Betsy Bohlen’s legacy: Infectious energy, a terrific sense of humor … and unique footwear

It's been a long day of traveling. You've checked into your hotel room, stopped by the registration desk for your conference badge and are now heading to the first workshop of the event … and your feet are already killing you.

Unless, of course, you were Betsy Bohlen, senior vice president of payment processing at Evolve Bank & Trust.

Even if you never met Betsy, who passed away Saturday, Feb. 9, after losing her battle with cancer, you have likely seen her at a conference. She was the woman be-bopping around in a business suit and brightly colored, completely coordinating tennis shoes.

That's right — you read that correctly. Tennis shoes.

Betsey was the woman in a business suit and brightly colored tennis shoes.

In an interview in late 2016, Betsy explained her unique footwear. "It is hard to talk about your business and maintain a good conversation when your feet are hurting in terrible shoes," Betsy said.

Her penchant for fancy, if unconventional, footwear began years ago when she worked for 1st Interstate Bank in downtown Denver, where heels could easily get caught in sidewalk crevices. 

Or walked out of, which Betsy once did as she got into a light rail train car — leaving one shoe sitting on the platform. The perils were great enough that Betsy began to opt for tennis shoes anytime she left the office.

Eventually, her preference for practical footwear extended to travel. On a business trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, Betsy and her coworkers were photographed by a local newspaper while traversing the city's cobblestone streets. 

Two of the three women were sporting high heels, but Betsy's feet were far sportier — and wound up featured on the front page.

"About six or seven years ago, I decided it was my mission to change the world," Betsy said. "People need to start wearing more comfortable shoes, especially at conferences!"

Betsy listed the benefits of wearing more forgiving footwear, including:

• Opportunities to be unique — Betsy's tennis shoes always matched her outfit. In fact, she brought upwards of 10 pairs with her to any given event. And people always remembered the shoes.
• Better business — It's hard to stand on concrete floors for 10 to 12 hours in wingtips, heels or other "conventional" business footwear. If you are thinking about your aching feet, you are not thinking about your business.
• Safety — Business shoes tend to be slick on the bottom, pointy-toed and squeaky-stiff, all of which can lead to accidents.
• Comfort — Your feet aren't killing you after a hard day's work.

Betsey brought upwards of 10 pairs of tennis shoes with her to any given event.

Indeed, Betsy left her mark on the world: on the customers she went above and beyond to help; on the people she mentored; on the ATM industry; and on trade show attire. 

"When I'm packing for a trade show and get to the part where I have to decide what shoes I'm bringing with me, I'm always tempted to throw in a pair of tennis shoes as Betsy always advised me to," Sharon Lane, global director of finance and member services at the ATM Industry Association, a nonprofit trade group with more than 10,700 members in 67 countries. "I also linger at the tennis shoes in the store and think to myself 'I wonder if I could get away with wearing those with a business suit.'"

"Losing beautiful Betsy is a real blow for our industry," ATMIA CEO Mike Lee. "Her infectious energy, strong character, sense of humor and, of course, her dazzling footwear will be missed tremendously. We are sad to hear of her passing and we plan to honor her next week at our trade show in Orlando."

"Betsy was a visionary and groundbreaking leader in the payments industry," Evolve President and CEO Scott Stafford said. "Betsy's drive and passion contributed to Evolve's extraordinary growth in the last two years. I know her colleagues will remember her bold personality and, of course, the designer tennis shoes she wore that were the talk of every convention."

To honor Betsy, Evolve Bank & Trust will give away brightly colored shoe laces and "Betsy Strong" and "Forever in Our Hearts" ribbons and armbands at booth 204 at the ATMIA US 2019 conference in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 19–21.