HerPower #2 - The Remarkable Rise of Sara Blakely

From cutting tights in frustration to building a billion-dollar empire, Sara Blakely’s story of founding Spanx is a powerful reminder that innovation, resilience, and a touch of boldness can shatter the glass ceiling​

- Check out inspiring entrepreneur Sara Blakely - https://www.instagram.com/sarablakely

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Hey, it's Dawn McGruer, thebusiness growth coach. And welcome
to dawn of a New Era, thepodcast where we talk all.
Things health, wealth, andhappiness, and where.
Founders share the good andbad and ugly of being an entrepreneur.
So welcome to part two of ourfemale empowerment miniseries as
part of the dawn of a New Erapodcast. Now, we bring this to you

(00:25):
in association with our newcommunity, her power community. And
it's all about breaking theglass ceiling. Fulfillment female
founders. So the remarkablerise of Sara Blakely is a story that
I want to share with youtoday. Now, she is the woman behind
Spanx and also Sneaks. So, ina corporate world traditionally dominated
by men, Sara Blakely emergedas this beacon of inspiration. And

(00:49):
the journey of founding andscaling Spanx, a multi billion dollar
shapewear empire, wastestament to her gift, innovation,
and underlying determination.And she definitely broke the glass
ceiling. Now, her latestaddition of sneaks. Yes, trainers
with heels. Mine are actuallyon order and currently on their way

(01:11):
from the usa, so you can onlyget them in the USA right now. But
thankfully my mom and dad havelived in Naples in Florida for part
of the time for the past 15years, so I'm going to get my new
purchase. But she has foundedmany, many brands. And in the early
days, Sara, who was born inClearwater in Florida in 1971, from

(01:33):
an early age, she was reallydriven by an entrepreneurial spirit,
often dreaming of making asignificant mark on the world. So
after graduating from FloridaState University with a communication
degree, Sara took a jobselling fax machines door to door.
So it was during this timethat she identified a problem that

(01:54):
many women faced, which was alack of comfortable and effective
undergarments. So here was theeureka moment. One evening, preparing
for a party, Sara struggledwith finding the right shapewear
to wear under her white pants.So, frustrated by the options available,
she took a pair of scissorsand cut a pair of tights and wore

(02:16):
them under her outfit. And toher delight, this impromptu solution
worked perfectly, providingthis smooth look she desired without
any uncomfortable seams orlines. So she realized then that
she'd stumbled on this productthat countless women actually needed.
And then here comes turning anidea into the actual business. So,

(02:39):
determined to turn her ideainto reality, Sara spent the next
two years researching,developing prototypes, and ultimately
patenting her invention. Sodespite having absolutely no background
in textiles or fashion design,she navigated the industry challenges

(03:00):
with sheer determination. AndSara used her savings of $5,000 to
fund the initial steps of herbusiness, marking the beginning of
Spanx. So she overcameinvestment hurdles as she went through
this, and finding support wasnot easy. So despite having a revolutionary

(03:20):
product, Sara faced skepticismand rejection from numerous male
investors who either didn'tunderstand the product or didn't
even take her seriously. Sothe stigmas surrounding female entrepreneurs
were pervasive and oftendismissing this innovative potential
of ideas. So, undeterred, Saracontinued to knock on doors, demonstrating

(03:45):
her product and refining herpitch. So her breakthrough came when
she managed to get a meetingwith a buyer from Neiman Marcus.
So instead of just talking,she demonstrated Spanx by wearing
them and showing thedifference that they actually made.
The buyer was immediatelyimpressed and placed an order making
Spanx first major retailpartnership. Now here comes the Oprah

(04:10):
effect and rapid growth.Because in 2000, Sara's determination
paid off when Oprah Winfreynamed Spanx as her favorite product.
Now, this endorsementcatapulted Spanx into the national
spotlight and led to anexplosive growth in sales. Women
across America flocked tostores and websites to purchase Spanx.

(04:33):
And this transformed the brandfrom a small startup and a household
name almost overnight. So withgrowing demand, Sara reinvested her
profits into expanding theproduct line, hiring a team and scaling
production. She maintainedrigorous oversight over product quality
and brand image, ensuring thatSpanx remains synonymous with comfort,

(04:56):
innovation and confidence. Nowbreaking the glass ceiling. Sarah
Blakely's success storyresonated far beyond the fashion
industry. She challenged thebiases and stigmas prevalent in the
investment world, proving thatwomen entrepreneurs could build highly
successful scalablebusinesses. And her journey inspired

(05:19):
a new generation of femalefounders to pursue their dreams,
regardless of the obstacles.So in 2012, Blakely was named the
world's youngest self madebillionaire by Forbes. She never
saw external investment orsold equity in her company, maintaining

(05:39):
complete control over Spanxand preserving her vision for the
brand. So next comes, thengiving back and inspiring others.
Because Sara's success alsoamplified her commitment to give
back. She founded the SaraBlakely foundation to support women
through education andentrepreneurial training, meaning

(06:00):
empowering those who facesimilar challenges. And her philanthropic
efforts reflect her belief inlifting others as she climbs. So
the legacy of empowerment.Today, Spanx is a global leader in
shapewear market and SaraBlakely stands as an icon of female

(06:21):
entrepreneurship. Her journeyis not just about financial success,
but breaking barriers, defyingexpectations, and creating a legacy
of empowerment. So throughresilience, innovation and absolute,
unwavering belief in hervision, Sara Blakely redefined what
it means to be a successfulentrepreneur and inspired countless

(06:43):
women around the world tofollow in her footsteps. So Sara
Blakely's story is acelebration of perseverance, innovation
and empowerment. A powerfulnarrative that continues to inspire
women to challenge societalnorms, innovate fearlessly, and climb
the highs of success. Soremember, join me on the next episode,

(07:08):
number three of ourminiseries, all about female empowerment.
Thanks for listening to dawnof a New Era, the podcast brought
to you in association with theHer Power Community. This initiative
was founded by myself and it'sall about empowering female founders
to recognize their limitlesspotential and pursue their ambitions

(07:29):
with confidence. Now there isless than 1.8% that goes into investing
in female founded businessesand we are here to make positive
change. So come and support uson Instagram at Her Power Community
and find out more about whatwe're doing to support female founders
to scale and grow their businesses.