Is it time to wonder if coincidences in our lives can be accidental? Is the universe conspiring in your favor to achieve something? Is it the favor that wickedly turns a blind eye to some? Or, after all, are we the ones who determine the coincidences of our lives?
If the Sarah Blakely, the inventor and owner of the Spanx brand, needed to answer these questions that have more or less preoccupied us all, she would probably say, "it's all of the above". Along with her! Father! Because he was the one who learned in today's self-made billionaire, that the road to success first passes through failure.
One piece of advice she kept as an amulet, but it was also the impetus to take the biggest risk of her life by creating the most famous corsets and lingerie that promise a sculpted body. And without them, even the biggest stars of showbiz can not do.
"What did you fail at today?"
Sarah Blakely could be a modern version of "Cinderella". And maybe, the 48-year-old today businessman in this story she did not find her prince, but she found a way to make women happy and her own bank account "inflate" dangerously. So much so that today her fortune exceeds $ 1 billion.
The charming American businesswoman, when she was young, wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and become a lawyer. The family finances were not good and Sara, from the age of 14, was forced to work as a saleswoman to contribute to the expenses herself.
As soon as she finished school she went to college, but somewhere there her dream of becoming a lawyer ended ingloriously, as she failed twice in the exams. Then, as she herself has confessed - and since her family was not financially comfortable - she went to the auditions Walt Disney, who asked a man to do Goofy. Eventually, she took the role and worked there for a long time, until she got tired and returned home, next to her mother.
As she has confessed, her father was largely responsible for her current success. "What did you fail at today?" He asked her every day and if she answered anything, then he would tell her: "This is very bad". Because, her father had taught her that success comes first from failure. And he had not forgotten this for a moment, and for the next six years he worked as a playboy in a company with fax machines.
The years as a playboy
After the end of her career as a "Goofy" at Walt Disney, Sarah Blakely found a job as a fax machine saleswoman. Hard work, as going from door to door and managing to sell your product, you want, above all, talent. And from a very early age it seemed that the young and ambitious girl, had it with sales.
What if most of them closed the door on her face? What if sales did not go the way he wanted? She was not disappointed. On the contrary, through this experience, she first discovered herself. And then, how exciting the sales sector can be and especially how many opportunities it could offer you. Like money.
And so, the seed was "planted" inside her to create something of her own and sell it to the world. Only he did not know what that would be. And luckily, she slyly closed her eyes. And by a coincidence she found what would change her own life, but also the appearance of many women.
The success story started with a pair of scissors
It all started one night, when she could not find anything to wear through white pants, in order to cover her imperfections and make her body look better. A problem that many women face in their daily lives. Then, she took a pair of scissors and cut her legs off her tights, which she wore inside like an improvised "rubber band". And somehow, it all started…
"It's amazing how small the change you have to make to succeed," she said, wanting to describe the moment the idea came to her, which would soon change her life. Until that happened, however, he was rejected, especially by men who did not find the idea at all clever.
But that did not stop Sarah from backing up her idea, as she was sure she would succeed. And as her wise father used to say: "Success comes through failure and with enough risk". And Sarah, 29, in 2000, decided to take the risk on her own and, using her savings (around $ 5), put forward the design of Spanx and the "miracle workers", as they proved in the course of elastic underwear.
In fact, within a year she managed to have a successful and promising presence, while a decade later she was a member of his list Forbes with the billionaires of the world, with her name appearing as the "young and self-made billionaire of the planet".
Sales of rubber bands skyrocketed when the Winfrey Opera included Spanx in her list of favorite items, following a touching letter she received from Sarah herself, who told her story in detail.
"Do not be disappointed; the road is not always easy"
The example of Sarah Blakely can be a source of inspiration. It is not, yes, a bit of a simple play to be a billionaire today. But she never put it down and most of all she did not let the disappointment cut her wings. And this is what he advises young people: do not be disappointed. After all, her own path to success has not always been easy.
She had believed in her idea, as crazy as it seemed. And she struggled to succeed by meeting tights manufacturers and suppliers in person to persuade them to support her. In fact, when Spanx hit the market, she would go to the mall and talk to buyers herself. "I thought of my best ideas, listening to women and customers," he had revealed in the past.
And at every opportunity she does not fail to say what her father taught her. "Behind every failure, there is an opportunity to build our character."