Meet Morgan Tilton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Tilton.

Morgan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been a writer and an artist. When I was 15 years old, I traveled overseas for the first time and realized I could braid my passion for writing with outdoor adventure. I envisioned a sustainable cycle: Sharing the stories of diverse cultures and incredible places from around the world. In turn, those stories support local communities and inspire readers in their own lives. After that realization, every decision I made led towards launching my writing career. I attended the University of Denver, where the international studies program enabled me to work and study in another country. I completed three degrees in four years and pursued five internships, which grew my editorial portfolio. In 2013, I finished my part-time editorial position at 5280 Magazine and launched my independent writing business.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
All entrepreneurs can agree that starting a career out of thin air is anything but easy but it’s gratifying, exciting, and a life of passion. Over the last five years, my greatest challenges include sacrificing personal time–for myself, friends and family–in order to grow business to a secure place. I juggle close to ten stories at once with various editorial teams; Maintaining a work-life balance amid an array of partnerships and deadlines can be difficult. Lastly, publications compensate at different frequencies, and if those payments are late, contractors are pigeonholed into that delay with no immediate leverage to hold employers accountable.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a writer specializing in outdoor industry news and adventure travel. I’ve written close to 600 articles for 50 publications including Outside, Backpacker, SELF, Men’s Journal, and SNEWS among others.

I’m proud to be a conscious journalist focused on sustainable tourism development and to work with organizations who support that mission including the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). In 2018, I served as a media delegate for two ATTA conferences in Banff, Alberta, and in Jordan: Constituents of the adventure travel industry gathered to brainstorm long-term environmental solutions such as eliminating and mitigating single-use plastic within tourism providers.

In four years, my travel writing has received ten awards from the North American Travel Journalists Association including two double-award articles that share my first-descent on stand-up paddleboard of Utah’s wild Escalante River: a self-supported, 100-mile exploration of one of the most remote regions in the lower 48, with four friends. I’m a former Teton Gravity Research snowboard editor, and I now write monthly profiles for iRunFar, as the WeRunFar Columnist.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My greatest support has been my nuclear circle: my grandparents, parents, brother, significant other, and best friends. They have helped me by listening to my concerns and troubleshooting solutions throughout the inherent challenges of a nebulous career path. They’ve encouraged me to say yes to projects that excite and challenge me, even if that means we’re sacrificing our time together. They’ve celebrated my successes, and they’ve given me support–everything from sharing meals to picking me up at the airport–with unconditional love. I’ve also been consistently encouraged and uplifted by fellow writer and friend Jayme Moye, an inspiration who’s work I tremendously admire.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.morgantilton.com
• Phone: 1-970-946-9123
• Email: morgan.tilton@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motilton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.angela.5

Image Credit:
Image credits include Eric Phillips, Stefania Curto, Dylan Brown, Jill Richards, Aaron Bible, Greg Vaughn, Abigail Lafleur-Shaffer, Kimberly Strom, and Xander Bianchi

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.