IAM1301 – Consultant Helps Build Shoe Brands from Scratch

Susannah began her career working in shoe shops as a teenager, then studied Footwear Design at university, and spent many years working for footwear brands and retailers, within the UK and internationally.

Susannah set up her consultancy business in 2015, based near London, UK. She uses her 23 years of footwear industry experience to help people around the world to start shoe brands.

• CEO Story: Susannah is completely obsessed with shoes and found her niche in them. Got a degree in footwear design. Having a mission to allow people access to better shoes that fit their lifestyle.
• Business Service: One-on-one consulting. Online course. Launched a membership group and shoe community group.
• Secret Sauce: Her experience in the corporate world seals the gap between a company, the product, and the customer. A unique market niche – shoe consultancy.
• CEO Hack: Asana app: management tool. “An app made by humans for humans” Having a little cute animation after completing a task makes it a little bit playful.
• CEO Nugget: Be customer-obsessed. Have a customer profile, and make an assumption. What drives and excites them?  Get to know your customers.
• CEO Defined: Freedom to create your own culture in your company that feels warm, playful, wonderful, and practical.

Website: shoeconsultant.com

shoeconsultant.com/shoe-community

shoeconsultant.com/how-to-start-a-shoe-brand-course

Instagram: shoeconsultant

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Transcription

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00:20 – Intro

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

00:49 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I'm Susannah Davda of the Shoe Consultant. Susannah, it's great to have you on the show.

00:58 – Susannah Davda

Hi, thank you for having me. This is really exciting. Talking across the pond.

01:03 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. It's always exciting to talk across the pond, the world that we live in, and we get the opportunity to connect with people all over the world. So I appreciate you taking some time out to be on the show. And before we jumped into hearing a lot more about what Susanna does. I wanted to read a little bit more about her so you could hear about some of those awesome things that she's doing across the pond. Susanna began her career working in shoe shops as a teenager, then studied footwear design at university and spent many years working for footwear brands and retailers within the UK and internationally.

Susanna set up her consultancy business in 2015 based near London, UK, and she uses her 23 years of footwear industry experience to help people around the world start shoe brands. Susanna, Super excited to have you on the show and hear about all the awesome things that you're doing. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:41 – Susannah Davda

Absolutely, yeah.

01:43 – Gresham Harkless

Well, let's make it happen then. So to kind of kick everything off, I know I touched on it a little bit when I read your bio, but I wanted to rewind the clock. Hear a little bit more on how you got started, and what to call your CEO story.

02:03 – Susannah Davda

Sure. OK, I've only ever worked in shoes, essentially, except for a paper round. So I worked. Yeah. As you said, I worked in shoe shops when I was a teenager, I kind of got the bug there because I was already into fashion design but then I saw this niche within it that was a real specialty, and shoe designers are very talented in their kind of 3-dimensional design.

So I realized I could study that at university. So I did a degree in footwear design, as you said, and then worked in buying product management design, yeah, traveled out all over the world. And of course, I'm completely obsessed with shoes. I knew I wanted to do something where I could work for myself and also directly help people more than I was able to in my previous head office environment, where I felt detached from customers.

And I felt like I wanted to make a real difference to people and allow people access to better shoes, right, that fit their feet, their style, their lifestyle. And I just was a bit frustrated about shoes that the companies I was working for were actually putting out there into the world. So helping entrepreneurs and like a great way to actually connect more easily with those customers to actually help them get the shoes that they deserve.

03:41 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And I've always been a big believer in entrepreneurs being able to kind of create a lot of innovation and opportunity, I imagine that you've experienced the same when you get to make a really big impact with the expertise and the knowledge that you have and being able to kind of see the entrepreneurs kind of take that experience, knowledge and then kind of run with it.

