Jonno White
Feb 13, 202332 min
1. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, ‘Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?”
2. “My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?” – Sara Blakely
3. “You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a Polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.”
4. “Failures are life’s way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.” – Sara Blakely
5. “We don’t have the luxury of time. We spend more because of how we live, but it’s important to be with our family & friends.”
6. “It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.” Sara Blakely
7. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” ―Sara Blakely
8. “Don’t be afraid to fail.” Sara Blakely
9. “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always
10. “Failure to me became not trying versus not succeeding.”
11. I had to position myself to get five minutes in the door with buyers.” – Sara Blakely
12. “If somebody can do something 80% as good as you think you would’ve done it yourself, then you’ve got to let it go!”
13. “My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” — Sara Blakely
14. “My first account was Neiman Marcus. I cold-called them just like I had cold-called businesses when I was selling fax machines for seven years.” – Sara Blakely
15. “Effort is the Key to Unlocking Our Potential.”
16. “I feel like money makes you more of who you already are.” – Sara Blakely
17. “Because a big portion of what I do doesn’t have a rhythm or predictable cadence to it, I've made it an even bigger priority to create routine where I can.” — Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx
18. “My training of cold-calling and everyone under the sun telling me no, and my keeping going, was a huge part of the first two years of Spanx.” – Sara Blakely
19. “Grind now, relax later.”
20. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” ~ Sara Blakely
21. “When I cut the feet out of my pantyhose that one time, I saw it as my sign. I had been visualizing being self employed prior to this happening. It was my mental preparation meeting the opportunity in that moment.” – Sara Blakely
22. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” Sara Blakely
23. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” — Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX
24. “We can make the world a better place.” Sara Blakely
25. “Ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
26. “Most of us want to tell our coworkers or friends, or husbands or wives, our ideas. For what reason? We want validation. But I feel ideas are most vulnerable in their infancy. Out of love and concern, friends and family give all the reasons or objections on why [you] shouldn't do it. I didn't want to risk that.”
27. “I think very early on in life we all learn what we’re good at and what we’re not good at, and we stay where it’s safe.”
28. “To me, failure means not trying.” Sara Blakely
29. “I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people - don't tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment it is the most vulnerable - one negative comment could knock you off course.”
30. “Whatever you can think, you can create; just have a very clear vision… Once you have your snapshot, work on filling in the blanks to get to that place.”
31. “I started thinking about joy. Everything in our society is so purposeful. Let's bring joy back to the experience.”
32. “Do The Work. Everyone Wants To Be Successful, But Nobody Wants To Do The Work.”
33. “Instead of failure being the outcome, failure became not trying. And it forced me at a young age to want to push myself so much further out of my comfort zone.” ~ Sara Blakely
34. “When I was 7, I came up with the idea of ‘charm socks.’ My mom would take me to buy bags of plastic charms, we would sew them on frilly white socks, and I sold them at school.” – Sara Blakely
35. “If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you’ve got to let it go.”
36. “I started thinking about joy. Everything in our society is so purposeful. Let’s bring joy back to the experience.” – Sara Blakely
37. “When you help a woman fulfill her potential, magic happens.”
38. “I always joke and say I want to invent a comfortable stiletto and then retire.”
39. “If we can put a man on the moon, we can make pantyhose comfortable.” – Sara Blakely
40. “Embrace what you don`t know.” – Sara Blakely
41. “When I was a child, my father used to encourage my brother and me to fail. At the dinner table, instead of asking about the best part of our day, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something to tell him, he would be disappointed. When we shared whatever failure we’d endured, he’d high-five us and say, ‘Way to go!’ The gift my father gave us by doing this was redefining what failure truly meant.” – Sara Blakely
42. “Don’t solicit feedback on your product, idea or your business just for validation purposes. You want to tell the people who can help move your idea forward, but if you’re just looking to your friend, co-worker, husband or wife for validation, be careful. It can stop a lot of multimillion-dollar ideas in their tracks in the beginning.” – Sara Blakely
43. “In the next decade, I see Spanx going worldwide. Everywhere. No butt left behind. It’s going to be all over the world and it’s going to be an aspirational brand that transcends categories. There’s so many things we can improve upon and make better.” – Sara Blakely
44. Take a Polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.” – Sara Blakely
45. “Courage is doing something despite the fear, and I've worked hard on being a courageous person.”
