The Road Not Taken
Similar to Robert Frost鈥檚 poem 鈥淭he Road Not Taken,鈥� entrepreneur, designer, and philanthropist Stuart Weitzman said he began his career in shoe design by going off the beaten path. 鈥溾�楾wo roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by,鈥欌�� Weitzman quoted from Frost鈥檚 poem. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 made all the difference. That鈥檚 how he ended the poem. And that鈥檚 how I began my career.鈥澛�
Delving into his philosophy on entrepreneurship and the history of his brand, Weitzman said gaining industry experience was crucial to founding his own company. 鈥淭he worth of education鈥攍et鈥檚 say that鈥檚 one to 1000,鈥� said Weitzman. 鈥淏ut experience is one to infinity.鈥澛�
Weitzman said he worked at a shoe company for five years before opening his own, where he gained valuable business knowledge. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like I was not a startup,鈥� he said. "I was already in business with all that experience.鈥� Weitzman then discussed business truisms that guided him in growing his brand, the first being risk-taking.聽聽
鈥淩isk is your absolute best friend,鈥� said Weitzman. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 achieve great things without taking risks.鈥� Weitzman also emphasized the importance of risk-taking in business, inspiring him to find a niche in the shoe-designing market. 鈥淚 noticed on the red carpet, every actress was in a different dress, but many had the same shoe,鈥� Weitzman said. 鈥淚f I could create a shoe for all of them鈥攖hat would be unique to them鈥攎aybe I could get my product in the public eye, on the red carpet. Maybe I could find my niche.鈥� Designing and creating unique shoes for celebrities gave Weitzman鈥檚 brand the initial exposure it needed. As celebrities like Aretha Franklin gave Weitzman credit for his shoes, millions of viewers and celebrity stylists were introduced to his brand.聽
Weitzman also emphasized the importance of originality and creativity in making business decisions. 鈥淣othing could ever keep you more different and more competitive against your competition than your imagination,鈥� Weitzman said. 鈥淵ou have to hang on to that.鈥�
When he first entered the industry, Weitzman said he could not afford the models heritage shoe brands relied on for their successes. In marketing, Weitzman said he took the road less traveled by, emphasizing his brand and company image rather than his shoes in advertising. 鈥淒o something that鈥檚 yours, that鈥檚 unique, that catches attention,鈥� Weitzman said. 鈥淚t will pay off many more times than the cost of doing it.鈥�
Weitzman also said using new and unique sources of inspiration was an important part of distinguishing a brand. 鈥淚f you are looking for inspiration in the field you end up in, do not pay attention to what your competitors are doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 like a rotten apple in the basket 鈥� I looked past my聽competitors and looked for people who were not my competitors.鈥� Weitzman said he looked to gladiator sandals from ancient Rome, Dr. Martens boots, and Julia Roberts鈥� boots from Pretty Woman as inspiration for his shoe designs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not limited to a fashion product,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only limited to your imagination. And I鈥檓 sure in whatever field you鈥檙e in, you can think that way and create muses to help you be inspired.鈥�
Weitzman said asking for help and insight is essential when starting a brand. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so obvious you can鈥檛 do almost anything alone,鈥� he said. 鈥淥r if you think you can, you can do it better with help elsewhere.鈥�
Adapted from by Madison Hoang '27
Co-sponsored with the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship.