Happy Anniversary, Yo!

Sales & Service Manager.

Foot Levelers Veteran, Company Historian.

Problem Solver, Motivation Expert, Ms. Congeniality, Mentor, and not least of all, Leader.

She of the awesome nickname.

Many of our doctors have either met or talked to Yolanda, aka “Yo,” over the years. Last week, she celebrated 25 years working for Foot Levelers–a quarter of a century! Yolanda is known for always going the extra mile and being an expert in all things Foot Levelers. She’s one of our longest serving employees, and also one of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet!

Happy 25th, Yo! Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication over the years!

We invite you to get to know one of our favorite ladies in the interview below.

FL: How did your career at Foot Levelers start?

Y: I can’t believe it’s been 25 years already–time flies when you’re having fun and look forward to coming to work every day!

I was hired to work in the Laboratory, opening, keying, and sorting orders. I moved to Customer Service, then I started traveling to represent Foot Levelers at Chiropractic seminars in my second year. Later I moved into the seminar department full-time.  I was promoted to Seminar Manager and held that role for over 15 years.

FL: Now you’re over Sales & Service. Can you explain your role?

Y: I consider our Sales & Service Representatives my customers, so first and foremost I make sure they have all the tools they need to take care of our customers.  If you read my job description though, it would probably say that I am responsible for continual (education) training, coaching reps on individual improvement, tracking attendance and calls to continually achieve high performance.  All of that IS true and helps them become better at their jobs, which in turn helps them take better care of our customers!

Yo’s Team! L-R (front row): Abby, Mary, Ginny, Samantha, Tammy, Stephanie, Paige, Trixie, Melissa, Roger, Cassandra, Lindsey, and Josh (aka Barto). Second row: Cecil, Yolanda, Connie, Kylee, Matt, Will, Wayne, Jacob, and Christine.

FL: What’s your most memorable moment at Foot Levelers?

Y: I would have to say meeting Dr. Monte and spending time with him explaining to me why we do what we do, and how our products help patients.  His passion for helping others was infectious and having one conversation with him in person could fuel you for a very long time.  He was one of those people that, if I could choose anyone [deceased] outside of my family to have one last conversation with, he’d be on my list!

FL: What is your favorite thing about working here?

Y: There are so many things that I love about working here.  I love that we play such a big role in patient care for our doctors.  It’s so exciting to hear a success story from a doctor who’s had one of those patients that has literally tried everything else first and finally found relief with our product.  When I traveled for seminars, I enjoyed getting to meet the customers in person.  I also love that we have “family meetings” instead of company meetings; our CEO/President knows everyone by name–he’s not up on a pedestal out of reach!

FL: How about your family outside of work?

Y: Ginna and I will be celebrating our 35^th anniversary in April; we got married as soon as we could, so that’s only been 2 1/2 yrs.  We were honored that both Kent and Dawn came to our wedding reception!  I had worked here for 6 years and Ginna was unhappy where she worked.  Seeing how happy I was, she didn’t think twice about changing jobs and she celebrated her 19^th year here a couple months ago.

Schrute, our cat, completes our family–he is 8 years old and is much like having a toddler in the household.  He is truly spoiled rotten and mischievous as heck!  I can’t imagine our lives without him; he provides us with endless entertainment!

Both Yolanda and Ginna are proud Foot Levelers employees. (Schrute was let go due to insubordination).

FL: What are your hobbies? Anything else you would like me to mention?

Y: I love to travel, especially to Alaska–we’ve taken 2 cruises and once vacationed to see the start of the famous annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race.  We have also been to Las Vegas and although we are not much for gambling we have enjoyed many of the shows out there including Donny & Marie and Barry Manilow!  We have friends and family in California, and San Francisco is another of our favorite long distance trips.  We also enjoy long weekends to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge and Williamsburg/Virgina Beach!  In addition to traveling, I enjoy silly games like Candy Crush, watching movies, and TV.

Happy 25th, “Yo”–here’s hoping for many more!

