We were lucky to catch up with Christian Toto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I wanted to be a film critic the minute I realized my three arts degrees weren’t enough to transform me into a working artist. So I pivoted, turning to journalism and, hopefully, a path to becoming a paid film critic. The plan succeeded, but boy did it take a while. I toiled at two different newspapers, each time gently elbowing my way onto the entertainment desk.

It worked. Twice. The second time proved the charm, though. I became part of the paper’s movie critic team.

How did I make it happen? Patience. Persistence. Volunteering to take any gig, at any time, to curry favor with my superiors and show I could handle the assignments I wanted to tackle most of all.

When I moved from DC to Denver and struck out on my own, I took a long, hard look at the movie critic landscape. The vast, vast majority of reviewers leaned to the Left, politically speaking, and it showed. I was a conservative. Didn’t the conservative half the country deserve a film critic who reflected their values?

I was a unicorn, and that gave me an opportunity I’d be foolish to pass up. Now, nine years after creating HollywoodinToto.com, I’m glad I went on this entrepreneurial journey. Once again it took patience, persistence and a willingness to study all the marketing moves I missed in my college days. Now, I work 6-7 days a week but I can’t imagine having any other gig.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

HollywoodInToto.com (HiT) is the “Right Take on Entertainment.” That means I view pop culture from a freedom-friendly, right-leaning lens. I cover many stories ignored by my peers, from Christian filmmakers who rarely get the media’s attention to censorship issues too thorny for bigger outlets to explore.

Most entertainment journalists are liberal and their reportage reflects their biases. I’m open about mine, and I’m eager to tackle pop culture stories that matter to Heartland USA.

I pride myself on being as journalistically sound as possible. No stories about rumors or other factually wobbly themes, thank you, no matter how many “clicks” I might get from them. I also don’t try to drive liberal consumers away from the site. HiT doesn’t name call those who disagree with my worldview. Nor does it deny the excellence of many left-leaning artists. The site also doesn’t cheer on select politicians for partisan purposes.

Much of HiT’s focus today is on censorship and free speech issues. I pray they still matter to both sides of the aisle.

Most importantly, if a liberal TV show proves compelling, that’s exactly what I’ll share with my readers. The same holds true for right-leaning art. If it stinks, I’ll be more than happy to say so.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Ready? Set? Wait. Building your audience takes time. I’ve been doing just that for nearly a decade, and I feel like I’m still nowhere near where I’d like to be. I use sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn daily, but I treat each platform differently. I’m more sharp elbowed on Twitter, for example, but I still maintain a professional demeanor and refrain from profanity whenever possible.

LinkedIn allows me to weigh in on Hollywood matters, using my extensive experience to shape my opinions. It’s a more neutral version of my brand, but it still reflects my right-leaning views.

Facebook is all about conversations, and I try to inspire them with the articles I share (including many I’ve written myself).

I supplement those efforts with radio / podcast appearances. It helps me get my brand out to the public, and I often leverage those guest spots via social media shares.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I’ve leaned heavily on podcasts to educate myself on Marketing 101. I studied art in college, so I had no formal business training at the dawn of my entrepreneurial journey.

Podcasts filled in those gaps, and then some.

Shows like “Smart Passive Income,” “The Blogging Millionaire” and “Entrepreneur on Fire” gave me the wisdom, tips and inspiration to move forward.

And, whenever I feel stuck with my business, I ditch the usual podcasts I enjoy and double down on business-related shows.

“SPI” host Pat Flynn’s “be everywhere’ advice stuck with me. It’s why you can find me at my site, on Twitter, at LinkedIn, on a podcast and via my budding YouTube channel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hollywoodintoto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realhollywoodintoto/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HollywoodInToto
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiantoto/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFqmSqjavp3R1T8oW9vZO5g
• Other: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-hollywood-in-toto-podcast

Image Credits
Photos either taken by me or stills where the photographer doesn’t ask for credit.