04:00 – Susannah Davda

Yeah, definitely. And they come from all different backgrounds. People who want to start shoe brands can come from any background. And all they need is, you know, the desire to want to put something different out there into the world. So usually they've had some kind of personal frustration where they haven't been able to find the shoes that they wanted. And then they thought, well, why doesn't this exist? Well, it should exist. So I'm going to do something about it. You know, maybe this has taken them years and years to actually get to the point where they contact me, but it's been in their heads and it's just, it never goes. There's something about shoes where once you start thinking about them, I don't know, it's like a bug. You catch it and you can't let go. It doesn't let you go.

04:50 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, absolutely. And as we've been kind of talking around is that problem-solving as well too? I've seen that something's not being done and decided to take the reins and do it myself. So I Absolutely love that. So I know we didn't touch a little bit about how you work with your clients. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more and hear the different ways that you kind of support and help those entrepreneurs that you work with.

05:10 – Susannah Davda

Sure. Yeah, absolutely. So it has evolved. So yeah, As you said, I launched in 2015. I actually got pregnant at about the same time as I quit and started my consultancy business. So it was a bit of a slow start, which worked fine, but the first couple of years of the business, I wasn't up to much. But it was a good time to explore what actually was needed in the market. I just put up some things on a website that I knew I would do really well, and it was pretty diverse. There wasn't a focus. It's not what I'd advise anyone else to do, but it was a kind of experiment.

It was just putting some things out there into the world and seeing who wanted what I had to offer, the download of my brain, and how that could work. So I started out doing one-to-one consulting, which I still do for a select group of at this point. And I did that for quite a few years. Then the next thing that I did was launch my How to Start a Shoe Brand online course. I launched in 2020 and it was really the culmination of all of the advice that I've been giving entrepreneurs who are starting shoe brands up to that point.

And really it made sense that the structure, like the order of the course was the structure that we would be working to and all the resources were resources that I had created already for my clients and so yeah it was a more accessible way to get my advice and really get my support with creating your own shoe brand where you didn't have to pay the one-to-one bespoke level of fee and you could kind of get on with it and do it for yourself. And then the beginning of 2021, I launched a membership group and that is the kind of entry level, it's a way to get peer support. So from other shoe brand founders, I was chipping with bits of advice too. It's a lovely vibe in the community. Like I've just been so impressed by how generous everyone is.

07:27 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I appreciate you, you know, breaking that down and expounding upon that, because I think so many times we, you know, someone might be listening or watching or reading and see that you have an online course and they don't see all the steps that you took to get there, the culmination of all the expertise and knowledge, the experience that you have in order to kind of get there. So I love that we get to hear about the behind-the-scenes aspect and understand what led to the ultimate success.

And so I want to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. This could be for yourself, the business, or a combination of both, but I wanted to get an idea of what you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique. And I almost wonder, is it your ability to have that expertise and knowledge as well as that business understanding and marry both of those? Do you think that's part of your secret sauce?

08:14 – Susannah Davda

Yeah. So What I've done in terms of my business experience is it's kind of bridged the gap between like the business side and the product side and that customer as well. And so it's that combination coupled with a kind of innate, not so much rebelliousness, but I'm not trying to get my clients to do things the way that they've always been done. There is a bit of a mentality in the shoe industry. I'd say particularly in the UK but not just the UK, where everybody who has been working in the business for a long time has a tendency to want to do things the way they've always been done, right? Why would you change that?

You know, it's always been done this week way. And of course, some of that is just good common sense. But I'm always interested in it, does it have to be done that way? And I guess, you know, the rebel in me is what made me want to start my own business. And so now I'm just very excited because everyone who wants to start a business, everyone who comes to me for support has that little, I'm not willing to accept the status quo and it's that little spark in their eyes that I'm like, yeah, we get each other, we understand each other and we wanna do something a bit different.

