Economy

How A Pitch In A Neiman Marcus Ladies Room Changed Sara Blakely's Life

"I've never sewn, I've never taken a business class in my life. I didn't ... know anybody that worked in fashion or retail." — Sara Blakely, CEO of Spanx
"I've never sewn, I've never taken a business class in my life. I didn't ... know anybody that worked in fashion or retail." — Sara Blakely, CEO of Spanx Andrew Holder for NPR

At 27, Sara Blakely was selling fax machines and desperate to reinvent her life. So she came up with Spanx — hosiery that eliminates panty lines — and set to work building her business.

During the seven years Blakely sold fax machines door-to-door, she faced a lot of rejection. Check out how she dealt with it and what kept her going:

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