Sara Blakely
Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx, the youngest self-made female billionaire in history, and an advocate for women entrepreneurs.
Background & Expertise
Sara Blakely has revolutionized both women’s apparel and entrepreneurial opportunity as the founder of Spanx and the youngest self-made female billionaire in history. Her journey from selling fax machines door-to-door to building a global brand with minimal outside investment demonstrates extraordinary resilience, innovation, and business acumen. Beyond her product innovation, Blakely has become a powerful advocate for female entrepreneurship, founding the Sara Blakely Foundation to support women through education and entrepreneurial training.
Blakely’s expertise in women’s empowerment and social impact comes from her lived experience overcoming gender barriers in business, from patent attorneys who initially dismissed her invention to manufacturers who refused to take her seriously. Her success despite these obstacles—and her subsequent commitment to elevating other women entrepreneurs—provides authentic foundation for her insights on gender equity in business. Unlike theoretical speakers on women’s empowerment, Blakely brings practical wisdom from building a billion-dollar enterprise as a woman with no formal business education or connections.
Signature Concepts & Methodologies
Intuitive Product Innovation
Blakely’s approach to identifying overlooked market opportunities through personal experience rather than traditional market research.
Reframing Failure Methodology
Her system for converting rejection and failure into stepping stones for success through specific resilience practices.
Beginner’s Advantage Framework
Blakely’s counterintuitive principle that industry outsiders often create breakthrough innovations by questioning assumptions that insiders take for granted.
Investment in Women Model
Her approach to creating scalable impact by providing both capital and mentorship to female entrepreneurs.
Purpose-Driven Capitalism
Blakely’s methodology for building businesses that generate both profit and positive social impact through aligned core operations.
Books & Thought Leadership
- The Belly of the Beast: How I Built a Billion-Dollar Business Starting with $5,000 - Her upcoming entrepreneurial memoir.
- The Gift of Failure: How Rejection Became My Competitive Advantage - Her book on resilience and perseverance.
- Founder of the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation supporting female entrepreneurs globally.
- Signatory of the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of her wealth to charitable causes.
- Creator of numerous entrepreneurial education and mentorship programs for women.
Speaking Style & Audience Experience
Blakely delivers presentations with disarming authenticity, self-deprecating humor, and relatable wisdom that immediately connects with diverse audiences. Her speaking style combines entertaining stories from her entrepreneurial journey with practical business insights, creating sessions that feel like intimate conversations despite venue size. She excels at making entrepreneurship accessible by demystifying the process of building a successful company, emphasizing persistence and problem-solving over innate genius or special connections.
What distinguishes Blakely’s keynotes is her transparency about both struggles and successes—openly sharing missteps, doubts, and unconventional methods alongside breakthrough moments. She creates powerful connections through vulnerability and humor, often discussing topics other business leaders avoid, from product development failures to personal insecurities. Attendees consistently report feeling both inspired and equipped with practical strategies, regardless of their industry or career stage.
Ideal Audiences & Event Types
- Women’s leadership conferences and empowerment events
- Entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem gatherings
- Retail and consumer product industry events
- Innovation and product development summits
- Corporate social responsibility and impact investing forums
- Organizations focused on supporting women in business
Recent Focus Areas
- Creating resilient entrepreneurial mindsets amid economic uncertainty
- Building purpose-driven businesses that maintain growth while maximizing positive impact
- Developing innovation approaches that center overlooked customer needs
- Implementing mentorship models that accelerate women’s business success
- Advancing philanthropic strategies that create systemic change rather than temporary relief
