Talk about a blast from the past! In the space of 72 hours recently, I ran into two people from two very different phases of my life. First was Marcus who I worked with in PR for a short time more than 10 years ago and then it was Tracey, who I used to work […]
My two new obsessions since owning a shoe shop!
My life has changed in many, many ways since opening The Shoe Garden four years ago this month. Two unusual ways that I never dreamed of are my two new obsessions … the weather and the Australian dollar! I used to turn off the news just as the Sports segment started (that bit hasn’t changed […]
When can you buy gorgeous long shoes?
It took me days, weeks, months and years to get my hours right. When I first opened The Shoe Garden in April 2012, I traded seven days a week. I knew I couldn’t maintain these hours but I wanted to see for myself what the slowest and busiest days typically were and not just guess. After six months […]
Sip a latte and read all about The Shoe Garden!
I am proud to be featured in the current edition of the Jamaica Blue “Escape” magazine. I talk about why being in your 40s is a great time to have a career makeover and start again! I went from a stressed-out, corporate-suit-wearing Senior Executive in fundraising and communications to a blissed-out, caftan-wearing, proud shoe shop […]
Beautiful Brand Profile: Aerobics
I am proud to stock more than 20 brands at The Shoe Garden and I think that is what many customers love … that this variety of brands means they have a diverse selection of gorgeous shoes to consider. I need that diverse selection because I have a diverse range of gorgeous customers, from 10 […]
Inside The Shoe Garden
I know it’s sometimes hard to order shoes online for all the obvious reasons such as sizing and fit. But there’s also a trust that needs to be earned by the online retailer given their customer doesn’t have the advantage of not just trying on your product, but also of meeting you and enjoying the ambiance and style […]
Sizing: a real headache!
“I am a size 44,” said one new customer recently. I then asked her what Australian size that was and she said it was a 12. Mmmmm. It may be and it may not be: it all depends on the brand. And the style. And the factory where it was made. And where that factory is […]
Oops, it’s already February!
How did that happen? One minute, I was sitting on the beach at Caloundra, starting my third book for the week, and the next I’m back in The Shoe Garden with a big to-do list and not enough hours in the day. The start of every year is always huge so I’m glad I got […]
A chance to look back and reflect
I love Christmas and one of the many reasons is that it is a wonderful time to reflect on the past year. And it’s been a corker at The Shoe Garden! This time last year, mum and I were getting ready to travel to Africa and to meet the amazing women of the Dodo group […]
There are no scandals at The Shoe Garden!
I keep an eye on search terms used by visitors to my website to see what they are looking for. This gives me a good idea of what types and colours of shoes that people would like; it helps me improve my website if something is not clear; and it occasionally makes me smile. The […]