When I started Oiselle in 2007, the idea of team was already in my blood. I had run with a Seattle club for almost 10 years, so I was genuinely hooked on the sisterhood of sport. With Oiselle, we knew we had to start small. In 2009, the team consisted of myself and two friends. Soon after, in early 2010, we expanded, looking for local racers who competed a lot, were awesome women, and who would help us create good juju in the community. This usually involved me approaching women I admired with awkward pick up lines, “so….I noticed you like to run…” Flattering? Creepy? Maybe both!
By 2012, the team was taking off. We were receiving more and more applications from around the country. And we were starting to grow our elite team, including the signing of Yale standout and rising star Kate Grace prior to the 2012 Olympic Trials.
Then Lauren Fleshman joined us in 2013, and Kara Goucher this Spring. Their leadership propelled us higher and higher! Our emerging elites were flying too, with qualifying marks at Nationals and Worlds. Best of all, as our ambassador team grew, a sisterhood was forming all around us. From the first-timers to the seasoned pros. And we were pushing for change in the sport. A movement was growing -- and it was bigger than any individual, brand, or single effort…a collective voice was rising stronger and louder.
At the same time, we had a puzzle to figure out: how do we continue offering significant benefits (from free clothes to healthy discounts) without breaking the bank? Because of both human and financial limitations, we were forced to cap the number of women we accepted. And yet doing so felt wrong…we wanted nothing more than to continue to grow the run family. We were meeting more and more amazing women every day.
So this past winter, we brought together a brain trust of women, both from the nest and our team, and came up with a solution. One that would allow us to grow our team in a sustainable way, with a continued focus on genuine connections.
Introducing The Flock -- a new level of our team that includes a club membership fee in return for a sweet set of benefits. In addition to great apparel, one of the things I’m most excited about with The Flock is that $25 of the membership fee will go directly to Oiselle’s Emerging Athlete Fund – which will mitigate the high cost of travel for our emerging elite athletes; women who are trying to establish careers at the pro level.
We want to do this right, so we're starting with a limited number of spots, and will continue to expand as we iron out the details. So if you're interested, we hope you'll act quickly. But don't worry, we'll be opening more spots as we make enough swag to supply the demand!
Regardless of your interest level, we want to thank you for believing in us. Your willingness to be on the journey has meant everything to this small but growing brand. It’s been a huge gust of wind under our sails. And thus at every stage, now and as we evolve, we always want to hear from you. After all, creating the most amazing team possible is just another shared goal.
With much #runlove and respect,
Founder + CEO
The Flock. A one-time, $100 membership fee covers a year of exclusive benefits:
- Free shipping on all orders
- Newly designed race singlet
- Spike bag
- $20 off any bottom
- $25 toward Oiselle's Emerging Athlete Fund (this fund will mitigate the high cost of travel for our emerging elite athletes, and helps fulfills our mission empower women in their athletic journey)
