Tonie Lotts
Tonie Lotts is a multifaceted professional and student based in Pineville, Louisiana, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. With over 30 years of experience as a caregiver and nurse for seniors, she has built a career centered on compassion, service, and holistic care, blending her medical background with licensed massage therapy to support the well-being of those she serves.
Today, Tonie channels her passion for care into her work as a private chef, bringing love, attention, and healing through food to her clients, particularly elders. She also balances modeling, acting, and continuing education while managing family responsibilities, including caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s and supporting her grandchildren. Her philosophy emphasizes the therapeutic and nurturing power of everyday practices, whether in the kitchen, classroom, or community.
Beyond her professional life, Tonie is committed to lifelong learning and community engagement. She has been recognized on the cover of Fashion Republic Magazine and named one of Louisiana’s Influential Women for 2026. A lover of gardening, nature, and sustainable living, she actively participates in environmental and volunteer initiatives, including composting, sustainable gardening, and mentoring through local organizations. Tonie embodies resilience, creativity, and dedication in both her personal and professional pursuits.
• Licensed Massage Therapist
• Nursing Certification
• Certificate in Hebrew Language
• Certificate in Reflexology
• Southern New Hampshire University- B.A.
• Fashion Republic Magazine Front Cover
• Honor Roll at Southern New Hampshire University
• National Honor Society
• National Society of Leadership and Success
• Wilderness Sierra Club
• Peer Club for Hilltop Nursing Home Rehabilitation Center
• Environmental Advocacy through Wilderness Sierra Club
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to myself, because I was the one that pulled myself out of everything. Even though I am married, I pulled myself out of a lot of dark places. Being by myself was the biggest challenge, and it's still the biggest challenge that I think, as people, that we go through, because we have to sit with our own demons. We have to talk to it, and we got to get some understanding together, because if we're gonna live in this big world together, we gotta get it under control with ourselves. I really don't have nobody that really inspired me, to be honest. It's me, myself. I had to go within myself to heal, to heal myself from the past traumas that surfaced itself in my life. I had to work on my foundation.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to always put myself first, and to just don't stop. Don't ever give up, no matter how hard it gets, and always reach out to someone if you need to talk to someone. I do have a difficulty just talking to people, because I'm a loner, kind of like a recluse. But I think that was my biggest challenge, is just reaching out to someone for help, because I think that's hard for a lot of people, especially when you're very independent like I am. Being a loner is my way of recuperating and figuring out what I just experienced, just being a human.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of my biggest challenges right now is learning to ask for help despite being independent, while balancing caregiving for my mother, school, and professional work each day. This also presents an opportunity to build stronger support networks and time-management skills.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My grandkids inspire me the most. They are my legacy. When I see my two girls, my two grandbabies, I see my legacy, because they will have to live on for me. They will be the ones that will be talking about grandma and great-great-grandma, and all what she done, and what she achieved in her late senior 50s. Age does not matter. They inspire me so much, because this world is crumbling around us as we speak, and they have no idea what's going on, so they inspire me. I also value cooking, healing through food, and putting love and care into everything I do. I love art and anything dealing with art, because art can be anything around us, however we see art. I have a very vivid imagination, and I want to be able to help contribute to humanity and share my experiences with people, with women like me.