115 Years, 73 Stores, Built on Owners
Cammie McKenzie on The Footwear Retailer Podcast
Most retail chains are built from the top down. Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. was built one owner at a time. On Episode 31 of The Footwear Retailer podcast, our President, Cammie McKenzie, sat down with host Pete Mohr to talk about how a footwear company founded in 1911 grew to 73 stores across 12 states, with every single one individually owned by the person who runs it.
It’s a conversation about history, ownership, a literal roof collapse, and what it takes for an independent shoe store to stay relevant for more than a century. Here’s a look at what they covered.
It Started With One Loan and One Set of Keys
The Brown’s ownership model goes all the way back to the beginning. Cammie traces it to our founder, who loaned his first partner the money to get started, found him a store, and handed him the keys. That single act of trust set the pattern for everything that followed.
“I think that’s where the magic is.”
— Cammie McKenzie, President, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co.
More than a hundred years later, the idea is the same. Brown’s isn’t a franchise, and none of our stores are corporately owned. Each owner has real skin in the game, and that changes how a store is run. Together, our stores operate as a cooperative group, sharing buying power, marketing, and know-how so the whole group grows.
Local Owners Make the Local Calls
Because every store is owned by the person behind the counter, the decisions that matter most happen locally. Owners pick their own product, hire their own people, and make the calls that fit their community. A store in a small Iowa town and a store in a growing Nebraska city don’t need to look identical, and they don’t. Cammie and Pete also discuss how that local choice works alongside brand consistency and store design across all 73 locations.
A Federally Accredited Path to Ownership
One of the biggest topics in the episode is our federally accredited apprenticeship, added about three years ago, the program that now prepares employees to become store owners. A few things make it stand out:
- No big capital required. As Cammie explains, you don’t need tons of capital to get started. Ownership isn’t reserved for people who already have significant money to invest.
- Two years with a mentor. Apprentices learn the business alongside an experienced owner before stepping out on their own.
- A credential you keep. The accreditation stays with you, even if you decide to leave.
Cammie also talks about what Brown’s looks for in a future owner and how you know when someone is truly ready to run a store of their own.
You Have to Fumble
Some of the best advice in the episode is also the simplest: you have to fumble. Start on the sales floor, find a mentor, and make your mistakes where they cost less. Many of our owners started part-time, some in high school, long before they ever thought about buying a store.
Every new store also gets a mentor for its first two years, and nearby Brown’s stores pitch in too, like taking an overbuy off a new owner’s hands. Many of our stores are in smaller towns, and Cammie explains why those communities are an ideal place to learn by doing, where fumbling is part of the process rather than a crisis.
The Day the Roof Fell In
Every 115-year-old company has a few unforgettable stories, and this one is hard to top. Shenandoah, Iowa was home to our headquarters for more than 100 years, until snow caved in the roof of the building. The company had talked about moving for years, and this was the push. A team of 10, including our former CEO, set up the entire new Dallas Center building in a single weekend, and the new staff started that Monday.
Cammie is candid that the move wasn’t easy. She talks about the hardest part, losing team members along the way, and what it took to rebuild. November 2026 marks two years in the Des Moines area, and she reflects on where the office stands today.
Control the Controllables
Independent retailers are dealing with economic pressure, tariffs, and thinner margins. Cammie’s mantra for handling it actually came from one of our own: Fort Dodge store manager Craig Jarrard, who told her during COVID, “We’re just gonna control the controllables.” She’s carried that idea forward ever since, focusing on what happens inside your own four walls. That includes protecting markup through smart inventory management, open-to-buy planning, and the buying power that comes from 73 stores working together.
Local Anywhere, With a Little Help From AI
The conversation also turns to what’s working in marketing for independent shoe stores and how e-commerce lets Brown’s be local anywhere, extending that hometown fit experience beyond our physical locations. Cammie also shares how we’re using AI to see what’s selling across all 73 stores, and her encouragement to anyone hesitant about new tools: you don’t need to be an expert, you just need to start asking questions.
115 Years Doesn’t Happen With One Person
The episode closes with a leadership lesson about letting yourself be vulnerable, and a reminder that a company doesn’t last 115 years because of any one individual. It lasts because of the owners, team members, and communities who keep showing up.
Episode Highlights
| Timestamp | Topic |
|---|---|
| 02:41 | The federally accredited apprenticeship |
| 03:33 | One loan, one set of keys: how Brown’s started partnering with owners |
| 05:43 | What Brown’s looks for in a future store owner |
| 09:29 | You have to fumble: learning in smaller towns |
| 13:53 | The roof fell in. Literally. |
| 22:31 | Control the controllables: focus on your four walls |
| 28:08 | E-commerce that makes Brown’s “local anywhere” |
| 29:42 | Using AI to analyze data across 73 stores |
| 34:32 | Leadership lesson: let yourself be vulnerable |
Listen to the Full Episode
Watch the full conversation on YouTube. The Footwear Retailer podcast is hosted by Pete Mohr and sponsored by the National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA).
Interested in the path to ownership? Stop by your local Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. store or visit brownsshoefitco.com to learn more.
