The Burnouts with Phoebe & Sophia2 Maj 2025

How Sara Blakely went from Fax Machine Sales to Billionaire Founder of Spanx

In this episode of The Burnouts, Sophia Kianni and Phoebe Gates sit down with entrepreneurial icon and Spanx founder Sara Blakely to talk mindset, manifestation, and the messy truth of building something from scratch. Whether you're navigating your first job, launching a startup, or still waiting for a sign from the universe—this one’s for you.

We go deep on everything from building confidence as a woman in business, to manifesting million-dollar ideas (literally), to knowing when to quit, pivot, or fire the “genius” that’s ruining your team dynamic. Sara shares stories she’s never told before—like the exact mindset hack that led to Spanx, the real reason she sold her company, and the crazy specific sign she asked the universe for.

🔖 CHAPTERS

0:00 – Why we called Sara before we even had a product

2:10 – Sara’s Secret Weapon Since She Was 16

14:00 – Signs from the universe (including one from Oprah)

18:30 – Hiring Wrong, Firing Fast, and Learning the Hard Way

29:00 – Why High Heels Haven’t Changed in 300 Years (Until Now)

36:45 – Sara is paying people to buy her shoes?!?

38:00 – Sara’s Wildest Hustle Stories

About the Burnouts

As former Stanford roommates and now business partners, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share their experience as startup founders and the complexities of being young professionals—from financial literacy, social impact, and navigating networking (ever been hit on through LinkedIn?). With exclusive access to top experts, they offer an inside look at their chaotic lives alongside career insights from their network of thought leaders. Watch The Burnouts pursue their dreams while trying to keep their lives from going up in flames. Will they burn out? We’ll find out.

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