When Outdoor Wise Living reached out to PDC in August of 2021, it was pretty much a no-brainer—we were thrilled to partner with the new company to create a lifestyle brand centered around inspirational and accessible outdoor content for families. As a purpose-driven brand that was founded on giving back and getting outside, we were in complete alignment with their brand mission and values (we take our mid-day woods walks very seriously!)

Fast forward to May 2023—Outdoor Wise Living has done an incredible job of consistently building their brand while inspiring audiences to make a meaningful impact on both people and the planet. They pledge to donate 5% of sales to non-profit organizations that encourage people to spend more time outside, and we especially love their emphasis on all ages.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with OWL about the inspiration behind their brand, what their experience working with PDC was like, and more!

01 What inspired you to create your own brand?

There were a few drivers that inspired us to create Outdoor Wise Living. One big driver was the pandemic. We both were working our corporate jobs remotely and our young children were forced into a virtual world where everything, including school, entertainment, and family interactions were all on a screen. It quickly became clear our kids were happiest when we could get outside. Sometimes it was hiking and adventuring, but a lot of the time it was simply in the driveway or backyard for remote school recess. Seeing the direct wellness benefits to our family inspired us to want to get other families outside more.  As we developed our brand, we saw an opportunity to close the apparel design gap between nature inspired and everyday family friendly.  In selling our apparel, we hope we to make an even bigger impact by donating a percentage of sales to non-profits that drive equitable access to outdoor spaces.

02 What was your branding experience with PDC like? What has it been like to see your brand come to life, have products made, and see people wearing those products?

PDC has been the absolute best branding partner. Being in the Bay Area, we feel so fortunate we found PDC online. We loved their work showcased on their site and that PDC is a woman-owned business so we reached out and haven’t looked back. LK and Abby have truly been partners through our branding process and working with us to turn our designs into reality.

Seeing our ideas come to life with PDC is the best. We’ve been so fortunate that PDC has been able to take a lot of our ideas and make them come to life exactly how we envisioned.

03 Which brands inspire you most? It could be their brand values, merch, or beautiful brand visuals that inspire you.

Brands that inspire us the most are ones that give back and are looking to make a positive impact. We love the apparel we make, but what we love most is connecting with others that love the outdoors.

REI is a brand that we feel really lives by their values. Their dedication to giving back, funding new ventures, and providing quality guarantees to customers makes them a brand we use and trust. Hopefully one day our gear will be in their stores!

04 What routines do you follow each day that help support your business? It could be something as simple as getting outside for an hour to boost productivity later.

We started Outdoor Wise Living with Dan in graduate school for his MBA, two young children, and both of us working corporate jobs full time, so routine is a challenge for us.  We both try to get outside every day and truly live by our values. Sometimes it’s a hike or a mountain bike ride, but other days it’s a wellness walk or coaching sports.

05 What part of running a business surprised you most, whether good or bad?

The most amazing surprise has been the connections we’ve made with people throughout the country who love the outdoors as much as we do. Relationships make the world go round and that’s very true for a small business. We are still in the early stages and hoping we can continue to grow and are so grateful to all the people along the way who have support our brand.

06 What are your “must-haves” for outdoor gear?

Our most used outdoor gear is our Hydroflask water bottles. We have both the 20oz and 40oz sizes and use them literally every time we leave the house. We bring them to school, work, hikes, sports, travel—pretty much everywhere. They keep our water nice and cold and we love covering them in our stickers.

Ashley also loves her Outdoor Research rain jacket. After a very rainy winter that is continuing into spring, there’s nothing like a good waterproof layer for outdoor adventures and being a sports mom.

But we are firm believers you do not need fancy gear to get outside. You can do a lot with what you already have.

07 What is your favorite part about running Outdoor Wise Living?

Hands down our favorite part is getting messages that we inspired someone to go outside, especially families with young children or babies. As parents we know it can be intimidating and not always easy to pack up your little ones and head outside so when we share something to inspire someone to opt outside with their family it’s really special.

We also both get alerts on our phones every time we make a sale and yell to each other in excitement. It really is true about small business owners doing a happy dance when someone likes what they’ve created enough to buy it. And of course, making our quarterly donations to NEEF is also a highlight. From day one we knew we wanted to be a purpose-driven brand so writing those checks to such a wonderful organization is a highlight we continue to celebrate.

08 What advice would you give to other small business owners who dream of launching their own brand?

I wish someone would have told me, it is okay to not be immediately successful. It’s truly a grind, but most amazing things don’t come easy. Also, find the right partners. We were so fortunate to find PDC, suppliers we trust, and others to be part of our broader OWL team.

Sending a huge thank you to our friends at Outdoor Wise Living for being such incredible partners and for inspiring us to get outdoors as often as possible! Here are a few ways that you can support their brand and mission: