RON WHITE FOUNDER & DESIGNER FOR RON WHITE SHOES Entrepreneur & fashion designer
WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?I did one year at University of Winnipeg (where I grew up) and then went to Sheridan College in Oakville. I graduated from the Business Retail Management program, with Fashion electives as my focus. (Sheridan has since inducted me into their business Hall of Fame... I feel too younger for that… but also feel very honoured). WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR BUSINESS? I had worked throughout my schooling on the fashion side of the business and started my full time career there too after graduating… I was head hunted away into the orthopedic side of the shoe business and took a job I couldn’t refuse (they doubled my salary!) so although I had no passion for it, I took the position... and then went and bought a new car – as that was the real goal at the time. As life would have it, in this new role I learnt all about orthotics, foot problems, what makes shoes comfortable and how they affect the body. Soon after it hit me that no one was selling shoes (or designing shoes) that were on trend fashionable as well as comfortable. Both of these shoe segments were totally separated and didn’t even talk to each other. So in my own naive way, I thought I could do it better and unit the fashion side with the comfort technology side – so took a leap and started my own business. WHAT INSPIRES YOUR DESIGNS? Primarily my clients. I design for who they are and what they do. I think of what they need for weekend… vacations… events… and business and then I create a collection each season that rolls together the latest in color palettes and trends mixed with how I interpret these combined with how I think my consumer will fall in love with them. I can be walking through a car show and see a vintage convertible and see how the leather seats are stitched and that has inspired as shoe. I’ve toured a historic palaces or church in Europe and the 1200 year old marble pattern on the floor inspired a shoe. The inspiration for the design direction can come from just about anything for me. WHAT DID YOU DO TO ENSURE SUCCESS?I’m not 100% sure what this question means as I don’t think one can ensure success. I think we can give something our best shot and try our hardest – but in my world I don’t think we can ensure it. Ultimately I’ve worked harder than I thought I could… and when everyone said it wasn’t possible… inside I said to myself ‘they don’t know what they are talking about… it is possible and I’ll show them’. For me intense drive mixed with following my passion has led to success many times… but it’s never a guarantee.
RON WHITE, CEO & Designer of Ron White shoes, seen h ere holding h is “All Day Heel” WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY FOR YOU?There is no typical days! Today is Sunday and I slept in as a weekend treat… worked on emails for a few hours… went to the office and worked on my fall 2014 collection and finished off my boot grouping… did a conference call to California for an hour & a half, then went and had dinner with parents and extended family – and am now home working on these questions for you at 11pm. Pretty much every hour of my day is booked with something. DO YOU OVERSEE ANY PARTICULAR BUSINESS ACTIVITIES MORE THAN OTHERS?On the retail store side, I have 3 direct reports. I meet with them all (Vice President of Operation, Director of Merchandising and Director of Finance) every Monday and assess the last week’s business and review the next few weeks ahead making any necessary changes due to how the business and economy are trending.On the wholesale side (selling my brand to other stores like Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and this Spring Holt Renfrew etc…) I have a President of wholesale who works with me on all Marketing and Sales plans and there is a COO who manages the relationships with the factories in Italy that produce the shoes, import the shoes and distribute the shoes across north America. Currently I spend about 60% of my time on the Wholesale side of the business. Separately there is a PR agent who works with me on TV and raido appearances and getting our shoes out to the media for coverage in magazines and newspaper.On the Foundation side – I have an Executive Director who runs the Ron White Foundation and oversees all the fundraising events and galas it puts on.