Correction—I actually love the story behind Spanx.

I haven’t worn one in a while.

Anyways, for those of you that don’t know, Spanx—a woman’s shapewear attire—was invented by a woman named Sara Blakely.

Born in Clearwater, Florida in 1971, Sara grew up in a pretty supportive family with a father who, at dinner, would ask the same question every night:

“What did you fail at today?”

Her parents wanted Sara and her brother to grow up knowing that they shouldn’t be afraid of being judged for failing. That with every failure comes an experience to learn something new.

And up until her 20’s, Sara had dreams of becoming a lawyer like her father, but that dream was crushed when she had failed her Law School Admission Test twice. And so she decided enroll in Florida State University where she would go on to earn her degree in communications.

After college, she hopped around for years trying to find her calling. At one point she worked at Walt Disney World playing characters in a theme park and even tried stand-up comedy in local clubs.

At 23 years old she was now selling fax machines door-to-door where she would go on to do this for seven years.

In later interviews she said it was a demoralizing job that was met with constant rejection and long hours—all in the Florida heat.

And at this point she was starting to get criticized by her family and friends for not having a “real job” and the constant self-comparison to her friends who had traditional career paths like law or medicine.

Looking back, she says she often felt embarrassed and out of place, especially since she didn’t have a title she was happy with.

But for seven years she hit the pavement every day and went on to save $5,000. And at 29 years old she had an idea for a new type of undergarment for woman. Something that would provide a smooth look under her clothes but not necessarily fall under pantyhose or traditional shapewear.

So one night before a party, she cut the feet off a pair of pantyhose to create the effect she wanted, and Spanx was born.

Deciding to take action, Sara pulled out her life savings of $5,000 and spent the next two years researching the market, creating prototypes, and pitching her idea to textile factories.

And even though she had multiple factories reject her idea, she eventually found someone who was willing to give her a shot.

Within one year of releasing Spanx, Sara’s company was featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show as one of her favorite things for the year.

With that exposure came $4 million in sales and made Sara into a self-made millionaire by 35. And six years later, she became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world in 2012.

Despite her embarrassment for not living up to her family or friends expectations, working dead-end jobs, and feeling lost in her 20’s, Sara didn’t let that deter the fact that she was eventually destined for greatness.

Yeah, it might’ve taken her a little longer than her friends to create a name for herself, but look at where she’s at now.

So next time you feel as though you’re behind or embarrassed at your current position in life, remember:

“Good things come to those who wait, but better things come to those who are patient.” — Violet Fane

Trust the process.

Until next time,
Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I’m Currently Reading - I’m now reading The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. A small guide on how to write effectively and master your skills in the written word.

Quote Of The Week - “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” — C.S. Lewis