Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely – Life, Journey, and Business Legacy

Explore the inspiring story of Sara Blakely (born February 27, 1971), the self-made businesswoman who founded Spanx. Learn about her early life, entrepreneurial path, philosophies, key milestones, quotes, and the lessons from her journey.

Introduction

Sara Treleaven Blakely (born February 27, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist best known as the founder of Spanx, a leading brand of shapewear and comfort apparel.

What makes Blakely’s story compelling is how she transformed a personal frustration with undergarments into a billion-dollar company—with no prior experience in fashion, no external investors, and a fierce belief in her vision. Her path exemplifies boldness, resilience, and creative problem-solving.

Early Life & Background

Sara Blakely was born in Clearwater, Florida on February 27, 1971. Ellen (née Ford), was an artist, and her father, John Blakely, was a trial attorney.

Blakely attended Clearwater High School and went on to study at Florida State University, where she earned a degree in communications.

Initially, Blakely considered a legal career, but after scoring poorly on the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), she chose other paths.

Early Career & the Spark of Spanx

After college, Blakely’s career took unconventional turns:

• She worked briefly at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (reportedly for around three months).

• She sold fax machines door to door for an office supply company called Danka.

• At times she also performed stand-up comedy to supplement income and develop confidence in presentation.

While working at Danka, Blakely was frustrated by how women’s undergarments looked under clothing—particularly how pantyhose seams and foot portions showed through open-toed shoes.

She invested $5,000 of her own savings to prototype the idea, navigate patenting, and develop packaging.

Blakely approached hosiery mills (mostly run by men) but was repeatedly turned down.

To gain market entry, Blakely arranged a meeting with Neiman Marcus, where she demonstrated the product by changing into it in the ladies’ restroom in front of a buyer.

The tipping point came in November 2000, when Oprah Winfrey featured Spanx in her “Favorite Things,” dramatically boosting its visibility.

As a result, in its first year Spanx made about $4 million in sales; by its second year it reached $10 million.

Growth, Recognition & Business Moves

Over the years, Spanx expanded from undergarments into leggings, activewear, swimwear, and apparel.

In 2012, Blakely appeared on the cover of Forbes as the youngest self-made female billionaire. Time also named her to its “Time 100” list of most influential people.

In 2021, private equity firm Blackstone acquired a majority stake in Spanx, valuing the company at about US$1.2 billion. Blakely retained the role of Executive Chairwoman. $10,000 in cash and two first-class airline tickets to any destination.

In addition to her direct business, in 2015 she and her husband joined a group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks NBA team.

Philanthropy & Influence

Sara Blakely is active in philanthropy, particularly focused on women’s empowerment and education.

In 2006, she established the Sara Blakely Foundation (also known as the Red Backpack Foundation) to support women through grants, entrepreneurial training, and education.

She also joined the Giving Pledge (launched by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett), becoming one of the first female billionaires to commit to giving away at least half her wealth.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she pledged US$5 million to support women-run small businesses.

Beyond money, she has lent her influence via creative projects; for example, she once auctioned Olivia Newton-John’s black pants from Grease, donating proceeds to cancer research.

Personal Life & Character

In 2008, Blakely married Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet. four children.

She converted to Judaism after marriage.

Blakely is known to embrace failure as a stepping stone. She frequently speaks about how many “no’s” she received early on and how perseverance and optimism carried her forward.

She also practices what you might call “creative rest” or reflective time; among her traits is holding an openness to idea-generation, sometimes described metaphorically as daydreaming in her car.

Memorable Quotes

Here are several quotes attributed to Sara Blakely that reflect her mindset and philosophy:

• “Failure is not the outcome — failure is not trying.”

• “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”

• “It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.”

• “Don’t be afraid to make your mistakes. They’re what make you.”

Lessons from Her Journey

1. Start with a problem you personally experience.
   Blakely’s innovation grew from something she disliked about wearable undergarments: she identified an everyday problem that many people felt but hadn’t tried to solve commercially.

2. Bootstrapping is powerful.
   She built Spanx with her own modest savings, refused outside investors initially, and maintained full ownership until later. This forced her to be resourceful, lean, and deeply involved in all aspects of the business.

3. Persistence in the face of rejection.
   She was told “no” many times—by manufacturers, buyers, others—but she did not let that stop her. She kept iterating, refining, and pitching.

4. Leverage creative sales tactics.
   Demonstrating the product live, sending early samples to influencers (like Oprah), placing products strategically in retail, and crafting an appealing brand narrative all contributed to her success.

5. Give back and elevate others.
   Her philanthropic commitment shows that success and generosity can go hand in hand. She sees her role not just as building a brand, but also enabling others—especially women—to succeed.

6. Be willing to pivot and grow.
   From shapewear, Spanx expanded into apparel, activewear, and broader offerings. She also made bold business decisions (e.g. selling majority stake) while retaining meaningful roles.

Conclusion

Sara Blakely’s story is a vivid testament to the power of vision, resilience, and creative confidence. She started with a simple but felt frustration, turned it into a prototype made from her own hands and savings, fought her way into the industry, and grew Spanx into a global brand.

Her journey offers not just entrepreneurial tactics, but also a model for how belief, action, and generosity can combine to create transformative impact.