Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Brown.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been designing and building brands for more than 15 years, but I didn’t start with some grand plan to become a brand strategist. I started as a designer and entrepreneur who was good at figuring things out.
Over time, I realized that what interested me most wasn’t just making something look good. I wanted to understand why it worked, what someone wanted to be known for, and how design, messaging, and strategy could work together to tell that story.
That evolution led me to build Skye Media Group and eventually become known as Brand Coach Toni. Today, my work sits at the intersection of strategy and design. I work with entrepreneurs, organizations, and leaders—particularly Black women in leadership—to help them get clear about how they want to show up and build brands that actually reflect the substance of who they are.
A lot has changed since I started, including me. I think that’s one of the most important parts of my story. I’ve allowed my work and my definition of success to evolve as I have.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not. Entrepreneurship will humble you quickly.
One of my biggest struggles has been learning that being talented at what you do and running a successful business are two different skill sets. I’ve had seasons where business was great and seasons where I questioned whether I wanted to keep doing it at all. I’ve dealt with inconsistent income, difficult clients, ideas that didn’t work, opportunities I thought I needed that weren’t right for me, and the pressure of feeling like I should have everything figured out because I’ve been doing this for a long time.
I’ve also had to learn how to pivot without treating every pivot like a failure. That one took some time.
The older I get, the less interested I am in pretending that success is a straight line. Sometimes growth looks like expanding. Sometimes it looks like simplifying, starting over, changing your mind, or admitting that what worked for the last version of you doesn’t work anymore.
I’m learning to give myself permission to do all of those things.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Skye Media Group?
Skye Media Group is a branding and design agency that helps businesses, organizations, and leaders figure out what they want to say, how they want to show up, and how to bring it all together visually. I specialize in brand strategy, identity development, web design, and creative consulting.
What sets me apart is that I’m both a strategist and a designer. I’m not just thinking about how a brand looks; I’m thinking about whether it makes sense, whether it connects with the right people, and whether the design actually supports the larger mission.
I’m especially proud of the work I’ve done with organizations that have a meaningful impact on their communities. I had the opportunity to work with the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on its rebrand and have served as a consultant and design partner for Feed the Soul Foundation and Black x Latin Restaurant Weeks. Those projects mean a lot to me because I get to use what I do well to help amplify work that matters.
I’m also proud to have received a Woman of Integrity Award in business. Integrity is important to me because honest business can sometimes feel like a commodity. That doesn’t mean telling a client what they want to hear, but it also doesn’t mean being “brutally honest” for the sake of being brutal. I believe in being candid and tactful, asking the right questions, and sometimes challenging an idea when I know there’s a better solution—all with the goal of helping my clients fulfill their goals and mission.
At the end of the day, I want people to know that Skye Media Group isn’t here just to make things pretty. There’s always a reason behind the work.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to have one big purpose, one career, one business, or one version of ourselves that we’re supposed to figure out and stick with forever. I don’t believe that anymore.
You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to outgrow something you worked really hard to build. You’re allowed to want something different at 40 than you wanted at 25. And you don’t have to throw away everything you’ve learned just because you’re entering a new chapter.
That’s where I am now. I’m still a strategist. I’m still a designer. I’m still an entrepreneur. But I’m also giving myself room to explore what else I can create, where else I can go, and who else I can become.
I think there’s something really powerful about realizing that starting a new chapter doesn’t mean the previous ones were wrong. They’re what gave you the experience to write the next one differently.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.skyemediagroup.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/skyemediagroup
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mstonisbrown
