Can we talk about #Spanx for a moment? Yes, that Spanx, the popular shapewear brand that most women and some men [especially on the Oscars red carpet] can’t live without. Sara Blakely, the now billionaire founder of Spanx, is not only a fantastic innovator in materials development, marketing, and merchandising, but she’s also a great storyteller and a pro at weaving personal stories into her pitches and presentations. These stories make her ideas more compelling and relatable to anyone who will listen. You know, nobodies like #Oprah, Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Michelle Obama, and Elon Musk, all of whom say they admire her for her breakthrough ideas and the risk- taking culture she has built around endless reinvention.
So, what’s her approach to innovation storytelling? It includes one important element that each of us should pick up on: sharing failure first.
Sarah says, “I believe that redefining the narrative around failure is important for women. I’m open about my mistakes, my failures, and my vulnerabilities. I think that’s what makes me relatable. If I can make women feel like they’re not alone, then that’s powerful.”
It’s why Richard Branson’s group of business leaders, known as The Elders, invited Sarah to join the vaunted group in 2016 at the age of 45.
In a time when failure feels unforgivable, Blakely’s personal stories of failure and perseverance have helped to inspire other women entrepreneurs [and perhaps just as many men] to take risks and pursue their dreams. Her ability to connect with her audience through storytelling has been a key factor in her success as an innovator and business leader.
On The Innovation Storytellers Show, we talk a lot about innovation culture and how it thrives on sharing tales of failure as well as breakthroughs. Stories of resiliency over sheer, sometimes brittle, temporary, or fragile success not only encourage others to take chances, but they can also sometimes lead to the greatest discoveries ever.
