Sara Blakley is the creator of "body-shaping" underwear company Spanx. She turned a $5,000 start-up into into a multi-million dollar business -- becoming, according to Forbes, America's youngest self-made female billionaire in the process.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Sara Blakley is the creator of "body-shaping" underwear company Spanx. She turned a $5,000 start-up into into a multi-million dollar business -- becoming, according to Forbes, America's youngest self-made female billionaire in the process.
Courtesy Gillian Zoe Segal
Blakely founded Spanx in 1998, initially selling footless pantyhose through mail order and promoting them in person to department store customers.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Blakely founded Spanx in 1998, initially selling footless pantyhose through mail order and promoting them in person to department store customers.
Courtesy Spanx
Blakely claims to have been inspired to create the product -- which she believed would sell millions -- by not liking the way she looked in white pants.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Blakely claims to have been inspired to create the product -- which she believed would sell millions -- by not liking the way she looked in white pants.
Courtesy Spanx
Blakely says "having doors slammed in (her) face" during her previous job as a door-to-door fax machine saleswoman helped her cope with rejection from garment manufacturers and a lack of enthusiasm from department stores.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Blakely says "having doors slammed in (her) face" during her previous job as a door-to-door fax machine saleswoman helped her cope with rejection from garment manufacturers and a lack of enthusiasm from department stores.
Rob Brinson
Blakely says she took a hands-on approach after realising that Spanx products were only being made available in the least popular areas of department stores. She says she was later caught secretly moving her products closer to the checkout.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Blakely says she took a hands-on approach after realising that Spanx products were only being made available in the least popular areas of department stores. She says she was later caught secretly moving her products closer to the checkout.
Courtesy Mike McGregor
Two years after Blakely founded the company, Spanx received an unexpected publicity boost from Oprah Winfrey, who named the underwear her favorite product of the year in 2000.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Two years after Blakely founded the company, Spanx received an unexpected publicity boost from Oprah Winfrey, who named the underwear her favorite product of the year in 2000.
Michelly Rall/Getty Images
Endorsements from celebrities including Julia Roberts followed and helped Blakely sell millions of pairs of Spanx. In recognition of her success, Blakely was names among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2012.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Endorsements from celebrities including Julia Roberts followed and helped Blakely sell millions of pairs of Spanx. In recognition of her success, Blakely was names among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2012.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Blakely remains the sole owner of Spanx, with underwear now on sale in more than 40 countries. Having generated a fortune -- estimated by Forbes magazine to be in excess of $1 billion -- she has given more than $20 million to charity through the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurship.
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Blakely remains the sole owner of Spanx, with underwear now on sale in more than 40 countries. Having generated a fortune -- estimated by Forbes magazine to be in excess of $1 billion -- she has given more than $20 million to charity through the Sara Blakely Foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurship.
Courtesy Spanx
Today, Spanx produce a variety of products including active wear, menswear and swimwear. She attributes her success so far to extraordinary perseverance, salesmanship and risk-taking, saying: "The biggest risk in life is not risking."
Sara Blakely: Underwear entrepreneur —
Today, Spanx produce a variety of products including active wear, menswear and swimwear. She attributes her success so far to extraordinary perseverance, salesmanship and risk-taking, saying: "The biggest risk in life is not risking."
Rob Brinson