Sara Blakely turned $5,000 and a pair of scissors into Spanx, a billion dollar brand that changed the way women get dressed and redefined what’s possible for entrepreneurs everywhere. In this episode, I trace her story from growing up in Clearwater, Florida, to selling fax machines in the Florida heat, to that legendary bathroom demo at Neiman Marcus, and finally to the $1.2 billion Blackstone deal. Along the way, I dig into the lessons we can take from her path: reframing failure, building resilience through rejection, and trusting the small sparks that might just change everything.

Sources & Disclaimers

This episode was created using publicly available information from credible sources, including:

• Forbes – coverage of Sara Blakely’s career, net worth, and business milestones
• Inc. Magazine – interviews and features on the founding of Spanx
• NPR’s How I Built This – Sara Blakely’s own account of building Spanx
• Encyclopedia Britannica – verified biographical details
• The New York Times – profiles and reporting on Spanx’s growth and cultural impact
• CNN Money and Fortune – features on Blakely’s entrepreneurial journey and philanthropy
• The Giving Pledge – confirmation of Sara Blakely’s 2013 philanthropic pledge
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution – local reporting on Spanx milestones and her Atlanta Hawks investment
• QVC press coverage (2001) – documenting her early sellout appearances
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office records – including U.S. Patent No. 6,463,765 for her original pantyhose undergarment
• Blackstone press release (2021) – details of the Spanx majority stake acquisition and valuation
• Additional reporting from Time, Bloomberg, and other mainstream outlets

Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and storytelling purposes only. All facts shared are based on publicly available sources at the time of recording. Commentary and reflections are my own.