Why Your Best Thinking Happens on a Hike (feat. Jessica DeAngelo)
Jessica DeAngelo is the Chief Hiking Officer and founder of Hike to Become®, where she guides people to unlock their boldest ideas outside. A TEDx speaker and creator of the Hike to Become Challenge, she's worked with leaders from Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Nike, and Uber. Hike to Become offers a science-backed, outdoor approach to solving business challenges and sparking innovative ideas. Jessica creates epic experiences, including keynotes, strategy sessions, and executive retreats that help impact-driven teams trade boardroom burnout for breakthrough clarity. Jessica is the International Bestselling author of: The Wild Advantage: Why Your Brain on Nature Is Your Boldest Business Move. She lives in Boise with her husband and two fierce little humans who remind her daily that the best adventures always start with good snacks.
HOST
Matt Poepsel, PhD
Vice President & Godfather of Talent Optimization
GUEST
Jessica DeAngelo
Chief Hiking Officer & Author, The Wild Advantage
When we’re drowning in Slack notifications and back-to-back Zooms, most of us just try to “productivity-hack” our way out of it. But Jessica DeAngelo, founder of Hike to Become, says we’ve got it all backward. We don’t need a better app; we need to leave the phone in the car and hit the dirt.
In this episode, Matt Poepsel chats with Jessica about her book, The Wild Advantage. They dig into why your best business ideas usually happen after 30 minutes in the woods, how to beat the “convenience paradox” that’s making us all feel isolated, and the “Wet Butt Big Idea” that changed Jessica’s life. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “losing the plot” on your work or your life, this conversation is the wake-up call you need.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The “HIKE” Method: A simple daily ritual to stop the “drift” and get your focus back
- Your Brain on Nature: The neuroscience of why fresh air actually makes you a better problem solver
- Unplugged Leadership: Why the best “whiteboarding session” might actually be a 45-minute trail walk
- The 30-Minute Reclaim: How stepping away from your desk actually gives you two hours back in your day
Highlights:
(00:19) Meet “Chief Hiking Officer” Jessica DeAngelo
(00:10) The wake-up call: “Mom, put down your phone”
(06:22) Beautiful offices are still “boxes”
(13:16) The “Wet Butt Big Idea”
(15:51) “HIKE” Challenge rules
(20:48) 30 minutes to reset your brain
(24:11) Taking the boardroom to the trail
Resources:
Follow Jessica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-deangelo-mba/
Visit Jessica’s official website: https://jessicadeangelo.com/book
Get the book: The Wild Advantage: Why Your Brain on Nature is Your Boldest Business Move
Join the challenge: Text HIKE to 33777
Follow Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattpoepsel/
Follow Predictive Index on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-predictive-index/
Subscribe on YouTube: The Predictive IndexYouTube · The Predictive Index1.8K+ followers
Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://shareyourgenius.com/
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