Sara Blakely

Cutting the feet off a pair of pantyhose in her Atlanta apartment, Sara Treleaven Blakely transformed a simple act of experimentation into Spanx, a company that changed the way people approach shapewear, led to her becoming a self-made billionaire, and inspired a generation of women entrepreneurs[1]. By 2012, she was listed among the most influential people in the world, her innovations fueling tangible shifts in the worlds of business, fashion, and women's empowerment[2].

Born in 1971 in Clearwater, Florida, Blakely was raised by her mother, an artist, and her father, a trial attorney. She attended Clearwater High School and later graduated from Florida State University, where she studied communications and became a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority[1]. Her early plans to become an attorney shifted after a disappointing LSAT result. Instead, she spent a brief period working at Walt Disney World before taking a job selling fax machines for Danka, where she was promoted to national sales trainer by age 25 due to her standout performance in a male-dominated field. The discomfort she experienced wearing pantyhose under Florida's heat would later spark her most significant idea[1].

Determined to create a more comfortable and flattering undergarment, Blakely spent 1998 researching patents and experimenting with different fabrics while still working her sales job[3]. She drove to North Carolina to visit hosiery mills and pitch her prototype, facing repeated rejections from male-dominated manufacturing floors not used to dealing with new market entrants or understanding the product's purpose. Eventually, a factory owner agreed to help develop the first official Spanx prototypes, influenced by encouragement from his daughters[2]. With $5,000 in savings, Blakely launched Spanx in 2000, operating out of her apartment in Atlanta. Her relentless self-promotion led to an early meeting with a Neiman Marcus buyer, while her appearance on Oprah Winfrey's "Favorite Things" segment that same year sent sales skyrocketing—a turning point that propelled the brand into national prominence[4]. With no advertising budget, she modeled, marketed, and hustled, and by the end of Spanx's second year, revenue had climbed from $4 million to $10 million. In 2005, Blakely appeared on Richard Branson’s "Rebel Billionaire," impressing him and landing a $750,000 investment, which she used to endow the Sara Blakely Foundation supporting female entrepreneurs. By 2012, Blakely was the sole owner of a company valued at $1 billion and was named by Forbes as the world's youngest self-made female billionaire[3].

Blakely’s impact extends far beyond entrepreneurship. Her company’s innovative approach prompted other leading retailers like Bloomingdale's, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman to carry Spanx products. She openly discussed the industry's lack of female leadership, a theme echoed in the creation of the Sara Blakely Foundation in 2006, which aims to empower women and girls through education and entrepreneurship. As she once said, "Failure is not the outcome—failure is not trying," a perspective reflected in her philanthropic mission and mentoring relationships, including one with Oprah Winfrey whose support played a key role in Spanx’s rise[1]. Her achievements also include being chosen for Time's 100 Most Influential People list in 2012 and co-purchasing the Atlanta Hawks as part of an investor group.

Blakely’s legacy is marked by her influence on the fashion industry, the normalization of body-slimming undergarments, and her dedication to championing opportunities for women. She has inspired new generations to pursue entrepreneurship, challenge traditional business norms, and advocate for authenticity in leadership. Married to entrepreneur Jesse Itzler since 2008, she continues serving as Executive Chairwoman of Spanx, remaining an active and visible force in business, philanthropy, and culture[5].

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