Written by Regina Ender
Emily Hibard never set out to start her own recording studio and music label, publish music, write books, or be a speaker and representative. Instead, she always set out to trust her instincts and listen to God attentively, and the rest fell into place. Whenever she has an idea to take on a new task, she thinks about it thoroughly, sees if God gives her peace about it, and then chases after it full-force. Among many roles she holds, Hibard is the CEO of Hibard Group Los Angeles, a boutique solutions agency that is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs. In her work, her goal is to always facilitate trust with her clients by being honest with them and prioritizing relationship building over profit.
In addition to her solutions agency, Hibard also founded Idle Tuesdays, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit recording studio. She is the studio’s biggest volunteer as she executive produces all of their music projects, which currently includes five albums, and does so unpaid to ensure all profits go directly to their programs. Her production experience has landed her a spot as an associate member of the Recording Academy, the organization that puts on the GRAMMY Awards. Her nonprofit experience led her to publish a book and a workbook about starting a nonprofit. Hibard also serves as a public speaker at business conferences and workshops, sharing her expertise about the nonprofit world and visiting schools to share her life story and how she grew both personally and professionally in the face of obstacles.
While simultaneously holding these roles, Hibard is also an advocate for women. She is the talent and business manager for Crissy Outlaw, a former porn star who came to Christ and now shares her story about life after leaving the commercial sex industry. Prior to working with Ms. Outlaw, Hibard volunteered with Treasures Ministries, a strip club and brothel outreach that brings women to faith. She is also a contributing writer for Darling Magazine, a quarterly publication that celebrates the “art of being a woman,” Hibard is invited to speak at several conferences and workshops every year, including women’s conferences where she discusses difficult topics about self-image, including eating disorders, self-harm, and depression. While diving into all of these difficult topics, she is still able to keep her faith at the forefront and shares Christ with the women she is seeking to uplift.
Hibard graduated from APU in 2002 as a double major in history and political science. She founded APU’s history club which gave students the opportunity to visit and learn about historical places around Los Angeles. In 2014, she graduated from California State University, Northridge with her Masters in Public Administration, specializing in Nonprofit Management. Today she is still involved with APU’s students serving as an advisor for the Zuventurez business competition.
Words of Wisdom: “Do whatever it takes to become a problem solver. If you can learn how to solve problems, whatever they might be or however they might show up, you will train everybody around you that you are the go-to person when they have a problem. Once you have a reputation for being a skilled problem solver, you will never be without work, without a job, unemployable, or perceived professionally as disposable.”