So What sets me apart, I suppose, what I do is pretty niche anyway. You know, how many people do you know who are shoe consultants, but particularly my niche is helping people to start them? So right from scratch, you know, I don't care how inexperienced anyone is, if they know no words at all to describe any parts of a shoe, it doesn't matter to me. You know, that's what I'm here for. I will help every step of the way. So that's that's a lot of fun. But yes, it's a real niche. What I do, you know, people are like, how is that a business? But if you're looking for it, you'll find me.

10:25 – Gresham Harkless

Absolutely. Appreciate that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

10:38 – Susannah Davda

Okay, I'm gonna have to say Asana, and I'm not gonna say boring things about that because, Okay, it lights me up. It's just an app that is going back to humans, right? It's human-centered. It feels like something that is designed by humans for humans, and it's fun. So it makes to-do lists feel a bit more fun. Obviously the practical things, okay, you know, make sure that I can spread out my tasks across the week and I can drag and drop them and all that stuff, right?

But the thing that makes me stick with Asana is that Every time I tick something, One of my tasks it gives me this cute little animation that goes across my screen, like some little unicorn, whatever. I mean, it's ridiculous, right? But I mean, it makes my day. And, you know, I just, it's not just like, oh, you know, I take something off my list. It's like, oh, you know, I've had a little prize for it. I just feel like, well, I can't everything in life be a little bit more playful. And I actually picked, I like to pick a word for the year and my word for this year is play.

So I'm really interested in how things can just, they don't have to be dry and boring. You know, things can be really practical and really useful. And I'm really into the practicality of everything, especially, of course, shoes. But if it can be playful as well, that's the best combination for me.

12:17 – Gresham Harkless

Truly appreciate that. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. You might've already touched on this, but this could be a little bit more of a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. It might be something you would tell a client, somebody going through your course, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

12:33 – Susannah Davda

Okay, I would definitely say be customer-obsessed. So yeah, I mean, I've already touched on that, but it's just so important. And I think, you know, have some assumptions about your customer, create a customer profile. For me, I don't really care how old they are, like, you know, what job they do, blah, blah, blah. Actually, I just care about what drives them, what excites them, you know, who is your customer inside? Actually, that is what all of your customers are going to have in common, right?

The same kind of frustrations, the same things that light them up. That's how you're going to find your group. And then so make some assumptions, and then put something out into the world to sell to them. Or even just send them an email, do some marketing, and figure out how it's received. That analysis is going to help you to get to know them even better.

Figure out what they love, what they don't love, what they need. Ask them. And it doesn't have to be some kind of cold survey. You can send people emails, real human emails that don't even have to come from a kind of mail service provider. And yeah, just get to know your customers and be obsessed with them and pleasing them.

13:57 – Gresham Harkless

Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Susanna, what does being a CEO mean to you?

14:07 – Susannah Davda

It means freedom for sure. So freedom to create my own culture within my company that feels warm and playful and wonderful and practical and all of the things that I like to put out there into the world. Yeah, just freedom to, I don't know, also to benefit from the clients who I work with. You know, when you're working with a big corporate or for a big corporate, then just, you know, 10 other people taking the credit for what you do. When you run your own business, when it's just you, you take all the credit. That feels really good. And then when you have employees, you're like, no, no, no, you take the credit. And that also feels great, because you've nurtured them and helped them to do that. So yeah, just freedom, freedom to, yeah, be myself, I suppose.

15:05 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, Susanna's truly appreciate that definition. I of course appreciate your time even more. So I wanted to do now was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best people would get a review, find out about the course, the Facebook group, and all the awesome things that you have working and going on in your community.

15:25 – Susannah Davda

So you can find everything I do at shoeconsultants.com. Yeah, that's basically everything I do. And yeah, so if you know anyone who's starting a shoe brand or thinking of starting a shoe brand, then I'm the person to get in touch with and I'd love to hear from you.

15:44 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information that show notes as well too, so that everybody can connect and follow up with you. Thank you so much for taking time out, of course, your time and the work that you do. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day. Thank you, Gresham. It's been such a pleasure talking to you.

16:00 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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