Long Time Employee - Avis employé Sales Manager Ruffwear

The people I work with on a day to day basis are second to none. In all my previous jobs, I've never enjoyed working with people as much as I do my team. The leadership makes a super solid effort to make sure things are equitable and transparent. They're not perfect, but I appreciate their efforts, and I've never seen a company give more transparency into business health and strategy from the leadership team. Overall, the purpose of the company is super solid - inspiring outdoor adventures for humans and pups. It has it's bumps in the road, but the trajectory it's on is really cool.

The company has a lot of the same issues as the rest of the outdoor industry post-covid. Having come from other outdoor brands, it's really not surprising, but they have had a difficult time navigating the growth / economic uncertainty in the world. It has unfortunately resulted in some layoffs that probably could have been avoided, but again... it's a very similar issue to the rest of the industry. I've been seeing a really great shift in thinking from the leadership team to grow more sustainably and avoid these things in the future. Being a smaller brand, career growth/mapping is a little tricky. But, I've appreciated the efforts I've seen to make that more transparent.

There were genuinely great people on the team, and I built some meaningful relationships during my time there. Being able to bring my dog into the studio was a unique and enjoyable perk, and the employee discount on gear was generous.

For a brand positioned as an action-sport dog company, the culture felt overly corporate and rigid. Despite exceeding expectations for extended periods, it often felt like the standards were constantly shifting. The moving goalposts made it difficult to feel successful or motivated, and over time, that eroded morale. There was also a concerning pattern around terminations. Employees were sometimes let go under the label of “poor performance” despite prior strong contributions. In several instances, it appeared this approach was used to avoid severance or unemployment obligations. I witnessed this happen to multiple coworkers, which created a culture of instability and fear rather than trust. At times, I observed that personal emotions appeared to influence leadership decisions, and accountability was not always handled constructively. Work was often not clearly delegated, which made it difficult to understand priorities or fully contribute. There were instances where I was not assigned projects, yet concerns were raised about workload and output, creating confusion and inefficiency. The management style also felt overly controlling, limiting autonomy. When I raised concerns about compensation and my overall experience in the role, I did not feel heard. Those conversations often felt dismissed, and responsibility was redirected back onto me rather than being addressed collaboratively. Over time, this made it difficult to feel supported or valued.