46. “If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you’ve got to let it go”
47. “Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.”
48. “I knew that I wanted to start my own business. I knew that I wanted to work for myself. I was no stranger to the word no. You just have to keep going.” ~ Sara Blakely
49. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – Sara Blakely
50. Trust your gut.” – Sara Blakely
51. “Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ is my go-to song to pump myself up if I’m having a tough time or if I get really nervous right before a speech.”
52. “Courage is doing something despite the fear.”
53. “I’ve always leaned toward a feminine, funky style, even in business settings. I used to paint my nails blue in 1993, before it was mainstream.”
54. “When I was a child, my father used to encourage my brother and me to fail. At the dinner table, instead of asking about the best part of our day, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something to tell him, he would be disappointed.
55. “Perseverance is the key to starting a successful business.”
56. “When you’re doing something and your purpose is greater than yourself, it will give you courage you never knew you had.” – Sara Blakely
57. “Failure is not the outcome - failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.”
58. “My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” – Sara Blakely
59. “When something I can’t control happens, I ask myself : where is the hidden gift, where is the positive in this?” – Sara Blakely
60. “Failure to me became not trying versus not succeeding.” – Sara Blakely
61. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” -Sara Blakely
62. “Within the first year of launching my company, Spanx, I decided to go over to England and cold-call Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Selfridges the same way I had cold-called Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s here in the United States.”
63. “Ideas, even million-dollar ones, are most vulnerable in their infancy. One negative comment could knock you off course so don't share them with too many people. Out of love and concern, friends and family give all the reasons or objections on why you shouldn't do it. However, don't hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.”
64. “When I was growing up, my dad would encourage my brother and I to fail. We would be sitting at the dinner table and he would ask, 'So what did you guys fail at this week?' If we didn't have something to contribute, he would be disappointed. When I did fail at something, he'd high-five me. What I didn't realize at the time was that he was completely reframing my definition of failure at a young age. To me, failure means not trying; failure isn't the outcome. If I have to look at myself in the mirror and say, 'I didn't try that because I was scared,' that is failure.”
65. “Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' is my go-to song to pump myself up if I'm having a tough time or if I get really nervous right before a speech.”
66. “When something I can’t control happens, I ask myself, where is the hidden gift? Where is the positive in this?” Sara Blakely
67. “My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
68. “What you don’t know can be your greatest asset.” – Sara Blakely
69. “I shopped for body shapers for the first time in my life and I was horrified. They were thick – it was like wearing workout clothes and they all had a leg band on one side that showed through the pants.” – Sara Blakely
70. “When I was growing up, my dad would encourage my brother and I to fail. We would be sitting at the dinner table and he would ask, ‘So what did you guys fail at this week?’ If we didn’t have something to contribute, he would be disappointed. When I did fail at something, he’d high-five me. What I didn’t realize at the time was that he was completely re-framing my definition of failure at a young age. To me, failure means not trying; failure isn’t the outcome. If I have to look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘I didn’t try that because I was scared,’ that is failure.” – Sara Blakely
71. “You've got to embrace what you don't know.”
72. “Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”
73. “The smartest thing I ever did was to hire my weakness.” Sara Blakely
74. “Whatever you can think, you can create; just have a very clear vision… Once you have your snapshot, work on filling in the blanks to get to that place.” – Sara Blakely
75. “My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” ~ Sara Blakely
76. “Always be kind. Along the way, some people liked me; some people didn’t. As long as I’m in check with my ‘why’ and my purpose, and I know that I have a good intention and I’m being kind, I’ve got to let go of all of that other worry.”
