Today we’d like to introduce you to Eryn Cooper.
Hi Eryn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The first time I knew I wanted to engage with audiences through a visual platform was watching Ryan Seacrest announce Kelly Clarkson as the first American Idol on live TV in 2002. I remember jumping with joy with my parents as Ryan excitedly gave the announcement that would shape the future of reality TV. This showed me—even at 6 years old—the impact of entertainment personalities and their energy. Many steps on my life’s path made sense after that.
Fourth Grade Eryn was an “anchor” for my elementary school’s morning news announcements. Junior in High School Eryn was a media representative for a student sleep health advocacy group in my hometown, Washington, D.C. I made local news appearances and was in a National Geographic documentary! Experiencing the proof of visual storytelling’s ability to create change showed me I wanted to create a future out of journalism.
I Roll Tide-ed myself down to college at the University of Alabama and learned to be a “Jill” of all trades in the sports broadcasting world. Filming, producing, editing, writing, and hosting were all tools my work with Alabama Athletics, the SEC Network, and ESPN holstered into my tool belt. By my senior year, I was UA’s only student SEC Network sideline reporter. I worked two summers in the NFL with the (now) Washington Commanders as an intern reporter and content producer.
Still hungry to work my way to entertainment broadcasting, my next step was to become a news reporter and anchor at a local ABC affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Six months into my first job, nothing could have prepared me for the pressures one faces as a 22-year-old local news reporter in the midst of an unparalleled pandemic, social justice revolution, and multiple natural disasters. Let me tell you—what a time to become a first-year, full-time journalist.
Two years later, I decided it was time to make a move. In July 2021 I packed up my Chattanooga apartment and moved to Nashville to pursue my lifelong dream of being a music storyteller. No job set up, just a dream, and a plan to attack that dream every day until I had it. I gave myself no choice but to succeed.
I’d been interviewing artists from all over the country on my Instagram show “Fresh Tracks & Flashbacks” for a few months at this point. I wanted to put those connections to the test and try to become my own entertainment outlet. Tell stories I believed were important—the way I wanted to tell them.
With the help of my family, I invested in my own camera gear and made On Air With Eryn Productions, LLC. As a “one-stop shop” visual media storyteller, I can write, shoot, edit, produce and front all of the content I make for businesses, corporations, individuals, and nonprofits. From Instagram Reels and TikToks to full-length feature stories!
In less than 5 months of living in Nashville, I had covered two music festivals, countless concerts, hosted numerous events, met hundreds of artists, many who are now my friends, and became the Content Director and Digital Host for Nashville Tour Stop — an integrated digital entertainment media company.
And, if that’s wasn’t enough—I joined the most incredible radio family and became a radio host in Music City for HOT 106.7 last fall. I now work closely with the creations of the world’s most popular artists—talk about a DREAM COME TRUE!
I LOVE what I do. And my jobs. Nashville encourages me to have fun here each day and I am so grateful. It’s a privilege to tell the stories of artists from all genres, backgrounds, and experience levels.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh boy, have there been struggles. However, it’s those struggles that gave me the strength and tools to do what I do now.
I remember sitting on my bedroom floor in Chattanooga almost weekly, crying on the phone to my family about feeling paralyzed and incredibly anxious to wake up at 2:30 in the morning and go to work. I was the morning reporter and my shift was from roughly 3 AM – 12:30 PM.
That feeling was an everyday guarantee for nearly two years.
While working in news and people asked me if I liked my job—I would respond with “I love what I do.”
That was true—I love people. I love chasing and telling stories. Helping people. Making people feel. Learning new perspectives.
But on the outside, nothing could have prepared me for the pressures I faced at 22 years old local news reporter–in the midst of a pandemic, social justice revolution, and multiple natural disasters in our area. All of this mixed with constantly unmeetable expectations of those I worked for.
I remember telling one of my supervisors that I went into work each day with a mindset of, “what story can I pitch today where my managers won’t hurt me?” No matter how many times I seemingly accomplished the impossible at work, it never seemed to mean or be enough.
All that did a number on me on the inside—as I know it did my colleagues and journalists worldwide.
My hair fell out. My skin reflected my inner mess. I couldn’t sleep, but I couldn’t get out of bed either. I didn’t get a period for five months straight.
I didn’t process anything that we all—or I—was going through. I couldn’t. Each day I had to start over, master, and regurgitate a new tragic topic with a smile or authoritative look on my face…and just, do it.
So many incredible journalists were doing this every day—and still are. I’m so proud of them.
Now don’t get me wrong—I had lovely viewers and made some of the most incredible encouraging friends because of that path. I am so proud to be a journalist, and I always will be.
Local journalism is SO important. It’s real, compassionate, and necessary. But I’ve learned just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you should do it—if it’s hurting you.
It took two years, a lot of tears, a LOT of patience, and love from my family and friends, but I eventually decided enough was enough.
I had gotten so low I felt as if I had nothing left to lose. Why not take a risk? So, I came to Nashville, and my life has drastically improved physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is indescribable in the best way.
As you know, we’re big fans of On Air With Eryn Productions, LLC / Nashville Tour Stop / HOT 106.7. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
On Air With Eryn Productions, LLC is a company I started when I moved to Nashville. I took my skills I learned as a journalist and became a one-stop shop for visual media and creative content. I can write, shoot, edit, produce and front all of the content I make for artists, musicians, businesses, corporations, individuals, and nonprofits. Music videos, interviews, visual EPKs, you name it. I am ALWAYS looking for new clients!
Nashville Tour Stop is an integrated digital media entertainment company here in Nashville. NTS is founded and owned by Aaron Schilb! I am the Content Director and Digital Host for NTS. We hold revolving concerts, music videos, artist feature stories, and all-around fun content based on our incredible community of singer-songwriters and their fans and friends.
HOT 106.7 is Nashville’s #1 radio station for today’s top hits! I am an on-air personality and host my show “On Air With Eryn” every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CT. You can catch me in your car, on our website, or on our free app! I always talk about joyfully chaotic topics and try to make my listeners smile and laugh. We play the likes of Harry Styles, Doja Cat, Adele, Post Malone, and MORE!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned can be summed up in two quotes.
First, a quote I came up with shortly after I moved to Nashville: “There are no rules and no one knows what they’re doing.”
By this I mean you can truly attain anything you want if you don’t stop. There are no parameters to your passions or what your job(s) can be. You don’t have to know each step of how you’re going to reach a goal–you just have to know what you want and be willing to try your best every day to get there.
You have to embrace that process and the defeat and success that comes along with it.
The second quote is from Richard Yates’s novel Revolutionary Road: “If you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes backbone to lead the life you want”
Some may say it takes backbone to not run away from things you feel responsible to.
But it really takes backbone to lead the life you want and put yourself first. If you exhaust every option trying what you want, even if it doesn’t work out, you can say you tried everything. Then you won’t regret not trying.
Contact Info:
- Email: onairwitheryn@gmail.com
- Website: onairwitheryn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onairwitheryn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErynBCooper/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/OnAirWithEryn
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTcCXUDfDyTMq7UNAS8iuFA
- Other: https://hot1067.com/shows-eryn/
Image Credits
Chelsea Erica Smith
Ed Thoreson
April 20, 2022 at 4:26 pm
Way to go