Jill Of All Trades

Jill Martin is one of the most recognizable faces on morning and cable television. 

What’s less known is that her on-air career was somewhat of a happy accident. During a harried early hour at her first job fresh out of college with the “The Maury Povich Show” (now called “Maury”), it became clear the reporter assigned to do a denim trends segment wasn’t going to make it. Martin was an assistant at the time, but to her surprise, a producer suggested she fill in. 

“So at 5:45 a.m. I ran to Macy’s and asked them to open up,” she recalls. “I needed five trends, fully styled and in the right sizes for the models that were already booked. I will be forever grateful that the store manager listened to my story, empathized and let me in.” 

She presented the looks on camera later that morning and knew she’d found her calling. 

But in 1999 she landed in Miami — where she spent five years as a sports anchor at WFOR-CBS 4 and two years as the in-arena reporter for the Miami Heat. “I grew up with a brother and a father who were obsessed with watching and playing sports,” she explains. “I used to ski, play basketball, watch basketball, go to football games and go to all my brother’s baseball games. Sports was a way for me to spend time with my brother and my father and that’s the way I did it,” she says. 

Drawn just as much to sports reporting as she was to fashion, she stayed in the role until she moved back to New York in 2007. “I loved that job,” she says. “Covering South Florida sports in the early 2000’s was a thrill. I loved sharing the athletes’ backstories, covering huge events and enjoying the breaking news aspect of it all. I was there when the Marlins won the 2003 World Series

and when the Heat won the 2006 season. Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade, Gary Payton, Udonis Haslem — it was legendary and incredible to witness those kinds of epic celebrations.” 

Her enthusiasm caught the attention of the MSG Networks, who offered her a gig hosting sideline and post-game shows for the Knicks. “I loved Florida so much, but my entire family was back in New York. Simultaneously, my old producer had started working at the ‘Today’ show and said they were always looking for style segments,” says Martin, who turns 45 this month.

Once she returned to New York, timing and fate stepped in. In addition to her job as a Knicks broadcaster, she was offered a shot on “Today.” Going from local outlets to the top-rated national morning show was a leap — and she arrived ready to prove herself. “It was always a dream job to me. When it happened, I felt so grateful and lucky. I knew I had to do whatever I could to be the best at it,” she says. 

More than a decade later, she still has a broadcast role at the Knicks while also serving as a lifestyle contributor at “Today,” having grown the mega-popular “Jill’s Steals & Deals” into the show’s signature shopping segment.

Her “Today” show colleagues, she says, are like family. Her relationship with Kathie Lee Gifford, in fact, predates her time at NBC. “I had been Kathie Lee’s intern when she hosted ‘Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee,’” Martin explains. “When I started working at ‘Today,’ we rekindled our friendship and became extremely close. To this day, we speak almost every morning — she gets up even earlier than me. We’ve been through makeups, breakups, sickness, death. She is a very important person in my life.” 

Due to the pandemic, Martin hasn’t been able to be in the studio, broadcasting instead from her Long Island home. “The ‘Today’ show set up a virtual studio in my basement with lights, a prompter, a camera controlled by the studio and direct audio lines to the control room. I’ve taken on basically every job from styling to props to technical difficulties. Pivoting and doing everything myself has been challenging but I’ve learned so much in the process. I believe in finding the silver lining wherever you can. Having acquired new skills has been mine.”

Mindful of the changes and challenges her viewers may be experiencing as well, Martin’s priority is putting forth solutions. “I am very conscious of what we feature to make sure we’re offering something people need or want at an amazing value,” she says. “We’ve also been able to help small businesses, which has been a blessing as so many are going through so much. In our ‘She Made It’ and ‘Small Business Spotlight’ segments, we tell inspirational stories of how companies have pivoted and persevered.” 

Offerings from her popular QVC line, G.I.L.I. by Jill Martin, also reflect a shifting of priorities. “I have always been a homebody,” she notes. “So it’s funny, the breadth of my line pretty much goes along with the trends we are seeing right now. Comfort is key, value is a must. Our customer wants a quality product that serves a purpose or is hopefully multi-purpose. I am not a fan of clutter so my mantra has always been to have fewer things but all of which are a ‘10.’ Most of all, I try to offer items that bring happiness into their lives.” 

But even someone with Martin’s sunny outlook has her share of tough moments. In November, she shared a personal essay with Maria Shriver detailing a difficult period last spring when the psychological and emotional effects of the pandemic had taken a toll. COVID-19 had stricken her uncle, who was on a ventilator and she had recently ended an engagement. “If you saw me on the ‘Today Show’ hosting segments or selling my brand on QVC, these were the only times I left my bed,” she wrote. “My sister-in-law set up the segments for me as I was barely eating and just couldn’t find the energy. It took every bit of strength I had to shower, get dressed, do my hair/makeup and prepare. The pandemic was winning.” 

Thankfully, her uncle recovered and Martin regained her own strength with help from her inner circle, particularly her father, who directly but lovingly told her it was time to ‘get up.’ “Since hearing my dad’s words, I have not only ‘gotten up’ every day, I have pivoted and decided I am not going to let this pandemic win,” the essay continued. “Although things are not what I envisioned, I am living a new normal and being my own best friend.”

In being transparent about her own struggle, she hoped to help others. “I feel like so many people look at each other’s lives and think, ‘That person is so happy. That person has it all together.’ I thought that if I shared a part of my story and vulnerability, it might inspire others. As heart-wrenching as it was to write, I’m so glad I wrote that essay. I cannot tell you how many people reached out to share that this article helped them turn a corner. I feel an obligation with my platform to let them know I’m happy but to also keep it real. Sometimes I am, but sometimes I’m not. I’m not always the smiling, put-together girl you see on TV. Both sides are important to share.”

The past year also prompted her to reexamine her jam-packed schedule and implement some much-needed changes. “There were 24-hour days when I would not sleep,” she admits. “I would go to the ‘Today’ show in the morning, then hop in the car to go to QVC, then jump in the car and head back to New York City to be on the show the following morning. I was running too fast to enjoy anything. It was exhausting and I realized I was not truly happy. One of the bright spots during this dark time is that I have learned to slow down.”

Now, a typical weekday for Martin includes rising at 5:45 a.m. when she is at her most creative and going to bed by 8:30 p.m., providing plenty of rest. Yoga is a big part of the picture, helping her stay in shape, quiet her mind and remain focused.

Her personal life is also on the upswing. “I met someone in the middle of the pandemic but because of social distancing, we started the relationship on Facetime. When we finally met, it felt like we had known each other for years.”

The basics to know about her, she says, are simple but important, with Martin stressing this is how she hopes others will summarize her: “Family is everything. She always tries to lead with kindness and generosity. She tries her hardest but is willing to fail with grace. She loves to laugh and she’s always ready to have the time of her life.”