Sara Blakely set an unlikely goal in 2000 -- make the world a better place one butt at a time.
With $5,000 from her savings, she launched Spanx with a new product: footless pantyhose, which she developed with Charlotte's Highland Mills.
The privately owned company now offers more than 100 products from hosiery to shapers to socks at department stores, boutiques, online and at QVC.
Target sells Assets shaping hosiery that Blakely created for women on a budget.
The brand dominates the market so much that younger consumers often refer to shapewear in general as Spanx, says Sally Kay, president of the Charlotte-based Hosiery Association.
Sales reportedly topped $100 million last year.
On Tuesday, Blakely, 36, will speak at the Westin during a gala for the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Tickets are sold out.
Besides the quirky name and the bold, witty packaging, customers respond most to the comfort factor, says Julie LeQuire of The Lingerie Shoppe, the first Charlotte retailer to sell the footless pantyhose.
The appeal extends to all body types. Consider the shapes of Spanx's more famous fans: Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jessica Alba. "We sell as many (size) A's as we do (size) E's," says LeQuire.
Last October, Blakely launched a foundation, which bears her name, that so far has provided nearly 300 scholarships and funded a mentorship program in South Africa. A portion of sales from Spanx and Assets goes to her foundation.
In a Q A on Page 8E, read about what Blakely's learned, what she hopes to achieve and which product almost didn't get made.
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
At Age 10, She Wanted To Be: "A lawyer like my dad."
College: Florida State University.
Currently: Lives in Atlanta. Single.
Last Pair Of Shoes She Bought: Heels by Christian Louboutin.
Comfort Food: French fries.
In Her Ears: "I've been listening to the audio book 'How to be a No-Limit Person' by Wayne Dyer since I was 16.
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