When I joined MeatEater’s content team as the head of social media, there was a huge opportunity to evolve our presence. Some platforms needed revival, content strategy needed refining, and there was room to inject more creativity, distinct tone, and engagement. Since then, we’ve been building a stronger, more dynamic social presence that truly connects with our audience.
My approach to social media centers on creating content that’s not just seen—but shared. Reach means little without real engagement. By leaning into relatable, entertaining content, we drive conversations, encourage sharing, and expand our audience beyond the usual bubble.
BUILDING THE DIGITAL CAMPFIRE THROUGH CLEVER SOCIAL MEDIA.
At MeatEater, sharing the pursuit is what drives our social media. From the first cast to the final bite, we capture the stories that define a life lived outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, cooking, or conservation, our content brings the wild to those who live for it—keeping traditions alive and the campfire burning.
APRIL FOOLS.
Social media is all about tapping into cultural moments in creative ways. When I got my hands on a handful of behind-the-scenes shots of Steven Rinella from a past production, I immediately saw the perfect setup for an April Fools’ Day cologne ad. The result? A post that racked up 400K in reach, over 20K engagements, and 300+ comments—proof that a good laugh goes a long way.
SMOKE IT SLOW THIS 4/20
According to Forbes, nearly 40% of U.S. cannabis consumers treat April 20th like a holiday. Even more surprising, the CDC reports that 52 million people use cannabis.
One of the reasons I joined the MeatEater team was to bring fresh ideas—some that challenge the norm. I wrote this skit to authentically tap into the social holiday, staying true to the MeatEater brand while adding our unique spin.
The result? It resonated with audiences across all platforms, earning over 3K shares on Instagram alone.
MAKING HISTORY COME ALIVE IN FUN WAYS.
With a new audiobook of MeatEater’s American History set to release in early 2025, we set out to build social buzz around Steven Rinella’s latest project. Partnering with our publisher, Steven, and research assistant Randall Williams, PhD, I focused on what always performs best: content that drives engagement.
The result was a multi-platform carousel series highlighting essential items of mountain men—a nod to the themes in the book. The campaign brought in over 400,000 in reach and more than 30,000 engagements across Facebook, X, Threads, and Instagram.
2025 marked the beginning of a troubling trend—an increasing number of threats to our nation’s public lands. From the quiet transfer of federally managed areas to state control, to proposals aimed at converting wild spaces into private land leases or commercial developments, the year set a precedent for what could become a systematic dismantling of public access and conservation efforts. These actions pose serious risks not only to the health of our ecosystems but also to the traditions and freedoms that define our outdoor heritage.
Leading the social charge at a conservation-driven organization can put a lot of pressure on you to perform to ensure our show of support is being heard throughout.
In doing so, on April 9th, 2025, MeatEater and our family of companies, along with nearly 60 additional outdoor brands came together in the name of public lands through the Brands For Public Lands coalition through the Conservation Alliance to help combat these attacks on our public lands.
STANDING UP FOR CONSERVATION
STANDING UP FOR CONSERVATION
The threat to public lands reached a new high in May 2025 when Senator Mike Lee of Utah proposed selling off up to 3 million acres of USFS and BLM land across the western U.S.—Montana being the sole state spared. His proposal would have privatized vast swaths of public ground under the banner of affordable housing, effectively cutting off access to the places we hunt, fish, and roam freely.
In response, a coalition of outdoor brands sprang into action to push back against the proposal.
MeatEater was on the frontlines of the fight—raising awareness, rallying our audience, and keeping the hunting community informed every step of the way.
Thanks to relentless effort and a groundswell of support, the issue caught fire. Voices like the Shawn Ryan Show and Joe Rogan joined in, amplifying the message and putting public pressure where it mattered most.
May 9, 2025: The Starting Point
Over half a million acres of public ground—BLM and Forest Service land—is being eyed for the auction block.
The kind of country where we hunt, fish, and lose ourselves in something wild.
This land doesn’t belong to politicians or profiteers. It belongs to the American people.
May 21, 2025: NEW DISCOVERIES
Turns out it’s not just 500,000 acres on the chopping block—it’s nearly 1.5 million. That’s what the latest report from OnX shows. Triple what had previously been reported.
And it doesn’t end there. The bill also opens the door to high-risk development in places like the Brooks Range and the Boundary Waters.
