Katherine Johnsen, the co-founder of the sneaker business Common Ace, decided to make her concierge happy. The 31-year-old businesswoman depends on Ridge Levene to handle her shipments because she travels frequently and receives roughly 15 pairs of sneakers every week.
She has also become close friends with him after living in the same Toronto building for three and a half years. She told People, “Ridge is incredibly helpful when I receive too many packages while I’m away and they start filling up the mail room. He’ll bring them to my place and lets friends in if they need to stay there. He’s just so supportive and kind. Plus, he loves sneakers, so a lot of times when I get new pairs, I’ll open them in the lobby with him. He shares in the excitement, and he’s just wonderful to have around.”
However, it was Levene’s enthusiasm when Johnsen did an unveiling of the Nike Air Max 95 Toronto with him that gave her the desire to do something pleasant for him on his birthday.
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She recounted, “He was really excited about it. He loved it. He knew some of the people involved in the shoe, and I thought, ‘Okay, this would be exciting for him.’ “
The shoe was designed as a tribute to the city, with contributions from a variety of outstanding artists and bespoke packaging that tells a wonderful story.
After searching everywhere, she found a pair that would fit him and purchased them. She then created a plan in October to surprise him: wrote a card, placed it in the sneaker box, and headed down to the lobby to hand the package to him.
Throughout the surprise, she captured Levene’s reaction and, after getting his consent, posted it on social media, where it has since gone viral, gaining over 1.2 million views and almost 1,200 comments.
She expressed, “It’s not that Ridge couldn’t buy himself a pair of shoes, but I think it was touching for him that someone remembered what he had said meant something to him. I could have gotten him any pair of shoes, but he had noted how much he liked these, and I was just really excited to do that for him. I think it meant more because it showed he was seen and heard. He had mentioned it two or three months ago, and I remembered. That’s what made it so meaningful for him.”
After presenting Levene with the shoes, Johnsen said he put them on right away. Later, he posted a reply video to her TikTok, which she considers the “cutest thing in the world.”
Levene wrote, “Thank you soooo much X 1000000!!! I appreciate you more than you know!! I am truly thankful for having you in my life. I love love love you and your spirit.”
Meanwhile, she mentioned that the concierge was already a regular feature in her videos and that her followers were delighted with the outcome.
She joked, “I always say, ‘I would’ve worn makeup had I known this video would do so well!’ I had just finished a workout and couldn’t wait to give them to him,” adding, “I didn’t expect the response. I think it’s important to show appreciation for the people in your everyday life who make your day special. It doesn’t have to be through a gift; even just a card matters. A lot of times, I’ll pick up coffee for Ridge when I’m coming back from meetings because I know he’s working hard. If this inspires someone else to do something nice for someone, that’s a huge win for me.”
