Community Highlights: Meet Ella Ran and Renee Stewart of Outsiders USA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ella Ran and Renee Stewart. 

Hi Ella, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are Ella & Renee: two compassionate, determined, and excitable people who built a business around shared values of adventure, stewardship, and a love for this planet. Outsiders as a business reflects these values in what we offer and share with the world. 

It started almost on a whim. Ella had just moved back to the States from Israel where she lived with her husband for 5 years and ended up living just a few doors away from new, California transplant Renee. We both were growing humans (Ella with her first and Renee with her third) so the friendship seemed natural and our life goals aligned. It was important for us to build a life that centered around the outdoors, flexibility and family. We sought ways to balance work and still be able to enjoy time with our kiddos and our hobbies. 

Our first business conversation went a little like this: 

Ella: “My friend invented this awesome beach tent. Want to start a business with me and sell them?” 

Renee, knowing little about running a business but trusting we could lean on family, internet searches, and sheer stubbornness to figure it out: “Sure!”. 

And so, we began navigating a path that helped shape a vibrant and ever-evolving friendship, one that taught us to overcome obstacles and discover personal truths. Along the way we created a shop that we love to be in, surrounded by our favorite gear and products that enhance a life lived outdoors. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a road full of peaks and valleys. And the quick growth of our company further exaggerated the distances between the two at times. 

Some of our biggest challenges relate to selling platforms (like Amazon), constantly changing rules, and finding ways to set ourselves apart. Since the beginning, our beach tent has been the main business, but it’s also brought the biggest obstacles. With more and more people buying online, it’s hard to differentiate yourselves from everything out there. Amazon has been for us a double-edged sword. It expanded our reach to potential customers but is incredibly frustrating to work with. Many are unaware that over 50% of Amazon sellers are small-medium businesses, and yet it’s hard to discern who you should buy from. We’ve had excellent Seller Performance for many years, but holding onto principles of integrity and quality have cost us. 

Finding a good work-life-play balance has been a challenge, but we’re making great strides in this area! In the beginning, we would answer calls and emails pretty much any time of day or night. The key is getting back to what’s important to us and why we’re doing all this work in the first place: for stability but also to live a joyful life! 

It’s not every day you find someone you work so well with and also have many other overlapping areas of life. Maintaining a positive, connected relationship takes work, especially when it encompasses so many sectors of life. Renee & Ella are not only the best of friends, they’re business partners, climbing partners, Yoga teacher-student, and currently landlord-tenant! If this has provided us with obstacles or difficulties, we’ve taken them as opportunities to be better communicators, better colleagues, and better friends. 

As you know, we’re big fans of Outsiders USA. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are known for our unique, quality products and our focus on a life lived outdoors. We do our best to carry as many locally-owned, small business, and environmentally conscious brands as possible. The Otentik Sunshade is our beach tent made in Israel, and we’re the exclusive US distributor – shipping all over the US, and to Canada and Mexico. That’s one of the first things people notice when they walk in: a FULL wall of sunshades. 

Our space is full of really cool finds, and our walls are also covered with paddleboards. One of our favorite things to do is share our love of Florida’s gorgeous springs and waterways with others on our paddleboard tours! We offer group, corporate and private tours all over Florida. 

We have a very relaxed, yet professional vibe in the shop. You will often find us (and our friends) all hanging out on Friday night during the local Artisan Alley Farmer’s Market in DeLand! We’re proud to be a part of such a wonderful, vibrant community. 

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
We’ve learned to trust ourselves and our ability to figure things out. In the beginning, there was exponential growth and we had to make decisions quickly and boldly. At first, we were working from our homes, cars, and in Ella’s case on her lunch break from her full-time job at Performance Designs. Sunshades were everywhere, and bulk shipping happened in the form of pizza parties at one of our houses on the weekend with children running all around and boxes and packing tape everywhere! It was exciting, but also came with a lot of uncertainty. Do we quit jobs? Get a dedicated space? Is this sustainable? 

Creating a business from nothing, and with no experience as business owners meant we had to learn on the job every single day. Hiring, sourcing, importing, accounting, marketing, advertising – you name it, we do it and had to learn how. The resulting lessons of resourcefulness and confidence have been well earned. 

Pricing:

• Otentik Sunshade Nano ($124)
• Otentik Sunshade Large ($150)
• Paddle Board Tours ($50+/pp)
• Backpacks (from $30)
• Dark Cycle Clothing ($32)

Contact Info:

• Email: sales@outsidersusa.com
• Website: https://outsidersusa.com
• Instagram: /outsiders.usa
• Facebook: /outsidersusa
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz6pxP76ZafXLUxMNsaaMxw/featured

Image Credits
Outsiders USA