This week I had the opportunity to participate in a program with Sara Blakely, the Founder, and CEO of Spanx. She’s also the youngest self-made woman to join Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list.

Sara shared several insights and keys to her success that resonated with me, so I wanted to share it with you!

Picture It

Create a mental picture of what success looks like for you, and then start figuring out how to achieve it. For Sara, she envisioned herself on stage with Oprah Winfrey, talking about the impact she had made on people’s lives. This image was in her mind long before she came up with the idea to create Spanx.

Start Now

Don’t wait until you have “enough” knowledge and experience. Be willing NOT to know how it’s done and figure out your own path. When Sara came up with the idea for Spanx, she had no idea how to get manufacturers and retailers to work with her. So, she forged her own path. She used nontraditional approaches to navigate this landscape and cut YEARS off the typical process for bringing a product to market. It was her LACK of knowledge and experience that led to her success.

Failure Defines Trying

Things will go wrong, and you will fail. Rather than focusing on the negative outcome, focus on trying. Sara’s dad used to ask his children, “what did you fail at today?” and then CELEBRATE every story. He took the stigma out of failure and taught them that victory comes from getting out of your comfort zone and trying things.

I’ve been using a vision-based coaching process for years and incorporate similar concepts with my clients. 

You don’t have to dream of becoming a billionaire to use these strategies and achieve success in your career and life. 

And it would be my pleasure to support you in your journey. Click here to schedule time to talk.

Wishing you the best!

Contact me with your questions about individual coaching, group coaching, talent development, and speaking engagements.