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The official podcast of Shoemaker Films. Every week we share content related to digital marketing, video production, and brand building; and frequently meet with local creatives, entrepreneurs, and business owners for in-depth conversations. Get to know local heavy hitters and influencers in the Greater Philadelphia region while picking up some tactical advice and tips on starting and running a business, being productive, creating content, and everything in between.
This is Dane Schumacher with Shoemaker Lab. Just came out with that name last night
Ken Taylor:Nice work.
Dane Shoemaker:About the domain. So, you know, Shoemaker Films, we, we work with clients to do podcast, social media content, documentary work, branded branded content. We are starting a series now to, get to know local entrepreneurs, creatives, business owners, and the Greater Philadelphia area. And this is the first time that we're doing this. So I'm here with mister Ken Taylor, of the running place in Newtown Square.
Dane Shoemaker:So, thanks for coming on and and sharing your story.
Ken Taylor:Well, thanks for having me for the first first go.
Dane Shoemaker:How about that?
Ken Taylor:Let's see let's see how it goes.
Dane Shoemaker:Normally, I'm on the other side of the camera, so, we'll see how this goes. But I'm feeling good today. So
Ken Taylor:Learn by doing. Learn by doing.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. So, I really wanna hear about your your story, how you've come to, be running this place, the the running place in Newtown Square. I wanna hear a little bit about your story. You know, I know you were you taught at Girard College for a little bit. You're from Alabama.
Dane Shoemaker:So I think, you know, couple times that we've we've talked, and you're on the a director of the Newtown Square Business Association. So, that's how we know each other.
Ken Taylor:Right. Exactly.
Dane Shoemaker:Yep. So, why don't you just kinda, you know, give a little bit of background on yourself and and then we'll kinda dive into things. So
Ken Taylor:yeah. This is editable. Right? Oh, yeah. A 100%.
Ken Taylor:Gotcha. Yeah. I I I was born, in in Bruton, Alabama. I think the population at the population at the time, 1973, was about 400 people. Middle of nowhere.
Ken Taylor:But I'm literally probably a mutt. You know? My my family's from South Carolina. My my mother ended up, you know, having me down south, and then they ended up moving back north. And then so my family's all from the south originally.
Ken Taylor:I'm the 1st person in my family kinda raised in the north. And then at 17, 18, I went back south and didn't come back till I was about 30. Okay. So, I grew up with a lot of the southernisms and things like that and the mindset of being a little bit slower maybe. But
Dane Shoemaker:I can hear a little bit twang, but I don't get the slowness from you. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:No. I yeah. I guess, yeah. You're always moving around. That helps too.
Ken Taylor:But, but I, you know, I I was a kid that played baseball growing up. I love, you know, I love the sport of baseball. And, my dad was my coach. And, we we moved, and then, I had a coach that when we were drafted kids are drafted with baseball. And I was drafted, and the coach used inappropriate language, so I wasn't allowed to play for that coach.
Ken Taylor:And they wouldn't let me go to another team because of the draft. So my buddy, Brian Perron, told me, why don't you come play track? What? You don't play track, you run, but I didn't know what it was.
Dane Shoemaker:Right. Right. Right.
Ken Taylor:So CYO. So I was a CYO kid, in around 5th grade.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:And I started running track in 5th grade and,
Dane Shoemaker:That's Catholic youth.
Ken Taylor:Catholic youth. Yeah. Yeah. Catholic youth organization. K.
Ken Taylor:I was a Saint John the beloved. You know, put one foot in front of the other, and if you practice, you and you'll do well. And, from from CYO through high school, I finished high school in Delaware. I did go to school in Pennsylvania for a little bit in Kennett Kennett High School, but I didn't run there. It was just my fresh beginning of middle of my freshman year, and then I moved back south.
Ken Taylor:A lot of moving in my life. So Yeah. But then, you know, I I ran track in Delaware, and, I did really well. I got a scholarship to university. I won a couple state titles.
Ken Taylor:I'm a mile or half mile or back in the day. Went off to college, got injured, which is pretty much part from my course for the rest of my life. Mhmm. And, and then came back home, wasn't gonna go back to university, and ended up joining in the marine corps. Oh,
Dane Shoemaker:good. Okay.
Ken Taylor:I didn't know that. So, yeah. That's every time you talk to me, you probably find another layer of that onion. Yeah. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So I went in the marine corps and and did really well in boot camp and moved on. Spent 3 years pretty much traveling, with the US Marine Corps and Africa, the Middle East. You know, so a little bit over, all throughout Europe, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Adriatic, Red Sea, Indian Ocean. And, it was a great experience for me. It just really made me appreciate where I came from.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:You know? So you always appreciate that. I came back and, when I was getting out of universe when I was getting out of the marine corps, I applied to a couple of schools. Villanova being a running school because I wanted to get back into running, which is here, but I wasn't living in the area.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:And, UNC and UVA, both had great history programs, which is kinda where I was going.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:And I ended up choosing UNC, the UNC Chapel Hill. It's to me, I would move back tomorrow, but my wife's from Delco. So, you know, you don't leave when your wife's from the area.
