How Sara Blakely Built SPANX and Reimagined Business as Play, Not War

When Sara Blakely sat cross-legged on her apartment floor in Atlanta after being told, “Business is war,” she made a decision that would define her billion-dollar trajectory: “I’m not going to war. I’m going to do this differently.”

That mindset shift didn’t just build a business—it rewrote the narrative of what entrepreneurship can feel like.

In a deeply personal and wisdom-packed interview on Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan, the SPANX founder and now Sneaks CEO unpacks how she went from selling fax machines door-to-door to becoming a self-made billionaire—without ever compromising who she was.

1. From Grief to Grit: The Power of Training Your Mind

At just 16, Blakely was handed cassette tapes of Dr. Wayne Dyer by her father following a series of personal tragedies. Most teenagers would’ve ignored them. She listened—and wept.

“I thought, I’ve spent 16 years in school learning what to think. No one ever taught me how to think.”

That moment was a turning point. She realized she could train her thoughts, which became her lifelong edge. She didn’t wait for a business idea to arrive. She primed her mind for it.

2. A Vision Before the Product

Two years before cutting the feet out of her pantyhose, Blakely journaled that she wanted to “invent a product I can sell to millions of people that makes them feel good.”

The product didn’t come first. The intention did.

This flips the script for wantrepreneurs: You don’t need to wait for a perfect idea to begin. Get clear on what lights you up, and what kind of impact you want to have—and the “how” will often follow.

3. Bootstrapped Brilliance: Why She Said No to Outside Investors

In an era when startup success is often measured in VC funding rounds, Blakely stood firm:

“I heard how much money people were raising and thought, am I a loser? But something in me said no—I don’t want to dilute myself.”

By bootstrapping SPANX with just $5,000 in savings and staying laser-focused on customer experience, she remained agile, profitable from month one, and, most importantly—intuitively aligned.

4. Business Isn’t War. It’s a Playground.

When two men told her, “Business is war,” Sara reimagined what leadership could look like.

“Why would anyone want to go to war? I’m going to bring feminine energy into business—intuition, vulnerability, empathy.”

She made decisions on long drives, asking the universe for signs. She framed her red Eastpak backpack as her good luck charm. She infused fun, creativity, and intention into every part of the process—from naming SPANX on a rental car agreement to launching her new venture, Sneaks.

5. The Long Game of Disruption: How Sneaks Took 8 Years to Build

After selling a majority stake in SPANX, Blakely didn’t rest. She spotted a new pain point: high heels that destroy your feet. But instead of rushing a product to market, she spent eight years prototyping, getting fired by multiple factories, and pivoting entirely—from a high heel to a hybrid sneaker-heel.

“If I’m going to offer something to a woman, it has to be 10x better than anything else. Not 4x. Not close.”

Sneaks isn’t just a shoe—it’s a continuation of Sara’s mission to advocate for how women feel, not just how they look.

Key Takeaways for Founders

• Train your brain before chasing the product. Your mindset is the most underutilized entrepreneurial asset.
• Don’t dilute yourself prematurely. Not all growth needs funding. Protect your intuition.
• Business can be joyful, intuitive, and deeply human. You don’t need to become someone else to succeed.
• Commit to quality over speed. Sometimes the biggest innovations take the longest.
• Let your pain points guide your innovation. That’s where your deepest empathy—and best product ideas—live.