Mentorship has played a crucial role in Kathy Ireland's life, in large part because she has been mentored by some of the most influential minds of the past century, including Warren Buffett and Elizabeth Taylor.
Although she greatly admires his mentors, Ireland says it's always good to remember that we are all capable of making mistakes. "It's so important that we don't put our mentors on a pedestal," she says. “We are all failed humans. »
Here are the best Irish mentors:
Elizabeth Taylor
Asked about Elizabeth Taylor, Ireland is on the verge of silence. “What a gift to be mentored by Elizabeth,” she said after a long pause. “She has become a family. ”
Taylor has inspired and mentored Ireland in so many ways – she even presented Ireland with one of her Oscars, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. But one profound impact the former actress has had on Ireland has been in the world of philanthropy. Taylor made giving a priority – she founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation to raise awareness and fund HIV/AIDS at a time when many people were turning a blind eye.
“I loved the tenacity of Elizabeth,” says Ireland. "She fought, she struggled and she was convinced of her beliefs."
Ireland's private nature may in part stem from Taylor, who quietly sold off many of her expensive diamonds to fund the medical care to Africans. “She did so many things quietly,” Ireland recalls.
Ireland followed in Taylor’s footsteps, with philanthropic efforts in nearly every aspect of women’s health and beyond. UCLA recently named Ireland one of the top 10 advocates for women's health. She is also an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation; opened several neonatal intensive care units in the United States; and is the only layman to be a member of the American Society of Gastroenterologists.
Irv Blumkin
Irv Blumkin, CEO of Nebraska Furniture Mart, was Ireland's first customer when she entered the furniture retail business. (Blumkin also introduced Ireland to another of his mentors:Warren Buffett.)
“Irv was tough, he was really tough,” says Ireland. “He made sure I knew our products. But my God, we got to know each other and we became a family.
The feeling is mutual.
"He's a very energetic, engaging and genuine person – what you see is what you get," Blumkin says. “She comes from the heart. She says it honestly like that, and she has incredible integrity. I felt it from the start. You could tell she cared and had the passion and focus to want to succeed. »
Warren Buffett
Entrepreneurs like Ireland could spend days listing the lessons they learned from someone as influential as Warren Buffett. The famous investor at the head of Berkshire Hathaway's favorite Ireland lesson? Do 10 things for someone before you ask them for something.
"I think that's something we can all learn from," says Ireland. “So often people can get a little greedy and they want, want, want.”
Ireland says it might sound counter-intuitive, but kiWW always considers how they can help potential partners, not the other way around.
"When we consider a professional relationship, the first question we ask ourselves is, 'This partner, this person, or this company - how are we going to nurture and support them?' “,” Ireland said. "They are already wonderful, how are we going to help them grow even more?" What can we bring to the table? ”
But that doesn’t mean she’s willing to risk her bottom line to help someone else.
“Of course we have to be successful too,” she says. “We need it for sustainability. I learned when we do things for the right reasons, when we do them well and our eyes are not on ourselves but on others, the money comes. »
John and Barbara Ireland
Ireland's father John worked in labor relations with the likes of Cesar Chavez and Delores Huerta, with his daughter picketing them as a daughter. The experience influenced Ireland as a business owner. Not only has this made the avoidance of blood diamonds in the jewelry she sells a priority, but it has also led to a decades-long focus on ensuring that all KiWW workers are treated fairly.
“It was something that was on my heart and on my mind when we started this job, because I grew up as a kid with my dad working in labor relations,” says- she. “[We took] many trips to Tijuana as a kid, and seeing the exploitation of human beings firsthand really shaped the way I approach business. ”
On a simpler level, she says her dad was just supportive – the kind of dad every young child hopes to have.
“He always believed in me and my sisters and that we we could do anything," says Ireland. "When I got a paper itinerary, he was like, 'Give the customer 110%. They wait for the paper in the aisle; put on the front porch. “That was the foundation of my learning to under-promise and over-deliver.
Ireland also says her mother, Barbara, was a great role model.
“Mum, the ultimate entrepreneur,” Ireland says with admiration seething in her voice. Her mother did everything from running her own daycare and housekeeping business to designing her own dresses to sell at fairs.