Dane Shoemaker:I'm familiar with that.
Ken Taylor:Yes. And, so, so so here so here I am. I, I moved up here for, after I went to university at UNC. I was doing a a graduate PhD program. I came up here for 1 year while my adviser was on sabbatical.
Ken Taylor:I took a gap year to try and run and give it my last go. Went out to Colorado, trained for the summer, came back really good going into the winter. And then living in the north, I went for a run and came home. And at the end of my run, I slipped on black ice and snapped my ankle in 3 spots and tibia in half.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, no.
Ken Taylor:And, that was pretty much it for competitive running. You know, I can run. It's fun. It's yeah. I still love it.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. But I'll never be like, I would never be fast because I lost flexion in my in my foot. So, yeah. So it's all it's all good. But it was, like, I could keep running and, you know, I was a little frustrated with that, obviously.
Ken Taylor:The following year, I stepped in a hole covered with snow and broke my opposite foot.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh my gosh.
Ken Taylor:And then I bought a treadmill. Then you don't go outside in the winter here. People don't when I moved up in 2002 into Philadelphia in like, people don't realize that we had, like, 20 some inches of snow a couple of times. Yeah. Like, we got, like we used to get, like, a lot of snow.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Not so much anymore.
Ken Taylor:Not so much anymore, which is which is good for runners.
Dane Shoemaker:I guess so. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:But, and then and then, I was a came up to Girard College and stayed, and became director of wellness. And then I Okay. Yeah. So I was teaching economics, which is one of my undergrads, and I have a master's in curriculum instruction as well. Okay.
Ken Taylor:And, and then UNC converted my the program I was doing into a master's. So so so I was going through the schooling. I have a I have too many degrees that you know? But, but it's always fun to learn. So I
Dane Shoemaker:think it's
Ken Taylor:really exciting. So, long story long, a buddy. I helped a buddy, when he was opened up at a store up in North Wales, and I really, really loved it because you're helping people in a different way. And you're teaching, which is something that I've always done, so I'm teaching in a different way. And then, my friend, Bill Frawley, was working with the running place, here in Newtown Square and said, oh, we need some help.
Ken Taylor:What about, like, just just helping out on, like, a couple nights a week and maybe on Saturdays? I'm like, okay. It was close to home, and I get to work with a friend, and it was really great. And the staff is amazing. I mean, this is before I came on.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. No.
Ken Taylor:And then, and then Patty and Joan were the original the godmothers of the running place. They started the store on March 17, 2001, and they, Joan had had moved on to Colorado, to be near her, grandchildren and her daughter. And then, Patty was wanted to transition out as her son graduated high school and asked me to if I wanted to buy the other half of the store because at that time, it was Patty and Bill.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:And then, I said no the first time in 2011, but then we had our daughter. And I wasn't home enough to be around. You know? Be I know I always wanna be, you know, you wanna be an active father, an active parent, and may and be play active role in the in the little one's life. So, the running place made sense.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. You know? So, Patty and I I bought Patty out, and then Bill and I became the co owners in 2,012. So that was the year that I officially became an owner. I came on helping out in 2,008.
Ken Taylor:So I've been here for a long pretty long time. And then, I got to work with my best friend, what about, you know, for for a lot of years. Then he left me like my work wife, you know, in 2,001 and moved out to Bend, Oregon, and he's living in semi retirement out there. Nice. He's he's hiking every you know, all the time, cross country skiing in the winter and paddle boarding in the summer.
Ken Taylor:So he's he's having a good life. And so I've been the sole owner since January 1, 2002 22. 22. Yeah. And, and it's difficult.
Ken Taylor:Sure. You I know this is a kind of a piece that it's difficult being a sole owner with so many different wheels turning, ordering, and, you know, bringing all those things in and staffing. Everybody after the pandemic was having issues with staffing.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Sure.
Ken Taylor:In general, I think small businesses, it's difficult to find staff and retain staff for small businesses. Yeah. But I think we've kind of walked through a bunch of things at this point. I guess that that that's
Dane Shoemaker:kinda Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Is that get you to where we are today?
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Sure. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:I'm like I'm like, I don't know if that's yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. I hear a lot of, like, running analogies. They're walking through things, like, running through things. Yeah. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:But, yeah. I mean, you so you became sole owner in 2022. What was that like? I mean, were did you did you have a goal of becoming the owner, or is it kind of, you know, as Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So you know previous
Dane Shoemaker:owner moved out. It was kind of a reluctant thing?
Ken Taylor:That's a that so when I came on as the owner with Bill in in 2012, I knew that he wanted to go out west.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So we had that conversation early on. So I knew, he and I were gonna work together for years. And then when he was going to want to transition out, then I would I would I would buy him out when he left. Right. And that way we kept the same family feel of this of the store.
