Sara Blakely on Writing Your Billion Dollar Story with Lewis Howes

Early Career

Sara Blakely's journey to founding Spanx began long before she cut the feet off her pantyhose. Her early career involved selling fax machines door-to-door, a job she held for seven years despite its challenges. This experience taught her resilience and the importance of perseverance, as she often faced rejection and had to find creative ways to succeed 1. Sara's determination to invent a product that would make people feel good was born from these experiences, leading her to eventually create Spanx 2.

I ended up writing in my journal, I'm going to invent a product and sell it to millions of people that will make them feel good.

--- Sara Blakely

Her story is a testament to the power of persistence and the ability to turn setbacks into opportunities.

   

Family & Work

Balancing a billion-dollar brand with family life presents unique challenges for Sara Blakely. She finds motherhood more challenging than running her business, describing it as a "moving target" that requires constant adaptation 3. Despite the difficulties, Sara emphasizes the importance of being kind to oneself and acknowledges that she is a work in progress when it comes to balancing work and family 4.

I feel like I gave birth to four teachers. To me. I mean, your children are here to teach you.

--- Sara Blakely

Her approach highlights the importance of self-compassion and learning from the experiences that come with both parenting and entrepreneurship.