Outlaw has been my life for the past 11 years. It has been a wild, beautiful, messy, unpredictable ride—one I wouldn’t trade for anything. Many Outlaws have been on this journey with me since the beginning.
But it’s time for this chapter to end.
I know this might come as a surprise. Maybe even a disappointment. Maybe you have a bottle of Outlaw cologne sitting on your shelf right now, or a bar of soap in your shower, and you’re wondering, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
And I get that.
These scents—Blazing Saddles, Fire in the Hole, Lust in the Dust—they aren't like any other. They're part of your story. They remind you of who you are. Of where you’ve been. Maybe even of who you want to be.
Outlaw was never just about the scents. It was about celebrating who you are, your uniqueness—because you are amazing and awesome, and that’s why we really made this company.
This was a beautiful collaboration that redefined how I understand the relationship between a company and its customers.
And what I’ve learned—more than anything—is that people are not as different as the world would have you believe.
I know this is a divided time politically, and it might be difficult to believe, given everything happening in the world, but I have to tell you the truth that I have witnessed: People—especially Outlaws—are driven by kindness and a desire to understand.
It may not seem like there are people in the world who strive to be better. The mean voices of the world are the loudest.
But Outlaws have shown me a different way.
Outlaws have made me and everyone who has worked with Outlaw better people.
In a time when people seem more divided than ever, Outlaws seek unity. You seek understanding. You lead with kindness, even in the most stressful of circumstances. You give people the benefit of the doubt. You extend grace when it isn’t deserved. And when you find something that resonates with you, you show up fully—whether that’s in a conversation, a road trip, or an email to a stranger who made a soap you love.
I have been fundamentally changed by this company—not because of the business itself, but because of the people. Because of you.
Through Outlaw, I have also learned more about business than I ever thought possible. More about how to build something real. More about how to create sustainable systems that don’t burn you out. More about how to balance creativity with practicality. And the irony is that by the time we finally figured out how to make Outlaw run efficiently, and the tools we needed finally materialized, it didn't make sense (for many reasons) to continue.
But what I’ve realized is that Outlaw’s impact doesn’t have to end here. It can continue through you.
There are so many tools and opportunities that didn't exist when we started. In many ways, there has never been a better time to start an outlaw company... I really do hope you consider starting something and incorporating the Outlaw spirit into the future. I want to help you build it, if you're interested.
Here's the newsletter for my new site, which is completely dedicated to how to run a creative, inspiring company like Outlaw: https://start.webuildforchange.com/
Russ will be continuing his fragrance journey with RMVincent Fragrances (https://rmvincent.com), and I’ll be focusing on helping more people bring their own ideas into the world—whether that’s through scent, storytelling, or business.
Because if there’s one thing I have learned in the past 11 years, it’s that when people create things with heart, the world is better for it.
This isn’t the end of our adventure. And I know it isn’t the end of yours either. I hope we continue to ride together into the future. I'm a huge fan of yours.
Thank you for everything.
Ride boldly,
Danielle
P.S. If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, I'm https://instagram.com/theinevitabledanielle