Happy 29th, Mary!

Mary celebrates her 29th today!

Twenty-nine years ago today Mary Patsel joined the Foot Levelers team. Today she is our Trainer/Team Leader in Customer Service and, other than our CEO, is Foot Levelers’ longest serving employee.

Mary is incredibly knowledgeable about company history and the ins and outs of our products. When newbies have a question (or heck, non-newbies too), nine times out of 10 Mary has the answer.

Please join us in congratulating Mary and get to know her here! 

Q: What’s your role at Foot Levelers? Over the years, what other positions have you held?

“I’m the Trainer/Team Leader now, but I started as a Customer Service Representative. Over the years I’ve been the Customer Service Supervisor, Outbound Team Leader; I’ve also worked in Accounting, Credit, and Customer Relations.”

Kent Greenawalt and Mary Patsel today on Mary’s 29th anniversary!

Q: What’s it like to look back on 29 years with Foot Levelers?

“It seems like only yesterday first I walked into Customer Service and heard the phones ringing. I love teaching and watching new people learn the products and get excited about coming to work. What do I love about my job? The fact that we’re helping people from all over the world achieve a better quality of life. Also, the people who work here—without a doubt, the best anywhere. I feel so blessed to be part of this company and to continue to teach the legacy of Dr. Monte Greenawalt. I try to think positive and find the best in everyone. We’re all here together. We are a team!”

Q: What is your favorite “Foot Levelers moment”?

“So many wonderful moments. One of the best is when I celebrated 25 years and was given my beautiful Cartier watch compliments of Foot Levelers!”

Mary with Doris (left). Doris is Foot Levelers’ second longest serving employee, after Mary–but not by much! Doris celebrates her own 29th anniversary with us in June.

Q: When you think back on all the doctors and patients you’ve helped over the years, is particular experience that stands out?

Mary on the right at the groundbreaking of Foot Levelers’ new wing in 2002.

“I’ve seen and heard so many cases that had great endings that it’s hard to pick one, but I remember a little boy only 8 years old who loved to play basketball but could never play the whole game because his arches were so flat that his knees would start to hurt. He would have to stop playing before half of the game was over.  This really made him sad and depressed, so his parents took him to see a Chiropractor, he started to get regular adjustments, and was soon he was scanned for orthotics.  Within weeks his knees stopped hurting and he was able to play the whole game.     This little boy sent me a letter thanking us for making his orthotics and telling us how much better he feels and that we have changed his life forever!  I was in tears!”

Thanks, Mary, for 29 wonderful years of service!

Mary on St. Patty’s Day in 2010 (we couldn’t resist!)

Media Alert: Foot Levelers Named as World Federation of Chiropractic’s (WFC) Premier Corporate Sponsor in Historic Agreement

As the Exclusive Premier Corporate Partner of the WFC, Foot Levelers Further Extends Its International Presence and Legendary Support of the Chiropractic Profession

ROANOKE, VA—April 7, 2017—Foot Levelers, the world’s leading Chiropractic supplier and manufacturer of custom orthotics, has been named as the WFC’s (World Federation of Chiropractic) new Premier Corporate Partner.

Dan of Foot Levelers (right) shows off our new Kiosk at the WFC Assembly event in D.C.

Foot Levelers made the announcement just prior to the WFC’s Assembly of Members, which was held March 13-14 in Washington D.C. As the exclusive Premier Corporate Partner of the WFC, Foot Levelers further extends its international presence and legendary support of the Chiropractic profession.

Addressing delegates at the Assembly, Foot Levelers CEO Kent S. Greenawalt spoke of his support for the aims and objectives of the WFC: “Foot Levelers has been supporting doctors of Chiropractic in their practices for 65 years,” he said. “During this time, we have evolved with the Chiropractic profession and are now pleased to be supplying orthotics in 83 countries around the world. Partnering with the WFC seemed natural to us and we are delighted to share its aims and objectives in advancing the Chiropractic profession.”

