision, they entrusted me to lead some social media strategies, allowing me to have my vision and voice heard.

You pivoted into music. First RCA, then Interscope Records. What brought you here?

I know! At the time, I was working for Mass Appeal under Nas; this was my first taste of working in the music industry, and while it was a small company, it was a great experience. George Clark, a friend of mine and Cincinnati native, was working at RCA when he introduced me to a position they had available despite my lack of entry-level experience. It goes back to what I said earlier about how each stage of my career is destiny because the next dot has always been connected by someone else.

I ended up applying and started off as a digital coordinator, and to be frank, I was horrible at that job. My boss Stephanie Pensa had a lot of patience with me and tried to help me as much as she could. In any case, I was awful at that role and was on the verge of getting terminated until she pulled me back into the office and told me, “This position isn’t working; however, she knows there’s another way I can be a resource for the organization.”

TikTok was just beginning to gain traction at the time, and I was told to take some time off. I came back to her with the idea of establishing an influencer marketing department which no other record labels had at the time; she saw the vision and allowed me to pitch my idea to all the heads of RCA, which included content for Doja Cat, Flo Milli, Justin Timberlake, and Alicia Keys. I was sweating, but they ended up loving the idea and switched my position from digital coordinator to strictly handling all influencer marketing across all genres.

Interscope was another amazing experience for me, and although I was only there a short time, I was able to work on some amazing projects and really be creative with my influencer marketing strategy. I had the honor of working on campaigns for Summer Walker, Yo Gotti, Machine Gun Kelly, and other A-List artists.

I’ve seen you talk about your work at Coach on social media and other platforms. Describe the Senior Global Influencer Marketing / Brand Strategy Manager’s responsibilities.

I saw this position at Coach, and after reading all the requirements, I thought, “I think I can do this.” I kept crossing paths with this role on LinkedIn, so I purchased the premium package, it allowed me to see everyone in the marketing department at Coach, and I just started sending direct messages to everyone. Derrin Woodhouse, who would become my boss, said, “He had seen my messages, and let’s find time for an interview.” It was a very rigorous process, but I made it through. I love what I accomplished and made happen at Coach; being there has shaped how I view my line of work on a global scale.

What have we seen that you’ve been responsible for there?

I have had a significant role in all influencer marketing and campaigns launched within the past year with COACH, including all castings and events in partnership with the events team. The Tabby 26 dinner was the final project I worked on before leaving Coach. It was amazing. To celebrate, I brought everyone I admire and New York City tastemakers together in one room. At the time, we were launching the Tabby 26 colorways, which was a huge event that sparked a lot of interest and engagement. Although my team and I were only a group of four, we worked extremely hard and were proud of being able to take COACH from being a brand an older demo desired and rebranding it to a Gen-Z audience.

You are now at Topicals, Sephora’s #1 selling skincare brand; what’s your role within this company?

Additionally, it is also Black-owned and operated. I am the Global Head of Influencer Marketing + Strategy. I play essentially the same role, directing the brand strategy and influencer marketing in its entirety. The beauty about being at Topicals is the amount of freedom I have. I work with like-minded creatives who understand and digest culture the same way I do. At times, it’s hard to work at big corporate entities because there is so much red tape and convincing, but with TOPICALS, we all get it. We have fun, and we live and breathe the culture we promote. It’s beautiful.

What are you currently working on that we can discuss?

We had a brunch to kick off our “Summer Camp” series yesterday. About 50 plus tastemakers and influencers were in attendance at The Standard East Village Penthouse; we had an afterparty at Cafe Erzulie in Brooklyn. It was an amazing opportunity to bring new faces and old faces who have been with the brand since day one to celebrate what we’re doing throughout the summer. We are introducing new ways to reactivate the community and will also be working with mental health ambassadors and programs to do fun things, i.e., hikes, pottery classes, and more. Our upcoming collaborations and campaigns are going to be insane; I wish I could tell you with who, but I can’t.

In a few articles I’ve read about you, you’ve talked about being queer. I pondered the significance of it all. Do people need to know, or do you feel it in your heart to be a representation?

First, I am a proud black lesbian woman, but I never let my sexuality lead conversations; I just live it. My career is not navigated by my sexuality; it’s guided by my work and the amazing relationships I’ve built along my journey. I want my success to be attached to my work, not my sexuality. I’m delighted to represent the LGBTIQIA+ community in everything I do and how I show up in these spaces. I want to inspire my people and show them we can do it all, be successful, and dominate even in heterocentric-led spaces and industries.

The influencer wave is waning, according to BOF and a few other sources, and social media users are expressing disinterest in these individuals. How does that affect your position?

We live in a society where people are influenced by their favorite person wearing this bag, using this skincare brand, or what they see on Tik Tok or in advertisements. As a result, there will always be room for influencers. I am aware that many teams and brands are reducing their budgets and shifting their focus elsewhere; however, in terms of what I do, I engage in influencer marketing as well as brand strategy and marketing. I have expertise in the aforementioned fields but cannot predict how a possible shift will affect me. However, if it ever does completely disappear, I will be able to pivot.

At long last, what next for Toni Renee?

Professionally, I want to build on our brand and influencer strategy at Topicals and continue to develop it. Since I just arrived, that is top of mind for this amazing brand. From a personal perspective, I worked a lot in my twenties and switched careers multiple times. I believe I’m at a point in my life where my next chapter will be about making space for myself, i.e., taking time to be with my family, going back home more frequently, and taking vacations while working on the parts of myself that I didn’t pay as much attention to while I was focusing on my career.