If you spend any time out walking or camping in national parks or other natural places, you will have noticed the rapid rise in the presence of Zorali gear over the past few years. The brand has a particular aesthetic, a commitment to sustainability, and has been active in encouraging people to get into the Big Outdoors.

With the loss of several key Australian brands over the last decade or so (for instance Snow Gum going under, Mountain Designs going online only) and strong awareness campaigns from US based brands such as Patagonia, Arc’terex, The North Face and so on, there are fewer Australian companies active in the outdoors business landscape nowadays. So Zorali, which is epitomised by its cheerful and energetic founders Elise and Cam, is a welcome addition to the outdoors scene.

Who are they and what is their mission? Here is a bit of a chat with founder Cam.

How did Zorali begin?

Every dream starts somewhere. Ours began while exploring our favourite rugged coastline, the Surf Coast of Victoria, Australia. We’ve always shared this deep appreciation for nature with others – inviting friends for a dip in the ocean (even in winter), walks along our beautiful coastline, and camping trips further afield. Because for us, nature is the place we find rest. It brings a sense of renewal to our lives and friendships.

Like everyone else, we were becoming programmed to the pings, rings and looming deadlines of modern life. And, even as lucky ones with nature on our doorstep, getting out there started to feel more and more difficult. Then we heard about a pervasive but little-talked-about global trend: the great migration indoors. Caught up in ever-growing cities and distracted by the lure of technology, humanity – us included – was experiencing a collective dislocation from the natural world.

As we navigated the pushes, pulls and stressors of modern life, we were feeling increasingly antsy. So we went back to what we knew, and we stepped outside. We breathed in hard. And we breathed out Zorali – consciously designed gear to help get the world outside to reconnect with a sustainable lifestyle. In August 2019, we introduced Zorali to the world. And in just five years, what began as a celebration of our shared passion for seeing people experience the fullness of life outside, has grown to surpass even our wildest expectations.

Was this your first business venture?

Zorali is an evolution of my first business venture which was called Monsta Surf, a small surf brand that started in my parents backyard when i was fresh out of high school in 2012. Long story short, there was a global company who disliked our brand name and my dream of scaling the surf brand was slammed shut by these green-energy-drink-fueled lawyers (pun intended) and I had just 18 months to wrap things up. At first, I was devastated. But I began to see an opportunity to take the community I had built through the surf brand on a journey towards something new, focused on the mission of getting people outside and into nature, alongside my fiancé at the time (and now wife and co-founder), Elise.

What does Zorali do and why?

We help people have fun exploring the great outdoors by providing sustainably made gear to get them outside with a considered approach to style and function.

We’re passionate about what we do because we believe we all need more chirps, rustles and roars of the natural world. To make us feel awe. To make us feel small. To make us feel happier and more connected to ourselves and each other. Yes, Zorali is tents, hiking gear, base-mid-and-outer-layers, bottoms and pants, hats, backpacks, and more. But it was never just an outdoor brand for us. Zorali is an invitation to reconnect with nature: a therapeutic remedy that renews and restores.

Tell us some of the high points in your journey as a business

It’s hard to pick just one high point in our journey because there have been so many.

The moments that stand out the most are those where we’ve connected deeply with the Zorali community—through our meetups, hikes, and camp-outs. These experiences have been the highlights of our journey, each one marking a key moment of progress and reminding us that we’re on the right path. The community has always been at the heart of what we do, and these events have truly been the peaks of our adventure.

And the low points?

The lowest point in our journey came a few years ago when we became so consumed with the daily grind of managing and growing the business that we lost sight of what made Zorali unique. We were so focused on operational tasks that we neglected the essence of what distinguished us—our community and the distinct qualities that define Zorali. This period was challenging, but it taught us a crucial lesson: the importance of celebrating and staying true to what sets us apart is fundamental to our success.

What do you wish you knew in business when you first started out?

When we first started, we wish we had grasped the importance of “laser focus” sooner. Laser focus means saying no to irrelevant tasks and acting on what’s most important. It means aligning your thoughts, your beliefs and your actions with the future you wish to create. It means not looking at two paths, but focusing like a laser on the one that’s calling you. It means relentless pursuit of a singular vision. It’s the key to great work and a productive life, and it took us a number of years to find clarity on what we were actually aiming for, and more importantly, how we could best execute that vision of creating a world where more people are outdoors, more often, collectively answering nature’s call – to find connection, restoration, and calm.

What’s on the horizon for Zorali?

The next 12–24 months are going to be big for Zorali. It marks the next step of our mission of getting the world outside, with expansion not only domestically, but globally. With further product releases in hiking gear, and in response to rapidly increasing demand, we’ll be reconnecting more and more people to the greatest outdoors through or meetups and event.

You can find out more about Zorali here. Check their Story, Mission, Philosophy and Community notes.

IMAGES: courtesy of Zorali.

 

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And remember: we have some awesome locally owned outdoors stores in the south east – if we don’t love them, we will lose them!