f you take care of the staff as if they’re your customers, then they’ll take care of the customers ... you’ll be around a long time.
bettysport After enjoying success in California with the Napa Running Company, Staley opened his second retail endeavor in Austin — Bettysport, a women’s shoe and apparel store, located on 12th and Lamar. The first shop opened four years ago and the second in The Domain in March 2006.
to duplicate in TexMex is its consistency. Their recipes are about the best there is and they are able to replicate them. I loved working there, but it’s a tough business. You work until one or two in the morning and never have weekends off and it wasn't going to last long with my wife and kids.” His next move was to RunTex where he became a footwear buyer. At RunTex, he still had to work weekends, but at least got home at a reasonable hour. Even better, Staley soaked up all the retail knowledge he could from Paul Carrozza who had been selling running shoes in Austin since 1988. “Everytime you sell a pair of shoes, you learn something knew,” says Staley. There was plenty to learn at RunTex, especially on Saturdays when all hands were on the shoe floor, pinwheeling between three and four customers at a time. “I loved working for Paul,” says Staley who remains friends with Carrozza, despite being a competitor (Bettysport and Rogue). “I was able to learn the retail side of the footwear and apparel business from him. I also learned that when you’re talking about retail, you’re really talking about your ability to manage people and take care of your customers. Paul always preached that. In many ways, Chuy’s and RunTex were very similar. It all comes down to taking care of your customers and your staff. If you take care of the staff as if they are your customers, then they’ll take one of the customers as well as they can and you’ll be around a long time.” One of the other things that Staley took away from his nearly two years at RunTex was that he liked the lifestyle that Carrozza leads. As a business owner, you make your own hours, decisions and mistakes — and Staley felt it was time to take a leap. Well sort of a leap. While still working at RunTex, Staley and his wife, Shelly Wallace, opened a hair salon — Mint — on Guadalupe. As the salon became more profitable, they needed a full-time manager and Staley figured, it’d be cheaper to hire himself. But his passion remained focused on running, rather than hair. After a year of dealing with temperamental stylists and customers, Staley and
CRAIG STALEY: BUILDING A FITNESS PORTFOLIO | fitness | 19