Masters of Scale

How to find your big idea w/Spanx's Sara Blakely

Jan 3, 2020

Sara Blakely, the innovative founder of Spanx, shares her journey of discovering her billion-dollar idea through relentless searching and quick action. She emphasizes the importance of resilience and finding the right support in entrepreneurship. Guest Andrés Ruzo, a National Geographic Explorer, intertwines his adventurous quest for the Boiling River in the Amazon, reinforcing themes of collaboration and market awareness. The conversation highlights how both creativity and persistence are essential in transforming inspiration into impactful business realities.

40:16

Episode guests

Andrés Ruzo

Sara Blakely

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Quest for Innovation

18min

The Journey from Inspiration to Business Reality

5min

The Birth of Spanx: An Entrepreneurial Journey

13min

The Journey of Discovery: From Ideas to Impact

4min

Celebrating Employees with Innovative Benefits

2min

To find your big idea? Look for it. And look for it. And be ready to act. Spanx founder Sara Blakely was actively seeking a business idea when she thought of Spanx. Then she moved fast, found help in the right places, and went all-in. The result: A billion-dollar company & women's wardrobes transformed. With cameos by National Geographic Explorer Andrés Ruzo, former director of the US Patent & Trademark Office Michelle Lee, and Endeavor CEO Linda Rottenberg.

LINKS:

Learn more about The Boiling River Project: http://www.boilingriver.org

Read "The Boiling River" by Andrés Ruzo: https://amzn.to/36iHHNF

Learn more about the U.S. patent system: https://www.uspto.gov/

Meet Andre, who dresses Oprah Winfrey: https://andrewalkerhair.com

Listen to Linda Rottenberg on Masters of Scale: https://mastersofscale.com/linda-rottenberg-the-next-silicon-valley-is/

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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