This Halloween I decided to dress up as one of my personal heroes, Hugh Hefner, who we lost recently.
I grew up sneaking into my father’s Playboy magazines. My Dad was also a member of the playboy club in LA back in the day and he actually had a Playboy key. I remember staring his not so well hidden magazines for hours, hoping some day I could be like those beautiful women. I never thought of them as being objectified, I saw beauty and power. I loved looking at the Vargas Girls, still my favorite kind of art.
I always admired Hef for not only being a smart business man and building an empire of his dreams, but for being a political force early on and someone who didn’t shy away from controversy, especially when he would point out the hypocrosy and prejudice of the 60’s and 70’s.
Hugh Hefner was one of the most important architects of societal and political change in the 20th century. Hefner’s questioning of social morals and values made the world a better place. Hefner stood up to politicians, holy rollers and those who condemned everything sexual. Hugh Hefner was a hedonist, but he was an intellectual hedonist.
He said Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream. For me those words rang true, I did set out in my early 30’s to live my dream and I am so grateful for those that came before making it possible for me to create the company I have now.
So thank you Hef, thanks for showing me I could live my dream too!