77. “I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver…”
78. “Most of us want to tell our coworkers or friends, or husbands or wives, our ideas.
79. “Failure is not the outcome. Failure is not trying.” – Sara Blakely
80. “I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating. Most people attach failure to something not working out or how people perceive you. This way, it is about answering to yourself.”
81. “I did not like the way I looked in a pair of white pants.” – Sara Blakely
82. “I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people—don’t tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment, it is the most vulnerable—one negative comment could knock you off course.”
83. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating.” Sara Blakely
84. “When I was 7, I came up with the idea of ‘charm socks.’ My mom would take me to buy bags of plastic charms, we would sew them on frilly white socks, and I sold them at school.”
85. “Failure is not the outcome-failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.” - Sara Blakely
86. “I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people--don't tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment, it is the most vulnerable--one negative comment could knock you off course.”
87. “I’m just like so many women – I was frustrated, I had these white pants that I had spent a lot of money on, and you get home and you think, ‘What am I really supposed to wear under this?’ So it was a frustrated consumer moment.” – Sara Blakely
88. “Failure is not the outcome – failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.” – Sara Blakely
89. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend and fun to give away.”
90. “There is hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives.” Sara Blakely
91. “I did not have the most experience in the industry or the most money, but I cared the most.” – Sara Blakely
92. “I had been visualizing being self-employed.” Sara Blakely
93. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to the outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating. Most people attach failure to something not working out or how people perceive you. This way, it is about answering to yourself.” – Sara Blakely
94. “The thought of my mortality – I think about it a lot. I find it motivating. It can be any time that your number’s up.” – Sara Blakely
95. “I did not like the way I looked in a pair of white pants.”
96. “I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a much better place if half the human race (women) were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for office essentially be given the chance to soar.”
97. “My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?” ~ Sara Blakely
98. “Everything about my journey to get Spanx off the ground entailed me having to be a salesperson – from going to the hosiery mills to get a prototype made to calling Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. I had to position myself to get five minutes in the door with buyers.” – Sara Blakely
99. “I grew up in a house where my father encouraged my brother and me to fail. I specifically remember coming home and saying, ‘Dad, Dad, I tried out for this or that and I was horrible,’ and he would high-five me and say, ‘Way to go.’” – Sara Blakely
100. “I did not have the most experience in the industry or the most money, but I cared the most.” Sara Blakely
101. “I feel like money makes you more of who you already are.” Sara Blakely
102. “I didn’t want women to walk out of the dressing rooms feeling depressed and wanting a cocktail.”
103. “Differentiate yourself! Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
104. “I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people – don’t tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment it is the most vulnerable – one negative comment could knock you off course.” – Sara Blakely
105. “My revenue was $4 million my first year in business, off of one $20 item.” – Sara Blakely
106. “The thing about fashion – it’s like ducks going quack, quack quack. It’s being dictated from above, and it just makes me want to rebel against it.” – Sara Blakely
107. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating. Most people attach failure to something not working out or how people perceive you. This way, it is about answering to yourself.” – Sara Blakely
108. “Failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. This way, it is about answering to yourself.” – Sara Blakely
109. “The qualities I most admire in women are confidence and kindness.” – Sara Blakely
110. Take action and believe in yourself. Dreams do come true.
111. “I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”
112. Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else. – Sara Blakely
113. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – Sara Blakely, CEO of SPANX 2000-Present
114. “I’d never worked in fashion or retail. I just needed an undergarment that didn’t exist.” – Sara Blakely
115. “My dad encouraged us to fail growing up. He would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome — failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.”