He continued: “At a time where low back pain has been identified as the leading global cause of disability and where the overuse of opioids has reached epidemic proportions, we know that Chiropractic is uniquely positioned to deliver non-drug, non-surgical solutions. The safe, effective care that Chiropractic doctors are delivering to patients around the world translates to improved health for millions. Foot Levelers is extremely pleased to be working with the WFC at a time where the world needs more Chiropractors.”

L-R Kent S. Greenawalt, our Fearless Leader; Dr. Richard Brown of the WFC, and Dawn Galbraith, Foot Levelers Sr. Vice President

WFC Secretary-General Dr. Richard Brown commented: “The WFC is thrilled to have signed this 3-year agreement and are proud that Foot Levelers will be partnering with us to further our mission of advancing awareness, utilization and integration of Chiropractic internationally. Foot Levelers has an outstanding global reputation and the quality of their products is unparalleled.”

He continued: “We are looking forward to a relationship where the ultimate beneficiary will be Chiropractic. The expertise and corporate support that Foot Levelers brings to the WFC will make an enormous difference to the projects and initiatives that we are looking to undertake in the coming years. To have a Premier Corporate Partner of this caliber is a huge boost to the WFC’s ability to exert influence around the world.”

About World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC): The WFC is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that represents the Chiropractic profession internationally. Its members are the national associations of 93 countries in seven world regions. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the WFC is a non-governmental organization in official relations with the World Health Organization.

Dr. Kris, Signing Off for Now (Farewell, Australia!)

A “farewell (for now) Australia!” message from Dr. Kristina Petrocco-Napuli, expert on women’s wellness and Chiropractic care–not to mention a Foot Levelers’ Speaker Extraordinaire! Dr. Kris has been traveling through Oz with our Country Manager for Australia, Angelica Gaunt, speaking to Chiropractors on women’s health, treating the female athlete, and caring for the pediatric foot, among other exciting Chiropractic topics. Did you know? Foot Levelers has a Team Australia, based just outside of Sydney. “Oz” is just one of the more than 70 countries  we serve! 

Brisbane! We made it! This is our last stop on our Australian tour and we will be spending the next couple of days at the Australian Research Dynamic Growth Conference. Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and one of the oldest cities in Australia.

The booth was very busy at the conference we had a lot of visits from docs, C.A.s and students that were interested in many of the awesome Foot Levelers products.

Angelica and I at the Foot Levelers’ booth at the Dynamic Growth conference

At the conference I met many new friends and colleagues as well as some old! There were two Chiropractic colleges that were present and I was able to meet and spend time talking with some of their faculty and administrators about the curriculum and contributions to the profession. I was also surprised to find that many students attend this conference as well as new graduates.

As Saturday began, Angelica and I were busy at the booth following the opening plenary session. I then headed to my presentation location to find that an old friend and colleague would be my moderator. At this conference my topic was Demystifying the Pediatric Foot, which was a bit of a shift from the women’s health topics earlier in the week.

A tribute to Dr. Monte, Foot Levelers’ late founder.

At the beginning of the presentation I took some time to talk about Foot Levelers’ founder, Dr. Monte Greenawalt, and his perspective on pediatric care. In addition, I was able to discuss some of the history of the profession related to Chiropractic education at Lincoln Chiropractic College and how the founding principles may have guided Dr. Greenawalt since he was an alum of Lincoln Chiropractic College.

After my presentation I had some very nice conversations with many students (as there were a lot present) and some of the local practitioners.

This was the last stop on our tour…. And incredibly bitter sweet. I had the best work companion that anyone could have asked for…thank you Angelica!

Dr. Irum Tahir and I, a fellow speaker at the DG conference, and both NYCC Alums! Dr. Tahir’s practice is based in Syracuse, New York

Throughout this trip I learned so much from all of the practitioners about practice in Australia and some of the struggles the profession is currently experiencing here as well as some of the opportunities that are developing…such as a new Chiropractic School in Adelaide.