Ken Taylor:And and and so we knew that was gonna go go on. We didn't know when. I think I think the pandemic might have sped that up a little might have sped that up a little bit. Yeah. Because we both were a little bit of fry little bit fried after, you know, 2021 year was probably maybe more difficult than 2020 for us, because in 2021, the inventory issues with all companies were kinda crazy.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Ken Taylor:Trying to figure out if we could find a shoe in this size and you can't, and then you're trying to, you know, pivot and trying to, you know, help the customer get the best fit. Right. And it was really hard because inventories with all brands were logistically a nightmare. So it's, it's always pretty, pretty crazy times. And I think Bill did a lot of the shoe purchasing Okay.
Ken Taylor:Ordering on that on that point. And I did all the ordering of everything else. So I think he was fried a little bit more than I was Right. Right. In that sense.
Ken Taylor:And then, and things got back a little bit better in 2022 at when he transitioned out, and things are a little bit better now than they were. Yeah. There's still hiccups now more than we used to have, but, I think it's just the life of the business right now. That's just kinda how it is. Right?
Dane Shoemaker:Yep. Yep. Do you have specific brands, that you carry Yeah. Here that, Yeah.
Ken Taylor:We we're actually probably funny when for the customers. We we carry we handpick everything. Nobody tells us what to carry. We choose what we're going to carry based off of lab research, con content of looking at past shoes, reading reviews, putting the shoe on my foot. And going through it.
Ken Taylor:Bill and I used to go back and forth with one another trying to handpick the things that we're going to carry. Our entry level shoe isn't an entry level shoe. Our entry level shoe is gonna give you 2 and a half times your body weight and shock absorption up to a 310 pound person for 500 walking miles, 350 running probably, give or take a little bit, and that's the mean. But that's kind of the entry level for us. We wanna make sure that we're dispensing shock so that the person is able to be as active as they wanna be, whether they're walking or running.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. You know, running shoes are like nomenclature, like Kleenex the tissue.
Dane Shoemaker:Right. Right.
Ken Taylor:You know? So it's kinda like a running shoe is something that offsets shock, and that's why it's called that. So, functionally, if you're moving forward or standing on concrete working at Home Depot or you're a nurse doing 12 hour shifts, we got you covered.
Dane Shoemaker:Cool.
Ken Taylor:So that's but back to the brands. We're 23 years in this this weekend, and we've never carried Nike in 23 years. We carried Adidas. We had a Nike contract, just never brought them in. They have some good shoes.
Ken Taylor:I'm not Nike has some some phenomenal racing shoes, and they have some great shoes that are in line with what we carry, but they're as good, not better. So, you know, the number one brand in the market for specialty when people are fit for shoes is Brooks.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:You know? So Interesting. And we say that in in in Brooks does running and walking. So you might you're not gonna see them on the basketball courts. You're not gonna see them on the football field with cleats or anything like that.
Ken Taylor:But they are running and walking specific, so they they kind of gear their stuff that way. And then the other marketing brands that are blowing up, people know are, you know, HOKA, which is a been around for a little bit over 12 years now
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Which is they've blown up a lot, and they're the National Podiatry Association of America kinda gave them a couple check marks like a lot of the other brands have, but they kinda brought them into the fold there. So you'll hear that a lot more from podiatrists when you're out there. Just taking some they're they're really, really soft. They're like a Cadillac. You know, soft and squishy Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. Which some people don't like. You know, that's why there's a shoe for everybody on the wall.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And then, the other brands, you know, we carry you know, we just are bringing in on on, you know, on Cloud is, the brand that we're bringing in. So that's a Swiss brand. Everybody knows it because Federer is is involved with that brand. And it's so they're all cloud named cloud based shoes. Okay.
Ken Taylor:They have a support shoe and they have a neutral shoe. And our thing with bringing in shoes is they have to functionally work for the customer. Yeah. They have to be supportive. They have to have the shock absorption, or we just we're not gonna bring it in.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. I'd rather not sell you a shoe than put you in the wrong shoe. Yeah. And I think that's kind of, like, the the whole mantra of the shop here.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. You're really big on I was like, do do you do ecommerce? I mean, do you
Ken Taylor:No. That was one of the questions I know that you had you had asked us about, and it's like, no. The the answer is no. And the reason is this. I have friends that sell online, and then the problem is if I sell you a shoe online, I don't know if it's the right shoe for you unless I fit you and I have you in our system.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. We keep a history of every customer and every shoe that they purchased from us so we can look at that history of the person and what's functionally worked for them and what changes over time. Because every shoe changes annually or biannually as far as some functional fit. Yeah. So if I just sold a shoe, it's a sale.
