Dawn Dickson, the CEO of Flat Out of Heels, a designer and manufacturer of stylish and comfortable rollable flats for women, decided to literally step out of painful high heels and into her comfort zone.
“I was inspired to launch my company after a long night in heels and I simply needed relief. It was my ‘ah-ha’ moment,” says Dickson. “I was literally standing in heels for eight hours in Miami and I wanted to take off my shoes so badly, but I was in a professional environment and I am too classy to walk barefoot.”
Her painful shoe experience, led her to take the idea to market with a new concept of high-end shoe vending machines that would appeal to sophisticated, stylish and discerning female customers seeking relief from their high heels – while on the go.
Learn how Dawn Dickson launched a novel business idea with a little help from her friends and why you should never give up … no matter what.
| Company: | Flat Out of Heels |
| Founders: | Dawn Dickson |
| Location: | Miami Beach, FL |
| Industry: | Retail |
| Startup Year: | 2012 |
| Startup Costs: | $30,000 USD |
How I Got Started:
I was inspired to launch Flat Out of Heels after a long night in heels and I simply needed relief. It was my ‘ah-ha’ moment.
I was literally standing in heels for eight hours in Miami and I wanted to take off my shoes so badly, but I was in a professional environment and I am too classy to walk barefoot.
I remember my feet hurt so bad and I there was nowhere to get some shoes at that hour. That is when I got the idea for the vending machine, I started to research to see if the concept existed in the U.S. and it did not. I saw a great opportunity so I jumped on it. I wrote a business plan and had some great friends invest in me and things took off.
Today, I operate Flat Out of Heels, LLC and our flagship product line is the Flat Out rollable flat and the Flat Out shoe vending machine. Our rollable flats can be discretely carried for emergencies or worn all stay for stylish, durable comfort. Our distribution strategy is to be located in venues like airports, nightclubs, malls and hotels, where many women are wearing heels. The vending machines make it convenient to get emergency shoes when needed.
Step out of the high heels, slip into Flat Outs and go.
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