How Sara Blakely Built Spanx and Found Her Next Big Purpose

What happens when a self-made billionaire steps away from the company she built and faces the big question: What’s next?In this inspiring episode, the founder of Spanx opens up about her journey from door-to-door sales to creating a global brand, the emotional challenges of selling her company, and how she’s redefining success, purpose, and identity in midlife. It’s a raw and uplifting conversation about reinvention, intuition, and finding meaning beyond business.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:56 Family background and kids03:47 Childhood struggles and early mindset shift06:32 Discovering Wayne Dyer and self-growth09:00 Letting go of law school plans09:46 Intuition and coping mechanisms13:25 Selling fax machines and rethinking her path14:17 The idea for Spanx is born18:40 Building Spanx and landing Neiman Marcus22:37 Growing Spanx without advertising25:30 Selling Spanx and facing an identity shift31:51 Midlife change and grief34:44 Creating Sneaks brand43:54 Psychology behind the second venture47:32 Perimenopause, health issues, and PMDD50:19 Modern Elder Academy experience53:37 Focusing on presence and meaning55:42 Introverts, extroverts, and integration58:17 Feminine energy as a superpower59:42 Wisdom bumpersticker1:02:26 Chip’s final thoughtsLearn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/#SarahBlakely #Spanx #FemaleEntrepreneur #WomenInBusiness #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessSuccess #Motivation #Inspiration #FounderStory #StartupJourney #MindsetMatters #SuccessTips #BusinessAdvice #SelfMadeWoman #EntrepreneurMindset #ChipConley #MidlifeChrysalis