Investors Didn't Take Her Seriously. Then She Built Outdoor Voices, Activewear's Next Big Thing. Tyler Haney has a motto: "Doing Things." And it's how this runner kept going, despite the setbacks.
This story appears in the October 2017 issue of Start Up.
In 2015, Tyler Haney showed up at the Crosby Street Hotel for one of the biggest pitches of her life. She was meeting David Fialkow, of General Catalyst, to add him to a Series A funding round for her startup clothing brand, Outdoor Voices. And she was bringing two unexpected things to the table: a photo of Girls star Lena Dunham jogging in head-to-toe Outdoor Voices wear, and a shiner.
The night before, Haney, a former track star, was jogging her usual route down Manhattan's West Side Highway, her favorite place to clear her mind, and a spiritual path of sorts for her company: It was on this same road, four years earlier, when Haney first hatched the idea for Outdoor Voices. This time, however, she tripped over a dog.
"So I have this shot of Lena and I'm like, "Here's a win,' and" -- pointing to her eye -- ""Here's a loss,'" Haney recalls with a laugh. "It was perfect."
The rest of this article is locked.
Join Entrepreneur+ today for access.
Already have an account? Sign In