“As we spend more time during the day on our feet, leading longer active lives, the shoes we wear can  make a difference in how we feel.As Jeff Yastine reports, that’s a key strategy in the growth of the Foot Solutions chain….”

I was recently interviewed in New York City by PBS Nightly Business Report’s Jeff Yastine regarding the Foot Solutions’ business model. The bottom line is, people today want to be more active- and because feet are the foundation of the body, its critical to have proper, supportive footwear to keep your feet healthy. Part of the interview was filmed in one of our Foot Solutions locations in Plantation, Florida and explains, in detail, just how the Foot Solutions process works. You can view the segment below-

Internet, blogs and virtual communications have completely changed the playing field for every CEO.  Although Foot Solutions is relatively small company with 250 franchise operations and a little over 1,000 employees working in a retail setting,  it is now my responsibility as a CEO to follow up on a daily basis and make sure we are on top of any customer issues and resolve them before they go viral.

Although we may be at fault at least 50% of the time, today’s vast communication channels have completely changed all the ground rules.  Now, unhappy customers can, with the click of a button, share anything, anytime.  As the leader of my company, I must step up to the plate and hold myself accountable to ensure I am aware of issues, and can respond in a timely manner.

You cannot change or resist the reality of what is happening with the internet, but you can at least reach out and be part of the solution.  Personally responding to customer issues may be more time consuming, but you should always do your best and try to stay ahead of a problem.

I recently returned from my first visit to the PBS station in New York City. I had a great time being intertviewed by Jeff Yastine for possible inclusion on a PBS/Nightly Business Report segment.  As any entrepreneur will tell you, it is always exciting to discuss your concept (in this case Foot Solutions) and what sets you apart from everyone else.  I know that the interview time will be sliced and diced and may end up only a few minutes long, but at the end of the day it was a great experience and I cannot wait to see the finished product.

Giving back is a very important part of life.  Many people miss the point and always tie it to money.  It is not about the money although it is about sharing, caring and reaching out.  It could be a very simple gesture; it could be a visit that is an emotional lift or just a shoulder to lean on; it could be mentoring, being a big brother or sister, the list goes on and on.  In many cases time and knowledge are a much more rewarding gift for you as well as the recipient.

We have partnered with Soles4Souls in a national campaign to clean out your closet and to trade shoes you no longer wear or need.  These shoes are donated to the needy and focus on 3^rd world countries.  In some places people don’t have any shoes and share them.

This is a feel good cause that costs you nothing and is also a great way to contribute to recycling and 100% utilization of products.  Click here to find a donation location near you, or you can ship them directly to Soles4Souls.

Today I had the opportunity to meet up with Allan and Silvana Clark who are volunteers for the Soles4Souls campaign who will be touring the USA in an RV promoting this cause; I would like to personally thank them for taking a year out of their lives to support this very helpful program.  They are collecting slightly used shoes for donations to third world countries and the millions of people walking this earth that do not even have a pair of shoes to their name, especially the children.  This is a very easy way for everyone to give something back.

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What can you do in a down economy when you still want the joy of giving and sharing but just can’t do it this time?

Foot Solutions is partnering with Soles4Souls in a national cross country tour to collect shoes for 3^rd world countries and the needy.

How can you help?  This does not cost you anything!  Just go to your closet and clean out those shoes you no longer wear or that do not fit you anymore.  Hint – if you have had any weight changes or it has been a while since you have been properly fitted there are definitely shoes you need to get rid of.

You can drop them off at your closest Foot Solutions store and get a free computer scan and foot fitting analysis for your trouble.  Or you can ship them directly to Foot Solutions corporate and get a free gift or to Soles4Souls.

Balance Walking – eating component – DON’T DIET!  They simply do not work or at best for most people are a short term temporary solution.  Why fight it?  EATING is one of the few pleasures we all can enjoy.

The Balance Walking approach to food is very simple, eat what you want, just smaller quantities.  Focus on fresh vegetables and fruit, using meat and fish to compliment the main dish.  Start simply by getting rid of any over sized plates you have.  Get some smaller plates; I like the Japanese style smaller attractive plates.  This allows you to put together visually attractive dishes with very reasonable serving sizes.

Most of us could probably cut our intake of food in half without have a problem.  If you do this have a small snack mid morning and afternoon to keep the fires burning and preventing you from gorging out later that day.