Sara Blakely facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sara Blakely
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Blakely in 2014
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| Born |
Sara Treleaven Blakely
February 27, 1971 Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Florida State University |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Founder and owner of Spanx Minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks |
| Spouse(s) |
Jesse Itzler
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 4 |
Sara Blakely, born on February 27, 1971, is a super successful American businesswoman and someone who loves to help others. She is famous for starting Spanx, a company that makes comfortable clothing like leggings, in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2012, Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people globally. Later, in 2014, Forbes magazine called her one of the most powerful women in the world.
Contents
Sara Blakely: A Story of Innovation and Giving
Early Life and Education
Sara Blakely was born on February 27, 1971, in Clearwater, Florida. Her mom, Ellen, is an artist, and her dad, John, is a lawyer. She also has a brother named Ford, who is an artist.
Sara went to Clearwater High School. She later studied at Florida State University and earned a degree in communication.
Starting Her Career
Sara first dreamed of becoming a lawyer. However, after taking a test, she decided to try something different. She then worked at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for a few months. She even tried her hand at being a stand-up comedian sometimes!
After Disney, Sara got a job selling fax machines door-to-door for a company called Danka. She was really good at it! She became so successful that by age 25, she was promoted to train other salespeople across the country.
While working in sales, Sara had to wear certain types of legwear, even in the warm Florida weather. She noticed that these often didn't look right with open-toed shoes. She also liked how they could make clothes fit smoothly. One day, she tried cutting the feet off her legwear to wear under pants. It didn't work perfectly because they rolled up, but it gave her an idea for a new product!
The Spanx Journey Begins
From Idea to Product
When Sara was 27, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia. While still working her sales job, she spent two years and all her $5,000 savings developing her new idea for comfortable legwear.
She traveled to North Carolina, where many factories that make legwear are located, to share her idea. Many companies turned her down because they usually worked with bigger, established businesses. However, a factory owner called her back. He decided to help Sara after his three daughters told him it was a great idea!
Sara later shared that she realized the legwear industry was mostly run by men who didn't actually wear the products they made. It took about a year to create the very first version of her product.
She worked with a lawyer to get her idea officially protected with a patent. Then, she focused on designing the packaging for her new product. Sara even used her credit card to buy the name "Spanx" as a trademark for $150.
Launching Spanx and Big Success
She got a meeting with a big store called Neiman Marcus. To show how amazing her product was, she changed into it right there in the ladies' restroom for the buyer! Because of that meeting, Spanx was sold in seven Neiman Marcus stores. Other famous stores like Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue quickly started selling it too.
Sara also sent a special package of her products to Oprah Winfrey's TV show, explaining her new invention. At first, Sara did everything herself: marketing, shipping, and even deciding where Spanx should be sold in stores (she wanted it near shoes, not just with other legwear). Later, her boyfriend quit his job to help her run the growing business. She even asked friends and people she knew to look for her products in stores. She would send them a check as a thank you for their support.
In November 2000, Oprah Winfrey featured Spanx on her famous "Favorite Things" list. This made Spanx incredibly popular and boosted sales, allowing Sara to leave her old job at Danka. Spanx made $4 million in sales in its first year and $10 million in its second year! In 2001, Sara signed a deal with QVC, a TV shopping channel, to sell Spanx.
In 2012, Sara Blakely was on the cover of Forbes magazine. She became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world! In October 2013, Sara shared her dream of designing the most comfortable high-heel shoe ever. Forbes magazine again listed her as one of the most powerful women globally.
In 2015, Sara and her husband, Jesse Itzler, joined a group that bought the Atlanta Hawks basketball team for $850 million.
In October 2021, a big investment company bought most of Spanx. The company was valued at $1.2 billion! Sara remained in charge as the Executive Chairwoman. To celebrate, Sara gave each of her 750 employees $10,000 in cash and two first-class plane tickets to anywhere they wanted to go!
New Ventures
In 2024, Sara launched a new shoe brand called Sneex. It focuses on stylish high-heeled sneakers.
On Television
In 2005, Sara was a contestant on a TV show called The Rebel Billionaire. She came in second place and met Richard Branson, a famous businessman who later helped her with her projects.
She also appeared as a judge on the TV show American Inventor with other famous people like George Foreman. Sara was also a guest investor on the popular TV show Shark Tank for several episodes. She even made a quick appearance as herself in an episode of the TV show Billions.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
In 2006, Sara started the Sara Blakely Foundation. This foundation helps women by providing education and training to become entrepreneurs. Richard Branson, her mentor from The Rebel Billionaire, surprised her with $750,000 to start this foundation!
The foundation has given scholarships to young women in South Africa. In 2006, Sara also donated $1 million to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 2013, Sara became the first female billionaire to join the "Giving Pledge." This is a promise made by some of the world's wealthiest people to donate at least half of their money to charity.
In 2019, Sara bought the famous black pants worn by Olivia Newton-John in the movie Grease for $162,500 at an auction. The money went to help Olivia Newton-John's cancer treatment center in Melbourne, Australia.
In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Sara promised to give $5 million to help small businesses run by women.
Personal Life
In 2008, Sara married Jesse Itzler. They have four children together.
See also
In Spanish: Sara Blakely para niños
- Women in business
