Rock the Damn Boat

Drum Roll, Please... In this Sunday Shortie, I’m sharing the results of my recent psychological assessment—and what the testing process revealed during midlife , when symptoms are often harder to untangle. I talk candidly about the complexity of ADHD assessments , how long and mentally demanding the tests were, and how my mind wandered throughout the process —a detail that turned out to be importa...

In this deeply moving episode, I’m joined by Dawn Frechette, who received a breast cancer diagnosis right before her 25th wedding anniversary cruise. We talk candidly about how she prepared, but still didn't expect, this diagnosis, and how it shifted her life overnight . Her diagnosis forced her to release lifelong people-pleasing patterns and find the courage to ask for and receive help in multip...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a vulnerable moment in my mental health journey: I have a four-hour psychological assessment scheduled tomorrow , and instead of fear, I’m feeling clarity and curiosity. I reflect on what led me here—early ADHD patterns I can now recognize in hindsight, including Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) —and why seeking answers later in life feels grounding, not overwhel...

In this episode, I’m joined by Sabrina Valdez , AI strategist and mindset coach, for a conversation that completely shifted how I think about using tools like ChatGPT. Sabrina shares how she built her consulting business at the intersection of strategy, mindset, and artificial intelligence—and why AI doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, impersonal, or “out of alignment.” In fact, she’s the reason I...

What’s the difference between healthy anger and the kind of resentment that quietly drains your energy? In today’s Sunday Shortie , I unpack two very real moments from my week: my anger when my landlord refused to negotiate rent, and the spiral that followed after I ruminated on a gossip-filled social media post. One situation was strictly business — the other felt deeply personal… until I realize...

In this reflective year-end episode, I’m sharing my 2025 year in review , breaking the year down quarter by quarter to explore the personal growth, mindset shifts, boundaries, and life lessons that shaped me. From navigating burnout and people-pleasing to making hard decisions, redefining success, and choosing alignment over approval, this episode offers an honest look at what growth really looks...

Sunday Shortie: How Did Your Boundaries Hold Up This Holiday? The holidays have a way of testing even our strongest boundaries. Maybe you spoke up, said no, and protected your energy. Or maybe you found yourself overgiving, overexplaining, and ending the season feeling depleted. In this Sunday Shortie, I’m inviting you to reflect — not judge — how your boundaries actually played out over the holid...

People-pleasing doesn’t always look like saying yes to everyone. Sometimes, it shows up as perfectionism. In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , I unpack how the need to be liked, approved of, or “not rock the boat” quietly morphs into over-preparing, over-performing, and never feeling like what you do is enough. We’ll talk about how perfectionism can be a socially acceptable mask for fear of rej...

In this Sunday Shortie, I’m sharing what the five stages of grief really look like in real time as I close my yoga studio — and how I’ve found myself stuck in bargaining more than anywhere else. The quiet negotiations. The “what if I just tried one more thing?” The hope that maybe the right post, the right reel, the right moment could change everything. I’m also talking about why I’m taking a soci...

What started as a desperate attempt to heal her son’s eczema turned into a thriving non-toxic skincare and cosmetics brand —with a little cosmic cowgirl energy along the way. In this episode, I sit down with Tamera Heidelman , founder of Fat Girl Tallow , to talk about how she turned to an ancestral, often misunderstood ingredient— beef tallow —when conventional products failed. The result wasn’t...

You know I've been bravely using my voice, rocking the boat in my own life by leaving the corporate hustle and pursuing my passions. They say behind every great man is a great woman. What man is behind a great woman who is daring greatly? In this case, a practical one. I've asked my husband, Ryan Hughes, to come on the show and share his side of the story. His resounding "no" when I suggested leav...

In this episode, I sit down with Angela Morgan , founder of the Baker Hotel Ghost Walk and Believe BOO-tique in Mineral Wells, Texas—and a woman who, like me, walked away from a comfortable six-figure corporate career to build a life that felt aligned, magical, and true. Angela shares why she traded boardrooms for haunted hotels , how her business prioritizes family bonding, and how she found the...