116. “It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.” – Sara Blakely
117. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend and fun to give away.” ~ Sara Blakely
118. “Most of us want to tell our coworkers or friends, or husbands or wives, our ideas. For what reason? We want validation. But I feel ideas are most vulnerable in their infancy. Out of love and concern, friends and family give all the reasons or objections on why you shouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to risk that.” – Sara Blakely
119. “Everything in our society is so purposeful.” – Sara Blakely
120. “Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not not going to do things in my life because of fear.”
121. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – SPANX founder Sara Blakely
122. “Instead of failure being the outcome, failure became not trying. And it forced me at a young age to want to push myself so much further out of my comfort zone.”
123. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend, and fun to give away.” – Sara Blakely
124. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset.”
125. “You’ve got to embrace what you don’t know.” – Sara Blakely
126. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, ‘Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?’” – Sara Blakely
127. “What I most identify with is effortless fashion, looking as if someone’s not put a lot of effort into their look.” – Sara Blakely
128. “I did not have the most experience in the industry or the most money, but I cared the most.”
129. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else. —Sara Blakely, founder & CEO of Spanx
130. “People feed off of your passion and your confidence. ” – Sara Blakely
131. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” -- Sara Blakely
132. “I ended up persevering through roadblocks by just not giving up. I used a lot of persistence balanced with humor balanced with vulnerability and I asked people to help.” – Sara Blakely
133. “Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not not going to do things in my life because of fear.” – Sara Blakely
134. “I had been visualizing being self-employed.”
135. “Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not not going to do things in my life because of fear…”
136. “Failure to me became not trying versus not succeeding.” ~ Sara Blakely
137. “Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in my life because of fear.”
138. “Trusting your gut is like a muscle. The more you do it, the stronger it gets.” -- Sara Blakely
139. “Failures are life’s way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.” - Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx
140. “If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you've got to let it go.”
141. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend and fun to give away.” – Sara Blakely
142. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in my life because of fear.” – Sara Blakely
143. “Where I get my energy is: ‘How can I make it better?”
144. “Failures are life’s way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.”
145. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course.”
146. “In business, you’re going to hear the word ‘no’ a lot. The importance of trusting yourself and your own rear end is what’s going to keep you going. Recognize that failure or the word ‘no’ is not the end.” -- Sara Blakely
147. “Where I get my energy is: ‘How can I make it better?” – Sara Blakely
148. “People start businesses I think for two reasons. You can make something better that already exists, or you have an idea that doesn’t already exist. So, if you’re sitting on either one of those, you gotta go for it.” – Sara Blakely
149. “My dad encouraged us to fail growing up. He would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome–failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.”
150. “In business, you’re going to hear the word ‘no’ a lot. The importance of trusting yourself and your own rear end is what’s going to keep you going. Recognize that failure or the word ‘no’ is not the end.”
151. “Trust your gut.” – Sara Blakely
152. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
153. “Courage is doing something despite the fear, and I’ve worked hard on being a courageous person.” – Sara Blakely
154. “My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn’t have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don’t be afraid to fail.“ – Sara Blakely
155. “Most of the reasons we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in my life because of fear.” – Sara Blakely
156. “I grew up in a house where my father encouraged my brother and me to fail. I specifically remember coming home and saying, ‘Dad, Dad, I tried out for this or that and I was horrible,’ and he would high-five me and say, ‘Way to go.'” – Sara Blakely
157. “I failed the LSAT. Basically, if I had not failed, I’d have been a lawyer and there would be no Spanx. I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It is liberating.” – Sara Blakely
158. “Ideas, even million-dollar ones, are most vulnerable in their infancy; don't share them with too many people. However, don't hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.”
159. “I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment. I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a much better place if half the human race were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for office essentially be given the chance to soar.”
160. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, ‘Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?” – Sara Blakely
161. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” – Sara Blakely, Founder and CEO of SPANX
162. “Shapewear is the canvas and the clothes are the art.”
163. “I aim to be pretty – I gave up dressing to be sexy in the eighties.” – Sara Blakely
164. “I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver.”
165. “My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What's important about you? Why does the customer need you?”
