32 Facts About Sara Blakely

Sara Treleaven Blakely was born on February 27,1971 and is an American businesswoman and philanthropist.

Sara Blakely founded Spanx, an intimate apparel company with pants and leggings, in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2012, Blakely was named in Time magazine's "Time 100" annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Sara Blakely was born on February 27,1971, in Clearwater, Florida.

Sara Blakely is the daughter of Ellen, an artist, and trial attorney, John Blakely.

Sara Blakely attended Clearwater High School and graduated from Florida State University with a communication degree, where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

Sara Blakely occasionally worked as a stand-up comedian during this period.

Sara Blakely was quite successful in sales and was promoted to national sales trainer at the age of 25.

At age 27, Sara Blakely relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and while still working at Danka, spent the next two years and $5,000 savings researching and developing her hosiery idea.

Sara Blakely then drove to North Carolina, the location of most of America's hosiery mills, to present her idea.

Sara Blakely was turned away by every representative; these companies were used to dealing with established companies, and did not see the value of her idea.

Two weeks after arriving home from her North Carolina trip, Sara Blakely received a call from a mill operator based in Asheboro, North Carolina, who offered to support Sara Blakely's concept, as he had received strong encouragement from his three daughters.

Sara Blakely further explained in 2011 that the experience of developing her idea revealed to her that the hosiery manufacturing industry was overseen solely by men who were not using the products they were producing.

Sara Blakely then returned to a patent attorney to finalize her application prior to her submission to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and he agreed to assist her for a sum of $750.

Sara Blakely used her credit card to purchase the "Spanx" trademark on the USPTO website for $150.

Sara Blakely managed to arrange a meeting with a representative of the Neiman Marcus Group, at which she changed into the product in the ladies restroom in the presence of the Neiman Marcus buyer to prove the benefits of her innovation.

Sara Blakely's product was sold in seven Neiman Marcus stores as a result of the meeting; Bloomingdales, Saks, and Bergdorf Goodman soon followed.

Around this time, Sara Blakely sent a basket of products to Oprah Winfrey's television program, with a gift card that explained what she was attempting to develop.

Sara Blakely initially handled all aspects of the business, including marketing, logistics and product positioning, preferring the location of Spanx alongside shoes in retail outlets, rather than in hosiery sections; however, her boyfriend at the time, a healthcare consultant, later resigned from his job and joined in the running of the business.

Sara Blakely was contacting friends and acquaintances, including those from her past, and asking them to seek out her products at select department stores in exchange for a check that she would send to them by mail as a token of appreciation.

In 2001, Sara Blakely signed a contract with QVC, the home shopping channel.

In 2012, Sara Blakely landed on the cover of Forbes magazine for being the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.

In October 2013, Sara Blakely explained that her ambition is to design the world's most comfortable high-heel shoe prior to retirement.

Sara Blakely was listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

In 2005, Sara Blakely attained second place as a contestant on The Rebel Billionaire, a reality television series that introduced her to Richard Branson, who later supported Sara Blakely in her endeavors as both an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Sara Blakely later starred as one of the judges on ABC's reality television series, American Inventor, alongside George Foreman, Pat Croce and Peter Jones.

Sara Blakely was a guest investor on several episodes in seasons 9 and 10 of Shark Tank.

Sara Blakely appeared in a very brief cameo, as herself, on "Elmsley Court," episode 12 of Billions Season 3.

In 2013 Sara Blakely became the first female billionaire to join the "Giving Pledge," Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's pledge, whereby the world's richest people donate at least half of their wealth to charity.

In 2019, Sara Blakely paid $162,500 at an auction for the black pants worn by Olivia Newton-John in Grease; the proceeds from which benefited Newton-John's cancer treatment center in Melbourne, Australia.

In 2020, Sara Blakely pledged to give $5 million to support female-run small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2008, Sara Blakely married Jesse Itzler, the co-founder of Marquis Jet.