Sara Treleaven Blakely, popularly known as Sara Blakely is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. Blakely is the founder of an American intimate apparel company, Spanx, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. She worked as a fax machine seller and saved $5000 to start her company. She started her company and later went on to become the youngest self-made billionaire. She sold the majority of her stake at Spanx to Blackstone in 2021.
What is Sara Blakely Famous For?
- The founder of an American intimate apparel company, Spanx.
Source: @rvcj
Where is Sara Blakely From?
Sara Blakely was born on 27 February 1971. Her birth name is Sara Treleaven Blakely. Her birth place is in Clearwater, Florida in the United States. She holds an American nationality. She was born to her father, John Blakely, and her mother, Ellen Ford. She has one sibling, a brother named Ford Blakely. She belongs to the white ethnicity and is a convert to Judaism. Her zodiac sign is Pisces.
Regarding her educational background, she attended Clearwater High School. After graduating from high school, she attended Florida State University. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
Sara Blakely Career
- Sara Blakely had initially planned to become an attorney. However, she scored low on the Law School Admission Test and decided not to pursue a law career.
- She then worked at Walt Disney World in Florida for three months.
- She then sold fax machines door-to-door for the supply company, Danka.
- She was promoted to national sales trainer at the age of 25.
- She relocated to Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 27.
- She continued to work for Danka and saved $5,000.
- She was researching and developing her hosiery idea at the time.
- She then drove to North Carolina to present her idea to hosiery mills.
- Every company she visited turned down her.
- A male mill operator based in Asheboro, North Carolina called her and supported Blakely’s concept.
- She eventually created the initial product prototype.
- She then returned to a patent attorney to finalize her application prior to her submission to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The guy agreed to assist her for a sum of $750.
- She then worked on the packaging of her product.
- She used her credit card to purchase the “Spanx” trademark on the USPTO website for $150.
- After she met with the representatives of the Neiman Marcus Group, her product was sold in seven Neiman Marcus stores. To prove the benefits of her innovation, she had changed into the product in the ladies’ restroom.
- She also sent a basket of products to Oprah Winfrey’s tv program with a gift card that explained what she was attempting to develop.
- After Winfrey named Spanx one of her “Favorite Things” in November 2000, Spanx rose in popularity and sales.
- Blakely resigned from Danka.
- Spanx achieved $4 million in sales in its first year. It achieved $10 million in its second year.
- She signed with the home shopping channel, QVC in 2001.
- She had the ambition to design the world’s most comfortable high-heel shoe.
- She finished second on The Rebel Billionaire in 2005, where she met Richard Branson. Richard acted as a mentor to her.
- She was one of the judges on ABC’s reality tv series, American Inventor.
- She was a guest investor on several episodes in seasons 9 and 10 of Shark Tank.
- She made a brief cameo appearance in an episode of the third season of Billions.
- She sold a majority stake in Spanx to Blackstone in October 2021. For the celebration, she gave her employees $10,000 each to spend on their trips.
Source: @businessinsider
Who is Sara Blakely Husband?
Sara Blakely is a married woman. She is married to Jesse Itzler. He is the co-founder of Marquis Jet. The couple met at a Net Jet Poker Tournament and eventually started dating. The couple got married in 2008. Matt Damon attended her wedding and Olivia Newton-John made a surprise performance. The couple shares four children together.
She launched the Sara Blakely Foundation in 2006. She founded the foundation to help women through education and entrepreneurial training. Richard Branson gifted her $750,000 to start the Foundation. The foundation has funded scholarships for young women at the Community and Individual Development Association City Campus in South Africa.
She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2006 and donated $1 million to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls.
She paid $162,500 at an auction for the black pants worn by Olivia Newton-John in Grease in 2019. Its proceeds were benefited to Newton-John’s cancer treatment center in Melbourne, Australia.
She pledged to give $5 million to support female-run small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
What is Sara Blakely Height?
Sara Blakely stands around the height of 1.71 m i.e. 5 feet and 7 inches tall. She has a body weight of around 132 lbs i.e. 60 kg. She has a slim body build. Her eye color is hazel and her hair color is blonde. Her sexual orientation is straight.
What is Sara Blakely Net Worth?
Sara Blakely is a self-made billionaire. She made her fortune through her intimate apparel company, Spanx. She is one of the most successful businesswomen in the world. Sara and her husband have a stake at Atlanta Hawks. At present, her net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion.
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