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and cannot thank Foot Levelers enough for a once in a lifetime professional journey.

To my new friends and wonderful hosts: so long for now! And with a final thought… Where Have Your Orthotics Taken You? For me, to Australia and back!

Angelica and I

Koala, Lone Pine Sanctuary

Nap time!

New friend at Lone Pine Sanctuary

Thanks WDBJ-7 for a Great Story on Foot Levelers!

We were happy to host the fine folks of news station WDBJ-7 and show them around our facility on Friday.  WDBJ’s Nicole Saunders produced a fantastic piece about our Workout for Payout program, where employees work out to earn points toward free health insurance plus other great stuff, like paid time off, Foot Levelers’ products and more. Just one reason (of many) that Foot Levelers is a great place to work! Check out Nicole’s story by clicking here: Foot Levelers’ employees workout for free health insurance

The Story of Our Founder (Plus a Birthday Shout-Out!)

Today is Foot Levelers’ CEO’s birthday–Happy Birthday Kent!–which got us reminiscing about Foot Levelers’ humble beginning, all the way back in 1952. The company, after all, was started by Kent’s father, the renowned Chiropractor Dr. Monte H. Greenawalt, who at that time was not all that well-known–he was fresh out of Chiropractic college, just starting his practice from the basement of a bank in Dubuque, Iowa.

Foot Levelers is literally in Kent’s blood, so sharing the company, and family, story seemed a fitting way to honor him today. It’s a pretty remarkable story, and we hope you enjoy it.

It was 1942, and World War II was raging. A young man from Iowa, Monte H. Greenawalt, wanted to help, so he signed up for the Army.

But Monte’s preparations didn’t go as planned. As part of his pre-service requirements, he required vaccinations. Tragedy struck. A tainted batch killed many young men, and Monte was left paralyzed, forced to lie in an iron lung for six months.

Doctor after doctor told his devastated family that Monte would live the rest of his life as a paraplegic. His mother wouldn’t hear it. She eventually sought out a local Chiropractor, who was able to restore her son’s mobility.

Our founder, Dr. Monte H. Greenawalt, with his son Kent, who’s our Chairman and CEO today (he’s bigger now)

“They carried him in and he walked out,” Monte’s mother would later recall.

Monte’s path was now clear. Though he had planned to study medicine after his enlistment, his personal experience with the power of Chiropractic changed all that. In 1948, a newly minted Dr. Monte graduated from Lincoln Chiropractic College.

An early version of our custom-made orthotics

As a young Doctor practicing in Dubuque, Dr. Monte began to notice a pattern: patients with foot problems, especially, were returning to him with the same back, joint, knee and hip problems they started with—his Chiropractic adjustments just weren’t holding. Dr. Monte referred these patients to a podiatrist, but their problems persisted. In fact, many got worse. If a foot device could make his patients’ problems worse, he wondered, could it also potentially make these problems better?

Dr. Monte began to experiment with orthotics, and through trial and error, developed a formula based on 16 unique measurements of the foot. His patients began to feel better, results improved; his adjustments held longer. The referrals started flowing in, and eventually Dr. Monte’s little garage workshop couldn’t handle the demand. Foot Levelers moved to an old dairy; years later, the company relocated across the country to Roanoke, Virginia–making it easier to reach patients with its products quicker–and that’s where it remains, with Monte’s son (our birthday boy) at the helm. Sadly, Dr. Monte passed away in 2007.

Kent S. Greenawalt, just a few years later 😉

Today Foot Levelers is the #1 provider of custom-made orthotics for Chiropractors all over the world. We’ve helped millions of patients overcome pain and improve performance. Kent has overseen incredible growth and innovation for the family company as President and later Chairman and CEO– like his dad, he’s a tireless advocate of Chiropractic, a multi-patent-holding inventor, and a committed philanthropist.

If you have pain, we want to help you–it’s what Foot Levelers has been about from day one. You can find a Chiropractor who offers our products here, and read more about how orthotics can help your symptoms here, here and here.