The inventor, founder, and owner of Spanx, Sara Blakely, has spoken about her company’s remarkable success as she opens her very first stand-alone store.
Without spending any money on advertising, Spanx generated nearly $250 million in sales last year, with women all over sharing their admiration for the slimming undergarment through word-of-mouth. They also eagerly express their appreciation directly to Ms. Blakely.
The 41-year-old remarked, ‘I get flashed at airports. I get flashed at restaurants. I get flashed on the street; I mean, it’s fantastic.’
After developing Spanx 13 years ago, Ms. Blakely shared that she sometimes finds it hard to believe in their remarkable popularity.
She stated, ‘It’s really hard to digest. I’ll see these celebrities looking beautiful, saying, “I love my Spanx” or “it’s because of my Spanx,” and it’s difficult for me to absorb that this is a product I created.’
‘Our brand has made women feel better, more confident,’ she continued. ‘Many women refer to it as “Spanx strong,” like, “when I’ve got my Spanx on, I feel like it’s my Super Woman outfit.”‘
Spanx emerged from a moment of sudden inspiration. To achieve a smoother silhouette under cream-colored pants, Ms. Blakely cut the feet out of her control-top pantyhose, but when they continued to roll up her legs, she sought manufacturers who could assist.
She recounted, ‘Whenever I wore the pants, you could see the thong. Some cellulite was visible on the back of my thighs, and I wondered, “What should I wear underneath this?” So I decided to cut the feet off my pantyhose.’
‘My backside appeared firmer, and my cellulite was less noticeable, but these rolled up my legs all night.’
With $5,000 in savings accumulated from seven years as a fax machine salesperson, she began approaching hosiery manufacturers.
She mentioned, ‘After making the rounds, one guy called me and said, “I have decided to make your crazy idea.” He had consulted his daughters over dinner, and they advised, “Dad, help this girl make it. It’s a good idea.”‘
Now, in addition to footless control pantyhose and the classic shapers that compress, mold, and smooth, Spanx offers bras that eliminate back fat made out of pantyhose, activewear like yoga pants with built-in tummy tamers, and stylish shaping swimsuits.
A men’s collection of body-shaping undershirts and underwear is also available.
After not passing the LSAT exam for law school, her simple idea propelled her to become Forbes’ youngest self-made female billionaire, and today, Spanx sells more than 200 products across 13 different countries.
She shared, ‘I was always trying to find ways to make money and run little businesses. My earliest memory is drawing pictures with a friend on a rainy day and selling them door-to-door.’
Through her charitable foundation, she has now donated over $1 million to initiatives that help women pursue their broader life goals and reach their potential.
by Debbie Dot
