It’s never too late to make a fresh start.
I disagree.
But not for the reasons you might think.
A ‘fresh start’ implies that you are starting over and that everything prior is erased or forgotten. And with that … I disagree. For now.
Sara Blakely’s journey to founding Spanx, a billion-dollar shape-wear company, is a remarkable story of resilience, innovation, and determination. Before becoming a household name in fashion, Blakely faced numerous setbacks and challenges that ultimately influenced her path to success.
It was somewhere in the 1990s, and Blakely was working as a door-to-door fax machine saleswoman. Despite her determination and hard work, she found herself unfulfilled and frustrated by the lack of progress in her career.
One evening, while getting ready for a party, Blakely struggled to find a pair of underwear that wouldn’t show under her white pants. She decided to cut the feet off her full-length pantyhose, and the result was both comfortable and invisible under her clothes. This impromptu solution sparked the idea for Spanx, as Blakely realised there was a significant market for this product. Something that combined the advantages of shaping underwear with the comfort (and invisibility) women needed.
With just $5,000 in savings and no formal background in fashion or manufacturing, Blakely pursued her idea. She spent two years developing her prototype, researching fabrics, and learning about manufacturing. This in itself is remarkable – I know very few people today who would take this time to build their dream, everybody nowadays seems to expect a get-rich overnight business. So during this time, she faced her fair amount of rejections from male-dominated manufacturing companies who didn’t see the potential in her idea.
To be real here for a second – can you blame them? If it’s a problem only true for women and it’s not a necessity but a want, it was probably a strange idea for men to wrap their heads around.
Blakely’s persistence paid off when she finally convinced a manufacturer to produce her product. However, the real breakthrough came when she a) managed to secure a meeting to stock Spanx with a buyer at Neiman Marcus (a fashion retail store in the USA) where she literally changed into Spanx during the meeting to demonstrate the results, and b) when Oprah Winfrey called Spanx one of her favourite things. As you can expect, with such a big audience her product took off. Sara Blakely became one of the youngest self-made female billionaires in history.
Sara Blakely’s story is a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity, and believing in oneself. Here are some key lessons I take away from her journey and the career change she made for herself. Not everyone is an entrepreneur, but these lessons can be applied in any context:
1. Failure is an opportunity Blakely often cites her father’s encouragement to embrace failure as a key factor in her success. Each setback was viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a defeat, allowing her to grow and refine her approach. I love this. If you see it as the end of the road, it will be the end of the road and you will turn around or try something else. If you see it as a hurdle, you will find a way to overcome it and continue moving forward.
2. Start small but think big With just $5,000, Blakely turned a small idea into a global brand. Her story illustrates that you don’t need massive resources to start—just a big vision and the determination to see it through.
3. Believing in your product/service Blakely’s unwavering belief in her product was evident from the start. Her confidence convinced others to take a chance on Spanx, proving that belief in your product is crucial for success. And you can see it in sales people (even if they don’t realise it) if they ctually belief in the product they are trying to sell you.
4. Sometimes you gotta be bold and take risks Blakely’s willingness to take bold risks, such as demonstrating her product in person to buyers, set her apart from others. Taking certain risks can lead to significant breakthroughs. Or failures. But that’s why it is called a risk isn’t it.
5. Innovate and adapt Even after her initial success, Blakely continued to innovate and expand her product line. Staying adaptable and responsive to market needs is essential for sustained growth.
Even the smallest events or most difficult of times can have a lesson to learn from, something that will help you in future to avoid mistakes or just a gut feeling that something doesn’t feel right.
I would rather say that it is never too late to grow. Because that implies that there is already something in place to grow from.
Changing careers is one of the most significant decisions we can make in our professional lives. It’s not about starting from scratch but rather about building upon the foundation of our past experiences, skills, and knowledge. Career changes can be daunting, but they can also offer a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Before founding Spanx, Blakely spent several years working in sales, selling fax machines door-to-door. This job required resilience, the ability to handle rejection, and strong persuasion skills. Although it was not glamorous work, it provided her with a solid foundation in understanding customer needs, overcoming objections, and closing deals. These skills became crucial when she started promoting her own product.
What opportunities do you see for yourself? Is it professional growth or personal growth? Or perhaps both? Well, you have to start somewhere. Even if it is just brainstorming and writing down ideas or talking to people around you.
Sometimes a simple question such as “If I had to start my own business, what do you think I would be selling?” or “What do you think I’m really good at?” can tell you things about yourself that you never knew because people view you in a different way than you view yourself.
And it doesn’t have to be just a career change. It can just be a hobby that you are looking into. But look for transferable skills. When considering a career change or doing something ‘new’, it’s important to identify skills and experiences from your previous roles that can be valuable in your new career. Blakely’s sales skills were directly transferable to her role as an entrepreneur. Similarly, skills like project management, communication, problem-solving, and leadership are often valuable across various industries.
Blakely’s journey also highlights the importance of leveraging your network. Building relationships and seeking advice from mentors and peers can provide support and open doors to new opportunities. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your network for guidance and connections when making a change, sometimes it is just one person or one meeting that can change your world and career path.
On that note, I’m calling it a day.
