In her freshman year of high school, Emily Morrison, KLN ‘17, saw a live taping of Live with Regis and Kelly. Fascinated by the individuals standing behind the camera and sipping coffee, she knew then she wanted a career in television.
Flashforward years later, Morrison was a media studies and production student at Temple University and jumped around between several positions for TUTV - Temple University Television's Temple Update. Although she enjoyed news work, she found herself writing jokes into the broadcast instead of news reporting.
As she was applying for news station jobs, she had a few conversations with Klein College of Media and Communication faculty members, including the former director of Klein Career Services Lu Ann Cahn. The two had several conversations about Morrison’s future and what she wanted it to look like. Cahn kept pushing her to try new things and find the light in every experience.
“Emily was not afraid to pivot, not afraid to learn from whatever position she was in and then change direction,” said Cahn. “She was not afraid to ask for help or advice.”
On a similar note, Assistant Professor of Practice Peter Jaroff, who advised Morrison on Temple Update, knew she was a talented worker and would get very far in whatever she wanted to pursue.
“Her skills in putting things together for us was certainly an indication of how good she’s turned out to be,” said Jaroff. “A lot of the skills she demonstrated with us at Temple Update are what is making her successful today.”
After graduation, Morrison pursued a development team position at a production company that pitched unscripted television to networks.
After a few years, she decided to change gears and began working for Equinox Media as an associate producer. She assisted with brands like SoulCycle and Rumble and produced hundreds of classes in a live studio in New York.
Eventually, Morrison transitioned to her current to Tonal, an at-home fitness smart gym, where she is the lead director and producer. In her position, she helps lead fitness coaches through live shows, talking to them through an earpiece and queuing them for the next position. This job allows her to see the number of people she is assisting on a daily basis.
“We can immediately see people benefiting from it...people are enjoying the content we made," Morrison said. “People are getting stronger and healthier from working out.”
During her time at Temple and TUTV, Emily spotted production careers in news, talk shows or sports broadcasting. Little did she know, her journey led her to the world of fitness production content, a career she did not know was possible.
“Your options are pretty limitless when you have a production background,” she said. “There are so many new avenues with just the way new technology develops. You can forge your own path, and that there are opportunities after you graduate may not have been created yet.”