Fashion mogul Diane von Furstenberg may be most famous for the iconic wrap dress she invented in the 1970s. But in the world of business, there's another thing she's known for.
Each day, von Furstenberg sends two emails that don't directly benefit her but that help others. For example, the first email she sends in the morning is typically introducing two people who she thinks should be acquainted.
"I may introduce you to this person and I don't have to speak, I don't have to leave a message, I can do it all through email by connecting these people," von Furstenberg told Daniel Roth on the podcast "This Is Working" in September.
To von Furstenberg, 72, founder of fashion label DVF, it's important to take even small steps to help other people's careers.
"I can change one persons' life with so little effort, but that's the beauty of generosity, it doesn't always have to be about giving money. It's just paying attention to others and trying to solve peoples' problem, introduce people," she said.
Von Furstenberg started doing this about 15 years ago before email was a thing, she told Entrepreneur in a recent interview.
She realized that helping other people "boomerangs" — "it comes back to you," she said. "You just did a big, huge favor to somebody, and something happens, and you need that person. That's the magic of connecting and paying attention."
Von Furstenberg's net worth was $300 million in 2017, according to Forbes.
"The most wonderful thing is that when you become successful ... you have a voice," she told Vogue in 2018. "When you have a voice, it's not just a duty, but it's also a real privilege to be able to have a voice and little by little, you realize that you have a magic wand. Nothing is more precious than using your magic wand."
And helping others is part of that, including those who might be considered "small" or "who you think have no interest," she told "This Is Working."
"There's nobody that's boring if you actually pay attention," she said. "And you can learn from everyone."
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