Real story
Sara Blakely Quit Selling Fax Machines to Launch Spanx
According to Forbes, Sara Blakely spent two years preparing her project while keeping her job. Then, according to Forbes and Inc., she resigned in November 2000 to focus on Spanx. Here is what has been documented, with nothing added for effect.
No recipe here: just facts, with the sources at the bottom of the page. This story is here to show what a change of direction can look like, not to tell you which one to choose.
A job, an idea, some savings
According to Forbes and Inc., she worked at Danka, an office supply company, selling fax machines door to door. According to Forbes, she was 27 when she settled in Atlanta with $5,000 in savings to develop her idea; Fortune confirms the amount of savings. According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Fortune, she had become a national sales trainer at that employer.
The idea, according to Forbes and Fortune: cutting the feet off pantyhose to wear under trousers. According to Forbes, Fortune and Business of Business, hosiery manufacturers first turned her down.
Two years alongside her job
According to Forbes, she spent those two years planning the launch of her product while working nine to five at Danka. Business of Business, Inc. and Fortune (article of 20 September 2025) confirm she kept that job during development. According to Forbes and Business of Business, she also approached buyers at the department store Neiman Marcus.
November 2000: she resigns
According to Forbes, Oprah Winfrey named Spanx one of her favourite products in November 2000, which Business of Business and the Tampa Bay Times of 17 November 2000 also report. According to Forbes and Inc., Sara Blakely had resigned from Danka two weeks before the show aired.
According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, she owned 100% of the company for its first 21 years; Forbes said the same in 2012.
Worth keeping in mind
Every path is unique. Sara Blakely prepared for two years before leaving her job, and the exposure from a US television show cannot be reproduced at will. Context and luck matter, and nothing is guaranteed: this story is neither a method nor a promise that you will get the same result. It also says nothing about the many people who attempt a change like this without it working out: we almost never hear about them.
Sources
- How Sara Blakely of Spanx Turned $5,000 into $1 Billion, Forbes, 14 March 2012, accessed 8 October 2026. https://www.forbes.com/global/2012/0326/billionaires-12-feature-united-states-spanx-sara-blakely-american-booty.html
- 5 Things Spanx Founder Sara Blakely Mastered Before Quitting Her Day Job, Inc., 5 January 2017, accessed 8 October 2026. https://www.inc.com/melissa-matthews/5-things-sara-blakely-mastered-before-launching-spanx.html
- Spanx founder Sara Blakely’s billion-dollar idea started with just $5,000 in savings, Fortune, 22 September 2025, accessed 8 October 2026. https://fortune.com/article/spanx-founder-sara-blakely-billion-dollar-idea-started-with-5000-in-savings
- Billionaire Sara Blakely says she launched Spanx with just $5,000 from selling fax machines, Fortune, 20 September 2025, accessed 8 October 2026. https://fortune.com/2025/09/20/sara-blakely-spanx-fax-machines-investors-career-advice
- How Hating Pantyhose in Summer Helped Make Spanx Founder Sara Blakely a Billionaire, Business of Business, 1 February 2022, accessed 8 October 2026. https://www.businessofbusiness.com/articles/how-hating-pantyhouse-in-summer-helped-make-spanx-founder-sara-blakely-a-billionaire/
- Spanx very much, Oprah, Tampa Bay Times, 17 November 2000, accessed 8 October 2026. https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/11/17/spanx-very-much-oprah/
- Sara Blakely (inductee), National Inventors Hall of Fame, date not shown, accessed 8 October 2026. https://www.invent.org/inductees/sara-blakely
A story based on the public sources cited above. The people and companies mentioned have no connection with AlignPath and do not endorse it. Every path is unique: no result is guaranteed.