I can’t believe I only just now gave Ken this topic. What a great story!!  I am always curious about how people got their start in shoes….it seems like once people get into this industry they never leave! I love this story!!! I am going to have to ask this question more often. -Julia

This week’s topic: What was my first job in the shoe industry and how did I get it?

My Grandfather always told me that I was a natural salesman.   This was the profession I had wanted to pursue but had wanted to be a rep for  Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein.  Shoes (let alone kids shoes) did not even move the needle as far as excitement for me.   To achieve my goal of representing a line like Ralph, I figured I needed retail experience first.   I graduated from college and was accepted into the Macy’s “Executive” training program.   After a year of being an indentured servant for Macy’s (manager of the dress department), I went to work at Saks Fifth Ave in Palo Alto, CA working as the Manager of the Men’s department.  This job was putting me back on course towards my ultimate goal.  

About a year into Saks, I was covering a lunch for a salesperson and waited on a gentleman.  After I rang him up, he asked me if I had ever wanted to be a rep.   This was it!   My big break!   “Of course” I replied, and he asked me to call him in a day.   Anxious to start my new career as a rep for some high fashion men’s brand, I called him and was promptly invited to his office.  This man was  headhunter representing an upstart Children’s Shoe Company called Toddler University.   The job was selling kids shoes!   What?  I don’t know anything about shoes or kids?  The guy assured me this did not matter.  Naive, I went on the interview.   At the interview, I was told that this was a young start up and that previous experience was actually frowned upon (for you movie buffs, think Boiler Room, group interview).   That night, I called my best friends’ Dad who happened to be the CEO of another kids shoe company; Stride Rite.   Arnold told me “if you can get in, get in”.   I was offered the job and accepted it for the grand sum of $25,000/year.

I was told that there would be a sales meeting in about 10 days and that I would be sent airline tickets.   How cool was this?   All expense paid trip to the company HQ in Westport, CT.

I called a friend of mine who lived in NYC and told her that I was coming to NY for a sales meeting.   She and I made plans to have dinner in the city and then I would take the train to CT.   I flew to NYC and was met by my friend.   We went out and had a great time…She already had purchased tickets for me on Metro North’s last train to the town in CT where the meeting was being held.   The train deposited me at about 12:40 a.m. and I naively thought that there would be plenty of cabs to meet the train.  There were none.   Just a dark, empty train station.   I found a pay phone (way before cell phones) and called the one cab company listed.   No one picked up.   I called the hotel and asked them if they could come get me (This was a Holiday Inn).   The guy that answered told me he was the only one on duty and could not leave the front desk..plus, I was about 11 miles from the hotel.   Oh no!   I called the cab company again.  No answer.   I called the guy back at the hotel and offered him $50 to come get me.   He told me he could NOT leave the desk.   I was really panicked.  I figured it would take me until the morning to walk to the hotel with my suitcase (which did not have wheels).   I did not want to be late to my first sales meeting and really did not know what to do.   I thought a while and then played the only card I felt I had.   I called the police!   I explained the situation to the dispatcher, and told him that I was desperate.   Lucky for me, it was a slow night in Westport and they came and got me.   I arrived at the hotel around 1:45 and found that my boss was actually in the lobby in splitting a 6 pack with another Regional.   I can only imagine how alarming it must have been to see his new hire arrive in a black and white.   The next day,  my arrival went around the sales meeting and I was given the nickname ”Officer”. 

I must admit that I loved working for this start up.   The owner of the company was 27 and the VP of Sales was 23.   This made for a lot of interesting and inspiring sales meetings.  We were all pushing towards a common goal; one that the owner shouted out many times.   “We are all going to F******** millionaires”!   We believed him.   We would lay on a grenade for him.   We took no prisoners.   We did whatever we were told.   None of us had any experience, so we did not know any better.

The company was quite progressive.   In 1989, we were all given Compaq laptops, a scanner, and a printer.   We would scan the inventory and print out a fill in order.   No one was doing this.  I can remember pulling out my laptop and a crowd gathering around me at the airport.

After spending 4 years with Toddler University, Stride Rite came calling..   By this time, I had contracted the bug, and I was hooked on the shoe industry.   I had gotten married and felt I needed to move up.   Ralph and Calvin no longer held any appeal.

I am really glad I started my career in the shoe industry where I did.   We all had a sense of purpose that still stays with me today.   Who knows, if I had not become a shoe rep, I may have perused a career in law enforcement!  

PS- Only the real “officers” of the company made money when the company was sold.

Ken Proctor
Front Man
Twig Footwear, LLC
e: Ken@twigfootwear.com
 www.twigfootwear.com