- Following 4.1K
- Followers 253.2K
- Engagement 0.15%
- Avg likes 417
- Avg comments 15
About Andy Neal
Andy Neal (@andyfilmsandhikes) is a Digital creator creator on Instagram, also filed under Travel and Design & fashion. The account has 253,208 followers and 5,532 published posts. Recent posts average 417 likes and 15 comments, an engagement rate of 0.15%.
An audience of 253.2K puts Andy Neal in the mid-tier, between 100,000 and 1 million followers. Set against 4,112 accounts followed, the audience works out to about 62 followers per account Andy Neal follows. Andy Neal carries Instagram's verified badge and uses an Instagram professional account. Flinque files Andy Neal under 4 categories, led by Digital creator and followed by Travel, Design & fashion and Travel Influencers.
The Instagram bio for Andy Neal runs to 17 words across 4 lines. The latest activity Flinque has on record for Andy Neal dates from January 2026.
Story Highlights
Unlocking shows the title and cover image of every story highlight this creator keeps pinned to the profile.
5,532 Posts
Of the 10 most recent posts shown for Andy Neal, 7 are videos, 2 are single images and 1 is a carousel. That mix leans toward videos. With 5,532 posts published, Andy Neal's archive runs well past the 2,000 mark. Against the audience, that is roughly 46 followers for each post published. Andy Neal also keeps 3 story highlights on the profile. 9 of those 10 carry captions, averaging 202 words each. The captions are written mainly in English. Words that recur across them include care, health, mental, being and life. The captions tag #andyfilmsandhikes, #getoutside, #mentalhealthmatters, #10yearglowup and #stupidhikeformystupidmentalhea.
It does not mean you failed or got it wrong. It means you are growing. It means you are changing. It means you are paying attention to your life and responding honestly to it.
Somewhere along the way we learned that growth is an indictment of our past. That if we change careers, beliefs, routines, boundaries, or directions, we are admitting the old version of us was broken. That is not true.
The person you were before did the best they could with what they had. They got you here. Growth does not erase that. It builds on it.
You are allowed to evolve. You are allowed to outgrow spaces that once fit. You are allowed to change your mind when you learn more about yourself and the world.
Changing does not mean you are rejecting who you were. It means you are honoring yourself enough to keep going.
You are human. Humans grow.
With all due respect.
Ten years ago I was a pastor. That second photo was taken as a staff picture at the church I worked at. I was living a life I thought I was supposed to have. Doing what I was told was faithful. Doing what was expected. I did not know how to dress. I did not know how to take care of my beard. I did not even wear contacts yet. I was trying to see the world clearly through lenses that were never really mine.
A year later I walked away. I enrolled in film school. I chose uncertainty over certainty that no longer fit. I graduated in 2019. In 2020 everything slowed down and I discovered the outdoors in a way I never had before. Hiking became a refuge. Trails became quiet teachers. Movement became medicine. Nature gave me space to breathe when everything else felt heavy.
In 2021 I went viral talking about mental health and the outdoors and somehow that honesty turned into a new career. I became an influencer without ever planning to be one. Life changed quickly. I began fighting publicly for mental health services. I started telling stories I was once afraid to say out loud. I learned how powerful it can be to choose truth over comfort.
And yes, along the way I lost a lot of weight. That happened too. But it was never just about shrinking my body. It was about taking care of my mental health. About learning to move with intention. About showing up for myself in ways I never had before.
Somewhere in all of that I finally got contacts. I finally went to a barber and learned how to take better care of myself. How to dress in a way that feels honest. Not polished. Just real.
The glow up was not the clothes. Or the weight loss. Or the beard. The real glow up was building a life that actually fits.
#10yearglowup
Not when you feel ready.
Not when you have the right gear.
Not when you hit some imaginary fitness level.
Just go.
Walk to the mailbox.
Go to your local park.
Sit on a bench by a creek.
Watch a sunset.
Breathe.
The outdoors do not require permission.
They do not ask for experience.
They do not care what you are wearing or how far you go.
They have saved my life.
They continue to save my life.
Being outside is good for your physical health.
It is good for your mental health.
And these spaces belong to everybody.
Unplug for a minute.
Look around.
Really look.
With all due respect
just go outside.
#AndyFilmsAndHikes #StupidHikeForMyStupidMentalHealth #GetOutside #MentalHealthMatters #OutdoorsForAll
The emotions are immediate. Horror. Disbelief. Anger. A deep grief that settles in when it feels like the foundations of democracy are being tested in real time.
What makes this complicated is that I understand the other side more than most people assume. I grew up conservative. I was a conservative. I was an evangelical pastor for 15 years. I went to a conservative Bible college. I know the language, the fears, and the framework that lead people to very different conclusions than mine.
And I still disagree. Completely.
What we are witnessing goes far beyond normal political disagreement. Environmental protections are being stripped away. Public lands are being put at risk. Mental health and healthcare are treated as optional. Cruelty toward immigrants and marginalized people is being normalized.
I see what is happening in Portland. I see what is happening in Minnesota. I see what is happening in communities being told this is strength or order or necessary. I cannot ignore the human cost.
I have been to Warsaw, Poland. I have sat with survivors and listened to stories of injustice that did not begin with violence, but with fear, nationalism, and small compromises. I cannot ignore how familiar this moment feels. History may not repeat itself, but the tune sounds awfully familiar.
I was raised in a faith that taught me to love the immigrant, to be kind and compassionate, to humble myself, and to care for the least among us. A large reason I left that world is because I no longer saw those values reflected.
I still believe in empathy. I still believe in reconciliation. I still believe people can change.
But silence is not neutral.
And what is happening right now is not only wrong. It should terrify us all, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.
It is not that I do not care what other people think. I actually care a lot. Probably more than I should.
