Shoe-in
Emily Rosca Features Editor
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success October 14, 2016 |FEATURES
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tarting at a young age, children are told to follow their dreams. Often, these dreams aren’t achieved until later in life, but one courageous freshman decided to chase his dream and make it a reality. Senior Grant Hallock has a passion for sneakers but didn’t have the means to purchase expensive shoes until the ninth grade. He began making an earning as a busboy and was able to buy a couple pairs of sneakers every now and then. When it came time to buy the latest pair of Nikes or Jordans he had his eye on, he wasn’t able to buy them in time; they’d sell out within a minute. He’d scour the internet in search for the shoe, not willing to give up. Checking eBay, he saw that the shoe was being sold for up to triple the original asking price. “Why can’t I just do that?” Hallock said. “I won’t have to keep working as a busboy anymore.” Looking for a way to make some extra money, Hallock created his company, Heated Sneaks, which enables people to purchase limited-edition WHAT ARE THOSE Senior Grant Hallock is hard at work selling his computer program so that people footwear. From that moment forward, his company can buy limited-edition shoes. Surrounding him are his prized possessions—his sneakers. kept building and growing. me,” said Hallock. “This guy was advertising that a week on the business,” said Hallock. “I had a full Hallock began investing countless hours going he could make this program, and it worked. I’ve schedule for school last year and not a lot of studies, so I wouldn’t sleep a lot. This year, I was able to open downtown in order to personally buy the footwear. been working with him for a while.” “Freshman year, I was just re-selling shoes to The program, Bot, is efficient and user-friendly, more study periods since I had enough credits, and make money on the side,” said Hallock. “I would allowing each user to personally purchase his or I work a lot during my study periods.” Luckily, Hallock’s friends and family have been go downtown to Nike, wait outside for a couple of her desired shoe. hours, buy a couple pairs of shoes, sell them, and “Essentially, it’s an interface where you enter encouraging and helpful and often contributed a go back the next weekend to buy more.” your shoe size and all your information at helping hand whenever they could. “[My family] love[s] it; they’re supportive,” said As a freshman, he didn’t have any form of the checkout page,” said Hallock. “When the transportation, and come sophomore year, school shoe is released, all you do is click start and it Hallock. “My mom helped me open the business, and she helps with the taxes. My step-dad has became more and more demanding. Realizing that instantaneously buys the shoe.” his time was limited and that he could not buy and Hallock has started venturing out into the helped me with a lot of stuff, as well. Even my little sell shoes that were in such high demand, Hallock clothing world by selling clothing from brands sister—she’s a freshman now—helps me by doing commissioned a computer program through such as Supreme, which releases new clothes every simple stuff.” Heated Sneaks doubles as both an enjoyable which he could purchase rapidly-selling sneakers Thursday. Supreme is a brand that specializes in instantaneously. hoodies and t-shirts. The brand collaborates with pastime and a source of income for higher education. “I was really busy, and I didn’t have the time popular brand names such as Nike and Adidas. “The primary goal for my company is definitely to go downtown every weekend— I didn’t have a “[Supreme clothes are] similar to sneakers: car or anything,” said Hallock. people buy them and resell them, to make money, so that I can go to college and fund “I’d try buying them online but so I’ve moved into those kinds future ventures,” said Hallock. “[My main focus College is right around the corner for Hallock, they’d sell out within a minute.” of things, too,” said Hallock. “I and he intends to pursue a career in business to As his customers became figured if anything dies down, I’ll is] selling limitedinquisitive, wondering how he just move on to the next things.” complement his company in order to further its edition footwear, say managed to buy all these shoes, Heated Sneaks’ predominant growth. “I’m trying to go to a college with a good a light-bulb went off. goal is to provide the general Jordans or Yeezys” business school, so they can help me learn more “A lot of my customers public with a service, allowing -Grant Hallock asked me how I got these shoes them to purchase highly sought- about business, so I can have the business in the future,” said Hallock. and I thought, ‘why don’t I just after footwear. Hallock’s goals for the company aren’t short sell them the program itself? It’s a lot easier for me,’” “[My main focus is] selling limited-edition said Hallock. “The people then use the program to footwear, say Jordans or Yeezys,” said Hallock. “It’s term; Heated Sneaks is here to stay. “I’m definitely going to ride it out as long as I buy the shoes from say Footlocker or Nike.” really centered around the releases of shoes that can,” said Hallock. “I know it’s a fad in the market, While Heated Sneaks originally started out they don’t really make a lot of.” selling popular, limited-edition footwear, it has When it comes to juggling both the business and so things like this will die out, but something else evolved into a company that sells computer academics, Hallock had to make some changes to will come up.” While the common belief is that success only programs through which users can purchase his schedule in order to accommodate everything comes after college, Hallock is proof that if one sneakers. he needs to accomplish. “I have a web developer in India—he works for “I’ve been struggling, since I work 40-45 hours puts in the work, success can come at any age.
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