Nathan Goodworth, Founder of OLLIN, was raised in a family deeply rooted in a love and respect for the outdoors. From a young age, he was introduced to backpacking, fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, and rafting by his father — an avid outdoorsman. This passion extended across generations. His grandmother on his mother’s side did backpacking trips with him and other grandchildren from the time he was eight, and his grandfather on his dad's side helped raise ten children who lived largely on deer and elk meat. Nathan's great-grandfather, who lived through the Great Depression, worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in Utah and later ran a fish hatchery, dedicating his life to conservation and wildlife management.

That generational connection to nature drove Nathan to explore the Lost River Mountain Range with his father for a once-in-a-lifetime Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep hunt. At nearly 10,000 feet in elevation he spotted one of the largest rams he'd every seen. In the excitement, he scrambled to setup his digiscoping gear, but he took too long and the mature ram disappeared into the trees, out of sight and gone for good. There was no second chance. That moment of frustration stuck with him and pushed him to innovate and come up with a solution to get the digiscoping setup easier to manage, install, and use. The OLLIN Snapshot system was born from frustration and failure, designed to help other hunters and outdoorsman never experience what had happened to Nathan on that bighorn hunt.

Innovation requires vision, and Nathan had it. Through continuous thought, sketches, discussions, and testing, a primitive prototype was created. Even though it was basic and crude, the concept was solid and confirmed that the product was viable. From there, the idea turned into a reality. The initial Snapshot product line was designed and produced, the OLLIN company was created, and the brand was launched. As customers started using the Snapshot system it became obvious quickly that this was revolutionary. A new wave of attention was building and soon the name OLLIN was being used throughout the outdoor industry. We changed the game and brought the next level of innovation in the digiscoping world. At OLLIN we continued to innovate and look for new opportunities to improve our own outdoor experiences which helped develop new accessory products and product lines which is where we are today.

Why are we drawn to the outdoors? What is it about being in nature that has so many people declaring with John Muir that "the mountains are calling and I must go"? For Nathan its the feeling of excitement and wonder that comes with the unknown, along with the relentless pursuit to witness the unexpected. Those moments are worth capturing, sharing, and reliving.

As the mountains are calling, OLLIN is built to answer. Inspired by the ancient Aztec word Ollin - to move and act with full passion and purpose - we believe the outdoors isn't just a destination, but a way of life passed down through generations. The legacy of hunting, fishing, respecting nature, and love for the wild runs deep. OLLIN exists because of those traditions and will continue to honor those traditions by empowering you to stay present, move with purpose, and connect you to your passions.