In my first full week of self-employment, I expected freedom… but instead I found myself wrestling with old habits: overworking, over-giving, and slipping right back into the hustle culture I thought I left behind. In this episode, I share the real, unpolished truth about resetting my relationship with time, learning to set boundaries without guilt, and figuring out what work looks like when I get...

In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , Christy sits down with Kelsey Powell, founder of The Lace Cactus and Desert Bronze, for a raw conversation about chasing success at all costs—and what happens when the hustle takes everything from you. Kelsey opens up about building a wildly successful boutique, sacrificing her health and her peace, and the moment she was life-flighted for what turned out to...

In this honest mini-episode of Rock the Damn Boat , I’m sharing the raw inner dialogue I’ve had while trying to talk myself out of closing my yoga studio. For months, I kept defaulting to what felt safe —the familiar, the comfortable, the “don’t rock the boat” path. But deep down, I knew I was being called into a new chapter. Today, I’m opening up about what it feels like to stand at the edge of a...

Every ending has its wisdom. As we prepare to close the studio, I’m reflecting on the three gifts this chapter gave me—the lessons that rooted me, stretched me, and ultimately guided me back to myself. In this episode, I share the three truths that carried me through the highs and lows: ✨ We can do hard things ✨ Nothing is wasted in God’s economy ✨ Don’t dim to fit in These are the lessons that...

Today’s episode is raw, real, and a little bit fiery. I'm stripped bare and a little naked and afraid, but optimistic! I closed my computer for the last time at my 9 to 5, so I’m talking about what it really feels like to walk out of corporate America for the very last time. Unexpectedly, I have also made the heartbreaking decision to close my yoga studio. This is the behind-the-scenes story of bu...

The holidays are supposed to be merry and bright… so why can they feel so heavy for those of us choosing sobriety or simply drinking less? In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , I’m breaking down what it’s really like to walk into holiday parties sober—while fielding side-eyes, unsolicited comments, and people’s judgment about practices they don’t understand. I share my own experiences with stayi...

In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , I’m opening up about my sobriety story — not from a place of perfection, but from honesty, growth, and self-discovery. This isn’t just about alcohol; it’s about the ways we all cope, distract, and numb ourselves from what’s really going on inside. I share what led me to reevaluate my relationship with drinking, what sobriety has taught me about control and c...

Want to leave the corporate grind but terrified of living without a paycheck? I get it! Sacrifices must be made, financial belts tightened. And with finances being one of the top stressors in any marriage, it seems smarter to stay in the rat race. But at what cost? If you are passionately pursuing a side hustle or ready to leave the 9-5 behind, what smart money moves can you make now to set you up...

Ever wonder when people-pleasing really begins? In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , Christy dives into how childhood conditioning shapes the way we show up in the world — from the careers we chase to the relationships we cling to — and why it’s never too late to change our minds, pivot paths, or finally put ourselves first. Join her as she unpacks the link between early approval-seeking and ad...

One of my most sacred rituals is my morning routine, which starts with coffee and includes readings from two books I love: Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie The Pivot Year by Brianna Weist I protect my mornings and feel a little off when I don't stick to it! Rocking the damn boat means carving out this time that you protect at all costs. That can be morning, evening, or any time in between....

After three decades climbing the retail ladder, I did something I never thought I would — I quit. In this episode of Rock the Damn Boat , I share my story of building a career in retail leadership, the burnout that came with always saying yes, and the moment I realized it was time to start saying yes to myself instead. If you’ve ever wondered who you’d be without the job title, paycheck, or approv...

I was digging through some childhood mementos and found a Senior English essay on The Awakening by Kate Chopin. I was in awe of this book and its author because both were more progressive than their time permitted. The book was banned for several decades and Chopin barely wrote after its scathing reviews. A half century later, the book was praised for its scenery and characters. Both the author an...

Welcome to Rock the Damn Boat — a podcast for women who’ve spent their lives keeping the peace, playing it safe, and putting everyone else first. I’m Christy Hughes — recovering people-pleaser, yoga teacher, and believer in doing the inner work that lets us live with more freedom and truth. Around here, we talk about the things we’ve been taught to avoid — boundaries, guilt, burnout, self-worth —...