Cyndi Thomson is back- after walking away from music at the height of her career-with a story only life could write. Acres of Diamonds is more than a comeback album—it’s the soundtrack of a journey filled with love, motherhood, marriage, heartbreak, healing, and hope. These songs were born in the quiet moments: rocking babies, holding hands through hard seasons, choosing faith over fear, and learning that true success isn’t about being seen—it’s about being centered. This is her voice, her story, her acres of diamonds—found not in the spotlight, but in the life she’s built just outside of it.
#AcresOfDiamonds #CyndiThomson #MyWorldMyWords #TrueSuccess #ComebackStory #FaithFamilyMusic
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
A carry lone. She's a queen and talking and song.
You know, she's getting really not.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Afraid to feel the episode soul.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Just let it flow. No one can do we cud
that carey Lone is time for care Lone.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I am so happy to be here with Cindy Thompson,
the legendary Sydney Thompson.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Stop.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Remember when we had our good old days back at
Young Guns.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I do. I've thought about that today. In fact, this
morning I was like, gosh, that was so fun. You
guys were killing it out there on music Row.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
You were killing it on yourthing. That was like a
moment in time. And I love this on your song too.
I think it's I think it's called like Acres Acres
of Diamonds is your album, but like you have a
song with your what is this song that made like
super nostalgia.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Maybe it was five more.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Minutes, but you have this, Okay, so there's this moment
in time. I think it's five more minutes. That song
which brings tears to my eyes that is on your
new album, Oh my God, about your family and your love.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And your life and how it goes so fast and
you just want five.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
More minutes but there's moments in time that like mark time,
and I feel like when I met you, when I
personally was like I've continuously been in series of like
midlife crisis, Like I've always had like some sort of
like crisis and reinvention going on, and I was in
this crisis where not reinvention of where I had. I
had personally left music myself, and then I was doing
(01:40):
trying to figure out what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
With my life.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Started working at Young Guns as a song publisher, and
I was your song publisher, and I remember I was
so starstruck because I was crazy about your album.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You are so sweet, the album you.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Put out with what I meant to say, What I
really meant to say is that was like the jam.
Grew up listening to that like in high school, and
like it was like the song and like the album.
And then I was like, oh my god, I am
working with Cindy Thompson and I'm going to be setting
her up songwriting appointments and pitching her songs being around her.
(02:17):
It was such a cool moment because I was such
a fan of you and you turned out to be
just like the greatest person, which is also exciting when
you meet someone and they're awesome, you know, when you're
like a fan and then you meet them and.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
They're awesome, Like you, I love you so much, I mean,
you know, that was such a great season. You guys
just brought so much excitement to songwriting, Like and there
were days that I didn't feel like I was writing
great and you were like, yes you are, and you
would just go pitch my songs and you were such
an encouragement to me. And I love that you settle
those things about me. They're so nice. That was a
(02:50):
weird season because I hadn't been writing for a really
long time, and that was like my first publishing deal
after leaving for a while, and part of me was
nervous because I didn't even think if I didn't know
if I could ride anymore. So really, well, you know you,
I did hand songs over to get the deal, so
(03:10):
they had to hear what I was doing. But I
was in the process at that time period, like in
the very beginning, thinking what if I suck, if this,
what if this doesn't work? You know.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
So so that was kind of a big leap of
faith for you because you had for anyone who needs
a little Refresh on Sydney Thompson, which the whole world
is about to like just be blown away with this album.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I know you just put your album on, but you
were on top of your career. Was it like twenty
years ago, and you like you were the hottest thing
in Nashville. I mean you still haven't aged a freaking day.
I mean you are like ageless, but I mean, like
the hottest thing in.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Nashville, the it girl. You come out. You're on all
these big tours.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You're doing all these shows and everybody's crazy about you.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You're on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
And you literally leave the music industry after you have
this monster number one and like things are starting to
be a ship at rocket Ship You're like my and
I'm out.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I know right well, it was crazy. I mean the
ride was wild and everything I dreamed I never want
to knock. You know, my dream did come true. I
got a record deal, I got to sing my songs.
I got to be very much a part of the
creative process. I had a lot of vision for this
piece of art, my world, my record and Capital was
(04:32):
such a great partner in that. But it did it.