The House of Representatives is likely to vote on passage of this bill soon and if the public land sale is included, the fight will move to the Senate.
Call (202) 224 3121 and tell your rep and senators to stand up and push back. This isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about losing the wild ground that’s shaped who we are.
JUNE 12, 2025: SENATOR MIKE LEE
The latest addition to the Senate budget bill, pushed by Sen. Mike Lee, would force the sale of 2-3 million acres of BLM and Forest Service land across 12 Western states.
They’re calling it a solution for housing and development. But let’s not kid ourselves—this is about losing access. Losing the ground that generations of hunters, anglers, and outdoor folks have relied on. It’s about selling off the wild places that feed our freezers, teach our kids, and remind us what it means to be connected to the land.
For months now, hunters, anglers, conservationists—and anyone who gives a damn—have been pushing back. But the fight isn’t over.
Call (202) 224 3121 and tell your senators to stand up for our public lands. Support groups like the The TRCP and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. They’re in the trenches every day, fighting to keep these places wild and in public hands—where they belong.
JUNE 18, 2025: up to 250m acres
Another update in this fast-changing rat race towards selling off public lands. A new Senate bill could open the door to selling off as much as 250 million acres of public land across 11 Western states. That’s more land than the size of Texas.
While not all of it will be sold, the bill mandates that at least 2 to 3 million acres must be sold over the next five years. Most of it is far from cities and nowhere near what you’d call “housing-friendly.” But it is the land we hunt, fish, hike, and pass down.
JUNE 20, 2025: Awareness
If the game belongs to the people, then it belongs to the quiet kid who’ll one day cast their first fly or notch their first tag. Not to the folks auctioning off the view.
The number is (202) 224 3121. Tell your senators to protect our public lands.
JUNE 25, 2025: FLOOD THE LINES
Public lands don’t stay public by accident. They stay public because people fight for them.
Today’s that fight.
Lawmakers are lining up to sell off millions of acres of wild ground. We need 25,000 calls to the Senate today to shut it down.
Pick up the phone. Call (202) 224-3121. Tell your senators: not one acre. Not now. Not ever.
This is the line. Stand on it.
JUNE 25, 2025: Sustainment
These wild places don’t just hold our footsteps—they hold our story.
Pick up the phone. Call (202) 224 3121. Tell your senators: not one acre.
JUNE 28, 2025: the public wins
Every now and then, the good guys win.
Because of thousands of voices—yours included—millions of acres of public land were struck from the chopping block. The threat’s been erased from the bill. Not walked back. Not delayed. Erased.
It’s the kind of victory that doesn’t make headlines, but it ought to. Because this wasn’t just about keeping some remote corner of the West intact. It was about defending an idea. That this land belongs to all of us. That access to wild places isn’t a luxury—it’s a right earned and protected by citizens willing to speak up.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, “A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” And this week, the American people proved their character.
But let’s not mistake this for the end. This was one battle. There’ll be more.
So take a moment. Step outside. Breathe it in. The land’s still ours—for now.
Let’s keep it that way.
HISTORICAL CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN
Quarter 2 delivered strong performance across the board, but our public lands messaging on Facebook stood out as one of the most impactful efforts we’ve led to date.
From April through June, we published 60+ conservation-focused posts—ranging from educational articles, photo carousels, videos, to urgent text-only calls to action—that resonated deeply with our audience:
12 million impressions
752,000 total engagements
50,000 link clicks
These weren’t just numbers—they reflected a groundswell of support. Many of these posts reached audiences well beyond our core followers, tapping into new segments of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts who had not previously engaged with our content but were mobilized by the threat to our public lands.
As lawmakers advanced a proposal that could have led to the sale of up to 3 millions acres (potentially 250 million acres threatened) of public land, MeatEater used its platform to inform, rally, and drive direct action. Our content was not only seen—it spurred tens of thousands of calls to Congress and the Senate, thanks in large part to coordination with partner organizations and amplification across our channels.
Simply put, MeatEater played a crucial role in defeating the proposal. We didn’t sit on the sidelines. We used our voice to educate, our reach to mobilize, and our credibility to unite a fragmented audience behind one clear message: public lands are not for sale.
This quarter proved that when we align purpose with platform, we don’t just create content—we create impact.