Ken Taylor:Right. But, you know, I we're we're about the community. So we wanna make sure that we're helping people to be able to move forward in the best possible way, and the only way of doing that is making sure it's the right fit. Yeah. So selling it online, you can't do that.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. I everybody tells me I need to sell online. And and it's and I'm we're not archaic. Well, kind of we are archaic.
Dane Shoemaker:Well, I think it's different. I mean, you know, if it you know, you can go on Amazon. You can go on, you know, whatever, foot foot retailer online.
Ken Taylor:You go online, and you're getting the shoe for the same price. Yeah. But you're getting it fit properly here.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. I think that's a big differentiator. I mean, I think that's a that's a rare thing, especially this time you know, in 2024. People people kinda want that, you know, hands on, you know, customized approach to getting fitted for the right shoe. And and the shoe shoes are a big thing too.
Dane Shoemaker:You're walking on it all day long. If it doesn't fit right, you're gonna have back problems and, you know, feet you know, if you're gonna hurt, like,
Ken Taylor:you know That that's, like, a 100%. Yeah. The issues are orthotic. They're correctively they set up your kinetic chain, your ankles, knees, your hips, your lower back. We have a local podiatrist, that is like it's either a co pay or a good pair of shoes.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. So so that that plays well for both of us, I guess. Yeah. But at the end of the day, the shop or the staff, nobody at the staff tries to sell you anything. Right.
Dane Shoemaker:They try
Ken Taylor:to have a conversation. They try and fit you. When you're having that conversation with us, when we do the assessment, the fitting, they're figuring out what what you're trying to do, what you wanna do, and if we can help get you there in a better way. Yeah. We don't wanna put an insert into every shoe because some shoes have inserts.
Ken Taylor:And now we have great inserts if you need them. Yep. But it's it's about making sure that the person comes through here and gets the best possible fit. And when they go out the door, they're able to do whatever they wanna do more healthfully. And, and then they know we're not there just for the sale.
Ken Taylor:You know? So so we're, you know, again, we're hitting our 20 going into our 24th year. We've had, you know, 23 years on 17th March. Saint Patrick's Day. We should do something big.
Ken Taylor:You know? But but, but the big thing is that, you know, at the end of the day, if we treat people the way we wanna be treated, you know, the golden rule, now I think we'll be here for another 23 years.
Dane Shoemaker:So Yeah. Sure. Yeah. I don't know when this this episode is gonna air necessarily, but I know, yeah, you're gonna be celebrating 23 years in business. March 17th, that is a week away.
Dane Shoemaker:Basically, couple, couple days. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Couple days away.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Right. Yeah. This weekend,
Ken Taylor:Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We're just here.
Ken Taylor:4 days, 3 days. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what today is.
Ken Taylor:Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:You know, what what what do you have planned for that? I know. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So so it's it's actually really cool. We have HOKA. The brand, is coming in with our our HOKA rep, and we're doing a prediction run. And, a prediction runner walk. And the great thing about that, which I running and walking, it's all inclusive.
Ken Taylor:You can go out there and do it by yourself. Yeah. But the prediction piece, I think, is really cool because it doesn't go to the fastest runner.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So I think it's really neat. Like, well, you know, we might have a speed walker or a walker that is more accurate.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. For
Ken Taylor:how long it takes for them to walk 3.1 miles. So they'll come in, they'll sign in, they'll say how long it's gonna take them to walk or run. 3.1 miles. We'll set it down the sheet and then we'll head off and go. And when they come back to the door, they'll they'll call out their their number, We'll write their time down, and then we'll see who's the most accurate through the mix.
Ken Taylor:And they're gonna win a free pair of HOKA
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, nice. Which is great.
Ken Taylor:HOKA's gonna have a bunch of raffles to go. We actually had a a beer, made, for, giving away to the first 35 people to make a purchase. Right. We have a buddy of ours that is, he's won 2 buddies, in a Vic and Paul, and they've won multiple beer competitions. They're they won the number one beer at the Richmond Beer Festival.
Ken Taylor:Okay. And so they have these great recipes, and they've done it once before for us when we came across the street and did our grand reopening of the new shop.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:In 2020. But this is gonna be, a Citra a Citra IPA, that it's gonna be just a gift with purchase for over 21 years of age.
Dane Shoemaker:Right. Right.
Ken Taylor:But it's just a giveaway. It's it's something neat that we can do to the mix, and then we'll have some other raffle giveaways. I am kind of a beer snob, so that kinda place to do it for things.
Dane Shoemaker:I thought you might be. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So I, so it so one of the raffle prize is gonna be, like, a 4 pack of Hetty Topper. If people know it, it's a it's a it's a beer out of Vermont, out of, Stowe, Vermont, which is, pretty hard to get your hands on.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay. Nice.
Ken Taylor:So but and then we're gonna have shoes, outfits, and, you know, different every hour. We're gonna pull a raffle. We're lucky to have a a great PT in the area, accelerate with Brian Johnson's company. And he's gonna have Andrew Tiberon on on on-site doing free PT sessions Okay. On Saturday.
