Today, I had the pleasure of seeing Christie Hefner, CEO and Chairman of Playboy Enterprises, Inc., speak at a fundraising breakfast for Dress for Success (DFS), a non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help underprivileged women. Chicago Kimpton Hotels is one of the clients that my firm currently represents and they support DFS through a corporate initiative, so I got to help out with the event!
She was an amazing and poignant speaker, asking to not use a podium for such an intimate setting. Without notes, Hefner offered her career advice to the professional audience. Main Point: I got to hear Christie Hefner’s advice for getting ahead and getting involved; two things that she pointed out go hand in hand. She touched on three main tips:
Be a Good Listener – Though some people think they’re good listeners, most of the time they are thinking when they should be listening. Listening allows you to really find out what the other person is looking for and the more you hear - the more you can give them exactly what they want, both in your personal and professional life.
Taking Risks – You can’t go any further if you stay in the same place. Calculated and educated risks were her main emphasis here. Don’t take a risk you don’t know the negative outcomes for, this way you will be prepared for everything (even the worst). If it pays off, even better! Hefner spoke about her risk to jump into the digital world in 1994 when she decided to put a “dot com” on the end of Playboy. She put Playboy on the map when it was the first magazine on the internet. Now, playboy.com is the fastest profit growing resource of Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
Networking – Of course! Though Hefner noted that she was able to get into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. through her father (Hugh Hefner), she stressed that networking puts you in places that resumes can only dream of going. Friends like helping friends and keep in mind that the way we asked her to speak at the event was through my boss, a networking contact!
Getting Involved: The sooner you can start helping an organization that you’re passionate about, the better so that in the future it becomes second nature to give back.
Wow! What powerful advice . . . I was absolutely floored by her! What do you guys think of Christie Hefner? Her advice?
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