News
Articles
|
Press
Releases | Awards |
Events
Spanx Founder and "Rebel Billionaire" Runner-Up
Sara Blakely Urges Women to Take Risks
Articles
/ dBNews Atlanta
Date:
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 04:40:18
Entrepreneur Spoke at
Opening of Women’s Business Center Kennesaw, GA – Sara
Blakely, who founded Spanx, Inc., an Atlanta-based women’s
hosiery and apparel company, and was runner-up on the FOX
Network’s “The Rebel Billionaire,” yesterday (Jan. 24) urged
women to take risks to pursue their dreams. In her first
public speaking engagement since finishing second on the
reality TV show, Blakely spoke to about 200 people at the
opening of The Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Area Women’s
Business Center (WBC). Blakely said that such a enter would
have been a tremendous resource to her when she first
started Spanx. “I went through starting a business the
longest possible way because I didn’t have a business center
in my life,” Blakely told the crowd. “A business incubator
would have been so cool; I was stumbling through it all.”
Blakely started Spanx in 1998 and financed it with $5,000 in
savings. The brand is now known across the U.S., and employs
20 people. She said her reality show experience proved how
important it is for women to trust their instincts and take
risks. “When I decided to do the ‘Rebel Billionaire’ I had
every reason not to do it,” she said. “My gut kept
whispering in my ear ‘do it – it’s gonna work out.’” Even
though she didn’t finish first, host and rebel billionaire
Richard Branson turned over his $750,000 paycheck to her so
she could start a nonprofit foundation for women. “So my gut
was right,” Blakely said.
The Greater Metropolitan
Atlanta Area Women’s Business Center, which Blakely helped
to dedicate, is part of a nationwide program administered by
the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Office of
Women's Business Ownership. This specific center came to
fruition through the help of the Cobb Microenterprise
Center, which offers entrepreneurial training to low and
moderate income women. The center is designed to meet the
needs of all Atlanta area microenterprise training program
clients as well as female entrepreneurs from the Atlanta
area who are seeking assistance for the first time. It will
offer a six week business and technical assistance training
program as well as one-on-one business consultation services
for entrepreneurs seeking to launch, grow, or sustain their
businesses. Participants will also be able to take courses
on topics including technology, e-commerce, procurement,
human resources, access to capital and SBA loan
pre-qualification. The center is located at 1200 Chastain
Pointe Road, Building 300, Suite 303 in Kennesaw. For more
information on The Greater Metropolitan Atlanta Area Women’s
Business Center, call (770) 499-3228 or visit http://www.cobbmicro.org
. The Cobb Microenterprise Center is a not-for-profit
organization that offers an in-depth affordable
entrepreneurial training program designed for low- to
moderate-income individuals aspiring to start or expand a
business. It was formed in 1998 as a community partnership
between the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State
University; the Center for Family Resources; the YWCA of
Northwest Georgia; and United Way of Cobb and Cherokee
County. Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive,
residential institution with a growing student population of
18,000 from 129 countries. The third largest university in
the state, and a member of the 34-institution University
System of Georgia, KSU offers more than 55 undergraduate and
graduate degree programs.
###
Media Contacts: Monique Wilson, Development Consultant, Cobb
Microenterprise Center, 770-499-3228 Terri Thornton,
Thornton Communications, 404-932-4347 territhornton@mindspring.com
|