Ken Taylor:People just have to email or call in. They can slide themselves into the mix. So it's kinda cool that we do that piece there. Like, it's community. Right?
Ken Taylor:They bring the PTN, and they can actually help people that are starting to get this little bit of hiccups going into training for Broadstreet that we have coming up.
Dane Shoemaker:Right. Right.
Ken Taylor:So we try and do some of those sessions a few times a year, which again is free always free. We don't charge for anything like that, because I think it's just you're in the community. You should serve the community. So that's ways of us to be able to go out there and do some more positive things.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. That's great. I I don't I wouldn't say that I'm a beer snob, but I'm definitely a fan of the, the microbrews. Is are they a local brewer or they're
Ken Taylor:just They're home brewers. They're home brewers. Okay. And that, they're home brewers, and they're in a local brew club. And, and then they they have their competitions throughout the year, and then they travel throughout throughout the East Coast for competitions.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. Yeah. And they've, yeah, they they they're I mean, they have medals, and it's it's pretty it's pretty cool. I would love for them to open a place. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And it's a conversation, but it's like all you know, it's like, you know, when you have another full time job, how do you, you know, create all the other stuff?
Dane Shoemaker:I feel like Newtown Square needs a, like, a brewery, like, a brew pub right on St. Albans Circle or something like that. Right?
Ken Taylor:That would
Dane Shoemaker:be great.
Ken Taylor:Would it be we're right we're really close to here. We could we could do group runs to it. I'm I'm down.
Dane Shoemaker:I'll I'll maybe I'll pick up running then. Yeah. Cool. Okay. So, you know, I know we've kinda bounced around a little bit, but, like, you know, kinda going back to the the marine corps.
Dane Shoemaker:I think it's I didn't understand. Like, I like, anything that you picked up from that, what was that experience like? It's not something you No.
Ken Taylor:It's a it's a it was a great experience for me because I it showed me the world. Yeah. You know, it it showed me I have
Dane Shoemaker:a lot of respect for, you know, sir our service members and
Ken Taylor:and, I was really I was really lucky. And I and I and I and I do think this, like, everywhere has problems. Yeah. You know? But we're so blessed to be where we are no matter what type of person, you know, what what where we're from, what nationality.
Ken Taylor:We have more opportunities here than we have in most places. Yeah. It's not perfect. And we can always try and help others and lift others up. But, but seeing outside the US and back in the US, it definitely made me appreciate where I came from.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. From a country country out in the country and then, and then coming up and living in the city and fair amount, you know, and and and working with some of the most amazing people in the world at Girard College. Yeah. I mean, that piece pulls into, like, the marine corps, me seeing the world and coming to Girard Yeah. Which was an amazing, amazing piece.
Ken Taylor:People don't understand who Gerard
Dane Shoemaker:Talk let's talk about Gerard College because the story is
Ken Taylor:really cool. Stephen Gerard was probably the richest man in the United States when he passed away in the, middle middle 1800. During the yellow fever epidemic, he was, like, wiping people's brow and helped reduce the mortality rate during the yellow fever epidemic by pulling people out of the city so was so they got fresh air.
Dane Shoemaker:And this is what was his late 1800s? The 18,
Ken Taylor:1839. Okay. When when he passed 1848, Gerard O'Brien. And the and it's crazy. The store the the the story is he left a $2,000,000 endowment when he passed when he passed.
Ken Taylor:And the person that built Founders Hall at Girard College literally bought the the the capitol building in DC, the same architect.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, wow.
Ken Taylor:Which is pretty cool.
Dane Shoemaker:Well, they look yeah.
Ken Taylor:Kind of similar. Yeah. Similar with that. You did the Roman columns and it's and then, but he left us the school. Harrisburg State Capital.
Ken Taylor:Isn't it the same? I think it's the same thing. Same framework in that. And then and then the Milton Hershey School is based off Girard College.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:Even the Ellis School for Girls, which is just out here in Newtown Square or used to be out here in Newtown Square where Ellis Preserve is. The Ellis, School For Girls was actually formulated from some conversations with Girard College from back in the day. Okay. As far as the structure and because that was along, you know, as far as they progressed for a girl school similar to that. Because Gerard was originally for white orphan seafaring males.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:Interesting. It was illegal it was illegal at the time to educate minorities or women. So, it was great. Like, Cecil B. Moore and Martin Luther King marched on, Gerard College in the early sixties, and the Hicks brothers were the first minorities to go through the school.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. And then ladies decided they wanted to march in the eighties, and and the school opened to females in in the middle eighties. I think it was 80 I think it was 85. And, and now it's probably more than 60% female. But the great thing was as it turned over time, it's for single parents below the poverty line.
Ken Taylor:So it gives these kids that test and academically this great opportunity Yeah. To to go out and and do and do good, you know, and, and go on to university. I think when I left Girard College in 2,012, 98% of the students went off to university. Okay. And that's probably one of the highest percentages of any school, in the area, which is really, really that was a positive piece to it.
