Sara Blakely transformed the undergarment industry and became the world's youngest self-made female billionaire by creating Spanx, all because she wanted something better to wear under white pants. Born in 1971 in Clearwater, Florida, Sara's path to entrepreneurial success was anything but traditional.
After graduating from Florida State University with a communications degree, Sara initially planned to become a lawyer but performed poorly on the LSAT. Instead, she spent seven years selling fax machines door-to-door, a job that taught her resilience in the face of rejection—she sometimes had doors literally slammed in her face—and honed her sales skills.
Sara's eureka moment came in 1998 when she needed to wear something smooth under white pants for a party. Dissatisfied with existing options, she cut the feet off a pair of control-top pantyhose to create a slimming undergarment that wouldn't show lines—but the pantyhose rolled up her legs throughout the night. She realized there was a gap in the market for comfortable, effective shapewear.
With no background in fashion, manufacturing, or business, Sara spent two years researching and developing her product while working full-time. She invested her entire life savings of $5,000 and wrote her own patent application to avoid expensive legal fees. When approaching hosiery mills to manufacture her product, she faced constant rejection—until one manufacturer, initially dismissive, reconsidered after his daughters helped him see the potential in Sara's idea.
In 2000, Sara launched Spanx with a single product: footless body-shaping pantyhose. With no money for advertising, she used creative guerrilla marketing tactics—such as personally visiting department stores to move Spanx from the hosiery section to more prominent locations. Her big break came when Oprah Winfrey named Spanx one of her "Favorite Things" in 2000, catapulting the brand into the spotlight.
What set Spanx apart wasn't just the product innovation but Sara's approach to marketing. She insisted on packaging with vibrant colors and playful language at a time when the industry used sterile, clinical packaging. She named her products with humor and approachability—like "Bra-llelujah" and "Power Panties"—making women feel comfortable discussing shapewear openly.
Sara maintained complete ownership of her company, refusing outside investors even as Spanx expanded into new product lines including bras, leggings, and even men's undershirts. By 2012, Forbes recognized her as the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
In 2021, Sara sold a majority stake in Spanx to investment firm Blackstone, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. To celebrate the sale, she gave each of her 500+ employees two first-class plane tickets to anywhere in the world and $10,000 spending money.
Throughout her journey, Sara has emphasized the importance of female entrepreneurship and self-belief. She established the Sara Blakely Foundation to support women through education and entrepreneurial training, and joined the Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half her wealth to charity.
Sara's story illustrates how identifying an everyday problem and persistently working toward a solution can lead to extraordinary success. From cutting the feet off pantyhose to building a billion-dollar brand, she proved that innovation often comes from questioning why things are done a certain way and imagining how they could be better.