#DoingThings with Outdoor Voices

My Side Hustle with Team Outdoor Voices

Living in the city can be crazy (and expensive). I work full-time at an Ad Agency downtown Monday through Friday. I also try to find time to go to the gym, spend time with friends and my fiance, grocery shop, meal prep, and somehow find time to do other little things for myself throughout the week. I like staying busy and being on the go, so what’s wrong with adding another task on top of it? This is where I found Outdoor Voices.

Last summer, I found a part-time, brand ambassador – sales associate role with OV. As soon as I found out the brand was planning on opening a store in the city, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It was something I resonated with so strongly. OV encompasses “Doing Things” as an everyday activity. Whether it be hiking a 14-er, going on a walk with your friends or taking a spinning class, Outdoor Voices makes technical apparel made to sweat in. The company is also a Woman-created and owned business by Ty Haney – which makes it even more exciting!

I applied for the position in September, went through interviews in early October and was offered the position at the end of the month! I was beyond excited to be a part of Team OV! Our Chicago store opened at the end of December and I started my shifts in mid-January. There were 14 girls on the team and each brought their own personality, experiences and love for recreation to the team. It was really interesting coming from a full-time office job, where I sat at a desk for most of the day, to working in a shop where you are on your feet and interacting with people.

Since I worked during the week at my full-time job, my schedule at OV varied on the weekends. When employees weren’t working in the store, we may be attending a group workout at a local studio or hosting an in-store or out of store event to promote the brand throughout the city. I have also had the opportunity to host a Vinyasa flow and handstand workshop in the store! This was a fun and energizing experience that allowed me to share my love for yoga in a space where people celebrated #DoingThings.

Everything was an amazing experience with Outdoor Voices. Not only did I make new friends and meet new people, but I was also able to promote #DoingThings that I loved. I also love the quality of the clothes and the way they make me feel while I am being active. Working in retail taught me a lot about sales, customer service and brand marketing.

In my opinion, there’s no better time to take up a side hustle than while you are young. Having a side hustle isn’t easy and there are things you have to sacrifice – like brunch with friends or laying around on the couch all day. But it teaches you how to prioritize your time to get the most out of your day. Although I had to put this opportunity on hold (because I realized there was no way to plan our wedding if I didn’t have availability on my weekends), I hope to one day be able to return back to the store and continue to work with an amazing team of people. Until then, I plan on continuing to use my Outdoor Voice to influence other doers in the city space who enjoy moving their bodies and feel free outdoors.