Meet Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Outstanding Austin Communicator Award Winner

By Andrea K. Citrin Gardner

At the WCA Banner Brunch on April 12, Deborah Hamilton-Lynn, editor-in-chief of Austin Woman and Austin Man magazines, will be honored with the Outstanding Austin Communicator award. This award recognizes Austin-area communicators who have made their marks with their bodies of work, with an emphasis on achievement, community service and promotion of the field of communications.

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne has been in love with words her entire life, and has been a published writer and syndicated columnist for more than three decades. Ms. Hamilton-Lynne is also a produced playwright and author. She is active in the arts and non-profit communities, having served as chairman of the advisory board for Texas Writers’ Month, and on the boards of Sharir Dance Company, Blue Lapis Light Dance Company, Scriptworks, the Texas Book Festival, the Austin Circle of Theaters, the Texas Conference for Women, the Eanes Education Foundation and Women in Jazz. She arrived in Austin- the city of her heart- 22 years ago and hopes never to leave.

WCA: Tell us about the importance of WCA and what winning this award means to you.

Deborah: A lot of past winners, and members of this organization in its various incarnations since 1970, have been my friends and mentors. So, it is very humbling to even be nominated and even more humbling to  receive the award.

WCA: Do you see an importance of bringing face-to-face conversations back to journalism?

Deborah: Absolutely. Face to face is so important for communication. I tell my interns all the time how important it is to meet face to face if you can. It helps in reading body language and really improves the art of interviewing. Interviewing is an art and face to face allows you to read people and you know whether to ask the next question based on physical and non-verbal reactions. The other thing is, an interview is just like a dance and it is hard to do it over the phone, although sometimes there is no other way to do them. Skyping with a camera can be an interesting way to do an interview so you can still get some face to face interaction. It has been helpful in overseas interviews. But, if you can, definitely do an interview in person.

WCA: What’s your advice for communicators in Austin wanting to make a difference in their industry?

Deborah: To make sure you are keeping current about what you are passionate about. Know who is involved in the field you are interested in. Form alliances. Form your tribe and work with them. There is strength in numbers. Pick something you are passionate about and focus on it.

WCA: What do you see the future of the communications industry looking like?

Deborah: Unfortunately the future of communications is becoming very ADD and frenetic. It is something that is a challenge and really needs to be coming back to focus. You can’t be all things to everyone, you can’t be an expert at everything. So much of all the social media, yes, it’s important and you need to do it, but you need to pay attention to what your strengths are and focus on those strengths. Hopefully we will find a way to eliminate clutter. More and more people will become specialized and find their niche. For communicators in particular, I hope the future is that we can hold our ground, and do what we are good at. I hope that we will be able to hold our ground, own our preferences and our talents, and admit what our passions are and what we are not good at when asked to do a job. I hope that we can stop trying to be everything to everybody.

WCA: As a successful woman in the field of communications, what tips would you share with women who are starting or building their communications businesses?

Deborah: Don’t do it unless you love it. It’s like trying to fit into a dress that’s too small, it might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but clearly, once you try it on, you know it’s wrong. Don’t try to squeeze into the wrong fit. Do what you are passionate about. To quote Flashdance, find your passion and make it happen.

WCA: What would you like people to know about being a woman in the communications industry?

Deborah: I started in the field of advertising in the 1970’s and the one thing about women in the communications industry is that we are natural communicators, we find ways to say what we need to say. So, even though there might be a glass ceiling, I personally have never let the fact that I was a woman stop me from saying exactly what I wanted to say. Southern women learn all the subtleties of communication. But, even if you’re not southern, we all have the communication skill and we need to find our personal style and use it.

WCA: Thank you for taking the time? Is there anything you would like to add?

Deborah: Austin has amazing women communicators and it’s a nice community. The organization and WCA have stayed small even though it’s a city that is getting big. And this group, and the women communicators in Austin, seems to be very happy to see somebody else succeed and very supportive of their creative people.

Please join WCA in celebrating Deborah and other Banner Brunch award winners on Saturday, April 12, from 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more information and to register, visit www.BannerBrunch.com.