We were lucky to catch up with Deb Matlock recently and have shared our conversation below.
Deb , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
My mission is to create opportunities for people to explore their deep and sacred connection to earth, animals, and the world of spirit so we can all live from this place and share their connections with others. This is deeply important to me as I view humans as ecological beings; a part of this expansive choreography of life on earth. We must remember ourselves as wild, natural beings and nurture our relationships, connections, and engagements with the rest of life so that the compassion, empathy, respect, and resilience all of life needs so much right now can come forward and guide our future. Nature connection work is not just about making us feel better and healthier as humans (although that is vitally important), it is also about helping us remember our roles in the vast ecology of life on earth. I like to say it is about de-centering the human, not de-valuing the human. And, the world needs us to de-center ourselves a bit and leave space for the voices, interests, and inherent value of the rest of life as well.
Deb , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have come to my work through my amazing, challenging, inspiring, confusing, hopeful, painful, and surprising journey into a deeper connection with the world around me. My personal journey to a sense of empowered, nature-connected spirituality is definitely a long and winding road…a road I still travel upon today. I have gone through times of difficult confusion and emptiness, times of deep grief and despair for the world around me, and times of incredible peace, groundedness, and inspiration.
I have been a professional nature-based spiritual life coach and a nature connection practitioner and educator for more than 20 years. My work is not about specific “techniques” but focuses on listening directly to the world of spirit and the more-than-human world.
My passion is to walk/guide/assist others on their own unique journeys into their empowered spirituality and sense of deep and sacred connection with all life.
I am especially keen on helping other educators, coaches, healers, clergy, and holistic practitioners integrate deeply personal and innovative nature connection work into their offerings for their clients and communities. I grew up in Colorado and bring to my work a profound love and passion for Earth and every living being. Since childhood, I have experienced a deep, personal, and communicative connection with the earth, the world of spirit, and the animals I encounter.
As a child, I spent endless days exploring the Rocky Mountains and my first best friend was a dog named Jenny. Since then, my relationship with all of the life around me has been formed and enriched.
My work is based not only on my own spiritual journey but also on my 25+ years as an environmental and humane educator and my passion for research and academia. My work has teeth as I take my experiences and dig into them more deeply via conventional and non-conventional methods. I have spent the last several years as a professional environmental educator and naturalist, a spiritual coach and guide, and an animal communicator. I also mentor and teach graduate students. I am dedicated to exploring my spiritual connection to life and continuing to work with my mentors, take courses, and engage in research activities. I have passionately refined my natural ability to experience spirit world journeys, communicate with animals, and act as a spiritually-focused life coach, companion, and guide.
My environmental and humane education work includes teaching in the field, offering professional trainings and presentations, and researching the connections of spirituality, animism, and empathy to environmental education. My research has been presented nationally and internationally and continues to be a strong focus for my work. I have vast experience designing programming and evaluating curriculum and was previously President of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. Additionally, I volunteer my educational and animal communication services with local animal rescues regularly.
This fall, I am offering a lovely, intimate retreat in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Wild Land, Wild Soul takes place September 15-17, 2023 and offers people a chance to deeply connect with wild nature, live in their own natural rhythms and engage their wild souls. More information can be found here: https://wild-rhythms.com/retreat/
I also offer a series of professional trainings for educators, counselors, clergy, healers, and other holistic practitioners who are interested in incorporating their own, unique form of nature connection work into their offerings for their clients and communities. These training programs are rooted in practical experience, theoretical explorations, and personal reflection. I am passionate about helping folks create innovative nature connection work because I deeply believe that the world needs it! More about my training programs can be found here: https://wild-rhythms.com/professional-track/
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I have worked in the field of nature connection in various ways for over 25 years. During that time, I have worked in public, private, and non-profit settings with pretty much every age group both indoors and outside. I have always carried the attitude that every single program, group, etc. is new. Even if I have led the same program numerous times, it will never truly be the same. The place, the people, the weather, world events, and the like are all collaborators. Every program and group is different and I know I can learn something new each and every time! This ideology has propelled to me continue to grow professionally and help me see areas where I can develop further skill, add creative ideas, or work with people in a different way.
In the same spirit of commitment to continued personal and professional growth, I have pursued a solid academic background in this work, approaching the completion of a Ph.D. this year. It is really important to me to continue to challenge what I think I know, help contribute to the professionalization of the nature connection field, and add my voice and ideas to the larger discussions taking place in this body of work.
The learning never stops. Wild nature, humanity, and the ever-changing circumstances surrounding all of are continual teachers and mentors. And, I really believe the world needs rock-solid, deeply grounded, creative, and innovative nature connection practitioners. Trends will come and go, but the need to live as ecological beings with each other and all of life will remain.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media was a game I was very resistant to play at first! I started my business in 2003, and there was no social media back then. A few years ago, it became more and more apparent that I needed to engage more with folks virtually. Clients started asking if I would start something like a Facebook Group. So, I rolled up my sleeves and started to poke around on social media.
I built, and continue to build, my social media presence slowly, organically, and in a way that feels inspiring and nurturing. I share positive, hopeful, educational content only. I want people to visit my pages and get new ideas and inspirations that can add quality to their own lives and journeys with wild nature.
I view my social media as a second-tier connection point in my business. By this, I mean that people I already work with can use it to stay connected (and hopefully inspired) and new potential clients can use it as a way to get to know me better. I do not view social media as a direct channel to new clients as much as a way to nurture and stay connected with folks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wild-rhythms.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildrhythms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildRhythms/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debmatlock/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildRhythms
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ6DZ23rkSJXDaP7TR791YQ
Image Credits
Gabrial Reising, Doug Hill