Dominique Barteet was at a trade show a few years ago on behalf of her business venture Onesole, when someone handed her a card. The card was in reference to a TV show, ABC’s Shark Tank, and the holder explained an interest in showcasing Barteet’s unique invention.

“I lost the card,” Barteet explains with a laugh. “I really didn’t take the idea seriously at first… that I could get picked for the show. Even when they called me, I found out that out of 60 people picked, only 30 aired, and I thought to myself ‘no way’. In the beginning, I had that ‘no way’ attitude.”

Despite her initial disbeliefs, there was no denying that Barteet had concocted a savvy idea. From her experience as a pharmacist, Barteet knew the importance of having not only a comfortable shoe, but one that was easy to travel with. In her spare time and through some trial and error, she developed her first prototype of what would eventually become a Onesole shoe.

The name says it all: Onesole offers the option to own a standard comfortable sole along with interchangeable decorative tops, providing consumers with one shoe of many options. Think of it as stylish multi-tasking for your feet. By following satisfied customers, Barteet managed to sell $20,000,000 in four years by word-of-mouth alone. Since the show’s Finale aired, Barteet now finds herself in the whirlwinds of an extremely busy business.

“Since the show aired, everything has taken off, and what is amazing is that it all started as a hobby. I did not take one business class, or shoe design class…I originally did this all for fun. That is the key I think; you need to be interested in what you are doing and you need to have a passion for it.”

With international sales and multiple growth opportunities on the horizon, Barteet has come a long way. Today those original prototypes are now glass encased in her own personal shoe museum, a reminder of just how far Onesole has come. Now, everyone wants to know where Onesole is going.  Ask Barteet and she will explain that her focus for the future of this company is “not to make money, but to become a household name.”

Barteet reminds others that like any success, there is some downside to such rapid growth. “There have been some bumps and some failed working relationships along the way, but you cannot let things like that stop you. You’ve got to keep working and keep moving forward.”  Barteet also urges fellow entrepreneurs to “have fun with everything you do and remember that nothing happens overnight.”

In the beginning, Barteet had no money and no experience- just inspiration. And now, as her business is booming, inspiration is ever present- but from a variety of new sources. Barteet says she reads every single letter that is sent to Onesole. Some of them influence her decisions for the business (like deciding to keep everything made in the United States), while other letters say “thank you.

Barteet recounts countless stories of the people she inadvertently inspired to start a business of their own. People who recognize her in public often stop and explain to her their new plans to go after their own goals and follow their own dreams. For Barteet, this type of widespread inspiration has been the biggest and most pleasant surprise of all. “I did create a product that was successful, but the response from so many people about what I did and how it has inspired them is the most surprising thing to me; it is overwhelming.”

Favorite quote: “Everything happens for a reason.”