In our cover interview, Toy Monique invites us into a season shaped by motherhood, ownership, storytelling, faith, and a deeper understanding of what it means to build with intention.
PMM Today: First, welcome back. You’ve been a busy woman since your modeling days. Your journey has since expanded across storytelling, business, and now motherhood. How would you describe this current season of your life?
Toy Monique: I’m so honored to be here, and I have tremendous love for PMM. Fun fact: my last professional shoot before transitioning was with Lucas and Maddy in NYC.
I’m truly excited about this season because it feels a lot more intentional and spiritually led. I’ve spent years building, producing, surviving, and evolving, both personally and professionally, and motherhood has added a completely different layer to that. In many ways, I’ve been made to sit still and slow down, but that pause has also brought great clarity about what actually matters.
Working in Hollywood has given me the experience and confidence to focus less on chasing and more on building things that feel meaningful, lasting, and aligned with who I really am. That shift is influencing everything now, from the stories I tell to the businesses I build and the kind of legacy I want to leave behind.
PMM Today: You’ve built a career that spans entertainment, publishing, and real estate, but at the core, you’re a storyteller. What stories are you most passionate about telling right now, and why?
Toy Monique: Yes, all of my career interests intertwine under the umbrella of legacy building. As a storyteller, I’m most interested in the underbelly of who we are and what connects us as people: relationships, ambition, identity, faith, healing, self-deception, strongholds, and the things people wrestle with privately while trying to hold everything together publicly.
Working in television and film gave me exposure to every kind of storytelling, but it also gave me clarity. Now, I feel empowered to go beyond what is commercial or trending and take risks with work that has depth, emotional truth, and cultural relatability.
That is really the foundation of my legacy brand and Green Goddess Productions as a whole. Whether it is television, books, podcasts, or platforms, I want everything connected to the brand to carry emotional truth, reflect authentic human experience, and leave an impact beyond the moment.
PMM Today: Your book, Deceived by Lust, captures much of that intention. It has resonated with readers for its honest portrayal of relationships and self-awareness. What inspired you to revisit and expand this story now?
Toy Monique: I originally wrote the story years ago, inspired by real-world experiences. It did well, and I was proud of it, but it was always part of a larger book series. That said, I’m not the same woman I was then, and I couldn’t simply continue with the next book without revisiting where the story began.
Life gives you perspective. Experience gives you nuance. Revisiting the book allowed me to deepen the emotional layers, make the story more honest, and elevate the writing so it better aligns with what I believe readers experience.
Working in television development also sharpened the way I think about character and subtext. At its core, Deceived by Lust is a parable exploring what happens when something that looks like love turns out to be something else entirely. Unfortunately, many people have experienced that very moment of realization.
PMM Today: You’ve developed and produced projects across television and film. How has your experience behind the scenes shaped the way you approach your own intellectual property today?
Toy Monique: Working as a producer and executive has taught me that creativity alone is not enough. The business matters. Ownership matters. Positioning matters. Longevity matters.
The entertainment industry gave me a real education in how valuable intellectual property truly is and how important it is to protect your creative voice. So now, when I create something, I’m thinking beyond just the immediate project. I’m thinking about the long-term ecosystem around it, including publishing, adaptation, education, brand expansion, and that word again: legacy.
PMM Today: You’ve also made strategic moves in business, including real estate and financial services. What drives your approach to building wealth and long-term security?
Toy Monique: For me, wealth has never really been about appearances. It is about freedom, stability, options, and ultimately, impact. Entertainment can be unpredictable, so I’ve always believed in diversifying and building assets outside of one industry or income stream.
I also think women, especially women of color, deserve to see more examples of creativity and business existing together. My first career was in technology, and my journey across industries proved that you do not have to choose between being artistic and being strategic. I’ve always believed you can build both.
PMM Today: Becoming a mother has added another dimension to your life and career. How has motherhood shifted your perspective on success, ambition, and the future?
Toy Monique: Motherhood has raised the stakes tremendously. Success looks different when you are responsible for shaping tiny humans and thinking about what they will inherit emotionally, spiritually, creatively, and financially.
I still have ambition, but it is no longer rooted in proving myself or attaining a certain lifestyle. Becoming a mother gave me a deeper sense of what is truly worth my time, energy, and focus. God has entrusted me with these amazing gifts, and I am honored. It is the most important role I have ever had.
PMM Today: Many women struggle with balancing identity and motherhood. How are you navigating being both a present mother and a woman with expansive goals?
Toy Monique: Honestly, I’m still acclimating. I think balance is a moving target, and it is less about perfection and more about grace and intention. Some days, motherhood requires more of me. Other days, business or creativity do.
What matters most to me is making sure I do not abandon myself in the process. I want my children to experience a loving, present mother, but I also want them to see a woman who honors her gifts, pursues purpose, and builds courageously.
PMM Today: When your children look back on your life and work, what do you hope they understand about who you were and what you built?
Toy Monique: I hope they understand that I built from vision, resilience, faith, and love. I want them to see that I was willing to evolve, take risks, and create opportunities, even when the path was not perfectly clear.
More than accomplishments, I want them to feel the intention behind everything I built. I want them to know it was always about alignment with what God has purposed for me to do and what I hope to pass along for the betterment of future generations connected to me.
PMM Today: Finally, what’s next for you? What should we be watching for in this next chapter?
Toy Monique: More storytelling, more ownership, and more expansion. Readers can expect the continuation of The Lust, Lies & Sin series, opportunities to write and publish their own works, additional development through Green Goddess Productions, and more work connected to legacy building.
I would also love to start my own podcast, create a family documentary because we have stories, and pursue the nonfiction literary space for other material I have in mind.
I think this next chapter is less about doing more for the sake of visibility and more about building things that can truly endure and help others. That is the season I’m in now.
Follow Toy Monique:
Deceived by Lust (The Lust, Lies & Sin Series) available on Amazon
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