Visual Merchandising Tips, by Linda Cahan
by JULIA
It’s been a couple of weeks since we heard from our visual merchandising pro Linda Cahan, but well worth the wait! I would love to see her in action. I am thinking she should have a “makeover shoe store” show on Bravo or something. I hope you appreciate these great tips and all you retailers out there should walk into your store tomorrow and see how you can put some of her advice to use. Thanks Linda!! Working it Like the Big Gu…
Irfan Moeen-Letter from Pakistan
by JULIA
Irfan emailed Nina and wanted to know if we would share her story. For me, this story makes me think about how fortunate we really are and it also is very encouraging to see Irfan continue to make her business work. Perserverence and persistance do eventually pay off and I hope this is the case for our friend from the Middle East. Here is her letter… I am a garment manufacturing technologist and have done productio…
Being My Own Boss
by Ken Proctor
Our dedicated Thursday featured contributor, Ken even took time out while on a trip to Mexico to give us our weekly dose of insight into the world that is Twig Footwear. I chose this topic for Ken because it is something I am learning all about myself and I wanted to see how much I would relate. Well, I am essentially in business on for myself for same reason he is! I work harder now than I ever have in my life….ever, but it i…
Notes From The Field, by William Weiss
by William Weiss
I met William a few years back as I nervously stumbled my way through my first WSA show in the most uncomfortable shoes ever. I still remember how bad my feet hurt! Four inch heels are a terrible idea during WSA, but I didn’t learn my lesson the first time….I still have the tendency to sacrifice my feet for great shoes….So anyway, at the time William was working for Birkenstock (now with Hush Puppies, Wolverine World Wide…
Bonus Non-Shoe Related Post about Cleveland Fashion Week, by Dawn from Amerimark
by JULIA
Dawn wrote in this week regarding her fashion filled weekend in Cleveland. Apparently even Cleveland has fashion week! I am sure we have some readers from the area, so if you are you should look up the events that are happening throughout the week! Or perhaps contact Dawn to see where is the best places to go! This posting is not necessarily related to shoes except that the people at the events and parties were wearing the…
Viva la Difference Part IV
by JULIA
Tom continues his journey through the interviewing process and I believe this segment is very important. Knowing everything about who you are talking to before you talk to them is not only going to help you present yourself that much better, but also allow you to exhibit confidence and genuine interest. If you walk in to an interview with a company you know nothing about, you will not be able to successfully focus on why…
Designing for Ladies
by JULIA
Jose sent me this great article on designing ladies shoes this week and yesterday when we were communicating through email there was an earthquake! Fortunately, nothing fell down! Jose will be expanding on this topic over the next few weeks and I am excited to learn all about it!! A lot of people ask what inspires me to design cool working women’s shoes and what things I consider as I am going through the process….…
Bilaal Rajan-This kid is smart!
by JULIA
This kid is pretty cool! We could learn a thing or two! Bilaal Rajan is an activist fund raiser, UNICEF Children’s Ambassador, and author. He is only 12. Read his bio HERE……If a child can make a difference, then you certainly can too! Be happy it’s Friday and think of something small you can do to make someone smile.
Matisse Sheena’s Weekly Rant-If you have a sense of humor you will lol!
by Matisse Sheena
I cannot tell you why I thought this to be an appropriate topic for Sheena this week, but I like to keep her on her toes! I think it was a thought I had about walking through the trade show after an early breakfast/meeting and seeing countless reps sleeping on various couches, tables and chairs. I think everyone has to learn their lesson a couple times….moderation is key! Now where is that glass of wine I just had?? &#…
Dan Mauney, his new “dress” code and his store Step by Sloan
by JULIA
My dear friend Dan owns a shoe store in Charlotte, NC where I used to live. I have asked him countless times to contribute to Shoebiz and it has now become a running joke that he will always send me something “asap”, yet nothing ever arrives. This is especially humorous because Dan is very active on his facebook page, so the “I don’t have time” excuse doesn’t work. So….today Dan decided to tag me in this lovely…
The Inspiration for the Name Twig
by Ken Proctor
Wow here is another fun article by Ken. I love his honesty and I can definitely relate to the challenges of finding a good name…. I had to come up with two. One for this website and one for my company. Fortunately Shoebizness seemed like a good pic and I stuck with it and Pearl&Co made sense because I basically promote all sorts of good people through various ways….hense the Pearl reference….My d…
Julian Smith’s – 50000shoes.com-check it out!
by JULIA
Julian Smith is a talented YouTube personality based out of Nashville, TN. You should totally look him up. He is great! He is close to the Soles4Souls family and partnered with them in order to raise their awareness and promote an “international shoe drive”. Solely based on this video more than 14,000 pairs of shoes were donated in only 3 days!! The goal is to reach 50,000 pairs….you can help. J www.50000shoes.com
What kind of shoe best describes you??
by JULIA
My friend sent me this silly quiz and of course I had to take it even though I am not in high school. Funny. The image is actually what popped up at the end. Fortunately I do not own any shoes that look like that! My results: High heels-peppy, up-beat, and outgoing, you are most likely a cheerleader of some sort. You may not be a traditional cheerleader, or even on a squad, but you still are one in the real sense of the word. You…
Bonus Rant by Sheena!
by Matisse Sheena
Sheena surprised me with this little bonus rant….not really a rant, but more of a shout out which I very much appreciate! Sheena was our first weekly contributor and we love her…..and as I hear often…flattery will get you everywhere! 10 reasons WHY I LOVE SHOEBIZNESS.COM! This will be listed by order of importance, for easy reading. Completely unique forum. Positive and open area for discussin…
Retail Operations-Controlling Costs
by John Licata
I am here in Nashville, TN visiting my friends at Soles4Souls and I had the great pleasure of meeting John’s daughter Laura and musical partner, Tofer over breakfast. They are incredibly talented, kind, intelligent and I believe they will have an amazing career in the music industry. I was speaking with John a few months back regarding the charity events that I am involved with and how they always incorporat…
