Mum Means Business podcast interview: Foot Health, Franchising and Building a Business that Fits

Sam Chetwood is the founder of CeCe & Me, a mobile children's shoe fitting service transforming the way parents shop for their little ones' feet.

Her journey began not in business but in frustration - as a mum who struggled to feel confident buying shoes for her toddlers and couldn't find a service that truly put foot health first.

What began as a personal mission has since grown into a franchise network, supporting other mothers to build flexible, rewarding businesses around family life.

In this episode, we explore the story behind CeCe & Me, the surprising science of children's foot health and what it really takes to build a franchise from scratch — a conversation about solving a problem you know intimately and why the shoes on your child's feet matter far more than most of us realise.

"Shoes aren't just a necessity of life there to keep the rain off. They have a vital role to play in our wider physical and neurological health and wellbeing." — Sam Chetwood

Listen to Mum Means Business podcast episode

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ How Sam's experience as a frustrated mum navigating busy chain shoe stores became the catalyst for building an entirely new kind of children's shoe fitting service

✨ The challenges of getting children's shoes right and why the standard high street experience so often leaves parents feeling uncertain and overwhelmed

✨ How the CeCe & Me mobile model works and why bringing the fitting service directly to families changes the experience for both parents and children entirely

✨ The importance of building genuine relationships with families over time and why that continuity of care sets CeCe & Me apart from a transactional shoe shop visit

✨ The journey into franchising, how Sam developed her CPD-accredited training programme and what she looks for in the mothers who join the network

✨ The science behind shoe fitting and why getting it right in early childhood has significant implications for long term physical and neurological development

✨ How feet act as sensory organs and the surprising role they play in a child's wider health and wellbeing beyond simply keeping the rain out

✨ The tension between fashion and function in children's footwear and the practical guidance Sam gives parents who are trying to navigate both

✨ Why creating positive, memorable experiences around shoe fitting in childhood can shape a child's relationship with their own foot health for life

✨ The vision for CeCe & Me and where Sam hopes to take the business and its mission next

About the Guest:

Sam Chetwood is the founder of CeCe & Me, a mobile children's shoe fitting service and growing franchise network dedicated to promoting long term foot health in children.

Having identified a genuine gap in the market as a frustrated mum, she built a business that combines expert fitting, parent education and a warm, unhurried experience that puts families first. Her CPD-accredited training programme supports franchisees across the country to deliver that same standard of care in their own communities. Sam is a mother on a mission to change the way we think about children's shoes, one fitting at a time.

About The Host:

I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.