INSANE: Sara blakely - The Real Truth

While selling fax machines, Sara Blakely cut up pantyhose to solve a clothing problem; Spanx later helped make her a self-made billionaire, Forbes reported in 2012

Sara Blakely faced a common wardrobe dilemma, but instead of settling for frustration, she transformed her pantyhose into a game-changing product. This moment of innovation sparked the launch of Spanx, where she secured a patent while juggling a full-time job. With unwavering determination, she pitched her idea to department store…

The Economic Times · Sep 16

Kendra Scott says a horrible manager taught her being cutthroat isn't the only way to run a company: 'The worst boss was my best boss'

Kendra Scott turned a $500 jewelry hobby into a $1 billion brand by staying scrappy—and learning from rejection and a “terribly-horrible” boss.

Fortune · Sep 9

Dave Portnoy quit an $80K sales job to start Barstool—he hand-delivered papers in a secondhand van while living with his girlfriend's mom for 6 years

Dave Portnoy left his cushy 9-to-5 and spent years delivering papers and even scooping dog waste before success. Now he’s worth $250 million.

Fortune · Jun 29

6 'unhinged' things Sara Blakely did that ultimately shaped the success of her $1.2 billion Spanx empire

Blakely became the first self-made female billionaire in 2012.

Fortune · Dec 23, 2025

How ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ writer went from library and Olive Garden shifts to building an empire with Netflix and Amazon deals

Jenny Han, the author behind hit series like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” said she wouldn’t change a thing about her come-up, and that working as a librarian helped her tap into what young readers were looking for.

Fortune · Oct 6, 2025

This multimillionaire once cleaned meat trucks for $7 an hour, but a coffee shop encounter proved 'You're just one move away from changing your life'

Jesse Itzler, who ultimately sold his $5 billion-in-sales private jet business to Warren Buffett, says the world doesn’t reward perfect plans, "it rewards action."

Fortune · Oct 6, 2025

'Ask For Forgiveness Not Permission,' Says Spanx Founder Sara Blakely, Whose 'Unhinged' Moves Took $5K Savings To $1.2 Billion

Spanx founder Sara Blakely turned $5,000 in savings into a $1.2 billion shapewear brand by relying on bold marketing and what she called "unhinged" tactics. 

Benzinga · Oct 5, 2025

Spanx founder Sara Blakely's $1 billion idea started with just $5,000 in savings and wanting to solve her own problem

“Right when I was running out of friends and money, Oprah called,” the Spanx founder told Fortune in 2013. “She chose it as her favorite product of the year.”

Fortune · Sep 22, 2025

Billionaire Sara Blakely says she launched Spanx with just $5,000 from selling fax machines—and never took on a single investor: 'I bet on myself'

"I sat down with myself and I was like, you wanna spend your five grand on a vacation? Or do you wanna try to bet on yourself?"

Fortune · Sep 20, 2025

Spanx billionaire founder kept the brand a secret—even from family—for a year. If she hadn’t, she says she’d probably still be selling fax machines

Spanx’s billionaire founder turned $5,000 in savings from selling fax machines into a $1.2 billion shapewear empire.

Fortune · Sep 16, 2025