166. “I feel like (success and) money makes you more of who you already are. If you’re an asshole, you become a bigger asshole, if you’re nice, you become nicer.”
167. “I didn’t want women to walk out of the dressing rooms feeling depressed and wanting a cocktail.” – Sara Blakely
168. “I knew that I wanted to start my own business. I knew that I wanted to work for myself. I was no stranger to the word no. You just have to keep going.” – Sara Blakely
169. “If somebody can do something 80 percent as good as you think you would have done it yourself, then you’ve got to let it go.” – Sara Blakely
170. “Most of the reason we don’t do things is because we’re afraid to fail. I just made a decision one day that I was not going to do things in life because of fear.”
171. “Because a big portion of what I do doesn’t have a rhythm or predictable cadence to it, I’ve made it an even bigger priority to create routine where I can.” – Sara Blakely.
172. “I'll mix a lot of things. I'll wear a Temperley dress with flip flops, or I might be in head-to-toe Gucci and have on a ring that I got from a gumball machine for 50 cents.”
173. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, ‘Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?’”
174. “Within the first year of launching my company, Spanx, I decided to go over to England and cold-call Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Selfridges the same way I had cold-called Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s here in the United States.” – Sara Blakely
175. “What you don’t know can be your greatest asset.”
176. “I have this system where if I buy three or four new things, I give away three or four things. Sometimes, it’s a very painful system, but shopping is even better when you know that someone else who needs it will be getting. Keep the clothing karma going, I say.”
177. “Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ is my go-to song to pump myself up if I’m having a tough time or if I get really nervous right before a speech.” – Sara Blakely
178. “It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.” - Sara Blakely
179. “Everything in our society is so purposeful.”
180. “Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset.”
181. “Having a mental snapshot of where you are, where you are going, and what you are moving toward is incredibly powerful.” – Sara Blakely
182. “I always say, ‘I think being a woman in business is our weakness and strength are being underestimated.” – Sara Blakely
183. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know.” – Sara Blakely
184. “The qualities I most admire in women are confidence and kindness.” Sara Blakely
185. “Failures are life's way of nudging you and letting you know you are off course. Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.”
186. “Differentiate yourself! Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?” – Sara Blakely
187. “Within the first year of launching my company, Spanx, I decided to go over to England and cold-call Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Selfridges the same way I had cold-called Neiman Marcus, Saks, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s here in the United States.” Sara Blakely
188. “I’d never worked in fashion or retail. I just needed an undergarment that didn’t exist.”
189. “Determination Today, Leads To Success Tomorrow.”
190. “We don’t have the luxury of time. We spend more because of how we live, but it’s important to be with our family and friends.” – Sara Blakely
191. “I'd get kicked out of buildings all day long, people would rip up my business card in my face. It's a humbling business to be in. But I knew I could sell and I knew I wanted to sell something I had created. I cut the feet out of those pantyhose and I knew I was on to something. This was it.”
192. “Perseverance is the key to starting a successful business.” – Sara Blakely
193. “You’ve got to embrace what you don’t know.”
194. “We can make the world a better place, one butt at a time.” ~ Sara Blakely
195. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you’re guaranteed to do them differently.” – Sara Blakely
196. “It’s really a full-time job to manage our lives.”
197. “I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment. I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a much better place if half the human race (women) were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for office essentially be given the chance to soar.” – Sara Blakely
198. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course.” – Sara Blakely
199. “Perseverance is the key to starting a successful business.” Sara Blakely
200. “I’d get kicked out of buildings all day long, people would rip up my business card in my face. It’s a humbling business to be in. But I knew I could sell and I knew I wanted to sell something I had created. I cut the feet out of those pantyhose and I knew I was on to something. This was it.”
201. “I knew that I wanted to start my own business. I knew that I wanted to work for myself. I was no stranger to the word no. You just have to keep going.”
