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Outdoor Voices founder is mocking the athletic brand on social media after her contentious ouster 3 years ago

Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins   

Outdoor Voices founder is mocking the athletic brand on social media after her contentious ouster 3 years ago
Retail2 min read
  • Tyler Haney has been criticizing recent Outdoor Voices products.
  • Haney founded the activewear brand in 2013 and stepped down as CEO in 2020.

Tyler Haney, the founder and former CEO of popular activewear brand Outdoor Voices, seems to think the company she built is losing its way.

On Thursday, Outdoor Voices posted a photo to Instagram of the "doing things" tennis dress. A day later, a Twitter user shared a screenshot of Haney's comments on the post. The first read, "Oh no." The second read, "This is bad."

Those comments have since been deleted, however, it appears Haney has been commenting on the brand's posts since March. Under a photo of a model wearing a green polo dress, a verified account under Haney's name commented, "Yikes! Y'all have lost your way."

And a second comment read, "The OG polo dress was a strong style for us when we launched it as part of the OV Tennis Collection. I don't recognize it here. Y'all seem to have brought it back but something has changed?"

In a May post of a blue legging and sports bra set, Haney commented, "The fabric is going the wrong direction on the front panel of those leggings." Then on June 26, Haney commented, "The future is not bright for the OG Exercise Dress."

Haney's history with the brand is a saga fraught with tension and drama.

She founded Outdoor Voices in 2013 as a direct-to-consumer activewear apparel brand catering to everyday women who participate in recreational activities like jogging and leisure hikes. "There was an opportunity to reframe activity for folks who weren't pursuing it to be the fastest," Haney told Guy Raz in a 2019 "How I Built This" podcast episode.

By 2018, the company had become a DTC darling favored by former Gap and J. Crew executive Mickey Drexler, who was an investor and chairman. Outdoor Voices had raised $64 million in funding, reached a $110 million valuation, and gained a cult following of millennial women.

But the business began to unravel the following year, and the company's valuation slipped to $40 million. In 2020, Haney stepped down as CEO, maintaining a role on the company's advisory board. Shortly after her departure, the New York Times reported on the company's questionable financial strategy and disagreements among leadership. Some fellow female founders, including Glossier's Emily Weiss and Away's Jen Rubio rallied behind Haney.

A year later, Outdoor Voices appointed former Urban Outfitters executive Gabrielle Conforti as CEO. Her overhaul of the company led to its first profitable month on record, Insider previously reported.

In 2022, Haney started two new ventures, including a cannabis supplement brand Joggy. Last year, her blockchain customer loyalty community Try Your Best raised $9.8 million in funding, TechCrunch reported.

Haney and Outdoor Voices did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.


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