I met Toine Edwards during my short stint in Miami, as the local host for the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. He was the lead digital producer for all the stations and also the one that trained me. We connected immediately, bonding over our love and reverence for Rickey Smiley, as well as creating digital content. It was so refreshing meeting someone with the same hustle and entrepreneurial spirit that also took time building their own media platform.  

During the pandemic, it was only right to circle back on his transition out of Miami to Dallas to become an associate producer of the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and the elevation of his news outlet, Toine360. In our rona edition interview, we discuss Toine's experience working with a mentor like Rickey Smiley, what it's like balancing a full time job with a side hustle, as well as tips he would give other fellow creatives looking to create their own content.