On Beyond Cert today, we will take a look at the inspiring story of Sara Blakely founder and owner SPANX an American intimate apparel company with pants and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia and minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks.

Read how she turned a little discomfort into an idea and with tenacity of purpose and good support system turned the the then "simple idea" into a big success story

SUMMARY BIO

Born:    February 27, 1971 (age 46) Clearwater, Florida, U.S.

Residence:    Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

Alma Mater:    Florida State University

Occupation:   Businessperson

Net worth    US$1.04 billion (March 2017)[1]

Spouse(s)    Jesse Itzler

Children    4

Sara Blakely graduated from Florida State in 1993, intending to go to law school--but then she did poorly on the LSATs (Law School Admission Test), twice and ended up with a communication degree afterward. She accepted a job at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, (hoping to practice with her certificate I think) but she worked for just three months and occasionally practiced as a stand-up comedian during the period

Soon after Disney, Blakely accepted a job with office supply company Danka, where she sold fax machines door-to-door. She was quite successful in sales and was promoted to national sales trainer at the age of 25

But, she had a challenge- her dressing.
Forced to wear pantyhose in the hot Floridian climate for her sales role, Blakely disliked the appearance of the seamed foot while wearing open-toed shoes, but liked the way that the control-top model eliminated panty lines and made her body appear firmer.

“Spanx founder Sara Blakely was getting ready for a party when she realized she didn’t have the right undergarment to provide a smooth look under white pants. Armed with scissors and sheer genius, she cut the feet off her control top pantyhose and the Spanx revolution began! With a focus on solving wardrobe woes, the Spanx brand has grown to offer bras, underwear, leggings, active and more.”

So, she thought out an Idea- an adjustment.
She experimented by cutting off the feet of her pantyhose while wearing them under a new pair of slacks. Though, the pantyhose continuously rolled up her legs she still achieved her desired result of an adjustment to her uncomfortable wear.

She kept on pushing the Idea
At age 27, Blakely relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and while still working at Fax machine sales company, Danka Sara spent the next two years and $5,000 savings researching and developing her hosiery idea. She spent nights and weekends working on the product that would become Spanx.

And Challenges came
Upon inquiring, she found that there were no female patent lawyers operating in the entire state of Georgia. Unwilling to spend the $3,000-$5,000 quoted in legal fees, Sara instead wrote her own patent herself after purchasing a textbook from Barnes & Noble.  And if that wasn't enough, She was turned away by every representative of America's hosiery mills in North Carolina she shared her Idea with. These companies were used to dealing with established companies and did not see the value of hers.

And there comes the Support System

Two weeks after arriving home from her North Carolina visit, Blakely received a call from a male mill operator based in Asheboro, North Carolina, who offered to support Blakely's concept and that was the beginning.

Blakely initially handled all aspects of the business, including marketing, logistics, and product positioning, preferring the location of Spanx alongside shoes in retail outlets, rather than in hosiery sections;however, her boyfriend at the time, a healthcare consultant, later resigned from his job and joined Blakely in the running of the nascent business.

Blakely was contacting friends and acquaintances, including those from her past, and asking them to seek out her products at select department stores in exchange for a check that she would send to them by mail as a token of appreciation.

Then, the Big Break

In November 2000, the popular television host, OprahWinfrey named Spanx a "Favorite Product", leading to a significant rise in popularity and sales, as well as Blakely's resignation from Danka.

Spanx achieved US$4 million in sales in its first year and US$10 million in sales in its second year. In 2001, Blakely signed a contract with QVC, the home shopping channel and sold 8,000 pairs in the first six minutes of operation.

In October 2013, Blakely explained that her ambition is to design the world's most comfortable high-heel shoe prior to retirement. As of 2014, she is listed as the 93rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

SPANX became a household name, and Sara, an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs all over the globe.By 2012 Sara had been featured on the cover of Forbes magazine as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, highlighted as Diane Sawyer’s Person of the Week on ABC World News and selected as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. Her story has been showcased everywhere from The Oprah Winfrey Show, TODAY, The View, 20/20, USA Today, CNN, Fox Business, and CNBC.

Her company is now an apparel juggernaut; she owns the whole thing, and her net worth is estimated at $1.1 billion.