Ep 26: Thirty Years, One Family — Kitty Bolinger, President of Dansko

What actually holds a growing company together, thirty years into an industry that's changed almost beyond recognition?

Pete Mohr sits down with Kitty Bolinger, President of Dansko, for a conversation about culture, leadership, and the value of staying close to the retailers on the front lines.

Kitty's path to the top of footwear wasn't conventional. She came up through a department-store buyer training program in the 1980s, moved into wholesale sales with Timberland, spent three years back in independent retail, and joined Dansko in 2010 as National Sales Manager before becoming president.

In this conversation, Pete and Kitty examine what makes a company's culture hold up as it grows, why Kitty still gets out from behind her desk to visit independent retailers, and what separates a good sales floor from a great one.

They also discuss how Dansko led its team through the 2025 tariff disruptions, why Dansko held a hard line on returning to the office, and why Kitty reminds her team on the hardest days that there's no such thing as a shoe emergency.

You'll hear about:
→ Kitty's thirty-year path from department-store buyer to president of Dansko
→ Why Dansko became 100% employee-owned in 2012 — and what changed
→ Why Kitty still visits independent retailers to listen and learn
→ What separates a good sales floor from a great one
→ How Dansko built and leads a predominantly female leadership team
→ How Kitty led Dansko's team through the 2025 tariff disruptions
→ Why Dansko refocused its marketing on its heritage and origin story
→ What Kitty would focus on first if she reopened an independent store today

Kitty also explains why she believes the willingness of footwear retailers to share ideas, experience and advice with one another remains one of the industry's greatest strengths.

"It's so corny, but it's a family." — Kitty Bolinger

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ABOUT KITTY BOLINGER
Kitty Bolinger is President of Dansko, the comfort footwear brand that became 100% employee-owned in 2012. Her three-decade career spans department-store buying, wholesale sales with Timberland, and several years as an independent retailer before she joined Dansko in 2010 as National Sales Manager.

CONNECT WITH DANSKO
Website: https://dansko.com

ABOUT PETE MOHR
Pete Mohr is an independent footwear retailer, business coach and host of The Footwear Retailer Podcast. Through conversations with retailers, brands and industry experts, Pete helps independent business owners build stronger businesses while creating more freedom in their lives.

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The shift starts here.

This episode of The Footwear Retailer is proudly sponsored by the National Shoe Retailers Association.

NSRA supports independent footwear retailers with tools, connections, education, and resources to help you run a stronger business. 

To learn more about the benefits of membership or to sign up, visit:
https://www.nsra.org/page/benefits

Pete Mohr is a longtime footwear retailer, business coach, and owner of two Shoetopia stores in Ontario, Canada, helping business owners build stronger companies that support a better life. 

To learn more about Pete's programs and coaching or to book a free initial chat about your business goals, visit:
https://pete-mohr.com/