We were lucky enough to enjoy the eclipse together as a team yesterday. Thanks to the fine folks in H.R. who purchased glasses for the entire company and organized the outing–Moon Pies, theme music, and all! Here are a few of our favorite pics.
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 35th 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 19th 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!
The most rewarding part of working for Foot Levelers? Helping patients–no question.
And Rory’s story is one of our favorites.
Earlier this month, our gal Tammy, who works in our Sales & Service Department, read about the plight of an adorable little guy all the way across the pond in Lancashire, England. Six-year-old Rory was born four months premature, leaving him with sensory, physical, and neurological issues. He’s unable to walk, but with ongoing therapy his parents hope that one day he will.
To stand, Rory wears a special support frame plus custom orthotics custom-made at a U.S. lab. From a special vest that helps Rory breathe, to ongoing therapies, tests, and nutritional supplements, Rory’s care is incredibly expensive.
Rory with his mom Sally and dad Henry
One of Rory’s shoes fell off on a trip to visit his father’s family. The special insole was inside, so the family went to the media with a plea: help us find our son’s shoe.
Tammy was moved as she read about Rory.
“Losing Rory’s shoe is a huge blow as the insole costs many hundreds of pounds and was made exactly to fit his feet,” said Rory’s dad in the story posted on CornwallLive. Rory “relies on his insoles” to help him get the support he needs to be able to stand.
He added: “One day we hope that he will be able to walk, but for now he relies on his insoles to hold his feet in the correct position when standing in his support frame.”
The moment Tammy finished the story, she reached out to our friends Dr. James Bloom and Dr. Adam Greenfield at Stanmore Chiropractic Clinic near London. Without hesitation, they agreed to help Rory any way they could.
Rory’s shoe with his special insole. The match went missing during a family vacation, and the family asked the public’s help in finding it.
This week, Rory’s family made the 200-mile trip to London so that Dr. Bloom and Dr. Greenfield could take scans and imprints of Rory’s feet.
Dr. Adam Greenfield (left) and Dr. James Bloom with Rory earlier this week
Once Rory’s imprints arrive here in Roanoke, Virginia, we’ll make a pair of custom orthotics just for Rory at no charge to the family.
We’re excited for Rory to get his new custom orthotics, which should be arriving soon. You can read more about Rory’s story by liking his page on Facebook. If you would like to give to support this little boy’s ongoing care, click here.
Because Rory’s case is complicated, the doctors took several foam impressions of his feet in addition to scanning his feet with the Foot Levelers 3D BodyView. The impressions and 3D images will be used to build Rory’s new pair of custom orthotics at our Roanoke, Virginia headquarters.
Wow! What a week for Foot Levelers!
In addition to kicking off our exciting new partnership with Roanoke Fire-EMS, Elizabeth and Mary of Team Foot Levelers took our message of “healthy people = healthy company” on the road, speaking to the fine folks of Leadership Roanoke Valley Class of 2017 (LRV) on Wednesday.
LRV is an interactive 10-month program that unites movers-and-shakers from every sector of the workforce to develop leadership skills and discuss how to make Southwest Virginia a better, smarter, more innovative (and more fun!) place to live, work, and play.
Elizabeth spoke about how Foot Levelers’ innovative, homegrown Workout for Payout program keeps our employees healthy and happy and our company strong. You can check out a recent WSLS Channel 10 story about Workout for Payout, the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, and our star employee/hometown- basketball-hero-to-boot Abby Oliver here.
Thanks to Leadership Roanoke Valley for making us a part of your big day!
Team Foot Levelers was honored to kick off an unprecedented partnership with the brave men and women of Roanoke Fire-EMS this week, our hometown’s first responders. One-hundred and sixty-five of the Star City’s finest will be product-testing a new Foot Levelers orthotic top cover, designed for the toughest jobs and lifestyles!
The Roanoke Press Corps was also out in force to help share the news with our community. Check out some of their recent stories:
“Roanoke Fire-EMS is excited to partner with Foot Levelers on this exciting opportunity,” said Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback. “We can’t wait to see how these custom products will benefit our firefighters.”
