A Sydney shoe fanatic who has revolutionised the way women shop for their fashionable footwear is a finalist in tonight's Telstra Business Women's Awards.
Shoe designer and co-founder of online footwear store Shoes of Prey, Jodie Fox, is in the running to becoming the New South Wales winner.
Fox dabbled in law and worked in advertising before she committed to launching a website where women can design their own shoes.
From purple silk heels and glittery ballet flats with bows to snake skin ankle boots and leopard print wedges – the options are endless.
“Brands now have to be personally relevant to each consumer to pull their attention,” Fox said.
Shoes of Prey offers shoppers a choice of style components, colours and materials, leads them through the design process, then ships their handmade footwear in four to six weeks.
Tens of thousands of pairs of bespoke shoes have been mailed to shoe lovers across the globe – in just over a year.
Shoes of Prey was the first company globally to go to market with the idea that a customer could design their own shoe online, and since the business was licensed in October 2009, it has grown to a team of 17 people with five offices globally.
Fox helps drive strategic direction, while also leading design, product development, human resources and marketing.
The success of her innovative fashion concept has seen the business expand to China, Japan, Russia and the Netherlands and attracted international media attention.
As if she was not busy enough, earlier this year Fox was invited to the Federal Parliament to consult with political leaders on fostering innovation among Australia’s small and medium businesses.
“We’ve done things before we were completely ready to do them,” Fox said.
“Striving for perfection at the price of inaction doesn't work for innovators, especially in the fast-paced online environment.”
Now in its 19th year, the Telstra Business Awards is Australia’s pre-eminent business awards program, comprising of a series of state and territory finals which culminates in a national final.
Chief executive of Telstra, David Thodey, said the awards offer a unique channel for any Australian business to win national recognition for outstanding dedication, commitment and success.