A Company Run On Mood Swings..... - Anonymous employee Dogeared Employee Review

1.0
7 Apr 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice co-workers (depending on which department you are in); there's a good amount of focus on "giving back" to the community and being globally aware and environmentally friendly; and a reasonable work/life balance in that most people get to go home after 8 hours (not the usual 12 hours of slavery that a lot of fashion companies feel entitled to demand).

Cons

Logic, efficiency and integrity hold very little sway here, so if those things are important to you, run, don't walk, away from this company. Decisions made by management are "feeling" based (in other words, whims), not merit or evidence based, so there's a lot of internal chaos. The company uses a lot of words like "good karma" and "positive energy." Make no mistake - these are used to market the brand's "feel good" identity, and do NOT accurately reflect company culture. Inconsistency runs rampant. Here's a good example. They run an event during which they invite women whose children have cancer to make their own inspirational charm necklaces. At one such event, a woman hoped to have a particular charm that we had run out of. She asked if one could be mailed to her, but management decided it was too much trouble, and said no, she'd have to content herself with what was left in stock at the event. TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO MAIL A TINY LITTLE CHARM TO A WOMAN WHOSE CHILD WAS TERMINALLY ILL. Also, while the company was founded in 1991, they only started offering health insurance to their employees over the past YEAR. (Prior to that, I guess if you had cancer, you'd have to heal yourself with all the "positive energy" they are so fond of discussing....) This should provide a pretty good indication of how arbitrary and meaningless even the happy buzzwords really are. It depends on the day and the mood at the time. Most people in lower management positions here have no idea how to actually do their jobs, OR they are hampered in doing them by upper management's whims. Professional expertise is considered irrelevant. And due to the company's small size, there is very little room for growth. Raises and bonuses are stingy at best, while the owners jet off to exotic vacation destinations every couple of months. There's very high turnover here for a reason. It's a hot mess.

Explore other reviews about Dogeared

5.0
22 Aug 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Culture, pay and benefits. Owners are amazing and give back.

Cons

That I don’t work there any longer.

5.0
27 July 2017
Anonymous contractor
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I have worked as an independent contractor for Dogeared on and off for over 8 years and one of the reasons I started with Dogeared was their positive messaging on each and everyone of their products. I really felt as though the owners not only made a product that puts that energy into the world but live theirs lives that way and truly care about everyone around them. When I am out in my daily life and mention I work with Dogeared the response is always "Oh I love that company" and I follow it with just how amazing I think it is as well. From getting days off to volunteer, to company days where we get the chance to make a difference in other people's lives to Christmas parties where they spoil us, it really is a great place to work.

Cons

No company is perfect and Dogeared has definitely gone through a lot over the last couple of years (when you grow as fast as they have, there is bound to be some restructuring you have to make). And yes, that includes some jobs being eliminated, super tough decisions having to be made but the owners have handled it with grace and dignity, but I know it has been very tough for some as well as the owners themselves.

2
avatar
Dogeared Response
8y
Thank you so much for sending this. LOVE the positive energy here. We work hard every day to put good energy into the world, it's one of the core tenants of who we are as a company and as individuals. Note to others--- if you are reading this, and you believe in this team members advice to us--please please apply or if you already work with us, let's keep the positive rolling... so much power in this advice. Thank you!!
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