Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Hart.
Hi Jimmy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
We opened in 2015 as a place for the patients of Premier Foot and Ankle to have a reliable trustworthy place to go for their footwear needs while also hoping to fill a hole in the running community in the Frisco area. The goal was to be a place where there was no pressure, it was friendly, and providing a knowledge base that came from a medical background. I came on to manage shortly after opening, having spent the past eight years in the running shoe business as a design consultant and sales rep. My personal background had some foundations in the medical, personal training, physical therapy, coaching, and competitive running worlds so it was an ideal opportunity to utilize everything I had learned over the years in one singular practice while getting to help people reach their goals. We have spent the past 7 years focusing on building a community for the runners in our area to come socialize, shop, and be part of something that we can all say is “ours”.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anyone can ever say starting a business was smooth. There was a lot to learn and iron out over the years. Early on it was definitely a struggle to find the balance in budgeting while trying to get the word out about who we were and what we did. We were probably a little early to the area where we opened, and development around us took some time, so general drive-by traffic was slow. There were days where no one came through the door, but those were some of the most fun days sitting around dreaming up plans and strategies with our whopping staff of two! I spent the first four years working six days a week from open to close until we could afford to have someone else be there so I could spend time focusing on other things. We pushed through the first downturn our industry had ever seen back in 2017 and that took a lot of adapting to the changing landscape. Thankfully we always have a mindset of never doing something just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” so it was something we were able to manage and find ways to still build the business while others were having to close their doors. Obviously, the pandemic has had some serious, and real effects on how things work, but our way of always trying new things allowed us to be pretty adept at working through it. Without our amazing customer base and the, beyond supportive, staff we have it wouldn’t have been possible but with them I honestly think we can do anything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have always been the person who wanted to know everything so my focus has jumped around a lot over the years and led me to some amazing opportunities in a variety of fields. I used that wide background to create a way of analyzing people’s movement to provide a more comprehensive look at what they need for support compared to other methods that have been used in the industry. This has allowed us to really help a lot of people achieve their goals in running, exercise, and just being more comfortable in their daily life. Our medically driven base allows us to help a really broad spectrum of people with an extremely wide range of needs due to injuries, ailments, surgeries, and a lot of other things. It is something we are very proud of and make sure we are always continuing to increase what we know. Beyond all that, the thing that really sets us apart is that I don’t care if you buy something from us. We will spend all the time needed to simply help in any way we can. The bottom line isn’t about the sales, it’s about the experience and letting people know we are here for them and the community.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Frisco has been a wild place to be these past seven years. The growth here has been rapid and the city really takes a forward mindset with its decisions. When we opened there was pretty much only wide-open fields around us and I could sit and watch cars go up and down the tollway from our front window. Now I can barely see the tollway. The people here have been great, accepted us early on, and support us in our endeavors. Frisco is home.
Contact Info:
- Email: friscorunningco@gmail.com
- Website: www.friscorunningco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friscorunningco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friscorunningco
