Famous

Entrepreneur
(Success Story)
By:
Grade12 Section2
• Born 27 February 1971 in Clearwater, Florida
• Initially planed to become an attorney, but
failed
• Accepted work at Walt Disney for 3 Months
• Occasionally worked as a Stand-up Comedian
• Then accepted a job in Danka
• Successful in Sales, got promoted to sales
trainer at age 25
• Forced to wear pantyhose in hot Floridian
climate.
• Experimented by cutting off the feet of her
pantyhose, as she wore under her slacks for a
private party
• At 27, moved to Atlanta, Georgia
• Using $5000 savings, researched and develop
her hosiery idea
• Drove to North Carolina to present her idea
• Got turned away by every company
• Two weeks later received a call from a male
mill operator
• In the course of one year, completed her
prototype
• Returned to patent attorney - $750
• Then used her credit card to purchase Spanx
Trademark on USPTO website - $150
• In 2000, Winfrey named Spanx a “Favorite
Product” leading to rise in popularity in sales
• Spanx achieved $4M in sales in its second year
• She is the youngest self-made female
billionare in America
• 2012 became one of the most influential
people in the world - Time 100
• 2014 listed 93rd most powerful woman in the
world – Forbes
• Networth: $1.28B
Sara Blakely
(Spanx)
 “It is important to be willing to
make mistakes. The worst thing that
can happen is you become
memorable.”