202. “Perseverance is the key to starting a successful business.” ~ Sara Blakely
203. “The word ‘Spanx’ was funny. It made people laugh. No one ever forgot it.”
204. “If you’re afraid to fail then you’re probably going to fail.”Kobe Bryant
205. “People feed off of your passion and your confidence.” – Sara Blakely
206. “My dad encouraged us to fail growing up. He would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn't have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome -- failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail." -- Sara Blakely
207. “I feel like money makes you more of who you already are.”
208. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”
209. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
210. “Ideas, even million-dollar ones, are most vulnerable in their infancy; don’t share them with too many people. However, don’t hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.”
211. “What I most identify with is effortless fashion, looking as if someone’s not put a lot of effort into their look.”
212. “The smartest thing I ever did was to hire my weakness.” – Sara Blakely
213. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.” — Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX
214. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can be your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else” – Sara Blakely
215. “Courage is doing something despite the fear, and I’ve worked hard on being a courageous person.”
216. However, don’t hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.” – Sara Blakely
217. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.”
218. “You’ve got to embrace what you don’t know.” Sara Blakely
219. “I made a conscious decision not to tell anyone in my life. Now I tell people–don’t tell anyone your idea until you have invested enough of yourself in it that you are not going to turn back. When a person has an idea at that conception moment, it is the most vulnerable–one negative comment could knock you off course.”
220. “I took a Fear of Flying class, and I always missed the class, because I was always flying.”
221. “I have this system where if I buy three or four new things, I give away three or four things. Sometimes, it's a very painful system, but shopping is even better when you know that someone else who needs it will be getting. Keep the clothing karma going, I say.”
222. “What you don’t know can be your greatest asset.” Sara Blakely
223. “You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.” ~ Sara Blakely
224. “I started thinking about joy. Everything in our society is so purposeful. Let’s bring joy back to the experience.”
225. “If you don’t let knowing how it’s done intimidate you, it’s amazing what you can do.” – Sara Blakely
226. “Every time I went on stage I was so terrified I almost threw up.” – Sara Blakely
227. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely
228. “Instead of failure being the outcome, failure became not trying. And it forced me at a young age to want to push myself so much further out of my comfort zone.” – Sara Blakely
229. “Don't let what you don't know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset. And if you do things without knowing how they have always been done, you're guaranteed to do them differently.”
230. “I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying at all.”
231. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know.” Sara Blakely
232. “My husband is such a healthy eater. Except when it comes to sweets. He never consumes anything except fruit until noon. And then from noon on he might have some brown rice and some tofu, and then, come eight or nine at night, he orders three mud-pie double-chocolate pieces of cake and eats all three of them.” – Sara Blakely
233. “It’s really a full-time job to manage our lives.” – Sara Blakely
234. “I got a call from the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah had chosen Spanx as one of her favorite products in 2000. I had boxes of product in my apartment and I had two weeks notice that she was going to say she loved it on TV and I had no shipping department.” – Sara Blakely
235. “Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams, Or Your Dreams Will Give Up On You.”
236. “The smartest thing I ever did was to hire my weaknesses.”
237. “The smartest thing I ever did was to hire my weakness.”
238. “Trust your gut.” Sara Blakely
239. “I’ve always leaned toward a feminine, funky style, even in business settings. I used to paint my nails blue in 1993, before it was mainstream.” – Sara Blakely
240. “Embrace what you don't know, especially in the beginning, because what you don't know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else.”
241. “Work on your mindset daily because it is really going to be what differentiates you between other entrepreneurs.” – Sara Blakely
242. “Where I get my energy is: ‘How can I make it better?'” – Sara Blakely
243. “If we can put a man on the moon, we can make pantyhose comfortable.”
