By Silvia IbarraNo one can argue that Forrest Gump is one of the best movies of the 90s. This film left us many famous phrases, but today I think it is right to bring to our memory one in particular that the character uttered by Tom Hanks and which reads like this: “Mom always said that you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. Where are they going, where have they been? I wonder how much a shoemaker knows about his customers. The type of footwear they like, the sporting activities they choose, the paths they take and even if they take care of their belongings in order... Germán Tessio is 34 years old, has a beautiful wife and three charming children. Approximately 6 years ago he dedicated himself to the trade of shoemaker, specifically to the repair of footwear, handbags, belts and backpacks. When I contacted him to invite him to this space that makes entrepreneurs visible, he was surprised. The first thing he told me was an interview with a simple shoemaker?; And that is how Germán is, a simple, friendly person who, when he found himself unemployed and with a family on his back, did not hesitate to learn a trade that would allow him to support his family.- How did the idea of starting a business in the world of shoe repair?- Almost 6 years ago I was working in my mother's store, and although it was a great help to support my recent family, I knew that it was not enough and that it should only be something transitory. To study a tertiary or university degree required many years of dedication to see the fruits, so I considered that learning a trade was the best option. In fact, it always seemed like a good idea to me to make a living from a trade. I got to know several in my time at the technical school, such as turnery, blacksmithing, carpentry and electricity. However, neither was my thing. One day, at the store, a woman arrives, the widow of a neighborhood shoemaker, and tells us that even though her husband had died, they still brought her many jobs to do, and she could no longer cope with everything. Immediately with my mom we thought about the same thing, it was an opportunity. I worked with her for a month and was able to learn the basic knowledge of the trade, and her specialty, which was shoe dyeing. This is how I discovered a trade that people demanded and, today, I live exclusively from this activity that I love.- Where did you learn the trade? Who taught you?- As I mentioned before, I got my first knowledge from the widow of a shoemaker. But soon I decided to approach a shoemaker with great experience and ask him to teach me; He looked at me and said: "Come tomorrow and I'll show you"; and so it was, every morning I went to his workshop to learn. I am very grateful to him, today he is 86 years old and has just completed more than 50 years in the trade and he is still working. He trained me for 3 months, and encouraged me to continue, and I want to emphasize that he did not charge me a single peso. I also took a shoe repair course at the Professional Center Number 5. It was the first time that the institution gave it and we were 8 people who attended. There I understood that my work was a totally handmade trade, since we paint, fix, sew, modify. In the course I learned to design and manufacture footwear. As practice, we made slippers that we donated to a school in the city at the end of the year ceremony. During these years, I made several pairs, about 80 in total; between boots, ankle boots, sandals, shoes, slippers. - What tools did you start your workshop with?- I started with the little I had, a lathe was my workhorse. I remember that I did not have the fundamental machine of the trade, the one that sews straight and in 360 degrees, that is why I spent two months going to my teacher's workshop to sew. Then my parents bought it for me and over time I was acquiring the rest of the machines, tools and elements necessary for the trade. Today I have practically one hundred percent of the tools that are needed. I remember when I found the machine that is used for manufacturing, it was like fulfilling a dream, it was exactly the model that I wanted. Before they were used in shoe factories, today only the artisans of the trade require it. All my machines are relics, old, ideal for carrying out this artisan work, and they have made me almost a mechanic, because I fix them and tune them up, I am happy with everything I have learned in this time.- How is a day normal part of your life?- My working day is divided between serving customers, repairing a lot, and going up and down the stairs many times since my workshop is on a mezzanine.- Has the number of people who choose to repair your footwear? - There is a lot of demand, the economy made people choose to repair their shoes instead of buying a new one. Good, name-brand shoes are expensive,For this reason, new clients arrive at my workshop every day who choose to fix it when it is damaged. Each family brings me several pairs at a time and even backpacks.- What difficulties did you have to face at the beginning in your venture?- I faced difficulties like all entrepreneurs, but I overcame them because I like the job and I think I was born for this. Some of them consisted of the fact that, at first, I did not know how to carry out all the tasks assigned to me, so I would approach my teacher, I would take the pair that I had to repair and when he saw me arrive he would drop everything he was doing and teach me. .- What advice would you give to someone who is about to start a business?- For someone who is about to start a business, I would tell them to cheer up, to go for it, if that is what you really like, it is worth trying. Finally, There are many shoe phrases, but I loved the one that says “Cinderella is living proof that a shoe can change your life”.
