5 Questions with Emma Pitzl, MSPC Content Strategist

As a content strategist, Emma Pitzl crafts and refines all types of content for a handful of B2B and B2C clients at MSPC while serving as managing editor of the TechChannel content team. She has a bachelor’s in English from the University of Minnesota.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I wanted to be a meteorologist—I was weirdly obsessed with the weather as a kid because I was terrified of thunderstorms. I would actually sit for hours and watch shows on The Weather Channel. Maybe I thought I could predict the weather myself if I watched enough episodes of Storm Stories.

How did you come to be at MSPC?

In college, I worked for a student-led brand communications agency called CLAgency (now known as Backpack). Shameless plug: If you’re a student at the University of Minnesota, Backpack is an insanely great opportunity to get real-world experience and make professional connections.

Through CLAgency, I got connected to MSPC and started as a contract editor right after graduating (and conveniently, right before COVID). After that, I spent six months as an intern before being hired on full time in 2021. The pandemic made it a winding journey, but I’m grateful that I had the support of my coworkers at MSPC the whole time!

Recommend a book, movie, album, etc.—a favorite or something you’ve consumed recently.

I always have to recommend the movie Interstellar. A space movie directed by Christopher Nolan and scored by Hans Zimmer…how could you not recommend it?

When it comes to music, my go-to rec is a band called half•alive and their album Now, Not Yet. It plays around with a lot of genres, so there’s something for everyone (and the lyrics are top-notch).

What’s a cause that you are passionate about and why?

Every December, I wear a dress for 31 days straight in the middle of the Minnesota winter.

Why? It’s part of an annual fundraising campaign for Dressember, an anti-human trafficking organization that uses creativity and fashion to reclaim the dress as a symbol of freedom and dignity for victims of human trafficking. Since 2013, the movement has raised more than $13 million for partner organizations.

The human trafficking industry is estimated to be valued at $150 billion, and it affects nearly 40 million people worldwide. Those are some crazy numbers. That’s why I’ve participated in the annual fundraiser for the past three years—I’m more than willing to have cold legs for a month if it makes even a small difference!

What skill, hobby, experience, etc., do you have that would surprise people?

Back in my glory days (aka middle school), I was a five-time spelling bee champion. I guess I was destined to be an editor!

These days, my hobbies are a little more sporty: playing volleyball (and cheering on the Gopher volleyball team), golfing (my dad put a club in my hands when I was a toddler), doing yoga and hiking. I’m also a sucker for a good crossword puzzle or a night of trivia at a local brewery.

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