Cassie Friedman is one of the few individuals in this world who is lucky enough to work because she loves what she does, rather than because she has to. For the experienced development producer, her passion stems from many different aspects of the job. She thrives on the reality that no two days will ever be the same. Whether she is casting, researching locations, booking guests, developing creative concepts, or aligning talent with storylines, she is encountering new challenges and finding ways to solve problems she hasn’t ever faced before. With that, she gets to submerge herself into unfamiliar worlds, learning about people and places she often knows nothing about. She is simply humbled by the opportunity to expand her skill set on a daily basis. There is never a dull moment when it comes to the work that she does and with that, she has managed to build a career out of a lifelong passion.
Pursuing a career like Friedman’s isn’t simple and it requires a certain edge that cannot always be taught. Fortunately for Friedman, it comes naturally. She is dynamic and adaptable in such a way that allows her to ease through obstacles and improvise effortlessly. She knows the importance of being resilient in the face of change because her work is unpredictable even at the best of times. In fact, her resilience is one of the qualities that makes her such a desirable producer to work with. She remains calm in the face of disruption and she knows how to ensure that her audience’s viewing experience is held with utmost importance at all times.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding ways to damage control to keep things afloat. All jobs have pressure, but with production, live or pre-taped, one small change can have a domino effect on the whole production. Being able to roll with the punches and jump into plan B without hesitation is crucial. As a young producer, I have to be able to trust my gut. When you’re live on air, there isn’t time to sit and weigh the options,” noted Friedman.
In her work with Global Television Network’s The Morning Show, Friedman was exposed to this unpredictability countless times. The market in which the show airs is extremely competitive, and oftentimes other networks would keep guests at their studio longer than expected. As a producer, Friedman had to learn how to fill an interview time slot seamlessly, and her ability to think quickly on her feet allowed her to do so with ease.
After a year of working on The Morning Show, Friedman was approached to work on Global’s new project, The News at Noon. Accepting the job would mean that Friedman would have to balance her new responsibilities for the show with her existing work on The Morning Show. At the time, the network was very familiar with Friedman’s talents as a producer and they knew that she would be the perfect person to carry The News at Noon to great success. Friedman was intrigued by the opportunity to work with a new hosts, writers and producers and excited about being able to work on both projects simultaneously. She could not resist agreeing to work on The News at Noon as it meant she could do even more of what she loved in the same amount of time.
For Friedman, working on The News at Noon was a breath of fresh air. It aired daily for a half an hour, as opposed to the three-hour daily commitment that The Morning Show demanded. Despite the fact that it still required her to work as hard as she would for The Morning Show, she found that they encountered fewer last minute changes and it was a chance to execute her ideas as she had originally intended. She loved the way in which The News at Noon’s structure complimented the unpredictability and last-minute nature of The Morning Show. She had the best of both worlds, and with that, a breadth of new challenges to keep her work fresh and exciting.
In her role as a writer for several of The News at Noon’s news stories, she instantly became essential to the project. Her ability to select and attract compelling guests for each segment made her instrumental to the success of the show. Without Friedman, The News at Noon would not have held the viewership that it did and featured such strong guests.
Former producer on The Morning Show, Nakita Hans had the distinct pleasure of working with Friedman for both The Morning Show and The News at Noon. Having experienced Friedman’s talents first hand, Hans knows of the value that Friedman adds to any production crew.
“Her work ethic, attention to detail and efficiency make working with her easy and enjoyable. She goes above and beyond to ensure her segments are both creative and engaging for viewers at home. She quickly became not only a producer that I was inspired to work with, but also a friend. Her ability to work toward a deadline without fail makes her an incredible commodity to have on any team. From news to entertainment, Cassie could adapt to any beat and generate unique material that ensured our shows were fresh, informative and fun. It is her enthusiasm and optimistic attitude that make her so easy to work with on both the editorial and technical sides of our shows,” said Hans.
Hans is one of the many producers who have experienced Friedman in her element and are pleased to have had such strong talent on their team. Today, Friedman continues to produce content that her viewers revel in and hopes to do so for the rest of her career. She is eager to expand upon her achievements to date and hopes to accomplish even more success than she already has. With a passion as profound as Friedman’s, it is difficult to channel into a single project at a time. Thankfully for her viewers, she can handle several projects at once and is more motivated than ever to keep producing exceptional work.