"Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, revealed several things she did when she first started her billion-dollar brand that she now calls "unhinged." Some of them include pitching Oprah Winfrey on her product in its early days and paying her friends to go buy her product at Neiman Marcus. Blakely is a beacon for female entrepreneurs, having become the first self-made female billionaire more than a decade ago."
"That moment is eventually what would make her a billionaire, but her success story didn't happen overnight. In an Instagram post, Blakely shared six "unhinged" things she did while starting Spanx, where she served as CEO until 2021. Her company-which she launched with just $5,000 in savings-is worth $1.2 billion today. Blakely became a billionaire in 2012, and was named the youngest self-made female billionaire by Forbes that year. Forbes estimates her current net worth at $1.2 billion."
"Blakely said she bought a Spanx license plate as a means of advertising, according to her Instagram post. She said women started following her home asking her for free Spanx, which can now cost up to $148 depending on the product. Now, Spanx relies heavily on celebrity endorsements and influencer marketing. It wasn't until 2024 that the brand launched its first global brand campaign, "We Live In Spanx," which"
Sara Blakely created Spanx after modifying control-top pantyhose to achieve a smooth look under clothes. She started the company with $5,000 in savings while working as a fax machine salesperson and used unconventional tactics like pitching Oprah, buying a Spanx license plate, paying friends to buy products at Neiman Marcus, and sharing six “unhinged” startup moves on Instagram. Spanx grew through celebrity endorsements and influencer marketing and launched its first global campaign, “We Live In Spanx,” in 2024. Spanx reached $1.2 billion valuation, and Blakely became the first self-made female billionaire, with Forbes estimating her net worth at $1.2 billion.
Read at Fortune
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