Aussie company Shoes of Prey has been at the forefront of one of the biggest trends currently changing the retail industry: customisation.
Its website allows women to design their own shoes - anything from sandals to boots, with millions of combinations of colour, material, heel height and more to chose from.
Uni mates Jodie Fox, Michael Fox, and Mike Knapp launched the business back in 2009 and they've since raised more than $30 million (AUD) in funding.
"The majority [of that funding] has come from the US," Jodie says, which informed their decision to relocate from Sydney to LA in 2015. "And the fact that barriers to entry are far lower in that market for us in terms of language, culture, meant that [move] made sense."
Shoes of Prey co-founders Michael Fox, Jodie Fox and Mike Knapp Source: Supplied
With production based in China, and a customer support center in the Philippines, the business is now a truly global operation.
But as with any entrepreneur, Jodie's successes have come with lows, both business-wise and personally.
In 2016 the company's much vaunted physical locations within David Jones in Australia and Nordstrom department stores in the US closed, following poor sales.
A week after our interview, Shoes of Prey co-founder Mike Knapp announced he was departing the company.
And carrying on after her divorce to third co-founder Michael Fox was also particularly challenging - though Jodie credits open and honest communication, and a supportive team, with helping to maintain their working relationship.
Shoes of Prey allows women to chose from millions of combinations of colour, material and more. Source: Supplied
Then there's the constant travel. Jodie says she had no fixed address during 2015. Though she loves travelling, the experience was exhausting.
Does she have any regrets?
It's a question that causes her to tear up in reflection.
After a long pause, she says, "You know, I don't regret anything about Shoes of Prey, it's my biggest blessing. The regrets? You give so much of yourself. And that's a good thing, it's what you should do - but you have to be mindful of keeping a part of you, and prioritising parts of your life so you don't lose them. And that's the thing I've learned probably the hard way- and hope not to learn again."
She hopes other entrepreneurs can learn from her mistakes. Through her YouTube channel, she shares the lessons she's learned both in business and life. One video explains the biggest mistakes the business made early on; another recounts her experience suffering a panic attack at work.
Shoes of Prey co-founder Jodie Fox says she hopes to help normalise the struggles entrepreneurs face. Source: Supplied
"You can dress it up all you like, like 'oh my god I'm having best day of my life!' But really what I appreciate as an entrepreneur is the truth," Jodie says. "And we all have really hard days and sometimes you do feel like giving up and I want to normalise those things for entrepreneurs so they know they're not alone."
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