Sara Blakely

To all the women and girls out there... never dim your light. The world needs YOU to shine bright. 🌟 👊 tag a woman or girl in your life and pass it on... #WomensHistoryMonth

Welcome to the Spanx HQ! 💥

This is the lobby at our home office in Atlanta... the entire back wall is our origin story...(Which if you don't know started with $5000 in my personal savings and my Lucky Red Backpack, can you see it on the wall? 🎒) Before I started Spanx, I spent most of my time in grey cubicles working in offices that were not inspiring. 😴 I would sit in those grey cubicles and daydream about … if , one day… I had my own company I would do it differently. The walls would have color. I would invest in the office so everyone who worked there could feel they mattered, and they were appreciated. Well, dreams come true! The carpets at Spanx are animal print, art is on every wall, there is an outside rooftop patio and garden, music is always playing through the halls, Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man is on hand, Olivia Newton John’s original “Grease” pants are on display, and there is no shortage of butt sculptures! 😂 So many amazing ideas, events, products, friendships and memories have been made in this building and many more to come! ❤️
#Entrepreneur
#Spanx
#DreamBig
Wolf Design Group Inc

I was scared when I started Spanx... sometimes I still am! It's ok... just start! #Entrepreneur #Motivation #JustStart

You are not too old and it is not too late.

Arianna Huffington started the Huffington Post at 55.
Julie Wainwright created The RealReal at 53.
Bernard Marcus opened the first Home Depot at 50.
Viola Davis achieved EGOT status at 57.
Harland Sanders founded KFC at 62.
Ray Kroc franchised the first McDonalds at 52.
Ellen Latham was 54 when she created Orange Theory.

I never thought I would be starting something “new” after age 50 but life is interesting in that it challenges you in so many unexpected ways. For me… I still felt an urge that was impossible to ignore to keep creating better options for women. The self doubt was loud but my calling was louder.

Launching Sneex has been the most fun I’ve had in years. Look at all the people who have accomplished great success after 50. We have entire award categories dedicated to the things that people accomplish before 30 and 40… but that’s just the first act. The second act can be just as amazing as the first. You just have to have the courage to keep reinventing yourself.

#MondayMotivation #MondayMugShot #NeverTooOld

Today I am thankful to be a voter. 💪🗳️ Before 1920, women weren't allowed to vote. I encourage everyone to go vote, but especially women. Vote in honor of your great-great grandmothers who weren’t deemed worthy enough for a vote, who fought and dreamed about one day having the chance. Vote for your mamas, your sisters, your nieces and your daughters. It's so important! In fact, we think it's so important that we are giving Spanx employees a paid day off to vote on Election Day. But don't forget, you can also early vote! To make a plan, text VOTER to 26797. See you at the polls! Love, me and my future voter (Tepper).❤️ #VOTE

So many times, so many of us miss out on opportunities big and small because we are scared. It's pretty easy to think about all the things that could go wrong, and list all the reasons why not. We say things to ourselves like, “I'm not good enough, that's too hard, or I don’t have the money, the experience or the knowledge.” But what if we just thought about all things that could go right? What if instead we could focus on all the amazing things that can happen to us if we just had the courage to take the leap?

People ask me if I was scared when I started Spanx. Are you kidding? I was terrified. But the thought of my life staying the way it was was scarier to me than taking the risk. So if you're on the brink of making a big decision that you know in your heart is a good one, think about how your life will expand. It's always possible that you will fall or fail... but what if you fly? 💪 #Motivation #Inspiration #YouCanDoIt #Courage #Entrepreneur

Good friends are like stars… You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there. 🌟

On my birthday every year I take my friends away on a surprise trip. It’s the same group of girls and most of them I’ve know since childhood, as early as 3yrs old. For the surprise I only tell them if it’s going to be hot or cold for packing and if they will need a passport. This is our 17th year doing this (I started on my 35th bday) and when I started taking them on trips most of us were single. Now we have 28 kids collectively, and taking the time away means more to us now than ever. These women have been my rocks and an amazing support to me through the years. They are so hard working and always in charge of planning everything in their lives.

