Female Perspective: Hannah Hardison

Female Perspective is a periodic interview segment where Tyler Hooks catches up with some of the quickest female names in the hobby. Tune in to find out about their careers, social lives and how they feel about the RC hobby.  

Hannah Hardison is one of the women who work primarily behind the scenes to further the RC industry. While Mrs. Hardison spends very little time behind the radio, she has created a website to share RC knowledge and help content creators reach broader audiences that works in conjunction with her families' track, Adrenaline RC, another website she created. With a degree in marketing and an affinity for graphic design and content creation she has also moved into positions working for companies such as JConcepts creating the content we all see daily. This week we caught up with her to see how everything is going and what her opinions on the industry are.

Tyler Hooks: Considering you aren’t a racing member of the community how did you become involved with RC racing?
Hannah Hardison: My brother got a slash for Christmas about 10 years ago and raced a lot at the local track in town. I spent a good bit of time there with him growing up. When our local track closed down, my family decided to open up our own Hobby shop and Track. I’ve been involved in the development of the Adrenaline RC Racing brand since the beginning. When my brother got serious about his racing, I started to travel all over with him. Races with him are some of my favorite memories!

TH: Do you feel that you had the same opportunities in the beginning as male industry representatives, how about now?
HH: I decided very quickly that I wasn’t going to spend much time worrying about things like this. I think no matter who you are, you have to have confidence in what you bring to the table. I knew that I had to just start creating and do the work if I wanted my graphic design, photos, and videos to be noticed. Your portfolio will speak for itself. Same thing with racing, your results will do the talking, just put in the hard work. I also knew what I wanted so I just went out and created it. It was very clear to me how I wanted my website to look and make it’s users feel, so I didn’t think twice and went for it. I have a very entrepreneurial spirit so I tend to just go for it!

TH: For those that may not know you or some of your work, what do you do currently in and out of the industry?
HH: Outside of the Industry I do accounting full time, but in the industry I help run Adrenaline RC Raceway and I have my own RC Website called Adrenaline Racing Live (www.arrclive.com). I am also stoked to be working with JConcepts on some of their media! Photography, film, and graphic design are things I'm very passionate about!

TH: Being that you don’t race, have you built any kits or practiced driving ever?
HH: I actually much prefer working on cars, but I do enjoy turning some laps. There’s something about putting in headphones, tuning out everything going on in your life, and just turning laps. I have only built 1/10 vehicles up to this point. They are my favorite, but I see a lot of broken cars in my store and spend time helping customers out with repairs frequently. When you work in the store you quickly become acclimated with all the parts and various problems.

TH: You have been fairly vocal about wanting to change the perception of rc companies and in their advertising footprint, how would that look in your opinion?
HH: The community and stories we share are the heartbeat of this industry and it’s something I really want to bring more attention to. That’s why I focused Adrenaline Racing Live around all the awesome content creators we have and creating this hub where people can come and take part in this community. I want to help people who don’t know anything about RC get plugged in, find a local track, and participate in whatever way best suits them, whether it’s off road racing, monster trucks, etc. Promoting tracks and local hobby stores have to be a priority for us to keep this sport alive. I want to tell the stories of the people who work hard to bring us these tracks and play an integral role in this sport. I want the general public to see what we do and realize how epic it is. I don’t know about you but I’ve been to a pro class Nitro Race and you can’t deny how exciting and intense it is! It’s become so apparent to me that RC racing is just as exciting as these other motor sports and it should be branded as such! I look forward to doing more of my own creative film and photography to help. You guys at Live RC play a big role in that. l wasn’t able to travel with my brother to DNC this year so I watched the broadcast you did and it was amazing! I’m excited to see how you guys continue to expand and grow your broadcasting and timing system! What you do is awesome!

TH: How do you manage the work/life/racing balance?
HH: I am fortunate that my office for my full time job is a short walk from Adrenaline, so I stop by there almost everyday after work before I go home to work on other creative projects. Weekends are usually dedicated to club racing/working the store. I love this sport so it brings me a lot of fulfillment and joy. It’s a lot of hard work to balance the various hats I wear but I love what I do in this industry and that’s what makes it worth it.

TH: Any words of wisdom for the next generation of girls and boys finding a footing in the RC community?
HH: If you love RC, don’t think about the what if’s, just go for it! If you’re a racer, be patient with yourself, there is so much to learn. Practice and always approach things with the curiosity to learn. If you are getting involved in the business side of this industry, remember to treat it like a business and not just a hobby. Find your niche, there truly is a spot for everyone. Figure out what your talents are and embrace them within the industry!

TH: Do you have any goals for the future, or do you just go with the flow?
HH: I truly feel like I’m just at the beginning of what I want to accomplish in this industry. There are so many things I want to do. We have plans for growth at Adrenaline RC Racing, so that has been exciting to work on with my family. I want to continue to build out Adrenaline Racing Live and use that platform to get more people plugged into the RC community. I’m very into film and photography and look forward to making longer films to tell the stories of our industry. The ultimate goal is to do content creation full time in the RC Industry while growing the sport.

TH: Anyone you would like to thank?
HH: I wouldn’t even be here doing this if it wasn’t for my family (Jacob Hardison, Seth Hardison, and Amy Hardison) and Hunter Waters so I’m very grateful for them. I would also like to thank Jason Ruona for the opportunity he’s given me with JConcepts. Lastly, a big shoutout to my Adrenaline RC Racing locals and the friends I’ve made from traveling all over the country! Thank you LiveRC for the opportunity to do this interview!