This is a wonderful tale of a family taking roots in a neighborhood, opening up a shoe business, and – four generations later – still thriving and growing. Their recipe for success: build up a reliable, dependable and trustworthy business; pass your love of shoes down through the generations; let love for your family guide you; and always give back to the community and the neighborhood you call home – a true Two Ten Footwear Cares® story.
The Sajdak family have called Milwaukee their home since the early 1900’s when Megan Sajdak’s great-grandfather opened up a men’s shoe store and repair shop after emigrating to the U.S. from Poland. But it was her grandfather, Stan Sajdak, who truly took the family business to the next level and set the tone for their community activism.
“My grandfather opened up Stan’s Bootery in 1950 on the south side of Milwaukee after WWII,” said Megan. “The neighborhood was booming after the war and my grandfather became very well-known and well-loved – his shoe store became the center of his community. He made sure he took care of not only his customers, but also his neighbors. That is Stan’s beautiful legacy. When my dad, Jim, took over from my grandfather, he expanded to three Stan’s Fit For Your Feet (the new store name), two New Balance stores and our new Vionic store. My three brothers and I are all involved in the family business and are excited to continue this growth – both business wise and volunteer wise.”
“Our Footwear Cares ® volunteer work is part of the fabric of our lives – our grandfather was the perfect role model for good citizenship and an even greater example of how taking care of others gives back not only to the community, but also strengthens the foundation of your family and your work,” continued Megan. “There really was no separation for him between his personal life and his work life. We’re continuing to carry this torch by beingactive change makers – our big volunteer efforts are with two local homeless shelters, Hope House of Milwaukee and the Repairers of the Breach. We also donate shoes and socks to many local causes, sponsor races, donate to auctions, run our annual Share-A-Pair shoe drives, you name it – really we are just trying to continue to give support to the community that has always supported us!” #StansShares
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