Today we’d like to introduce you to Go Wildly Podcast.
Hi Go Wildly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Who we are: We’re Emily and Heather, the hosts of Go Wildly, an outdoor storytelling podcast rooted in Southern Oregon. We record every episode outside and in person with people whose lives have been shaped by wild places, including guides, athletes, conservationists, and outdoor entrepreneurs. Each conversation comes back to one question: what’s the pivotal outdoor moment that changed you?
How it began: In 2022, Emily moved back to Grants Pass to care for her dad, a longtime river guide, while he was dying of cancer. She started recording the stories he told her, most of which unfolded outdoors. The next year she guided a kayak program for young adults experiencing cancer and saw people being changed by nature and by sharing their stories. That gave her clarity, so she texted her middle school best friend, Heather, a mom of two, bike shop owner, and real estate agent who had spent years building community through storytelling and outdoor adventure in Southern Oregon.
How fast it came together: We first sat down in July 2024 just to catch up and brainstorm. Within a few months we had formed an LLC and booked our first guests, and in under a year we went from concept to creation. We’ve released more than 40 episodes and built a half dozen promotional partnerships with our own guests, offering listener discounts and earning commissions for the show, with more in the works. Our audience is small, dedicated, and growing.
What we stand for: We believe in the healing power of nature. We focus on policy, not politics, and we work to challenge negative stereotypes about rural communities. We also want to build something sustainable that aligns purpose with passion without burning us out.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no, it’s definitely had it’s ups and downs but overall it’s been a gentle ride that’s been guided by our authenticity and aligned vision. At first we thought we’d do a studio-podcast but quickly pivoted to an outdoor-podcast. When we did our first test run with gear, we found that more than one camera wasn’t going to be sustainable for us with the amount of movement we were doing and the amount of editing we didn’t want to do. Recording outdoors presents its own struggles – nature noise, bystander noise, the elements, movement, etc – but we’ve navigated all of them gracefully. There’s been a technological learning curve; both of us preferring to not be on a computer and to be outside but needing to spend hours staring at a screen to learn editing software and publishing episodes. And of course, right now we’re doing this out of our own love so financially we’re figuring out how to sustain the project.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In addition to several roles, we are Podcast hosts and self produce the show. We produce an immersive outdoor adventure podcast where we go outside with outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor professionals to talk about how they met the outdoors and how their lives are continuously changed by time outside.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Absolutely our fathers who taught us both how to be gritty, resilient women inside and out. All the strong outdoor women who came before us. And every person we meet along the way who has chosen to live a life oriented with nature.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gowildlypodcast.com/
- Instagram: @gowildlypodcast
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoWildlyPodcast
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/ma/podcast/go-wildly-podcast/id1811461142
