Spanx founder is Forbes' youngest self-made woman billionaire

MANILA, Philippines - Spanx inventor and founder Sara Blakely was named Forbes’ Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire.  Blakely, who graces the cover of the special issue, joins the short list of other American self-made woman billionaires, including Oprah Winfrey and Meg Whitman.  The Forbes cover story highlights how Blakely turned $5,000 savings into a global phenomenon.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper on his daytime TV talk show in America, Blakely shares how she felt the moment she discovered she was on Forbes’ Billionaires’ List. “Honestly, it still feels so surreal. It still hasn’t sunk in! It’s been a pinch-me moment!”

The inspiring entrepreneur says that aside from her family, she is most proud of achieving a level of success beyond her wildest dreams. With her creativity and unyielding passion, Blakely has inspired budding entrepreneurs out there to follow their dreams and not be afraid of failure. “I think fear prevents so many people from pursuing their ideas. Failure to me is in not trying rather than in not succeeding.” This valuable piece of advice, which she got from her father, inspired her to always want to push herself out of her comfort zone.

Blakely also explains that her path to success was definitely no easy feat. She drove around begging mill owners to help make her idea but was turned down many times until one day, she got a call from a mill buyer from Neiman Marcus who said he decided to help her with her crazy idea. The rest, as they say, is history.

“I really am just like anybody else out there,” Blakely says. “I found myself in a place where I think many people can relate to but I made the decision and I committed to that decision to figure it out for myself. It took a ton of hard work. It was a roller-coaster but I feel amazingly blessed to be doing what I do, and I love every minute of it,” shares the successful entrepreneur.

When asked what her number-one tip would be for a woman who is starting in business or dreaming of starting one, Blakely has this to share: “You’ve got to trust your gut. I didn’t have any background in what I was doing. Trust your gut — it’s a really good compass. The other thing is to differentiate yourself. You’ve got to know why you’re different, why you’re better — and your customer needs to know why you’re different and better and they need to get it in 30 seconds or less.”

From boardroom to bedroom: “Your customer needs to know why you’re different and better and they need to get it in 30 seconds or less,” says Blakely. Today, Spanx has become a red carpet must-have for celebrities and a daily necessity for women and men everywhere.

Today, Spanx has become a red carpet must-have for celebrities and a daily necessity for women and men everywhere. It is available in 40 countries and now offers more than 200 products ranging from slimming apparel and swimsuits to bras, activewear and men’s undershirts and underwear. In addition to keeping butts covered, Spanx also helps shape the world by focusing on their mission of empowering women around the world.

In the Philippines, Spanx is exclusively distributed by Rustan Marketing Corporation and is available at Rustan’s Department Stores in Makati, Shangri-La Plaza, Alabang and Cebu.