#BehindtheSelfie with... Lindy Hibbard
1. Where do you live, work and play?
I grew up in Durbanville in the northern suburbs of Cape Town and I always dreamed of moving to the big city. Getting to present the Breakfast Show on Smile 90.4FM meant very early wake-up calls, so it was the perfect excuse to move closer to the action!
I now live in Upper Woodstock with my fiancé and I’m loving it. I often take a stroll down to the Old Biscuit Mill on a Saturday morning to buy fresh fruit and veggies or pop into one of the charming little coffee shops or antique stores after work. I never get tired of that fantastic view out over the harbour!
2. What’s your claim to fame?
There is a 17-metre billboard with my face on it on the N1 inbound and on the N2 in Cape Town. It is advertising the Smile Secret Sound competition we’re running on Smile Breakfast.
I often get people looking at me strangely in the shop, trying to figure out how they know me. We always have a good laugh when they realise they drive past my giant head on their way to work every morning.
3. Describe your career so far.
For as long as I can remember it’s been my dream to be a radio presenter, so after high school, I went to UCT and did a BA majoring in journalism and radio broadcasting. I got my first taste of live radio on the Afternoon Drive on UCT Radio.
After I graduated, I moved on to in-store radio, with Brights Radio and The Sound of Ackermans. I also co-presented a dance show on Mutha FM, and spent three years working in music publishing before I got my break in commercial radio, doing Weekend Breakfast on Smile 90.4 FM in 2014.
I have been co-presenting Smile Breakfast with Bobby Brown since 2015 and I’ve loved every minute of it!
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
Watching the sun go down on Clifton's First Beach on a warm, summer evening; an ice-cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc after a long day; and a bright lipstick.
5. What do you love about your industry?
I am fortunate enough to work with extremely passionate and talented people.
There is something magical about working in radio. Radio is fluid, it is intimate, and it is immediate.It is just you and the listener, and you get to touch people and form relationships with them without even meeting them.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
My alarm goes off at 4:30am every morning. I have a quick shower and get to the Smile 90.4FM studio at about 5:30am. We have a quick team prep and I am on air for Smile Breakfast from 6am to 9am. From 9am to noon I do research and prep for the next day’s content with my team. From noon to 5pm varies from day to day, but I usually meet with collaborators, do a voice over or two, pop into the gym or go for a run.
I like to wind down in the evening by experimenting in the kitchen.
7. What are the tools of your trade?
You need to be a good storyteller, you need to be confident but not cocky and you need to be able to listen. Listening, whether it is to your studio guest or to your colleagues is a skill that is quite underrated.
You also need to be tenacious and have a thick skin, because it can be a tough industry to crack and survive in. Fast internet and strong coffee also helps!
8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
Bailey Schneider. She manages to balance being a wife, mom, blogger, TV presenter, voice artist, MC and co-present the Afternoon Drive on Smile 90.4 FM, and does it all looking flawless!
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
Being a freelancer is tricky if you don't have a clear understanding of what freelancing entails. I wish there were more benefits and better guidance on how to navigate rates, tax and more.
10. What are you working on right now?
We have an awesome 2018 planned for Smile Breakfast. I can’t give too much away, but we have some very exciting competitions like the Smile Secret Sound, which is going to be bigger than ever before and will offer even more ways to bring sunshine into our listeners’ lives.
That, and planning my dream wedding!
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
- Approach it with love
- It’s cool to be kind
- What’s the angle?
- Keep it tight
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
It used to be in the bath, but with the water restrictions in Cape Town, those days are over! Now I have my a-ha moments when I go for a run. Somehow, my head is clear and it is a bit of me-time where I get to be alone with my thoughts.
13. What is your secret talent/party trick?
My yoga backbend!
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
I was a technophobe until I met my now-fiancé. He’s a software engineer and loves telling me about the latest apps, gadgets and tech products on the market. I’ve learned so much from him and he’s definitely turned me into a technophile.
We’ve spent quite a few date nights watching the live broadcast of the Apple event! Haha!
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
Photos of my cat, wedding inspiration and selfies gone wrong.
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
Be patient while working on your skillset, don’t belittle your small achievements, be your own biggest brand ambassador and remember that everything happens at the time it’s meant to.
Simple as that. Visit the Smile 90.4FM press office and be sure to follow Hibbard on the following social media channels for more: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