“Every new Foot Levelers product and product element must go through an intensive series of tests,” said Steve Stone, Foot Levelers Senior Vice President… “There aren’t many folks who work in tougher environments or who are harder on their feet and bodies than first responders; plus, as a company, we’re always looking for ways to give back…What better way than to support the selfless men and women who are out there every day risking their lives to keep us safe?”
Good news for our firefighters, who frequently suffer from back pain: a major clinical trial to be published in The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation conclusively shows that Low Back Pain improves with Foot Levelers custom orthotics. We’ll be sharing more on this exciting development soon!
The results are in!
America’s Toughest Road Marathon just keeps getting bigger, with 2,507 registered runners–an 11% increase over last year; 600 volunteers, a brand new (official) double marathon, 10 non-profit race beneficiaries, plus runners hailing from 43 states and nine countries.
Even though warnings of severe weather forced organizers to cancel the event about five hours in, reviews were glowing (thanks, folks!).
Runner Elizabeth R. Bain of California said this about the race in The Roanoke Times: “What really made this course shine (besides the gorgeous views from the tops of the mountains)? YOU, Roanoke! From the volunteers handing out bibs and shirts at packet pick-up, to the mimosa ‘aid station,’ to the guy driving the bus where I took my DNF [did not finish], everyone was so kind and friendly! Even though I’m a slow, back-of-the-pack runner, every aid station had cheers and cowbells and plenty of aid station supplies for me.”
Foot Levelers booth at the Marathon Expo Friday before the race
We’re proud to support this incredible event every year, and congratulate all who dared to run America’s Toughest Road Marathon. An extra loud shout-out goes to our employees who got up at the crack of dawn to participate as runners or volunteer at the Star aid station!
It takes a village to host a marathon (Foot Levelers peeps in yellow giving out water, snacks, cheers and high fives to runners at the Star Aid Station)
Numbers about the economic impact should be out soon. Last year, the marathon generated more than $592,000, and over the past seven years, the it’s added more than $3.2 million to the local economy.
Our man Barto (center, in black) chugging up Mill Mountain along with other runners. Credit: The Roanoke Times.
Congratulations runners, thank you volunteers, and kudos to organizers from the Roanoke Regional Partnership for another world-class event!
Tammy and her daughter after the event
Some of our employee runners ready for the race: L-R, Barto, Scott, Tyler, Mike and Wayne
Tomorrow’s the big day! The Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon gets underway bright and early at 7:30 a.m. and we couldn’t be more excited!
Not only is Foot Levelers the title sponsor, we have several employees who will be competing tomorrow in America’s Toughest Road Races. We also have several dozen more signed up to cheer on runners and hand out waters and snacks at the Mill Mountain Star Aide Station.
Last night, WSLS’s John Carlin interviewed our CEO Kent about the company’s support of the marathon during a half-hour live marathon special. Check out the rebroadcast here! (Kent speaks to John around 11:30, and you can see Abby in action in the story immediately following the interview).
John Carlin (left) and Kent at the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon finish line last night
Big shout-out to our employee participants–we have all the faith in the world in you! We wish you and ALL the runners the best of luck on the course tomorrow! Stay tuned here and on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates throughout the weekend.
Excitement is building for the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, this Saturday in Foot Levelers’ stunning hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. Known as America’s Toughest Road Marathon, the event draws brave souls from all over the country.
Once again this year, several of our employees will be taking to the course as competitors–best of luck to Tammy, Wayne, Scott, Abby, Mike, and Tyler! And as always, we’ll have a raucous group of cheerleaders and helpers up at the Mill Mountain Star Aide Station helping to hand out waters, snacks, and keeping runners’ spirits high.
WSLS Channel 10 came to visit us recently to talk to Abby Oliver, former basketball superstar and our awesome employee, about her training for the marathon and some of the innovative ways Foot Levelers encourages employees like Abby to stay fit and healthy. They’ll be running a special tonight about the Marathon featuring Abby and a live interview with Kent from the finish line at Elmwood Park. Tune in if you can or check back here–we’ll post the special after it airs.
We’re rooting for everyone Saturday! You got this!
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!)
Can you dig it, Docs?
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(Pictured above: Shelley, Foot Levelers Marketing Gal and Yeti Enthusiast).
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