Wild Ideas Worth Living, presented by Capital One and the REI Co-op Mastercard, aims to encourage people to get outside and do something truly wild. We’ve interviewed a diverse array of famous mountaineers, cyclists, birders, climbers, authors, adaptive athletes, BIPOC and LGBTQ adventurers, and more to show that everyone belongs in the outdoors. Our objectives include:
Wild Ideas Worth Living was created by host Shelby Stanger in 2016. Almost immediately, she brought on Puddle Creative as producers, and in 2018 the show was acquired by REI Co-op. The podcast is a perfect tool for education, entertainment, and brand awareness. Through wide-ranging conversations, we share stories featuring people who are going after wild ideas in the outdoors. We talk to our guests about the value of spending time in nature - the physical benefits, the self discovery that can come from pushing yourself, and the importance of keeping the outdoors diverse.
In 2025 we had a deep focus on episodes driven by wild ideas. We spoke with a guest who has been running every day for 2,800 days, the first blind man to summit Mt. Everest, the woman who set the most recent Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail. We also spoke to guest's whose wild ideas might seem a bit more achievable for listeners who might not consider themselves extreme adventurers: a woman who loves urban hiking, a man who ran every street in San Francisco, a couple who started their own regenerative farm. From talking to the most famous climbers and mountaineers in the industry, to lesser known cyclists and runners, we find the sweet spot for our podcast comes when our guests talk about how they made their wild ideas a reality.
When planning our episodes, we do a significant amount of research to make sure that we are creating captivating content and respecting the story of every guest that we interview. This podcast isn't just a tool for REI to tell impactful outdoor stories - it's also a platform for guests to share their message with a wider audience.
REI Co-op and Puddle Creative are thrilled with the success of Wild Ideas Worth Living. This year saw the second year of sponsorship from Capital One. This year we also took the show live at Outside Fest in Denver, CO, a music festival put on by Outside Magazine. In addition to two talks as part of the festival lineup, the show host also presented conversations with amazing guests all day long at Camp Co-op.
We continue to see a steady growth in listeners and time spent with the podcast. In 2025 we averaged 48,000 downloads a month, and our average completion rate in 2024 is 84%. Perhaps most importantly, we get positive feedback from guests and listeners. As a production team, we love to hear about how the show has inspired listeners to get outside and go after their wildest ideas.
