A Day In The Life

Heather Guttersohn

Posted 01 August 2015

London Program

March 2005 Intake

Heather Guttersohn (March 2005 - London) a graduate of the University of Colorado - Boulder, spent four years working in finance in London before returning to Colorado. When she moved back to Colorado, she was looking for an opportunity with more flexibility than the traditional American workplace. As a CFA Charterholder, managing assets was the most obvious option; however not exactly flexible. Instead, she started DiabeticShoesDirect.com, an online retailer specializing in orthopedic footwear and hard to fit sizes with the goal of helping to educate customers on how to maintain their health with properly fitting shoes.

Morning: I normally wake up around 6:30 and check my phone for the list of orders received overnight so that I have an idea of what's in store for the day. Our inventory is partially managed internally and partially managed by wholesalers, so oversight of orders is critical. I get up, have my ritual cup of tea (a relic from my days in London) while watching the Today Show, and answer emails before the office/phone lines officially open at 8:30. Throughout the morning, I process return requests, track shipments, and answer emails. Tying the order process to my phone really allows the core business operations to be mobile, so I sneak away at 10:30 for a coffee break at a shop down the road.

Afternoon: There isn't really a typical afternoon. The thing about running a start-up is you really do have to take on a ton of roles and responsibilities! This afternoon is filled with marketing planning (SEO, paid search, social media, and blogging) - the art of online marketing is a big learning curve for me that I'm still perfecting. Fortunately, my husband (whom I met while on the programme in London!), is a digital marketing manager so he helps me a ton. I write a yet to be published blog on diabetes management and try to find a website who will syndicate my work. I also research additional products to expand our offering (I'm looking to add quality products that are more focused on style), speak with one of my wholesalers, and I track our inventory. On occasion, I attend trade shows, but today I'm office bound. As always, I am learning how footwear can improve various health conditions, and staying on top of the latest research.

Evening: I make dinner at home and make time for a work out. Taking time out is definitely important because I usually have my best ideas while doing something completely unrelated to the business. Before bed, I make a few tweaks to the websites content while watching TV and reflect on the day's orders.

The best part of my day is being empowered to make decisions on how the business runs and having a real impact on something. Obviously, there is a huge learning curve when starting a business and I have made plenty of mistakes, but I love the challenge and am excited to expand our orthopedic offerings.