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Sara Blakely

30 statements across 3 episodes · 5 bullish · 5 bearish · 1 people on the record · first statement Sep 12, 2016 by Sara Blakely · said 46 times in 28 episodes since 2017 · across every show →

On the record as a speaker too: Sara Blakely's record, appearances and statements → this page counts the times other people say the name.

Mentions by year

brought up most by Guy Raz (35), Maureen Kelly (2), Jenn Hyman (2), Chip Wilson (2), Adam Grant (2), Tara Bosch (1), Jane Wurwand (1)

tap a year for its mentions
0084158201720182019202020212022202320242025episodesmentions
048201720182019202020212022202320242025episodes it came up in
001.5438201720182019202020212022202320242025episodesmentions per episode
2025 4 mentions in 3 episodes 1 per episode
2024 9 mentions in 7 episodes 1 per episode
2023 1 mention in 1 episode
2022 5 mentions in 2 episodes 3 per episode
2021 2 mentions in 1 episode
2020 13 mentions in 5 episodes 3 per episode
2019 4 mentions in 4 episodes 1 per episode
2018 1 mention in 1 episode
2017 7 mentions in 4 episodes 2 per episode

every mention, scene by scene, with the transcript →

Everything said about Sara Blakely, oldest first

Sep 12, 2016
Insight
Blakely: Thinking retail placement equals success is founders' biggest mistake
“Oh my gosh, that is the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make. That is when the work begins.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 18:09 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 positive
Insight
Sara Blakely: A Market Opportunity Existed Between Thin Underwear and Thick Girdles
“The shapewear was so, it was like the girdles were so thick and overdone, and I saw an opportunity for something right in the middle that would just create the perfect canvas undergarment for women.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 2:51 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely: Spanx patent was self-written using a textbook and mother's sketch
“I went to Barnes and Noble on Peachtree in Atlanta and bought a book called Patents and Trademarks, and I wrote the patent, and then my mom's an artist, and so I asked her if she would sketch me in the prototype for the patent, and that is the picture in the U…”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 10:26 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely: A patent lawyer wrote Spanx patent claims for $750
“Yes, for 750 dollars, I'll do it over a weekend, and I'll write the claims portion of your patent.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 11:06 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 positive
Assertion Supported
Blakely: Neiman Marcus launched Spanx in seven stores as its first order
“And she said, I'm going to place an order, and I'm going to put it in seven stores and see how it goes.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 17:24 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 negative
Insight
Sara Blakely: Sharing early ideas invites ego and halts pursuit
“I believe that ideas are the most vulnerable in their infancy, and it's instinct to turn to your right or left in that moment and tell a friend or tell your husband. And you know, when you do that, instantly ego's invited into the mix, and then you end up spen…”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 8:48 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 neutral
Disclosure
Blakely Conceived Spanx After Cutting the Feet Out of Her Pantyhose
“And so when I cut the feet out of my own control top pantyhose so I could wear those cream pants, the light bulb went off, And then I started pursuing the idea.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 3:15 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 negative
Insight
Hosiery was uncomfortable because it was exclusively manufactured by men
“The manufacturing plants didn't get it at all, and I found it very interesting that all I was meeting with were men, and then it kind of became clear to me why they'd probably been so uncomfortable for so long, because the people that were making them weren't …”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 6:52 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely: Placed Spanx displays at Neiman Marcus registers without authorization
“Well, I went to Target, and I bought stands, you know, for envelopes, and I ran around the store and put them at every cash register, and everybody thought somebody else approved it, so they kept them there for a while.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 19:42 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Assertion Contradicted
Blakely: No female patent attorneys existed in Georgia when Spanx launched
“I couldn't find a single female patent attorney in the state of Georgia, and I even called the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and they said there isn't one.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 10:00 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely: Paid friends to buy Spanx at Neiman Marcus to create buzz
“I paid people, basically friends, to go buy the product and create a buzz about it because I was like, you know, I gotta have these things move off the shelf or the buyer's not gonna give me any more chance.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 18:15 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016 positive
Assertion Supported
Blakely: Sold 8,000 pairs of Spanx during first five minutes on QVC
“And they gave me five minutes of air time, And I sold 8000 pair of Spanx in five minutes.”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 21:17 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Sep 12, 2016
Disclosure
Blakely: Started Spanx with $5,000 saved from selling fax machines
“I had set aside 5000 dollars in savings from selling fax machines door to door, and that's what I started Spanx with”
