# Stephen Bailey

> Stephen Bailey is the Vancouver-based chief marketing officer of John Fluevog Shoes, where more than two decades of work across brand, communications, e-commerce and retail strategy have helped turn customer participation into an operating habit. His career connects early clothing projects, agency work, a family accessories business, soccer coaching and long-running experiments in crowdsourced design, all organized around a practical belief that distinct brands earn loyalty by behaving like communities.

- **Role:** Chief Marketing Officer at John Fluevog Shoes
- **Organizations:** John Fluevog Shoes, Cursor & Thread, National Retail Federation CMO Council, Vancouver Athletic Football Club, Gastown Business Improvement Society, Handsome Consulting Group, Cossette Communications
- **Education:** Double BA in Philosophy and Psychology, University of Victoria, MBA, Marketing and Strategy focus, McGill University, Program participant, The Marketing Seminar
- **Known for:** Built a 21-year career at John Fluevog Shoes spanning brand, communications, e-commerce and retail strategy., Helped develop and communicate customer-participation programs including Open Source Footwear and Fluevog Creative., Helped move Fluevog's dream-shoe submissions from an informal paper ritual into a visible online crowdsourcing program.

## Career timeline

- **High school** — Ran a small World Cup bookmaking pool in grade 10 and launched a T-shirt line.
- **University years** — Started a clothing line called album, which later received grant financing.
- **2003** — Worked as an account executive at Cossette Communications.
- **2004** — Became a partner at Handsome Consulting Group and joined John Fluevog Shoes in marketing and communications.
- **2012** — Became Chief Cursor at Cursor & Thread, the accessories business he runs with his wife.
- **2015** — Moved into the Chief Marketing Officer role at John Fluevog Shoes.
- **2016** — Joined the National Retail Federation's CMO Council; also served on the Gastown Business Improvement Society board from 2015 to 2018.
- **2022** — Earned a C Licence coaching certification from BC Soccer.
- **2024** — Appeared on Total Retail Talks to discuss customer trust, retail community and Fluevog's human approach to stores.
- **2026** — Delivered a keynote to Wine Growers British Columbia and appeared on Across the Yard and The Voice of Retail podcasts.

## Achievements

- Built a 21-year career at John Fluevog Shoes spanning brand, communications, e-commerce and retail strategy.
- Helped develop and communicate customer-participation programs including Open Source Footwear and Fluevog Creative.
- Helped move Fluevog's dream-shoe submissions from an informal paper ritual into a visible online crowdsourcing program.
- Contributed social media and crowdsourcing work associated with Fluevog's recognition by Fast Company among innovative fashion companies.
- Co-runs the men's accessories business Cursor & Thread with his wife.
- Serves as a certified soccer coach and has participated in retail and neighborhood leadership groups.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Appeared on episode 515 of The Voice of Retail to discuss Fluevog's direct-to-consumer model, international expansion, physical retail and community.
- **2026-04** — Joined the Across the Yard podcast for a conversation about differentiation, creative risk, emotional connection and long-term brand building.
- **2026-03** — Delivered the keynote at Wine Growers British Columbia's Insight Conference in Penticton on building community around brands and organizations.

## Links

- Website: https://www.fluevog.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baileystephen
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/fluevog
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluevog/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/fluevog

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stephen-bailey
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-24