In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews best‑selling author and activist Toni Newman. Newman shares the pivotal story of her life: born male in Jacksonville, North Carolina, she began transitioning in 1997 after graduate work and a professional stint in New York. The transition led to loss of housing, car, job, and health insurance, forcing her onto the streets of Manhattan’s meat‑packing district where she survived alongside other trans women of color. She describes this period as her "lowest of low" and explains how she eventually moved off the street and rose to become executive director of St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. Newman offers practical advice—focus, hard work, releasing past anger, and honesty in business—along with personal reflections such as wishing she had transitioned earlier and emphasizing love as the key to happiness. She cites Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise as a major literary influence for her memoir I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman, and shares her favorite quote, “I am the dream and the hope of the slaves. I rise, I rise, I rise.” The episode concludes with information on where listeners can purchase her book (Amazon, other retailers) and find more about her at toniinuman.com.
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Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Toni Newman with us, a best-selling author noted for her memoir I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman, released in 2011. The memoir has been featured in Ebony and Advocate magazines and nominated for the prestigious Lambda Literary Award. Most recently, the memoir has been produced into a short film titled Heart of a Woman. Tony was recently appointed to the position of executive director for St. James Infirmary in San Francisco. So welcome to the show, Tony.
What's happening? Thank you for having me, Tyler Wagner.
Of course. Pumped to have you on, Tony. We'll dive into the first one. The first question I have for you, Tony, is what is the best story story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
The best story from my life is no matter how low you go, how low you get, Tyler, you can always get up and rise. I've been pretty low, Tyler, and I rose up and look where I am today.
Totally. And just, can you, could you, if it's okay with you, would you be able to provide like a little bit like example of that in your life, like a specific part, or like maybe it's over a long journey, like Like, what was that when you were low and then you overcame it?
Tyler, I was born a male, born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, African American male. Back in 1997, after graduating from Wake Forest and doing some graduate work and working professionally in New York, I began to transition from male to female. I found myself losing my apartment, I lost my car, I lost my job, I lost my health insurance. I was working on the streets in the meat packaging district on 14th Street in New York City with other hundreds of trans women of color who were prostitutes on the street. And I did that for several years, Tyler, until I could move myself off the street and to get to do better. So I would say that was my lowest point. When I began to transition and take female hormones, estrogen, to override my testosterone body of that, that I was born with. I was at my very lowest, Tyler. I was working out there with pimps, drug dealers, and all kinds of things in 10-degree weather in the winter, 100-degree weather in the summer. So I would call that my lowest of low, trying to hustle and just survive.
Totally. Thank you for sharing that. And I'm glad, you know, obviously on the other end, it looks like everything has worked out. So I'm glad that you were able to get through all that. The next one I have for you, Tony, is what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that is within your expertise or industry?
If you want to succeed, Tyler, you have to focus and work hard. Release any anger, hostilities from your past, and focus on your present, and put all energies and efforts into achieving that goal. And that's what I've done. I think that's why I'm here and God has allowed that to happen. I focused and I worked my ass off.
And it might tie in, but what's your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily like industry specific.
Um, always be honest and straightforward with whatever business you're dealing with.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Transition earlier than I did, uh, and, and, and, and transition earlier. I waited way too late, Tyler, to start my transition, uh, I believe. I think I should have done it much earlier.
Yeah. And, um, in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
Love, baby. Love, I love it.
And what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
Still I Rise by Dr., the deceased Dr. Maya Angelou. I learned you may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies, but just like dirt, I rise. I did my book based off that book. 'Cause I kept that with me for 20 years.
So, "I Rise/The Transformation of Tony Hill." And what is your favorite quote and why?
Coming from that as well, "I am the dream and the hope of the slaves. I rise, I rise, I rise." I love it.
Thank you so much for coming on, sharing your story with us, Toni. The last question I have for you before we let you go is, where is the best place for people to find you online?
You can get my book on Amazon and any bookselling store, or go to toniinuman.com, and it will tell you all the places you can buy the book. Thank you, Tyler Wagner.
Awesome. Thank you.
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