Tuesday, October 26, 2021
2 plane tickets and $ 10,000
Spanx boss gives employees dream trips
The founder of the underwear company Spanx, Sara Blakely, wants to celebrate a big deal and surprises her employees at the party with first-class flight tickets and generous pocket money for everyone. In an emotional speech, the 50-year-old entrepreneur explains why.
Employees usually only dream of such surprises from the executive floor. The dreams of the employees of the underwear company Spanx came true last week. Company founder Sara Blakely gave her employees two first-class flight tickets and $ 10,000 each at a party.
The reason for the pre-Christmas gifts was the company’s new $ 1.2 billion valuation after investment giant Blackstone acquired a majority stake in the shapewear company. Blakely said in a speech that she wanted to thank the employees for 21 years of successful company history the 50-year-old published on Instagram: “To stand here today and think about what we could create and what we could achieve because we are authentic, friendly and women deliver great products (…), this marks a great moment for women entrepreneurs.”
It was an emotional announcement: “And then the tears really flowed as I surprised everyone with two first-class tickets with Delta around the world and $ 10,000 in cash for the trip. I really want every member of staff to take that moment on celebrates its own way and creates a memory that will last a lifetime! Cheers to 21 years of magic and many more to come, “wrote Blakely. In the video, employees can be seen breaking out in great jubilation.
Blakely founded Spanx in 2000 with only $ 5,000 in savings. She was 29 years old at the time. The business idea was born when she cut off the legs of her pantyhose because she wanted a pair of panties that would give her a nice pantyhose butt. Back then, she wanted her company to be worth $ 20 million one day. People laughed at her, she says, looking back. Today the startup is not worth millions, but billions.
As early as 2012, the business magazine “Forbes” recognized Blakely as the youngest self-made billionaire in the USA. In 2014, she came 93rd in the ranking of the most powerful women in the world. “This is a very big moment for each of you,” Blakely said at the party, “and I want to toast to the women who came before me and to all the women in the world who didn’t have the opportunity”. According to the Guardian, women are 50 percent represented in the business world, but only 2.3 percent of venture capital funding goes to them. Blakely will retain “a significant stake” in the company, according to a Blackstone announcement.