Drama-tic Storyteller

 “You need to come to news,” professor Blis Devault said to the affable college freshman the first time they met.  As the director of the Digital Innovation, Film and Television program at Xavier University, Devault just knew “she is going places.”   

Once in the college TV studio, “Allie blew us away with her first time on air. We were watching her and I said this woman has it!”

Two years earlier, Allison Marie Martin was a high school senior, considering a career in architecture.  

“I applied to 4 colleges, two for architecture and two for advertising.  I was pretty convinced I was going to the University of Cincinnati for architecture.   I was ready to commit, but I’m someone who goes with my intuition and decided architecture was not the right path for me.  I chose Xavier, intending to major in advertising.”

Allie Martin likes to call herself a creative media mutt—and it fits.

“I’m someone who aspires for growth and purpose, and I like to showcase that through my work,” she says. “I have a strong passion for storytelling and I believe everybody’s stories are meant to be told. I like to get into some good drama.”

It’s no coincidence that the name of her newest venture is The Good Drama Network, a content and communications brand she’s building from the ground up.  

“With the growth of AI and the media landscape constantly shifting, I think staying nimble and human in our storytelling is more important than ever,” she says.

YOU MADE THIS

“When I got to Xavier, advertising was great, but I wasn’t being challenged.  Maybe I want to do sports marketing. I went to the  Communications Department office and that’s where I met Blis.  I’m a firm believer that moment changed my life, it changed the trajectory of my life.”

Her entrance into the TV studio was noticed.   

“Allie changed the tone of the newsroom when she arrived. She’s tall, with a big personality, making her impossible to miss, “ noted classmate Jack VanderToll.  

“You could tell Allie had confidence and a vision for herself. 

“She could be in front or behind the camera, and you knew she would bring her A-game.  Allie anchored sports and we were co-anchors together a few times for the weekly news show.  She took great pride in her work.” 

 Connor Muldoon remembered Allie as a big reason he participated in the TV Club.  “She was so welcoming.  I learned a lot from her about on-camera presence and how to write for news broadcasts.    Allie is incredibly talented and had a real passion for content creation.”

She was equally thankful to work alongside Connor and Jack.  

“Connor was so kind and so friendly, but also a hardworker and really curious.  Jack was super-talented and passionate for creating content.” 

Allie Martin had begun building her network of media producers and close friends.

“I learned a whole separate set of skills — shooting, editing, writing, and directing,” Allie recollected.  “What I enjoyed most was watching everything come together.”

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“It wasn’t just one part that drew me in,” Allie explained. “though I naturally gravitated toward editing, and directing always had a strong appeal. But in the end, it was that moment when all the pieces clicked—the realization that you made this, what was just an idea is now something on screen that can make people laugh or cry or walk away with a message.”  

No better example than Allie’s senior film that won her a Student Production Award from the Ohio Valley Chapter of NATAS.  

Click to watch Allie's uplifting film, The Competitor.

Allie’s network expanded. Her ability to light up a room opened doors, her varied interests and skills lead to more opportunities.  

I worked with Xavier's sports department, announcing soccer games, helping with social media for volleyball.  And I worked with ATP (American Tennis Professionals) media. 

I was a ballgirl at the (Cincinnati) tennis tournament for seven years. And then  got an internship with ATP thanks to Pete Holtermann (former Xavier student and now founder of HolterMedia).  I wonder what my life would have been if I leaned into the tennis world.

Allie’s exuberant nature helped build bonds with classmates and professors alike, and develop close friendships.  

“John, and Angela, and Sarah were my rocks.”  

Allie and John Janisse connected almost immediately.  

“The first time we hung out freshman year Allie and I bonded over our ambitions and dreams.   Allie is a very bright light, a natural talent who has honed her craft of storytelling.  Allie listens and empathizes and then shares stories in a way that both entertains and informs.   Allie dreamed of working in the media and she has succeeded again and again.  Allie is a force.”

“They called us the Viking sisters,” according to Sarah Leach. “Allie and I clicked right away. We bonded over our shared love of squeezing as much joy and adventure as possible into every single day. But at the heart of our friendship was honesty.  Even now, it’s a sisterhood like no other.”

Angela Sims Varteresian  felt the same connection.  

“She was my family away from home.  Allie was always up for an adventure which served her with a lot of experiences.”   

It turns out that Allie Martin could experience sticky fingers at times.

“Allie was a notorious apple thief from the cafeteria,”  Angela laughingly revealed.  “We would meet for a meal and she’d load up her backpack with green apples.  Why so many apples?   She would eat on them throughout the day with her jars (emphasis on jars) of peanut butter.” 

CAREER NETWORKING

Since graduating from Xavier University in 2015 with degrees in Advertising and Electronic Media, Allie has taken a wide-angle approach to her media career.  She’s been on-air and behind the camera, produced large-scale events, hosted podcasts, directed digital strategy, and worked with everyone from national sports teams to alt-weeklies and classic rock radio.  Her résumé reads like a guided tour through the evolving landscape of modern media.

That mix of performance and production carried into her professional life. She interned and eventually hired by Curiosity Advertising for producing its social content and winning a regional Emmy with this Thanksgiving Drama.  

Allie next ran events for Cincinnati CityBeat, and hosted Cincy Lifestyle on WCPO-TV, a daily local lifestyle show.

Allie returned to Xavier University, serving as the in-game host for Xavier Men’s

Basketball. (2019-2022)

“I loved the energy of it,” she says. “I’d get the crowd up and dancing. I tried to bring a sense of fun and relevance to those moments.”

She also became a regular on 700 WLW, WEBN, and KISS107.1, including a stint as morning show co-host with Kidd Chris. 

"I got in with Scott Sloan for 700. When WEBN's Kidd Chris heard me, he was like who is that?  I want her on my show.   So I started to do both.  It wasn’t the right long-term fit,” she says, “but I’m grateful for the ride.”

Allie’s career has intentionally not followed a straight line. 

“I’ve made it a goal to immerse myself in media,” she says. “And the people who have taken chances on me—Matt Fisher at Curiosity, Tony Beech at CityBeat, Blis at Xavier—have helped me shape a path where I’m constantly learning and evolving.”

In 2024, she launched The Good Drama Network. The name reflects her belief that drama doesn’t have to mean chaos or conflict.  

“Our generation has done a lot of self-work,” she says. “We’re healing from our traumas, and I think that leads us to more meaningful stories. I don’t want to look at everything through a funnel of negativity.  I lean into the Good Drama by creating content and cultivating the human experience, crafting authentic stories.”  

Allie Martin could have chosen to design buildings.  Instead she chose to launch a network, one built on a foundation of close friends, media mentors, business colleagues, content creators and, yes, some good drama.  

What does she advise students in the DIFT program today?

“Maximize your ability to get your hands on the equipment, build your skills, build your toolbox.  Network, network, network.”