She was called Hollywood’s most exotic actress.

But Hedy Lamarr was more than a pretty face. She was also an inventor who helped create today’s wireless world of technology.

Lamarr’s success can be summed up in a single word: unconventional. She despised boredom and believed that being “interesting” was her ticket to finding opportunity in the world. Through these quotes from Hedy Lamarr, we too can learn to ignite a spark in our lives and careers.

I can excuse everything but boredom. Boring people don’t have to stay that way.

Who are the people you most want to spend time with? Those with nothing to say, or those with ideas and positive vibes? Boring people send out the wrong message – that we are boring them. Strive not to be important, but rather, to be “interesting.” Not only will you attract the right people in your life, but also opportunities, and in the process, become your own best friend.

I don’t fear death because I don’t fear anything I don’t understand.

Hedy Lamarr didn’t spend her time worrying about the future. She was all about the “here and now.” If we focus – really focus – on what is happening around us, we will see opportunities that are otherwise hidden. Be aware of the present. And it will lead to a better future.

I’m a sworn enemy of convention.

Doing what everyone else is doing, being a copycat, and just following the pack, even if it’s going down the wrong path – are ways we make ourselves invisible. Yet, you are unique. Like no other. Hedy Lamarr was not afraid to be herself – warts and all. People liked that about her. Yes, she was different – a little quirky, unusual. But it prevented her from blending in and allowed her voice to be heard.

I know why most people never get rich. They put the money ahead of the job. If you just think of the job, the money will automatically follow. This never fails.

This coming week, commit to being the best at what you do. Don’t think about the money at all. It’s not about the money. It’s about excellence. It’s about raising the bar. It’s about reputation. It’s about challenge. Money is a natural by-product of hard work and determination.

Hedy Lamarr was discovered by an Austrian film director when she was just a teenager.

She fled Austria for the United States and her first American film, Algiers, in 1938, was an immediate success.

Following a series of successful movies, Lamarr, who had been married to a man who designed remote controlled weapons, came up with a brilliant idea at the start of World War Two. What if the radio signals that controlled communications, including those for torpedoes, could be mixed up, to confuse the enemy? That would prevent the Nazi’s from jamming allied signals.

Excited about her idea, Lamarr joined forces with her friend, composer George Antheil, to develop and secure a patent on what was called “frequency hopping.” While it was never used in the war, the system, now known as “spread spectrum technology” would lead to the creation of today’s satellite communications, wi fi, bluetooth and cell phones.

Hedy Lamarr was indeed full of surprises. This star of the 1940s was anything but conventional.

Married six times, Lamarr would become a recluse in her old age, dying at her Florida home in the year 2000 at age 86.

Be unconventional. Be interesting. Make your mark.

The year is 1946 and Hedy Lamarr stars in the movie “The Strange Woman” about a woman who manipulates the men in her life.