Ken Taylor:You know? And it was kids getting an opportunity where they might not have gotten it otherwise or help give them the leg up. And it was weird. It for for for kids living in the city because it was a boarding school. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:They used to board all the time, but when I came on, they had moved, because things change and things cost more.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Now so they got to the point to where they were boarding from Sunday night until Friday afternoon. So their their academic week was there on campus from grade 1 through grade 12, which is And then
Dane Shoemaker:they'd go home on the weekends.
Ken Taylor:Then they go home on the weekends, and there were there's a huge New York contingent, and there would be buses that would drive the kids, you know, back up to New York and then pick them up on Sunday and bring them back. It was a pretty interesting piece. You know?
Dane Shoemaker:What what time frame was that when you were working there?
Ken Taylor:I moved up in 2002, and I left in 2012.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:So that dynamic with that shift, I didn't move through there. So, you know, yeah, the the recession, you know, 2020, 20 07, 20 08 going through that mix there through there. And the endowment was was one of the top 20 endowments in the country, which people don't realize. Yeah. Like, Steven Gerrard paid off the war of 18 12 debt, Paid off the Pennsylvania state debt.
Ken Taylor:He started the 2nd National Bank in the United States. He was a farmer. It's which is really amazing that we have this guy
Dane Shoemaker:and I feel like he's not, like, one of those well known, like, the Rockefellers
Ken Taylor:and all
Dane Shoemaker:that stuff. He's not, like,
Ken Taylor:a man. You know, it's and and because he didn't have, children, you know, to to to grow with his with his with his funds and do do more yeah. Do to do good with that. You know? So he just had this one established, you know, this one established, program for him.
Ken Taylor:And then there's Girard Estate in the city and so that that runs Girard College.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:There's Girardville in the mountains. That was a coal mine town.
Dane Shoemaker:Coal mine.
Ken Taylor:And then he has a he has a farm. I mean, it's it's just an interesting piece of what what it was. And Girard is involved in real estate in Philadelphia as well. Yeah. He pretty much owned Market Street back in the day, which is pretty absurd.
Ken Taylor:Wow. He had so many buildings. He still owns, like, a couple, like, 1 or 2 blocks down there. Okay. Off of market.
Dane Shoemaker:There are state that owns it or
Ken Taylor:Yeah. The estate building's in there, but they rent they rent the space or rent, but they own they own they own the property. Oh, wow. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Jar Point Bridge. Right?
Ken Taylor:Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Tonge Valley. Shore.
Ken Taylor:Yep. Yep. Yep. But it's, it's a pretty neat story. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And I think that just gave me an appreciation and love of Philadelphia. I mean, the students were amazing. Philadelphia was amazing. I would get up at 4:30 in the morning and and leave Gerard, leave campus and run down to Kelly Drive and
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Ken Taylor:And go for runs on Kelly Drive and and you you could I mean, you're in the city and then you're you're literally in the park within 5 minutes. Right. Now Philadelphia has the largest park system of any city in the world. Right. Which Right.
Ken Taylor:I mean, you don't even I'm like and I didn't know that moving up here.
Dane Shoemaker:So that
Ken Taylor:was that was pretty amazing.
Dane Shoemaker:Like Fairmount Park is, like, the largest It is. Urban park in the the city or in the in the country. Yep. Maybe. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:It is. It's completely. Yep. Yeah. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So the Girard College gave me that the opportunity to teach and and and work with with youth. You know? So it's, the only thing I'll say about owning the store is that I do miss working with with students with with Yeah. Yeah. Which which is, so every day here, all the staff, we teach in different ways.
Ken Taylor:Half the staff are teachers in one way or another. We have an OT on staff. Okay. But teachers are great because they're always learning. They know they need to always learn
Dane Shoemaker:to
Ken Taylor:keep up with things.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Ken Taylor:So, that benefits all the customers and, you know, the community when they come into the shop. So I think that's, you know, comes full circle with from me teaching the early years at Durham Tech Community College, Cape Fear Community College, and then moving up here and then being at Girard College and then just teaching in this facet now, Yeah. Which I love which I love.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Awesome. So you taught economics at Girard?
Ken Taylor:I taught economics. And so we talk about hats. Yeah. Yeah. I taught economics.
Ken Taylor:The head of school there was a new head of school that came on and went through, like, you know, all the resumes and everything. And I also had a minor in sport administration
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:And, which is really cool at UNC. Yeah. You know, he got to play on the Dean Dome floor to learn how to play basketball.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, nice.
Ken Taylor:Coach, which is pretty crazy. Anson Dorrance soccer, and, like, it was it was pretty pretty cool experience for me, in the nineties. And, so I became the director of wellness, which was, we have nurses on campus. We had a physician that would come in on campus, optician that came on campus for students. We had counseling services on campus.
