Who Are Ya?
Hana is an Executive Podcast Producer and Sound Designer for Broccoli Content. Originally from London but currently based in Spain and the slashes in her bio are nothing short of impressive; a freelance producer, composer and author having signed a two book deals with Hodder Books and PLOT TWIST a yoga teacher as a side hustle.
Hana has spent her career telling true stories in all forms, her passions lie in exploring vulnerability and courage in her subjects. She has been able to gain access into the deepest depths of human beings and their lives. “It has taken me across continents to some of the most incredible and frankly, some of the most f*cked up places in the world. I’m passionate about exploring the edges of vulnerability and courage, in the subtle art of holding space, in trust and intimacy and how I can use this insane privilege that I have to leave the world a fraction better than how I found it.”
It can be easy to chalk Hana’s experiences up to being a free spirit and flying to your own beat “if we’re dropping names for credentials” she jokes,
“I have created work for Amazon, Anomaly, Audible, The BBC , Bad House Films, Broccoli Content, The Guardian, David Guttenfelder, Narrator, National Geographic, The National Trust, Notion Magazine, Pottermore, Radio24syv, Slackwire Films, Sony Music, Square Space, The Tate, Unilever and Warner Brothers.
With a list like that, it is hard to not stand up and take notice.
How Did You Get Here?
“Sheer bloody graft mate.”
Hana is one of those people that believes in her sauce. It is a well known secret that in order to make waves in any industry you HAVE to trust yourself and she does just that.
The road to where she currently resides it littered with both informal and formal training “I did have a formal education, I went to uni twice – to Hull for my undergrad in theatre, and then again to Goldsmiths for my masters in Radio.”
She managed this with scholarships and working in bars throughout her time in school. The thing about Hana is that she was never interested in training for a ‘sensible’ career, that wasn’t her goal. What was?
“[To be] in the deep end, to thrive and actually working across many different platforms and formats has given me such a rounded understanding and appreciation of storytelling – I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
And in terms of her work with Broccoli – Renay slid into her twitter DM’s and the rest is history!
‘We have to constantly educate ourselves, ask the difficult questions, get mad and ask: Who is being shut out? Whose voices are being turned down?’
What Sets You Apart?
Hana genuinely cares. “Empathy is so integral to the work I do and I remember being told early in on my career not to get “too close” and that it “wasn’t my job” to care. Well, bollocks to that.”
She isn’t of the belief that it is her job to observe from the sidelines but that it is much more than that. “I am trusted to hold a space for others where they feel safe, to carry their stories forward either through audio or writing and if I didn’t care I just wouldn’t be able to do that. Certainly not with integrity or authenticity.”
She doesn’t take this responsibility lightly, and it is her ability to carry the potential burden with grace that she is most proud of. “I think I’ve also been courageous in finding my own way through and not being bogged down with what everyone else was doing or the “right way” to do something.”
Hana forges her own path. She has walked away from jobs that you and I would jump at and that deserves respect.
“I’m not here to compromise my integrity for the sake of the job”
“I’m not here to compromise my integrity for the sake of the job” which, she admits has been incredibly hard at times.
But it’s the drive that keeps Hana going and urges her forward; slamming through doors whilst holding them open for those who are coming next.
“We have to really look at the state of our industry, of the world – and not look away because we’re uncomfortable. We have to constantly educate ourselves, ask the difficult questions, get mad and ask: Who is being shut out? Whose voices are being turned down?”
She continues “we have a responsibility as makers, journalists and producers to amplify those voices; to use this insane privilege that we have and ensure that we are pointing the microphone in the right direction and again, leaving the doors that have been opened for us, unlocked.”
Next Five Years, Where are you?
When it comes to our last question, Hana has THE answer “hopefully somewhere warm with a European passport (!)”
She wants to have effected change and changed her industry to be more representative, still telling stories in all their formats but maybe taking a bit more rest than she has in the last decade.
How Do We Find You?
Hana deleted facebook two years ago and never looked back! But you can get in contact via her website, Instagram or Twitter.
You can also pre-order Hana’s book ‘Delicate States’ here.
Be informed. Be Entertained. Be You. 