HILLARIE MADDOX
Writer, Farmer & Rewilding Coach
Seattle, WA to Whibey Island, WA
This episode is sponsored by Little Seed Farm. I photographed Eileen and James of little seed farm back in 2015 when they had just started selling their line of goat milk soap bars. Over the last eight years their business has evolved to offer a whole line of natural, high-quality skincare, bath and body products. After having James on the podcast a few years back I decided to give their deodorant a try and wow…I will use their Grapefruit Lemon deodorant for life! First off it smells divine, like so good you almost want to eat it. It goes on smooth, doesn’t irritate and it actually works - all day! If you’re looking for a deodorant without harmful ingredients that won’t give you a rash - look no further! But don’t take my word for it, order a free sample on their website and try it for yourself!
I am excited to invite you to my conversation with Hillarie Maddox. Hilliarie is a writer, creator and life-long learner. She is founder of Black Girl Country Living and the Rewilding Workshops. Hillarie studied social work in college, but realized that a social worker's salary would barely cover her school loans. She got hired at a big tech company and began her successful climb up the corporate ladder.
Although Hillarie enjoyed her work and her contribution to her company, the birth of her first child made her start to rethink her career path and work/life balance. She felt like something was missing and yearned to live closer to nature.
After the 2020 stay at home order, Hillarie and her husband decided to leave Seattle. They settled in a small island community in the Puget Sound. This move made Hillarie tap back into herself - she began the process of “rewilding” - reconnecting with the natural world, reconnecting with others and reconnecting with her own inner voice.
Moving to the country profoundly transformed Hillarie’s life and set her on a course towards a greater purpose. And now she is building Rewilding experiences so that she can help others find healing, clarity and grounding from the process of reconnection.
This is a story about breaking the golden handcuffs, collaboration over competition, and creating pathways for people to rewild.
LINKS
Leaving the fast-paced tech world for something quieter, like building retreats to reconnect with nature, sounds like a powerful way to reset. Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming—whether due to career or personal challenges like navigating the divorce process in California—it’s important to find a place where you can breathe again. It reminds me how valuable it is to take time for yourself during major life transitions, especially when things feel uncertain. Rewilding and spending time in nature can offer healing that’s hard to find elsewhere. A retreat like this sounds like a perfect place for reflection and renewal.