244. “Embrace what you don`t know”
245. “When something I can’t control happens, I ask myself: Where is the hidden gift? Where is the positive in this?” ―Sara Blakely
246. “I didn’t like the way it looked in white trousers, and I couldn’t find anything to work underneath them.” – Sara Blakely
247. “I have this system where if I buy three or four new things, I give away three or four things. Sometimes, it’s a very painful system, but shopping is even better when you know that someone else who needs it will be getting. Keep the clothing karma going, I say.” – Sara Blakely
248. “I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver.” ~ Sara Blakely
249. “The biggest risk in life is not risking.” -- Sara Blakely
250. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, ‘Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?'” – Sara Blakely
251. “Always be kind. Along the way, some people liked me; some people didn’t. As long as I’m in check with my ‘why’ and my purpose, and I know that I have a good intention and I’m being kind, I’ve got to let go of all of that other worry.” -- Sara Blakely
252. “When you help a woman fulfill her potential, magic happens.” – Sara Blakely
253. “I think very early on in life we all learn what we’re good at and what we’re not good at, and we stay where it’s safe.” – Sara Blakely
254. “I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course.”
255. “It’s the power of the brand. We’ve never formally advertised.” – Sara Blakely
256. “The word ‘Spanx’ was funny. It made people laugh. No one ever forgot it.” – Sara Blakely
257. “When something I can’t control happens, I ask myself : where is the hidden gift, where is the positive in this?”
258. “In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.” – Sara Blakely
259. “Sell the problem you’re solving, not the product.” – Sara Blakely
260. “My dad encouraged us to fail. Growing up, he would ask us what we failed at that week. If we didn't have something, he would be disappointed. It changed my mindset at an early age that failure is not the outcome, failure is not trying. Don't be afraid to fail.”
261. “Don't solicit feedback on your product, idea or your business just for validation purposes. You want to tell the people who can help move your idea forward, but if you're just looking to your friend, co-worker, husband or wife for validation, be careful. It can stop a lot of multimillion-dollar ideas in their tracks in the beginning.”
262. Because a big portion of what I do doesn't have a rhythm or predictable cadence to it, I've made it an even bigger priority to create routine where I can. – Sara Blakely
263. “My saddlebags are why Spanx exist! Now that I have a baby I also have a muffin top.”
264. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend, and fun to give away.”
265. “My saddlebags are why ‘Spanx’ exist! Now that I have a baby I also have a muffin top.” – Sara Blakely
266. “Ideas, even million-dollar ones, are most vulnerable in their infancy; don’t share them with too many people. However, don’t hide your plan from people who can help you move it forward.” – Sara Blakely
267. “Inner wisdom is more important than wealth. The more you spend it, the more you gain.”
268. “I got a call from the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah had chosen Spanx as one of her favorite products in 2000. I had boxes of product in my apartment and I had two weeks notice that she was going to say she loved it on TV and I had no shipping department.”
269. “Everything about my journey to get Spanx off the ground entailed me having to be a salesperson–from going to the hosiery mills to get a prototype made to calling Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. I had to position myself to get five minutes in the door with buyers.”
270. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” —Sara Blakely
271. “The grind doesn’t stop just because it’s Saturday.”
272. “Trying new things and not being afraid to fail along the way are more important than what you learn in school.” – Sara Blakely
273. “I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment. I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a much better place if half the human race (women) were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for office essentially be given the chance to soar.”
274. “You’ve got to visualize where you’re headed and be very clear about it. Take a Polaroid picture of where you’re going to be in a few years.” – Sara Blakely
275. “Don’t let what you don’t know scare you, because it can become your greatest asset.” – Sara Blakely
276. “With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.”
277. “Don’t be afraid to fail.” – Sara Blakely
278. “I’d get kicked out of buildings all day long, people would rip up my business card in my face. It’s a humbling business to be in. But I knew I could sell and I knew I wanted to sell something I had created. I cut the feet out of those pantyhose and I knew I was on to something. This was it.” – Sara Blakely
279. Business: Women serve in leadership roles in all sorts of different businesses. Former Facebook (now Meta) COO Sheryl Sandberg, current GM CEO Mary Barra, former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty, Spanx founder Sara Blakely, and Sunshine Contacts cofounder Marissa Mayer are a few examples of powerful female leaders in business. Some, like Melinda French Gates, have also paired their business expertise with a long track record of philanthropy.
