Into The Wyld

The women at Wylder Goods had a big dream: to create the world’s first outdoor-gear retailer for women, bust into an industry overrun by bros, and save the planet. All in four not-so-easy steps.

- Gordy Megroz

STEP ONE Embrace Your Ambition

One night in March 2015, housemates Jainee Dial and Lindsey Elliott were sitting on a leather couch in front of a woodstove in their Northern California home, sipping Bulleit bourbon, eating Mexican food, and hashing out the details of their plan to infiltrate the outdoor industry.

“We need to work with companies striving for social and environmental impact,” Elliott said.

“And we want them to be disruptive,” Dial added. She took a sip of bourbon and rested her glass on the coffee table. Then reality began to sink in.

“Holy shit,” said Dial. “We’re up against giants.”

There was good reason for trepidation. The duo were hatching the business they’d ultimately call Wylder Goods, the world’s first online outdoor-gear retailer for women. Over the past decade, dozens of e-commerce sites have launched to sell gear from a broad range of brands. The biggest players, like Backcountry.com and Evo, generate tens of millions in revenue by offering massive selection and, frequently, big discounts. More recently, boutique outfits like Huckberry have made their mark by presenting highly curated inventories that attract loyal, discerning buyers. But while some sites have sections for women’s products, nobody had tried to build a business catering primarily to female consumers—especially not core adventure athletes.