Ken Taylor:We had, you know, health, PE, all those programs on campus and staff wellness on campus. So I was kinda put over that hub. I started in urban farm. I wrote a grant in my economics class. The kids did their final, final exam was a small business plan.
Ken Taylor:I took the small business plan and wrote a grant. And city harvest under Pennsylvania Horticultural Society gave us a a very, very generous grant. And so we started with some raised beds and just kept growing it. And, all, you know, all the crops would either go into the kitchen, to or to local food cupboards Yeah. Which was a really, really great program.
Ken Taylor:And and I didn't have a green thumb before that. Yeah. So I just read a lot. So
Dane Shoemaker:So you you had established small, like, microfarms around Girard College campus?
Ken Taylor:Or what was over a hit over an acre.
Dane Shoemaker:Like I mean, a good increase one one continuous acre
Ken Taylor:We had, like, 4 by 20 foot beds, raised beds.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:Is how we initially started it, and then it just kept adding on to a greenhouse and kept adding on to the mix. Wow. You know, we had, propagating our crops, you know, you know, rosemary chicken was made from this, you know, when they would, you know, do some things in the in the kitchen, the the the salad bar. Yeah. The salad was from the garden.
Ken Taylor:And a lot of these students that lived in the city where they come from food deserts, which people don't realize.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Ken Taylor:And and the city, it was crazy because they'd never seen broccoli grow. You know, what is broccoli? What does it look like? Yeah. You know, is it you know, they only see do you see it overcooked?
Ken Taylor:So the great thing was, like, Steven Gerrard did so many things, and Gerrard gave me the opportunity to do so many things. So when I took on the role of director of wellness, I said I had to be able to keep my economics class.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:So I got to keep that in the mix. And so the positive was, Steven Gerrard was a philanthropist. He was a farmer. He was a businessman. And I've like, I got the opportunity to teach my economics.
Ken Taylor:I got to work in the work in the farm, which science teachers would come down and they could talk about photosynthesis. Yeah. You know, English teachers could come down and write poetry, with the kids when there's wildflowers and bees are pollinating and coming across there, you know, butterflies. And and then if math, you could do just measurements. So there's so many things you could tie into the garden through all sides of academics.
Ken Taylor:Absolutely. It was pretty cool. It was pretty cool. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:There's something therapeutic too about just getting your hands dirty and
Ken Taylor:I would go in at 5 in the morning before anybody was and get the rain, you know, get the rain gardens, spraying water on everything, and then I'll probably leave at 7 at night, and I never had a bad day.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. Awesome.
Ken Taylor:It was fun. It was fun. It was fun. Cool.
Dane Shoemaker:That that sounds great. So I I guess, you know, like, kinda like some tactical things. I mean, anything that you you know, advice that you would have for, like, things that you've learned from I mean, I know that the pandemic was very difficult going through that. You know, any other challenges that you've you've overcome that maybe pulled some nuggets of wisdom from?
Ken Taylor:I think yeah. I mean, I think I mean, I think the pandemic was, you know, we were we were closed for 11 and a half weeks. We were required to be closed because we were we were deemed not, not a necessity even though we had physicians calling us to try and get their patients fixed. So it was it was tough. We tried to put through, there was a there was a form you could fill out to try and get, you know, get situated so that you could be deemed essential.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. On the medical side, and they didn't deem us essential. So that was a bummer. But but we flipped, and Bill and I just, you know, we worked hard. We we we got a postcard out really, really fast.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:You could call in to us. And if we had helped you in the past, we would actually could look up your history, see what it was. And if the shoe was the same, we could we would deliver it and drop it off at your house.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay. Wow.
Ken Taylor:We did some online fittings. We had a Brannick device. We had done some, drop off, talk peep people on the phone Yeah. And then gone back and picked up the shoes outside of their houses. So it was just, you know, Bill and I, and we the good thing was all of our staff, we we pay them to stay home because that's what we were doing.
Ken Taylor:And, it gave us the opportunity which we were proactive with was that when we were able to open up again, all the staff would still be there.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And and it was the right thing to do for the staff. If you can, you should.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. You
Ken Taylor:know? So, it was a great you know, it was and I and and I think the staff appreciated it. The staff's family. I mean, nobody's the boss here. I mean, actually, I and and, you know, you won't see Sharon that much, but she's probably the real boss, the office manager back here.
Ken Taylor:But, like, everybody helps one another. It's a community. We all turn back and forth and ask people questions as we're going through. So I think the pandemic is be able to pivot pivot fast. Mhmm.
Ken Taylor:A lot of friends pivoted online at that time, and I just we were not comfortable with that Yeah. Because I was just making you know, we were just not comfortable with that. Yeah. I think that, you know, delegating something that I have problems with, and I I probably always will. I think I've come to realize that.
Ken Taylor:That's a that's a that's a difficult skill.