Sooo… it’s so fun to whisk them away and they don’t plan a thing! Someone once asked me what my favorite thing about success is, and without hesitation i said, “Spoiling the people I love!” ❤️
#MondayMotivation 
#Friends
#MondayMugshot

Mornin’ ...throughout your life, make small and BIG decisions just to see what you’re really made of. I’m betting you will surprise yourself. #MondayMotivation

This is for all the dreamers out there… for all the people who have a great idea but no clue how to start. Here’s my advice to you: JUST START! It’s ok to take teeny tiny steps in the right direction. You don’t have to raise millions in capital overnight (or ever). You don’t have to become a unicorn in a year. You don’t have to scale for the sake of scaling. Give yourself permission to start with one really great product or service. I started Spanx with 1 single product. No business plan, no marketing plan and no other ideas. The product was $20. That was it. Then... here’s what happened. I stayed super connected to the consumer and I listened, and listened. I stayed focused on serving and delivering what she needed and wanted. I trusted the process. I didn’t feel the need to produce or create for the sake of growth (ever). I just grew as the ideas came.. and if you really listen with a service heart, they will keep coming. Focus on your purpose and your why. Keep your product and story at the center of your business... Focus on doing it right and making your product the best it can be as the goal, not just growth as the goal. Fast growth can be fleeting. Take your time... just take the first step and remember to DREAM BIG. #Entrepreneur #StartSmall #DreamBig #MondayMugShot

This is for all the dreamers out there… for all the people who have a great idea but no clue how to start. Here’s my advice to you: It’s ok to start small. It’s ok to take teeny tiny steps in the right direction. You don’t have to raise millions in capital overnight (or ever). You don’t have to become a unicorn in a year. You don’t have to scale for the sake of scaling. Give yourself permission to start with one really great product or service. I started Spanx with 1 single product. No business plan, no marketing plan and no other ideas. The product was $20. That was it. Then... here’s what happened. I stayed super connected to the consumer and I listened.

I stayed focused on serving and delivering what she needed and wanted. I trusted the process. I didn’t feel the need to produce or create for the sake of growth (ever). I just grew as the ideas came.. and if you really listen with a service heart, they will keep coming. Focus on your purpose and your why. Keep your product and story at the center of your business... Fast growth can be fleeting. Creating a solid foundation of trust with your customers takes time. I’ve spent 20 years earning the customers trust. Take your time... just take the first step and remember to DREAM BIG. #Entrepreneur #2021

There is never “the right time”. There is only now. If you wait until you are ready you will be waiting and waiting... and waiting. Willingness to learn as you go, making lots of mistakes, and always keeping your “why” at the center is the key to success. Focus on the customer, always put others needs and joy as your compass and you will never stray off course. Enjoy the ride! 
#Entrepreneur 
#NowIsTheTime

I always say you are the writer, director and producer of your own life… but don’t forget you’re also the main character! Every opportunity you have to own your story and your own success… take it. No one will ever care more about your success than you. Dazzle them with courage, boldness and enthusiasm. You’re the star of this movie, shine accordingly… ⭐️

#MainCharacterEnergy #Entrepreneur

Wise words from Wayne Dyer. ❤️ Nothing will matter more than your opinion of yourself. Do things that make you proud, be kind, crack yourself up, help others, try new things, manage negative self talk, give yourself a break, become self aware, become a student of yourself, you are fascinating (believe me we all are), spend time alone, take yourself on vacation. If you are chasing approval from others just know their approval often has nothing to do with you (same with their disapproval ). It’s something you can’t control. It’s affected by the baggage they’re carrying, or the lens they’ve created through their own unique experiences. When you realize what others think of you has almost nothing to do with you, it will free you up to focus on the thing that really matters… do you like you? That’s where you should spend your energy. Like Aristotle once said… “The most important relationship we can all have is the one you have with yourself. The most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. To know yourself, you must spend time with yourself, you must not be afraid to be alone. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ✨
#MondayMotivation #Entrepreneur #MondayMugShot

Monday inspiration for your timeline. I couldn’t agree with this more. ❤️ 👊🏻 💪🏻

Kids... they keep you humble! 💡🤷‍♀️ Inventing a product and creating a brand sold at Target. Not impressive. Walking over 8,000 steps... Impressive. #NotImpressed #NoReally #MommyIsAnInventor #Whatever #WhereIsTheToySection #Assets #Target #Entrepreneur #Inventor #Mom

I’m so excited to send 1,000 girls to Camp Invention this summer with the National Inventors Hall of Fame where they will dream big, have fun and build the confidence to solve problems for our world. 🌍

Only 13% of primary patent holders are women. We need more products and ideas generated from the feminine perspective. Women have so many gifts to bring into the world… imagine if their full potential could be realized. My hope is that this gift will inspire the next generation of female leaders and industry disruptors. To learn more about Camp Invention or to find one near you, visit https://lnkd.in/gWmshBeu

#Inventors #FemaleInventors #EmpowerHer

Growing up my dad encouraged me to fail... and it had a tremendous impact on my life. I have always dreamed of other students having a similar relationship with failure so that it doesn’t hold them back. I’m so thrilled that my Mindset Series I created with 3DE Schools has a whole section on reframing failure….. these students were asked what they thought of when they heard the word “failure”? The first image is the BEFORE students took the course on failure…. and the second image is AFTER. 😱 What a difference... it really is a state of mind.