It went really fast. It just went to the top
of the charts, and when an artist steps into that world,
they can never really know what it's like until they're
in it. No one can give them a crash course
or explain it with words. You just have to step
into it. And there's something so beautiful about it because
(04:52):
all of a sudden, you're doing exactly what you dreamed
of doing. You're, you know, meeting the fans, You're getting
to sing your songs and tell the story behind the song.
But there's also this other side that's kind of business related,
which is really interesting. It kind of bleeds into it.
And then I'll always say fame is very unnatural, and
(05:15):
so you're trying to find this balance of your identity,
like I want to remain this person who I just
don't want to lose myself in this and so I
was always battling that. And I was also a major
people pleaser, which can be very detrimental to anything you
do in your life. I think it's good to want
to please people at a certain level, but it was
(05:38):
ruining my life because I couldn't make everybody happy and
everyone had demands, and so I think just starting to
have panic attacks. I was having just night terrors. I
was having my heart monitored every week. I mean, it
was a massive overload of like, this doesn't make any
(06:00):
sense to me. And this was at the height of
it all. This was when I was from the outset
looking in. You would think that it was just a
really beautiful story, and there was so much of it
that was beautiful. But I just decided after a year
of really being prayerful about it. If I'm being honest,
I didn't make that decision haphazardly. I knew it would
(06:21):
affect my band. I had employees, I had a corporation.
I mean, this was all it was wild and I
am twenty twenty five, twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
God, so you're running a major business at twenty six,
while presenting yourself to the public in every single way
and having so many people weigh in on how you
the product needs to be.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah, it's very interesting dynamic to put the creative side
alongside of the business and these and listen, there's nothing
wrong with it. There are people out there that do
it well and I'm coming back, so there must be
something great about it, right, But I think I was
just dying inside. And now I love I talk about
(07:08):
it all the time, there's so much conversation around mental health,
there's so much conversation around checking in on artists making
sure they're okay, because I think people are starting to realize,
like the world is really broken. You know. Culture lies
to us all the time about what success should be.
It's like it's beauty, it's perfection, it's same yeah, fame,
(07:30):
And the truth is that isn't true success. Those are
benefits of you know, some of the talent that you
might have. But really, for me, success is really truly
looking at my children and you know, seeing these people
that I really enjoy being with that I love that
they have good character, they they love the Lord, they
(07:53):
have dreams of their own, and they're very much well
on their way to those and so, you know, I
just look at it differently, and so it was a
really it was the hardest decision I've ever made because
I didn't know what it would look like on the
other side of it either, Right.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
And they're walking away from the golden egg, as people
would what people think is the golden egg.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, and there's a lot of judgment around that, you know,
there's a lot of and there was that people pleasing
part of me that was like, dang it, I need
to get rid of this because I'm caring too much
about what people might be saying about the decision I made.
And there was just this wilderness season right after for me,
a really quiet time where I had to work out
(08:40):
things that needed to go, like what, well my identity
being totally wrapped up in that. Yeah, you know, I
think for me, I'm trying to silence these things and
I don't know how.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I think for me it was also just getting back
to a healthy state of mind, whatever that meant. I
didn't want to have panic attacks anymore. I didn't want
to be on anti depressants to do something that I
love to do. I didn't want that in my life.
And so it was kind of like this self preservation time,
you know. And little did I know, twenty something years later,
(09:24):
I'd be doing it again. And I'm so glad I
preserved that part of my life. You know, that there
was just a I couldn't care about what anybody else thought.
That was one of the things I really had to
work out of my system.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
And now did you do that?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Because I also Cindy and such a people were covering
people pleaser. I have done tons of work on it myself.
I realized I was a high functioning codependent and I
like needed the whole world to love me, and I
need to make sure everyone's happy with me, because I
couldn't feel love if I did not feel like everyone
was okay, Like I didn't feel like I could receive love.
(09:59):
And so well, how did you recover yourself from people pleasing?