Dane Shoemaker:That's a hard thing to do.
Ken Taylor:And I think that's something I've learned, you know, since Bill left. Yeah. You know, so, you know, Bill was you know, Bill and I, it was either he or I did something, and now it's me and trying to delegate, which is, no, it's the staff's great. Yeah. But it's like, it's always well, what you know, is this getting situated and not and not knowing sometimes is, like, you know, I have an issue delegating.
Ken Taylor:Right. You know, I'd rather the staff take care of all the customers. The other the other thing is just, you know, being true to yourself. I think that played true through the pandemic because we didn't just sell online. We we we didn't sell online.
Ken Taylor:We Yeah. We kept doing what we did. And when we opened back up, our customers came back in. And, and so the moral compass is do right by the community, and they're gonna do right by you, and they're gonna keep coming in because they trust you. Like, I think we have equity and trust with the community, and I think that's the big thing that came out of 2020 going forward Yeah.
Ken Taylor:Being able to flip fast. And then
Dane Shoemaker:I I I think building on that community, I mean, you you you have a a weekly running group that you kinda
Ken Taylor:Yeah. It's it's it's people bring
Dane Shoemaker:people in.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. Monday night the Monday night group is great.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And again, it's community coming together and Yeah. We never wanted to create a club, like, a TRP, the running place club Yeah. Because we didn't wanna be like we didn't want people to see it. Yeah. We don't wanna be exclusive, and it's not all running.
Ken Taylor:It's running and walkers come here on Monday nights. We leave at 6:45 sharp.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. And
Ken Taylor:it's, you know, it's we always say the shop's for runners and others. So I so we have walkers going out with this. We have runners going out with this. If you're a first timer, there's always somebody to go out with. But that but that piece there is it's all community, but they're all different groups.
Ken Taylor:Yeah. We have fast tracks, which Joan, the original owner, started that that that track club
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:A long time ago. And, they're more geared over towards, Valley Forge area. And then and then we have we have Delco Road Runners. This is Delco, obviously. So we have a lot of those guys, and this is their Monday night run.
Ken Taylor:So they have mixed groups, and it's really welcoming of everybody coming to the mix. We have Run Strong members from Havertown. We have Drexel Hill runs. We're really lucky. We have some great groups in the area, and so we just wanna be inclusive of everybody.
Ken Taylor:And it's just like it's a it's a quick, simple, easy day to, you know, when you have a case of Mondays Yeah. To get out the door and, like, check that off the list and get your week started in the in the most positive way.
Dane Shoemaker:Nice. Yeah. And that's why you meet here at
Ken Taylor:Meet here, Monday nights at 6:45 sharp, we leave. 6:45 sharp, we leave. That's always, like, on the nose. Nice. But so people start showing up around 6:30.
Ken Taylor:The shop says closed, but, you'll see people wandering in and out with the door open. Yeah. And, and then we'll have sometimes we'll have, brands, show up and actually do wear tests with their new shoes, which is pretty cool. And it's a chance of you actually putting on, lacing up a pair of shoes, going out and running 3, 4, 5 miles, coming back, giving the shoes back to them, and giving them feedback. Yeah.
Ken Taylor:And so the next shoe can be better. So it's pretty cool. And you know what? Put 3 miles on their shoes, not yours for the day. So yeah.
Ken Taylor:I know. So it's a positive all the way around.
Dane Shoemaker:Nice. Nice. Yeah. So, you know, kinda bring it in here. Where where what's the address of the store, you know, where can
Ken Taylor:people We are at 3551 Westchester Pike, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073. Yeah. And, and we've been in this location for 14 years. 14 we've been in this location for 10 years now. We've been here and across the street.
Ken Taylor:We're across the street for 13 plus years.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Ken Taylor:So that's this is the connection for us.
Dane Shoemaker:Realize that.
Ken Taylor:So, so we're right here on West Chester Pike in the Saint Albans, shopping center, next to Casey's Fellini's and Cut Above. You Gotta love Cut Above.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, yeah.
Ken Taylor:And, give them a shout out. But, and, you know, we've been here for 23 years going on, and I hope we easy I easily see us been here for another 23. Mhmm. Maybe a second generation of the Taylors. We'll see how that goes.
Dane Shoemaker:Love it.
Ken Taylor:Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Cool. Well, thanks for, thanks for the the opportunity here to chat, learn a little bit more about mister Ken Taylor and and the running place. And,
Ken Taylor:I I appreciate you having me, have me give this a go and see how this works for you as much as anything else.
Dane Shoemaker:Fun. So
Ken Taylor:Good. Good. It's a it's a positive way. And this is this is a pretty neat. This is pretty neat.
Ken Taylor:I gotta be honest. Cool. That's pretty cool. I agree. Thanks for having me in on the first go round.
Dane Shoemaker:I appreciate it.
Ken Taylor:Thanks again. Take care. Cool. Cool. Cool.