Sara Blakely Sep 12, 2016 ▶ 3:31 Spanx: Sara Blakely
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely Secretly Put Target Envelope Stands at Neiman Marcus Registers
“Well, I went to Target, and I bought stands, you know, for envelopes. And I ran around the store and put them at every cash register, and everybody thought somebody else approved it, so they kept them there for a while.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 20:18 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017 positive
Insight
Blakely Found a Market Gap Between Thongs and Thick Girdles
“Regular underwear left a panty line, The thong wasn't a great solution. It also left marks that you could see, and then the shapewear was so, it was like the girdles were so thick and overdone, and I saw an opportunity for something right in the middle that wo…”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 3:19 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Partly supported
Blakely Sold 8,000 Pairs of Spanx in Five Minutes on QVC
“And I sold 8000 pair of Spanx in five minutes.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 22:09 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
What-if
Blakely: Early Skepticism From Friends Would Have Stopped Spanx Entirely
“I feel like if I had heard that the night that I cut the feet out of my pantyhose, I'd probably still be selling fax machines.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 10:11 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017 negative
Insight
Blakely: Assuming Retail Placement Equals Success Is Founders' Biggest Mistake
“Oh my gosh, that is the biggest mistake that entrepreneurs make. That is when the work begins.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 18:46 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Supported
Blakely: Spanx Ran Zero Formal Ad Campaigns in First 15 Years
“I mean, I've never advertised. Spanx is 15 years old, and we've never done any formal ad campaign or anything, and so it's a very word of mouth brand.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 20:49 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Supported
Blakely's Mother Sketched the Official Prototype Drawing for Spanx's Patent
“And so I asked her if she would sketch me in the prototype for the patent, and that is the picture in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 11:10 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017 negative
Insight
Blakely: Hosiery Was Uncomfortable Because Male Mill Owners Never Wore It
“I found it very interesting that all I was meeting with were men, and then it kind of became clear to me why they'd probably been so uncomfortable for so long, because the people that were making them weren't spending all day in them, you know, and so, and if …”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 7:27 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Disclosure
Sara Blakely Confirms She Still Owns 100 Percent of Spanx
“Yes.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 23:49 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Insight
Blakely: Keep Early Ideas Secret to Avoid Inviting Ego and Distraction
“I believe that ideas are the most vulnerable in their infancy, and it's instinct to turn to your right or left in that moment and tell a friend or tell your husband. And you know, when you do that, instantly ego's invited into the mix, and then you end up spen…”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 9:23 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely Started Spanx With $5,000 Saved From Selling Fax Machines
“I had set aside 5000 dollars in savings from selling fax machines door to door, and that's what I started Spanx with.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 4:06 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Jul 3, 2017
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely Paid Friends to Fake Retail Momentum at Neiman Marcus
“First of all, I paid people basically friends to go buy the product and create a buzz about it because I was like, you know, I gotta have these things move off the shelf or the buyer's not gonna give me any more chance.”
Sara Blakely Jul 3, 2017 ▶ 18:51 Spanx: Sara Blakely (2017)
Dec 5, 2019
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
The first Spanx homepage was a scanned color copy for 18 months
“I actually took a color copy of the packaging I'd created on my friend's computer and scanned it, and that was the home page of my website for a year and a half.”
Sara Blakely Dec 5, 2019 ▶ 12:02 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx
Dec 5, 2019
Assertion Supported
Oprah named Spanx a favorite product weeks after Blakely quit her job
“I quit my job on October 16th, and Oprah called me in the beginning of November. And chose Spanx as her favorite product of the year.”
Sara Blakely Dec 5, 2019 ▶ 11:21 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx
Dec 5, 2019
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Blakely paid her friends to buy early Spanx in retail stores
“I was buying my own product. So I was sending checks to all of my friends around the country to go buy Spanx.”
Sara Blakely Dec 5, 2019 ▶ 9:56 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx
Dec 5, 2019 positive
Insight
Blakely: Cold calling is one of life's greatest training experiences
“I believe that cold calling is one of life's greatest trainings.”
Sara Blakely Dec 5, 2019 ▶ 5:48 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx
Dec 5, 2019 negative
What-if
Blakely: Spanx wouldn't exist if she shared the idea too early
“And I think, I really believe, Guy, that had I heard that in the minute that I had the idea and cut the feet out of my pantyhose, I really think I would Not have started Spanx.”
Sara Blakely Dec 5, 2019 ▶ 3:27 Live From The HIBT Summit: Sara Blakely Of Spanx
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