Owner Birthplace:
Kiev, Ukraine

Residence:
Nemnozhko lives in Sarasota with his wife and their two children. After moving to the United States from Ukraine in the early '90s, Nemnozhko stayed in Tampa for-several years before moving to Sarasota to take over Main Street Shoe Repair.

Owner Business philosophy:
Nemnozhko says he focuses on hospitality. “Sometimes that means talking to someone who's having a rough day. You have to help each other,” he says. "It's not only about shoes and money."

Best Business Advice Received:
"What matters is the final product," he says. "That means giving customers a spotless shoe every time."

Odd Jobs:
"Sometimes this job is very creative,” Nemnozhko says. “People bring in luggage with broken zippers, office chairs that need new leather, armrests and plenty of other items unrelated to shoes. "I'm open-minded.” he says.

Learning The Trade:
"The first day I was shocked;' Nemnozhko says, "There were so many shoes." The former owner, a friend of Nemnozhko, helped out and showed him how to operate some of the machines. Nemnozhko was on his own for the most part, and taught himself the tricks of the shoe trade. Three months later, the previous owner returned to compliment him. "You're a professional.” he told Nemnozhko.

Learning The Language:
Although he speaks fluent English, Nemnozhko still gets tongue-tied with his native Ukrainian language or Russian, which he learned in school. "If I speak Ukrainian for five minutes;' he says, "I have trouble even talking to my wife." Customer relations: "I didn't have a lot of experience working with customers when I started out;' Nemnozhko says. Now, he says, he can't go anywhere without someone recognizing him. Loyal customers include FBI agents and doctors.