BY:MARY WILLS - shuzsociety.com
The art of loving shoes comes in a variety of forms and two vibrantly passionate women have come together to create a heavenly experience for those who adore great shoes. After years of hustle in the corporate world, Joni Marshall Floyd and Cindy Marshall decided to arm themselves with courage and follow their core passion of becoming independent business women and having fun doing it! Their story is one of empowerment and commitment centered in their hearts. "We want to offer the world the ability to come together as likeminded souls to explore, express and share the wonderful passion for all things shoes" explains Joni. "Our motivation was to invest in ourselves and in a product that makes us feel fantastic!"
"Yes," agrees Cindy. "We both were at a point in our lives where we felt the huge tug to blend flexibility with accomplishment and what could be better than a pursuit involving shoes! We envisioned a sisterhood, a way for footwear fanatics to bond and connect."
Both ladies have had successful, well established careers and share the link of family. Cindy is married to Joni's brother and after years of working for other people they kept coming back to the idea of establishing something for themselves. The genesis of the shuzsociety idea formed while attending an Aerosmith / Lenny Kravitz concert in January 2006 and their quest has been a wonderful adventure ever since. Joni has over 25 years of executive-level experience in the financial industry. She has led the high-growth efforts of two of the nation's Top 10 organizations in the e-commerce and payment processing industries, been recognized by the industry's premier trade association and held the title of CEO for an advisory services firm. Her background in business management and growth strategy execution has allowed her a solid foundation while building this new and exciting endeavor.
Cindy brings over 15 years of marketing, sales and advertising experience to the venture. She has "lens" on experience from both sides of the camera and orchestrates photo and video production. Her expertise in special event planning, management of national print and web advertising–combined with a solid history in finance and banking–has added another layer of success to the project.
The most important element of the whole undertaking has been their passion and absolute love of shoes. As Cindy wistfully remembers her first favorite pair of shoes she wore as a young teenager, her whole body expands and glows as her hands mold them out of air while describing them, "They were denim, wedged, platform sandals that crossed at the toe and around the ankle. They made me feel great," she recalls. "I have always loved shoes; my mother and grandmother wore beautiful shoes. I collect them wherever I go. I know exactly where I bought each and every pair."
It was this passion that prompted Cindy, back in 1999, to purchase copies of Magnolia Media's Shuz magazine–which successfully catered to the shoe loving market by combining stories about the industry with new shoe trends and accessories. Cindy had found a medium to further explore her shoe infatuation and she readily shared it with her friends, co-workers and family–specifically Joni.
In 2002 Cindy attended the initial Shuz magazine sponsored event in New York City - "Shuz in the City" - where she submerged herself in shoe heaven while meeting designers and buying the latest, hottest, trendiest shoes available. By 2003, Cindy and her shoe-loving entourage gathered in Los Angeles for another event, "Shuz on Sunset." Joni was in the group and experienced her shoe 'aha' moment when she won a beautiful pair of black satin Jimmy Choo pumps.
"It was fate," states Joni. "I have always liked shoes and Cindy had demanded I attend the event. But it was not until I won those beautiful shoes that I felt the thrill. When I put them on and saw them on my feet, I finally got what she had been trying to convey all those years. I now appreciate the joy and beauty a beautiful pair of shoes can bring to your life."
The energy and passion the ladies exude is palatable. Over the next three years they held down real jobs, focused on family and lived life, but there was still the nagging feeling of wanting to do more. They dreamed and researched various footwear-related business opportunities and found their opening. "We saw a gap in the market and decided to go for it'" explains Joni, as she describes the shuzsociety platform which combines an online magazine with a social networking community. "We wanted to work together to create a platform for shoe lovers to collaborate and network…all while discovering really amazing shoes and footwear news!"
They jumpstarted their new adventure by attending the 2006 World Shoe Association event to garner knowledge, input and contacts. Now a year later this vibrant duo, joined by a team of industry experts, are set to launch their new, exciting, interactive concept at this year's event in Las Vegas. "As with any start-up experience, this journey has not been without struggle," says Joni. "There have been many challenges along the way, but we believe in ourselves and our concept. We have a dream, a vision, and now, we are executing to a plan."
Wellness, balance and achieving one's goals–no matter how high the bar is set–is another important example these ladies want to impart to the world through their actions. "Your soles are the foundation of your body and mind," says Cindy. "Shoes can have a profound affect on your psyche. But, if your body is out of balance it will have an impact on your health, your wellness, your attitude - your life."
This is their message, their desire and their intention–to share the shuzsociety experience.