In Conversation With Radio Superstar Toni Lontis

October 24, 2020
/ Author marketing Interviews
/ By CT Mitchell

Toni Lontis Interview

Toni Lontis’ reach is truly global. Each week thousands of people from around the world tune into her show, hanging onto every word, as Toni interviews a varied cast of interesting people, extracting their stories with professional ease, and leaving her listeners on the edge of their seats waiting for next week’s show.

Toni is a master interviewer and so when I approached her to tell the Toni Lontis story on my blog, I was nervous about what questions to ask and if she would even accept my request.

Happily she did. Here’s Toni’s story.

What genre do you write in Toni?

I write memoir, business and self-help books.

What got you started as an author? Any particular life event?

So I had a lot of trauma, dysfunction and mental health issues in my life.

In my 40’s I started to try seek help for and heal from this trauma. That led to lots of therapy. My psychologist suggested that I consider journaling as a way of working on that trauma.

As I healed, I started to talk to people about my life and as I did this, the resounding response was “you need to write a book”.

It was over 10 years before I thought I was ready to write about my life in a formal way. So, I wrote openly about life’s struggles and in particular, about the disclosure of my daughter’s abuse in the lead up to my impending marriage to the perpetrator.

A horror story in most people’s mind, however by that stage, I wanted to show people that there is hope and happiness even after debilitating trauma and dysfunction.

How many books have you written? In what format are they published?

My Book Resilience – Memoir of a broken little girl discovering a Women of Strength and Beauty is available in eBook, audiobook and paperback.

Podcasting Secrets Unleashed is available in eBook.

10 tips to great sounding audio is available in eBook.

Heal you inner child also in eBook, The Big book of Affirmations in eBook, 7 Reasons successful people meditate in eBook, 7 day Gratitude Challenge in eBook.

How do you define success for an author? Are you successful?

Great question! I think we all need to define success in our own terms because it means different things to different people. Would I like to have a best-selling book? Sure, do I have one, no. Do I feel successful well I’m getting there!

For me it’s what writing the books has led to – my radio shows,(now in live streaming audio and video on 2 different platforms in the US) the connections, the letters and emails from people whom the books have helped, the confidence and belief in myself and so much more. In those terms I’m beginning to feel very successful.

How do you do research for your books?

My memoir was my memoires, notes in diaries, cards, letters, court transcripts, conversations with people in the book. Google is a great tool as well. Most of my content comes form my own life experience and the research I did to heal my life.

Do you have a favourite/s from the books you’ve written?

The book I’m most proud of is my memoir because it was the toughest to write. Not really sure I have a favourite yet but with more books in the plan Ill keep you posted. I’d love to write a fantasy novel one day.

What’s your writing schedule/habits?

Another great question… I need to write when inspiration strikes. Having said that though, I work to a schedule of so many words per day, even if its only 1000 words per day, I do that every day. Whilst writing the memoir I wrote until I was exhausted some days – I just had to get it all out. I also use voice to record books and transcribe from there.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Oh yeah, especially if it’s a difficult subject and you are working to a deadline.

Do your fans influence future works?

Fans, what fans 😊 Yes and being an entrepreneur, I will continue to write books from a business perspective and from an entrepreneurial perspective. (Toni is being modest – she has tons of fans…..including me)

How do you come up with new ideas that haven’t been written before?

I’m really lucky, I have endless ideas. I keep a folder on my desktop that captures my thoughts when inspiration strikes.

You are a prolific podcaster via your Radio Toni Show. Can you tell us about that?

So just a point of clarity. I’m a live radio show host or a radioTV host. The podcast is a by-product of the live shows.

I have a number of regular shows under the Radio Toni banner – Radio Toni – Authors in the Spotlight – I use this show to promote authors and their books in a paid package that includes marketing and promotion across my network and platforms.

Radio Toni – Platform for the Unheard shows, focuses on telling the tragedy to triumph stories of the world.

Radio Toni – Every Day Business – is focussed on business – I get paid to co-host shows with business and company owners to give them a digital presence and an entry point into the US market.

Finally, my new show – Tackling Trauma with Tracey and Toni. All live shows are converted to an MP3 (podcast) and an MP4 (video) So one show and 2 audiences – live and podcast/YouTube Most of the shows also restream into LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch at the same time as live streaming onto 350 other live streaming platforms in the US.

What are you working on now?

Life is particularly exciting with the release of my Online Radio and podcasting made easy course, this Friday.

Followed up with my Hope Therapy Course and membership platform, more eBooks, more courses, webinars and hopefully my Retreats in the Philippines will go ahead at some stage next year. Speaking events, more co hosted shows and perhaps some webinars and workshops in the future.

What does the future look like for Toni?

Oh, I have such a big vision of the future, I’m a big action taking dreamer. 😊

So international retreats, world wide interviews, building my brand, producing powerful life changing content and lots of safe travel. An entrepreneurial company that spans the world, generates lots of passive and active income and a lifestyle that includes all the things that are important in life.

WOW – what a great story and what a powerful message. Toni proves that you can get up off the floor, dust yourself off and go on to conquer the world.