Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely is the American entrepreneur who founded the highly successful apparel company Spanx. She established the intimate apparel brand in 2000 to provide women with comfortable, smoothing undergarments. Her innovative approach fundamentally disrupted the shapewear industry.

Sara Blakely famously funded the launch of Spanx using $5,000 of her own personal savings. She did this while still working full-time selling office equipment, including fax machines, door-to-door. By retaining full ownership of her idea and slowly growing the business, she became the world's youngest self-made female billionaire.

The original product that launched the Spanx brand was a footless, body-shaping undergarment designed to be worn under white pants. Blakely created the prototype by simply cutting the feet off a pair of control-top pantyhose. This clever invention provided a smoother appearance beneath clothing without the visible lines of traditional hosiery.

Sara Blakely aggressively marketed her footless pantyhose to Neiman Marcus buyers by physically demonstrating the smoothing effect in a women's restroom. Her bold pitch secured an immediate, large order from the luxury department store. Shortly after, a massive endorsement from Oprah Winfrey as one of her 'Favorite Things' propelled the brand to national fame.