But I have learned this the hard way.
A lot of people are very comfortable giving directions to places they have never been.
They might mean well. They might have heard something. They might be repeating advice that worked for someone else in a completely different season, body, life, or reality.
But they have never actually gone where you are trying to go.
And you would never pull over on the side of the road and ask for directions from someone who has never been to the destination.
So why do we do that with our lives.
If you are trying to do something different, build something new, change your body, change your career, change your mindset, change the world even a little bit, the path is not going to make sense to people standing on a different road.
Sometimes there is no map.
Sometimes there is no blueprint.
Sometimes the only option is to blaze the trail.
With all due respect.
Trust yourself. Stay curious. Keep moving forward. You do not need permission from people who have never been where you are headed.
Now I want to hear from you.
What is the one thing you are trying to do right now that feels different, uncomfortable, or like you are the only one doing it.
Drop it in the comments. Someone else probably needs to read it too.
#AndyFilmsAndHikes #mindset #selfgrowth #creatoreconomy #personaldevelopment
Not because it was extreme or impressive, but because it reminded me how lucky we are to have places like this that belong to all of us. Public lands. Protected places. Spaces that slow you down and ask you to pay attention.
This was via the Cleetwood Cove Trail, which leads down to the lake. Unfortunately, that trail will be closed for repairs for the next few years. And honestly, I am glad it is being cared for. These places deserve long term protection, even when it means we have to wait.
And yes, the first week it reopens, I will absolutely be back.
I would not have done this a year ago. Not physically. Not mentally. Not emotionally.
The only reason I was able to have this experience is because I finally started taking care of myself. Moving my body in ways that felt joyful instead of punishing. Letting go of the idea that I had to earn access to nature by looking a certain way. Choosing myself. Over and over again.
This was not about checking something off a list. It was about being present. Feeling cold water. Holding my breath. Floating. Laughing. Realizing I get to be here.
Public lands make moments like this possible. They are not luxuries. They are essential. For mental health. For belonging. For perspective.
If you have ever thought something like this was not for you, I promise you it is.
#PublicLands #CraterLake #CleetwoodCove #GetOutside #MentalHealthMatters
On January 16 at noon, I will be speaking at White Rabbit Creator Clubhouse in Ashland, Oregon as part of their Friday Noons series.
White Rabbit is a creator clubhouse built around conversation, curiosity, and community. It is a space for artists, filmmakers, writers, and thoughtful humans who care about ideas, process, and doing meaningful work without the performative noise.
I am Andy Neal, a full time social media influencer, filmmaker, and mental health advocate based in Southern Oregon. What started as hiking content became viral in ways I never expected and eventually turned into a full time career working with national brands while centering mental health, storytelling, and integrity. Over the last few years, my work has reached millions of people across platforms.
During this talk, I will share my journey from viral creator to full time social media influencer, what it actually takes to sustain this work, how brand partnerships really function, and the responsibility that comes with being listened to. This is not a branding or algorithm talk. It is a conversation about mental health, values, and building something real without losing yourself along the way.
If you are building an audience, thinking about brand work, or trying to figure out how to make this sustainable long term, I would love to see you there.
January 16
12 PM
White Rabbit Creator Clubhouse
5 N Main St Suite 2
Ashland, OR 97520
More info at
Andy Neal's engagement
Andy Neal's engagement rate on Instagram is 0.15%, under 1%, fewer than 1 like or comment per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 667 followers. An average post collects 417 likes and 15 comments, close to 28 likes for each comment.
Engagement rate
0.15%
- Avg likes
- 417
- Avg comments
- 15
- Interactions : followers
- 1 : 667
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Flinque ranks Instagram creators in Digital creator, Travel and Design & fashion, categories Andy Neal is filed under, and its free tools measure the same figures for any public account.
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Frequently asked questions
These answers about Andy Neal are generated from the Instagram profile data Flinque holds for the account.
Who is Andy Neal?
Andy Neal (@andyfilmsandhikes) is a Digital creator creator on Instagram, also filed under Travel and Design & fashion. Andy Neal carries Instagram's verified badge and uses an Instagram professional account. The Instagram bio for Andy Neal runs to 17 words across 4 lines.
How many followers does Andy Neal have?
Andy Neal has 253,208 followers on Instagram (253.2K). Set against 4,112 accounts followed, the audience works out to about 62 followers per account Andy Neal follows. With 5,532 posts published, Andy Neal's archive runs well past the 2,000 mark.
What is Andy Neal's engagement rate?
Andy Neal's engagement rate on Instagram is 0.15%, under 1%, fewer than 1 like or comment per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 667 followers. An average post collects 417 likes and 15 comments, close to 28 likes for each comment.
What does Andy Neal post about on Instagram?
Flinque files Andy Neal under 4 categories, led by Digital creator and followed by Travel, Design & fashion and Travel Influencers. Of the 10 most recent posts shown for Andy Neal, 7 are videos, 2 are single images and 1 is a carousel. The 9 recent Instagram captions Flinque holds for Andy Neal repeatedly use the words care, health, mental, being and life. Andy Neal's captions carry hashtags such as #andyfilmsandhikes, #getoutside and #mentalhealthmatters. Andy Neal writes those captions mainly in English. Andy Neal keeps 3 story highlights, which open with a free Flinque account.
How do I contact Andy Neal for a collaboration?
Andy Neal's contact details are not published on Flinque's public profile. The Instagram bio links to 5 external sites, and a free Flinque account opens those links. Brands with a free Flinque account can shortlist Andy Neal and use Flinque's outreach tools wherever a contact route is on file.
Links
Andy Neal's own Instagram profile is the one outbound link Flinque publishes for the account, and the 5 bio links open after signing up.
Public profile data sourced from Instagram. Flinque is not affiliated with Andy Neal.