Footwear Insight

Given the financial metrics of purchasing Lafferty's store outright weren't feasible, Gates opted to sign on as store manager in 2012 with an option to buy. A year later, she purchased the store. The Running Well opened a brand new location in late April. By Bob McGee K athy Gates has followed her heart, her family, and her passions since her birth in Huntington Beach, CA. But it wasn't until 2010 when she landed in the Heart of America, also known as Kansas City, MO, that she finally found her true calling. Now, her ever expanding The Running Well chain of three run spe- cialty stores is a finalist for the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award that will be revealed on June 14. Gates' connection to running began during an advertising career that com- menced at Grey Worldwide in New York, where her account base ranged from Intel to Febreze, and moved to VML in Kansas City, where her clients included Southwest Airlines and SAP. At VML, she began making items for runners in her spare time. (One such item was a diary-like 'bib book' where runners could store and display their race bibs.) "I started running once I got a corpo- rate job and was never fast," she recalls. "But it was a great way to stay healthy no matter what town my work took me to. I wanted to sell these products online but didn't have a clue about price point or how to market to runners." Aer a quick search, she called on Bob Lafferty, proprietor of Sports Medicine Metro Walk and Run in North Kansas City, to answer her ques- tions. Besides being patient with Gates and her many inquiries, Lafferty made her an offer. She could buy his store. Given the financial metrics of pur- chasing Lafferty's store outright weren't feasible, Gates opted to sign on as store manager in 2012 with an option to buy. A year later, she purchased the store. A year aer that, Gates started an event production company that produced 5ks, 10ks and a half mar- athon. She sold the race company in 2018 before opening her third store in Mission, KS. "During this process, I found what I was designed to do," recalls The Running Well Store's sole proprietor. "I love being active and sharing that passion with others, but I also love business. I love creating something whether it is a team, a culture, a process, or a new store buildout." In late April, Gates took the most recent steps in her lifelong journey by moving the original store location to another retail space on NW Barry Road complete with custom wallpaper, a 3D design above the apparel wall and a custom photo of Kansas City on one wall in the 2,500-sq.-. space. She says the store was in desperate need of more space and a visual refresh. Last month, the new e Running Well store that caters to "all walks of life" in the City of Fountains, partnered with e MORE Foundation on a shoe drive. rough the grand opening event, the community donated enough shoes to plant 5,000 trees in Africa. "Once I started owning e Running Well Store, I knew in my soul that I was doing what I was intended to do," offers Gates, who hints that more stores and an e-commerce concept are on her radar in the years ahead. n A TRUE CALLING AT KC'S RUNNING WELL RETAIL footwearinsight.com May/June 2023 ~ Footwear Insight • 19

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