Sole Searching : Steve West, 41, Capistrano Beach

I followed in my parents’ footsteps and spent seven years as a commercial real estate broker. It was tough living from commission to commission. But luckily, I sold my last building in 1991 just before the bottom dropped out of the real estate market.

After that sale, I was on my way to an outdoor trade show when I realized the time had come for me to work at something I loved.

I talked to my wife and we decided to turn our favorite hobby into our livelihood. Today, our company, S.W. Partners, is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Boreal, a rock climbing shoe.

As president, I oversee our sales representatives and work with Boreal’s factory in Spain, where workers still hand-stitch each of the nine or 10 styles of shoe we sell. My wife is the controller and advertising manager.

We’re one of four major shoe makers in our market and we chose our niche at the right time. The fact that climbing gyms have been springing up across the country is reflected in our enormous sales growth: In 1991, we had sales of $400,000 and in 1994 they passed the $3-million mark. We control about 40% of the climbing shoe market.

Being in the entertainment capital of the world hasn’t hurt our business. Our shoes will be featured this season on “Home Improvement.” Arnold Schwarzenegger requested several pairs of our boots for his role in “Eraser.”

Owning your own business makes life more enjoyable. We’ve gone hiking after business meetings in Switzerland, Spain and South Africa. We also get to hang out with people who are family- oriented and who love the outdoors and their lifestyle.