Whether it's her beautiful sunshine smile or her earnestness that comes through your television screen as the host of CNC3's popular Early Morning Show, there's no faking it. What you see is what you get.And soon, Trinbagonians are going to get a little more on mornings as CNC3's morning programme is evolving into something new, and Hema could not contain her excitement.
"The Morning Brew is the next chapter of the Early Morning show," Hema explained, smiling broadly. "It's basically the Morning Show, but its faster, better, more interactive... it caters to a wider audience and we're reaching a lot more people, but it's something that's really going to fill an essential component of your morning. It's your news, your current affairs, your lifestyles, your current entertainment, your comedy... it's literally your morning cup of coffee."
Listening to Hema speak, you soon realise that she's not your typical TV personality. For one thing, she is grounded in reality and her roots are tightly tied to her own sense of spirituality and growing up in a strict yet tight-knit family where she is the eldest of three girls. She joked about how she was the one that 'got the most licks' because she was always questioning things and asking 'why'."It's just funny that I ended up in a career where you question everything. I think that was God's gift to me. God said, 'Hey. That's your talent; monetize it,'" Hema laughed.Her skills would have probably gone unknown were it not for a chance encounter one night with the head of a local media house when, fresh out of UWI and employed at one of the nation's banks, she stood enjoying an evening doubles.
The owner of a media house met me and said 'You should try out to be on TV'," she recalled. "This was when I was about 21 or 22, just finished UWI... don't laugh, but I tend to lose track of the timelines sometimes. So, I tried out and I actually became a beat reporter for radio 97. My media career started there. Then I moved to television, back and forth, back and forth, and when I was about 24 or 25, I actually started working at CNC3 on The Morning Show. Then, I left to take a break for a while and I've been back as of 2011."Now here's a woman that truly loves what she does and always gives credit where it's due. She spoke with pride of her friends that keep her grounded and her co-workers at CNC3, who are her other family. "We're very helpful; everybody helps everybody. I have a lot of love for what I do because of the people I work with."
When asked what misconceptions people have about someone being on television day in and day out, she was quick to point out that the general school of thought was that television equalled glamour. Far from it. Hema is also a producer on the show and has other duties to perform, but for her it's all about telling people's tales. She truly enjoys being that medium and giving people a voice. "I'm really just a conduit for stories. It's never really about me. It's about the people that come on the show and give their stories and their views. With this new show there will be softer stories about people (she counted off on her fingers) what they do, their everyday lives, real conflicts and real issues. So it's not only about the high powered attorneys and the politicians. It's really about people like you and me and how they deal with everyday issues and how they can get information that can make their lives better and richer in some way."
You'd also be surprised to know that Hema jealously guards her family life and is very private. "Though I walk a very thin line with sharing my life and being on the air, I am grateful for it every day," she admitted. "So when people come up to me, it's always a little heartening... like... 'youtalkingboutme'? (Laughter.) Like when people say 'I look at you every day,' I still don't think it's me they're talking about. I really just see myself as a medium for telling other's stories."And there have been many stories throughout her career that have (a) excited her, (like interviewing former Attourney General and Criminal Court Judge Karl Hudson-Phillips, who was at the time a very hard subject to get on air) (b) intrigued her (such as the interview with a group of 21 year old UWI students that started their own company and said 'they didn't go to UWI to work for other people), and (c) touched her deeply (like the time she interviewed a 14 year old girl who battled with cancer and fought her way back from the disease.
"Another story that impacted on me was one I did last Saturday about a man who was in prison for years and is changing his life around," she added."You know, it's very easy to be jaded in this business and become cynical and whatever, but people don't know that I live in hope. I believe the best in people; I'm a hopeless romantic. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm always an optimist."Currently, Hema is also close to finishing her MBA and has taken a semester off to take care of family business and will return to school in September. However, the self-confessed optimist acknowledged that when it comes to fun, she loves running the most. She also loves movies and recently saw The Great Gatsby. And yes, she knows her way around the kitchen and "can cook a mean pelau and a macaroni pie 'blindfolded'." But when the subject of marriage came up, the ever smiling 31 year old said, "It's funny.
You either become the career woman or you become the family woman. Balancing that independent career woman and family woman isn't easy. But I've learnt in life to not rule anything out. Like, I've started to read a lot of spiritual books and I try to live in the moment. I no longer plan my life ten years down the line. I'm single, I have my professional goals, but personally I think that every day I walk through life I'm blessed to learn what I can learn and whatever comes out, comes out."And to those who may be looking at a possible media career, Hema advised them to follow their dreams."Sometimes life isn't always about a bunch of opportunities that present themselves, but once one does, take it. You never really know what can happen. I left a stable job in the bank to take a career chance and found a job that I am happy with. Even when I'm having the worst day ever, I could do an interview and think, 'you know, I'm really blessed to have had the opportunity to have an interview with this person.' It all comes back to being part of a wonderful team and being able to understand that I am never bigger than that story. The show isn't really about me. It's really about people. I'm never bigger than the story."
The Morning Brew can be seen on weekdays on CNC3 from 6 am to 8 am and will also be aired on 730 radio.