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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJess Hoggard at the Australian Audio Awards. Image supplied.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Jess Hoggard was already creating content long before she even knew it was a job.<\/p>\n
In the years leading up to her becoming Video and Content Producer for the Illawarra\u2019s i98FM, Jess was one of those kids who was always making something.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rope my friends into filming ridiculous videos, put together little music videos on the family computer and spend hours editing for absolutely no reason,\u201d Jess tells Radio Today.<\/p>\n
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Jess \u2013 who\u2019s also the on-air producer for i98FM\u2019s Christian & Bella Breakfast Show \u2013 was shocked to win Best Newcomer Off-Air <\/a>at last month\u2019s Australian Audio Awards.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI went into the night just feeling grateful to be nominated,\u201d she marvels. \u201cI genuinely didn\u2019t expect to hear my name called.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRadio is one of those industries where so much of the work happens behind the scenes, so to have that work recognised by your peers and industry greats is really special.\u201d<\/p>\n More than anything, it reminded Jess of all the people who\u2019ve backed her along the way.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the team at i98FM who took a chance on me, to the mentors and colleagues who\u2019ve helped me learn the ropes, I definitely didn\u2019t get there on my own,\u201d she smiles.<\/p>\n Growing up in Sydney\u2019s Sutherland Shire, most of Jess\u2019s childhood revolved around performing arts and theatre.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if you\u2019d asked me back then what I wanted to do, radio probably wouldn\u2019t have been anywhere near the top of the list,\u201d says Jess.<\/p>\n But radio was still front and centre in Jess\u2019s family life.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery car trip had the radio on and we\u2019d all try to guess the Secret Sound or Mystery Word from the back seat!\u201d<\/p>\n Jess had originally set her sights on a career in musical theatre.<\/p>\n \u201cThen COVID came along, theatres shut down and, like a lot of people, I suddenly had to rethink things.\u201d<\/p>\n Enrolling in a Graphic Design degree, Jess got more than she bargained for.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I enjoyed the design side, I found myself getting really excited about the subjects around content creation, social media and digital storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n Jess had settled into graphic design work when an opportunity at i98FM came along. It combined many of the things she already loved: content creation, video, social media and storytelling.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more I learned about it, the more I wanted to give it a shot,\u201d Jess remembers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like a bit of a risk at the time, but one that I knew I\u2019d regret not taking. Looking back now, it was one of the best decisions I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n Jess loves the fact that no two days in radio are ever the same.<\/p>\n \u201cOne minute, I\u2019m filming a video in the studio, the next I\u2019m editing content, covering a community event, helping produce the Breakfast show or trying to turn a random off-the-cuff comment from Christian or Bella into something people want to watch online.\u201d<\/p>\n Her favourite part of all? Helping to tell local stories.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether it\u2019s a community event, a listener win, a local business or just something uniquely Illawarra, there\u2019s something really special about creating content that people in our region genuinely care about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy to get excited about your work when you know the people you\u2019re creating it for are your neighbours, friends and community.\u201d<\/p>\n Jess is clearly adored by Breakfast co-hosts Christian McEwan and Bella Leone.<\/p>\n As McEwan tells Radio Today \u201cJess is the ultimate professional. She\u2019s fiercely smart, strategically brilliant and has an intuitive understanding of what makes great radio.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn a personal note, she has brought order to our chaos, without taking away the fun. That\u2019s why we love her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly,\u201d says Leone. \u201cJess brings this beautiful, grounding warmth to the team, but she\u2019s also an absolute force when it comes to execution. She keeps us on track so that deserves some recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n Taking the leap into radio was a major step for Jess, who is proud of the times she\u2019s been able to back herself, even when things felt daunting.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t come from a traditional radio background, so there was definitely a bit of impostor syndrome at first,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019ve always tried to say yes to opportunities, work hard and keep learning.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of Jess\u2019s most cherished achievements don\u2019t come in the form of trophies or awards. They\u2019re the moments when a piece of content genuinely connects with people.<\/p>\n Since joining i98FM, Jess says she\u2019s been surrounded by people who\u2019ve influenced her in different ways.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had to single out anyone, Christian and Bella would definitely be at the top of the list.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWorking so closely with them every day, I\u2019ve learned a huge amount about storytelling, connecting with an audience and finding the humour in everyday moments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re incredibly talented at what they do, and being part of the Breakfast team has honestly been like a masterclass in radio.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore broadly, I\u2019ve learned something from pretty much everyone at the station. Whether it\u2019s creativity, leadership, content ideas or simply how to navigate the fast pace of the industry, I\u2019ve picked up bits and pieces from all the talented people around me.\u201d<\/p>\n Jess says she\u2019s never really been one of those people who has a perfectly mapped-out career plan.<\/p>\n What she does know is that she wants to keep growing creatively.<\/p>\n \u201cThe radio industry is changing so quickly, particularly when it comes to digital content, video and social media, and that\u2019s something I find really exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love to continue building my skills, creating bigger and better content and taking on new challenges within the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether that\u2019s producing, content strategy, video, on-air opportunities or something else, Jess is open to wherever the journey takes her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I can keep doing work that makes people laugh, connects with the local community and lets me be creative every day, I\u2019d say I\u2019m on the right track.\u201d<\/p>\n Images supplied.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jess Hoggard at the Australian Audio Awards. 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