Early Life
Sara Treleaven Blakely was born on February 27, 1971, in Clearwater, Florida. She is the daughter of Ellen, an artist, and John Blakely, a trial attorney. Blakely's upbringing fostered a mindset that embraced failure as a learning opportunity. She attended Clearwater High School and later graduated from Florida State University with a degree in communications.
Rise to Success
Blakely's entrepreneurial journey began with a personal problem. She was frustrated with the lack of comfortable and seamless undergarments that would not show under her clothes. In 1998, she cut the feet off a pair of pantyhose, creating the first prototype of Spanx. With $5,000 of her own savings, she began developing the product. Blakely then drove to North Carolina, the location of most of America's hosiery mills, to present her idea, but was turned away by every representative. However, she eventually found a hosiery factory willing to produce her footless hose, wrote her own patent application, and chose the name “Spanx.” Her breakthrough came when she convinced Neiman Marcus to carry her product. In November 2000, the brand was featured in Oprah's Favorite Things, leading to a significant rise in popularity and sales. Spanx achieved $4 million in sales in its first year and $10 million in sales in its second year.
Key Business Strategies
Blakely built Spanx without advertising or outside investment initially. She served as her own model and drew attention to Spanx when she appeared on the reality television program *Rebel Billionaire*. She has also been open about her mistakes and shares intimate details about her life as a wife and mother. She fostered a culture where creativity thrived and innovation was the norm.
Philanthropy
In 2006, Blakely launched the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training. She became the first female billionaire to join the Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half of her wealth to charity. She has also donated millions of dollars to support and elevate women and girls around the world through her foundation.