This Giving Tuesday I am showing the amazing teachers who work with 3DE students some gratitude by giving 166 3DE teachers across Georgia a personal grant and a pair of Sneex! Teachers spend so much of their time and resources supporting and educating our kids… I encourage you all to love on the teachers in your life. Especially at this time of year when they are working around the clock to make the holidays special for them. Tag a teacher, write them a note or buy them a coffee. They deserve it! ❤

 #givingtuesday #teachers #mindset #failure

Spanx in the MoMA! Say what?!? My 29 year old self sitting in my apartment with the first pair of @spanx wondering if I was crazy, wondering if anyone would want what I had created, is freaking out!

Their new exhibit Pirouette: Turning points in designs… things that have changed history and human behavior include the flip phone, the personal Macintosh computer, Sony Walkman headphones, M&M’s, post-it notes and SPANX! Pinch me please. It was emotional.

I stood there with Tepper thinking about how it all started — cutting the feet out of my pantyhose in my apartment, trying to solve a problem for myself. No business plan. No experience. Just an idea and a lot of determination. To be a part of this exhibit celebrating experiments that had a deep impact on the world is something I don’t take lightly and I’ll never take for granted. To everyone with a wild idea — this is your reminder: You don’t need a fancy degree, a business background, or a perfect plan. You just need to start. And who knows! Maybe one day you’ll see your life’s work in the MoMA. ❤️ The Museum of Modern Art

Congratulations to all the 2020 graduates! Even though you might not be able to gather together to celebrate this amazing achievement... we are rooting for you! Your abilities and talents are needed in this world now more than EVER. You may not be graduating like you expected to this year but I believe each and every one of you offers a special and unique gift to the world. My message to you is simple: Don't be afraid to do it differently. It doesn’t matter what your friends or classmates are doing. I had no idea what I wanted to do after I graduated and that’s OK. Remember: The ones who do it differently are the ones who change the world. 🌎💪 Thank you CNN for including me in congratulating the graduates across the USA. #Graduation #Classof2020 #Entrepreneur

You’ll never believe what I found when I was going through my closet this morning... the ORIGINAL book I used to write my Spanx patent! 😱

In 1999 when I finally had my first Spanx prototype, I started looking for a patent attorney in Atlanta to help me protect my idea. I wanted to work with a female lawyer because I figured it would be easier to explain my insane idea to a woman than it would be to a man.

But I could not find ONE SINGLE female patent attorney in Georgia. Seriously?!

The process of convincing a male lawyer that Spanx was a great business idea turned out to be just as hard as I thought it was going to be and really expensive. So I decided, what the heck… I’ll write my own patent!

I went to the Barnes & Noble on Peachtree Street (ATL… you know the one!) and bought this very book. I used it to write almost the entire patent myself, and my mom drew the sketch of me in my living room in just Spanx. 🤣 I found a patent attorney named Dan to write the legal claims portion at the end, and walked into his office with my Spanx prototype and my lucky red backpack. At first he thought I was sent by candid camera as a prank, but when he realized I was serious, he agreed to help me for the low, low price of $700! 😂

Never underestimate your ability to teach yourself a skill or something you know nothing about. Thanks to Dan and David for unknowingly helping me change the lives of women everywhere! And my own. ❤️ #spanx #entrepreneurship #patents

How do you know it's time to quit your 'real job' and go full-time into your side hustle?

The short answer is.... you don't.

I cut the feet out of my pantyhose in 1998. But I didn't leave my corporate job until 2000. I used my paychecks to fund my idea.... I worked on it at nights and on the weekends. I took customer service calls from bed in the middle of the night. I took all of my PTO for the year to drive to North Carolina and knock on the doors of hosiery mills in hopes that they'd help me create my idea. It was a busy and stressful and grueling time. But just the fact that I was willing to put in the extra hours on top of my 40-hour a week job meant that I knew I was onto something. I had an unwavering belief in myself and my invention.

And I didn't leave that job until I was absolutely sure I could still pay rent without it (and let's be honest... they knew something was up anyways. I was constantly exhausted 🤣).

So if you're still grinding it out on nights and weekends pursuing your passion.... keep at it. Trust your intuition to know when and if you're ready to take it to the next level. But until then.... try and remember that your 'real job' may be giving you the ability to fund your idea. And if you believe in it enough... all the extra hours are worth it. ❤️

If you keep thinking about something… it’s probably thinking about you too. Don’t ignore it. Don’t brush it off. That’s your calling… calling you. ☎️

Gabrielle Bernstein