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When the Shoe Fits
TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A BUSINESS
by Carol Douglas Lyles
W
omen L-O-V-E shoes—even when
they hurt their feet, wreak havoc
on their posture and put them at
risk of health issues. Not surprisingly, shoe
manufacturers love that women love shoes—
this love affair for all things cute is making the
manufactures very wealthy! Yet, few of these
companies invest the time and resources into
constructing quality shoes that women need
to properly support their feet, legs and backs.
As a result, some women are turning to Italian
shoe makers to get the look and support they
desire. Gwen Rawls is one of them.
Yet Rawls took her interest in Italian
shoes to another level. She is the owner of
Gwen Rawls Italian Shoe Boutique which she
opened in her hometown of Columbia (SC). A
fashion maven and a connoisseur of elegance
and style, Rawls has travelled extensively
in Europe. “I’ve always loved fashion but my
passion for shoes began in Milan,” said Rawls.
“During my travels, I met more and more shoe
designers and was consistently impressed with
the extraordinary craftsmanship and artisanship
one only sees in Italy.” The quality of craftsmanship contributes to the price. However, there is
an old adage, “You get what you pay for.”
An astute and savvy business woman,
Rawls doesn’t consider opening her boutique a real stretch for her entrepreneurial
spirit. You see, the seed of entrepreneurship
was planted firmly in her mind by parents
who extolled the rewards of business ownership long before she opened her doors for
business. And she did her homework. Rawls
studied the product and learned from the
best minds. She developed a plan for owning
a business as she honed her skills as an executive at UPS. While working in a number of
key positions including Business Development
Account Executive, Business Development
Senior Account Executive and Workforce
Planning Coordinator responsible for the
hiring for its regional hub while managing nine
team leaders and an administrative staff, she
learned valuable knowledge to help