Sara Blakely is a cover girl again.
The founder of Atlanta-based Spanx appears on the cover of the January 2016 edition of Success magazine.
In the interview, Blakely shares some of the important principles that helped her create a billion dollar business. The first issue of 2016 is dedicated to personal development and Blakely's story exemplifies how pursuing personal development can lead to great success.
Here is some of the wisdom she shares in the article:
- "I knew I wanted my life to be different than it currently was, so I took inventory of my strengths and weaknesses. I recognized that one of my strengths was selling. I really enjoyed it, and knew I was good at it."
- "So I said, OK, I want to invent or create a product that I can sell that's my own and not somebody else's, and I want it to be something I can sell to millions of people. And I want it to be something that makes people feel good."
- "I had been selling fax machines door to door for seven years, and I had learned a lot about rejection and how to deal with people telling you no. It was a total training ground, because all I heard was no for the first two years of trying to get Spanx off the ground."
- "I feel like one of the best ways I've been able to face my fears and move through them is gratitude, being very connected to gratitude and a higher purpose. Without those two things, it would be much more difficult for me to push through the things that scare me."
- "[Oprah] declared publicly over and over again all these amazing things, like 'I gave up wearing undies. I only wear Spanx,' " Blakely recalls. "It was pretty awesome…..The show called and said, 'You have a website, right?' And I went, 'Uh-huh, of course.' And they were like, 'And you can ship and fulfill lots and lots of orders?' And I'm like, 'Uh-huh, of course I can. The truth is I had 2 1/2 weeks to build a website and make sure I had enough product," says Blakely, who until that point had done all of the packing and shipping herself from her apartment.
- "Often times when things don't go well, I'm able to laugh at myself and turn it into a story. I like the art of storytelling, and my favorite part of the screw-up is being able to potentially make somebody else laugh or smile about it. It makes it all worth it."
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
