We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Linda Hamburger a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Linda, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

Instructors should always incorporate history into their lesson plans. History provides context that is engaging, fact-based and structured. This readies a person to create presentations that are fact-based. History can support a new business model and train people to improve their own presentations using a chronological sequence to provide context. As an educator, I was disappointed when students had no knowledge of past events that shaped current ones: WWI, WWII, Civil War; Viet Nam War, or even what the “draft” means. It’s not just war that teaches milestones but every aspect of human accomplishment and failures. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana,

Linda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I didn’t plan a career. I planned the traditional path for women: Marriage, children and keeping house. For my generation, women had three primary areas of work: a nurse, teacher, or secretary. Then “Women’s Liberation” or “Women’s Lib,” came roaring in.

I didn’t consider myself part of that rising movement. When asked, I replied that I was not “for” women’s lib. Except, I wasn’t engaged or married so I continued to graduate school studies. The degrees in Public Relation, Public Administration and Marketing helped direct my passion to support great causes, write and attend fundraising events, and serve as a brave voice for the unconventional.
As a result of my career struggles, I developed empathy for others. I started a free support network, The South Florida Public Relations Network. There were no dues as it was advertiser support – a unique business plan for its day. Social media was new and this was a way to be inclusive as the industry changed from one of shaking hands and working with traditional media to that of keeping up with the trends of reaching people using e-mail. No longer did someone have to pay hundreds of dollars to network. The high dues that professional groups asked for hurt the unemployed and underemployed. SFPRN opened up networking to a new generation of public relations professionals.
Along the way, I heard many stories from people about their own trials and tribulations. I opened up On Call Resume to help my friends and associates get their new job or promotion. That “side hustle” expanded to a lucrative win-win goal: I strive to make people happy even when they are suffering terrible frustrations. I like that opportunity that is made possible by my business, On Call Resumes.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

Florida’s largest live event production company, ME Productions was in need of a reboot. Competitors and start-ups in the rapidly growing state of Florida threatened their business. Some would market with lower costs. We knew that lower costs meant less spectacular events. However, competitors were also marketing themselves as the best.

I knew we were the best. ME Productions provided all facets of live event production from idea generation of memorable themes, gathering vendors and entertainers, booking venues and flights, building decor and props unique to each company and special occasion. No other business in the state had the resources or ability to manage to be a single source from A to Z for events from small, intimate weddings and private parties to corporate events that numbered in hundreds of attendees. I needed to get the word to the media but there was no Facebook, Tik-Tok or social media. Newspapers and magazine, snail mail, TV and radio were the go-to sources.

So, I created a private party only open to the media. I bought expensive invitations. We dazzled with displays of our best party themes. How odd this was… because I knew most media wouldn’t attend. They just didn’t know what a special company ME Productions was. The over-the-top designs, talented creatives, and its humongous warehouse of props created by craftsmen, artists and computer-generated mock-ups brought to life.

I was pulling off a stunt. The Miami Herald Newspaper didn’t go so I called and said, “you missed an amazing over-the-top event!” I offered to stay late and give them a private tour at their convenience. Once you toured ME Productions, you were going to spread the word! And the Miami Herald did.

Then, I called their competitor newspaper, the Sun Sentinel, that covered all of Broward County, Florida. I used the same pitch: “Sorry you missed a hugely attended event, but I can give you a special one-on-one tour.” By now the Herald story had run so the Sun Sentinel had to catch up. Once that coverage came out, it was all uphill. Staff pride was boosted and the client base grew.

ME Productions continued its reign as the largest and best entertainment production company in the state and 5th largest in the country. The business has since closed but most of the creatives that worked there moved on to great positions because having been known as a ME Production team member really meant something great.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My passion is serving as both an educator and a community advocate. This is not easy. For example, I championed reform for the care of the severely mentally ill and the rights of parents and loved ones in my previous role as a Board Member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in South Florida. For so many years I hid my secret that my sister is schizophrenic. To let people know always led to them assuming that I shared that trait. Or, act as if it was a catchy disease. Mid-way in my career, I was confident enough to understand that people suffering from having loved ones impaired needed enhanced community awareness. It worked! The media started to get involved, community members joined in for the first South Florida Walk for NAMI, and funding was increased. I don’t believe that stigma is gone entirely, but I bet a lot of people had enhanced well-being as a result of my activity to help raise awareness and funds for a cause that was not fun, glamourous or devoid of prejudice. Yes, I’ve worked awesome events, celebrity parties and fantastic clients but the quietly overlooked ones enable me to serve as a champion fighter is most gratifying.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.oncallresumes.biz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindahamburger
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncallresumes

Image Credits

Serving as moderator for a community workshop held by the Haitian American Chamber of Commerce located in Broward County, Florida