Michael Washington was living in Los Angeles, surrounded by mountains, oceans, and desert, when he noticed a lack of community around his passion for outdoor adventures. To rally fellow outdoor enthusiasts he launched the Usal Project, a brand dedicated to bringing people together through unique experiences like stargazing, hiking, and fly fishing. Over the last 2 years, Michael has built Usal into a diverse community of outdoor enthusiasts and major brands like Nike and North Face have taken notice.
Here’s how he built a community and used Shopify to sell event tickets.
Discovering a business opportunity to build connections
Michael’s journey began with a simple realization: there was a lack of community in LA for the kind of outdoor adventures he enjoyed. Having worked in the music industry where he built communities around artists, Micheal realized doing that for the outdoors industry wouldn’t be so different. “I wondered how I could take that community-building expertise to other areas of my life,” he says.
Despite doubts and feeling like an imposter, Michael pushed through to manifest his idea, launching Usal Project on Earth Day in 2022. His personal passion and interests in many different outdoor activities, from foraging to surfing, laid the foundation for the company’s unique events.
Making the outdoors accessible
Since accessibility is central to Usal’s mission, Michael is emphatic about breaking down barriers that prevent people from trying new activities, including the startup costs. By offering low-cost events and access to free gear, such as equipment donated by brands like North Face, Usal removes financial barriers to entry.
Michael never wants cost to be a barrier for people to explore their natural surroundings. “If people spend $20 on a coffee daily, why shouldn’t they invest $30 on a special foraging hike?”
Catalyzing success with strategic partnerships
The low-cost tickets to Usal Project events has meant the company has had to get creative about generating revenue. Usal has successfully fostered partnerships with major brands–like the previously mentioned Nike and the North Face–to diversify its revenue streams.
Building these collaborations hinges on authenticity. “If you're doing something right, they come to you,” Michael says. The community he’s built with Usal has attracted a younger and more diverse group than many other outdoor enthusiast communities, and that has attracted brands wanting to reach out to those new audiences.
In a sense, they’ve always been around, in cities and towns all over the world. It’s just they hadn’t really had a place to gather before Usal Project.
To learn more about how Michael plans to expand Usal Project to other cities, listen to the full conversation on Shopify Masters.