280. “I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest return on investment (ROI). I am committed to the believe that we would all be in a much better place.
281. “Money is fun to make, fun to spend and fun to give away.” Sara Blakely
282. “Failure is not the outcome. Failure is not trying.”
283. “Failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. This way, it is about answering to yourself.”
284. “I took a Fear of Flying class, and I always missed the class, because I was always flying.” – Sara Blakely
285. “Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” —Sara Blakely, founder & CEO of Spanx
286. “Don’t solicit feedback on your product, idea or your business just for validation purposes. You want to tell the people who can help move your idea forward, but if you’re just looking to your friend, co-worker, husband or wife for validation, be careful. It can stop a lot of multimillion-dollar ideas in their tracks in the beginning.”
287. “You've got to visualize where you're headed and be very clear about it. Take a polaroid picture of where you're going to be in a few years.”
288. “I think failure is nothing more than life’s way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome, but in not trying. It’s liberating.
289. “I’ve always had that gratitude that I had the opportunity to pursue my potential. So I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver. We can make the world a better place, one butt at a time.” – Sara Blakely
290. “I couldn’t figure out what to wear under my clothes. The body shapers were too thick at the time.” – Sara Blakely
291. “Don't be intimidated by what you don't know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” — Sara Blakely, American businesswoman and entrepreneur.
292. “We don’t have the luxury of time. We spend more because of how we live, but it’s important to be with our family and friends.”
293. “Resilience is like a muscle. The more you get through something and not let it get you down or defeat you, the stronger your resilience muscle becomes.” – Sara Blakely
294. “When I’m bored or tired of being blonde, I’ll throw on a wig. It’s a lot less of a permanent way to change your look, and I have about 10 – all different colors, shapes, bobs, long hair, short, feathered.” – Sara Blakely
295. “I think my story says that, when women are given the chance and the opportunity, that we can achieve a lot. We deliver.” – Sara Blakely
296. “I always joke and say I want to invent a comfortable stiletto and then retire.” – Sara Blakely
297. “Every time I went on stage I was so terrified I almost threw up.”
298. “Ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”
299. “When something I cant’ control happens, I ask myself; where is the hidden gift? Where is the positive in this?” – Sara Blakely
300. “My revenue was $4 million my first year in business, off of one $20 item.” Sara Blakely
301. “I didn’t like the way it looked in white trousers, and I couldn’t find anything to work underneath them.”
302. “When something I can’t control happens, I ask myself: Where is the hidden gift? Where is the positive in this?”
303. “Embrace what you don’t know, especially in the beginning, because what you don’t know can become your greatest asset.” – Sara Blakely
304. “My revenue was $4 million my first year in business, off of one $20 item.” ~ Sara Blakely
305. “I’ll mix a lot of things. I’ll wear a Temperley dress with flip flops, or I might be in head-to-toe Gucci and have on a ring that I got from a gumball machine for 50 cents.” – Sara Blakely
306. “Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling. Just start.” – Sara Blakely
307. “With every obstacle that has happened to me in my life, my brain immediately says, ‘Where is the hidden blessing?’ In starting a business and growing a business, every day is learning how to manage obstacles.” – Sara Blakely
308. “My first account was Neiman Marcus. I cold-called them just like I had cold-called businesses when I was selling fax machines for seven years.”
309. “It’s important to be willing to make mistakes. The worst thing that can happen is you become memorable.”
310. “There is a hidden blessing in the most traumatic things we go through in our lives. My brain always goes to, 'Where is the hidden blessing? What is my gift?'”
311. “Having a mental snapshot of where you are, where you are going, and what you are moving toward is incredibly powerful.”