Sara Blakely's story is inspirational. The 41-year-old Floridian began her working life as a door-to-door fax-machine salesperson. Then one day she looked in the mirror — but not at her face.
She realized that she needed underwear that didn't show lines and held in her wobbly bits. This led to her investing a few thousand dollars and launching, in 2000, her Spanx brand of undergarments. Fast forward 12 years and her business is worth $1 billion.
This is not just a story about securing, if you will, your bottom line. It is a template for female entrepreneurship. Women don't need empowering; they empower themselves with their insight into human needs and their perseverance in fulfilling them.