Masters of Scale

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

Jul 13, 2021

Sara Blakely, the visionary founder of Spanx, shares her exhilarating journey from a simple idea to a billion-dollar empire. She emphasizes the importance of actively seeking inspiration and acting quickly on big ideas. Joined by National Geographic Explorer Andrés Ruzo, they discuss the resilience needed in both entrepreneurship and scientific quests, including Ruzo's passion for the mythical Boiling River. Their stories showcase creativity, perseverance, and the transformative power of pursuing your dreams, reminding us that innovation often springs from unlikely places.

40:16

Episode guests

Andrés Ruzo

Sara Blakely

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

The Quest for Big Ideas

18min

Unleashing Creativity: From Ideas to Business Realities

5min

The Birth of Spanx: An Entrepreneur's Journey

13min

The Persistent Journey to Finding and Executing Your Big Idea

4min

Innovative Employee Benefits and Personal Anecdotes

3min

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 U.S. 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

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

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