And then also another question I have while you're on
this train of thought is what was the part that
was giving you panic attacks being in front of the
crowds and like performing or was it all of the
details behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
No, you know. My first panic attack happened on a
Southwest flight and I was with some people from the
record label. We sat down in our seats and all
of a sudden, I thought I was dying, but I
was calm. I was just sitting in my seat.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Like, what do you mean you thought you were doing?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
I just got so tight and I can't describe it
to you. It was like this, oh my god, I'm dying.
And I looked at one of the girls that was
with me, that was a friend of mine from the label,
and I just said, something's wrong, something's really wrong. I
feel like I'm going to explode inside, but I'm very calm,
(10:53):
Like I'm very I'm not. You wouldn't be able to
tell looking at me that this was happening inside. It
was like I wanted to get off the plane. I
wanted to get out of wherever I was, and the
only thing I knew to do was I went to
the bathroom and I just prayed and I was like,
God help me, I don't understand what's going on, and
(11:15):
just this piece came over me. But it was long
enough to know that there was something wrong, and they
began to happen more frequently, so it was triggered by
all kinds of things. I think it was just just
the life, you know, and my personal insides were causing
this craziness.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Do you think that you were stressing out about like
not being in control of your life, or it's just
like you had to always like you. I don't know
what was like the root, cause when you were thinking
about it.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
They were all different times. I mean, never when I
went to perform. That's probably what's interesting now that you're
talking to me about it. When I sang, there was
none of.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
That, no matter how big the crowd, No.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Because that's your gifting. You're doing what you're kind of
made to do right now. Initially, when I would walk
on stage, I would reconsider my entire life. I would
be like I would see the arena and I'd be like,
there's this many people here to watch this show. What's happening?
(12:18):
Because I'm very much this quiet one. I hide in
the corner person. And then I love to just be
on a stage sometimes and sing and the fans and
there's so much. I'm kind of both sides of the scale.
So but honestly, I just think it was just an
overwhelming The life itself was causing these attacks, causing this
(12:42):
I don't know, and I never told anybody about it.
I never Only my doctor knew that I was on antidepressants,
and I was like, can I take more? Does it
work where you? If you up the you know, dosage,
will I be more happy?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Like?
Speaker 4 (12:56):
What? How did these work? You know? Because I really
knew I was supposed to be happy. I was doing
my dream, and I was. There was a lot at
the time I was happy. But when it got to
the pinnacle of like I started just just and like
(13:16):
I was I became a very, very much an introvert.
Like I'd sit on the back of the bus until
showtime till the exact moment and just be staring at
the wall.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Just trying to calm yourself down, Like your energy is
just so overwhelmed inside of you that you're just trying
to calm down.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Almost.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, And I think the other reason I was really
struggling was because I felt like I had a really
big secret and because I didn't tell anybody about it.
It was probably the biggest secret I've ever kept.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
That you were freaking out inside.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Yeah, and that I was considering leaving it all behind.
H I got here.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, so you're over here analyzing every single day. I'm
gonna walk away from this. I'm gonna walk away from this.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Nobody knows while I'm on this rocket ship shooting straight
up to the moon.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Everyone went on my team.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
All these people around me have no idea that I
literally want to walk away.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
No, that is a big secret, Cindy.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
No one knew. I didn't even really tell my husband
at the time we were dating, and then I didn't
tell them right away. I didn't tell my parents because
the truth was if I was going to make a
decision like that. I didn't want them involved because if
it went one way or the other, I never wanted
the pressure of their I didn't want them to feel
(14:29):
like they made that happen for my life, whether it
was good or bad on the other side of it.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So it's literally like walking away at the altar.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, it was a really big deal, and that's huge.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I mean, I can't believe had the confidence to pull
it off.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Well, you know, I really prayed about I prayed hard
because I was like, God, you know, I'd always wanted
this since I was twelve, and here I am. I've
got this opportunity at this label. I've got everything I
could have ever dreamed, everything and more was I mean,
we were having meetings with companies and we were projecting,
(15:03):
like for the next five years what we wanted out
of this career and the plans people were making, and
so it was just a wild, wild ride. And so yeah,
there was a lot all the time going on in
my life, but that was just really hanging over my head.
(15:24):
And when I finally made the decision it make it well.
I asked God for something supernatural that I could not deny,
and I don't tell this story very often, but I
was in an airport flying to a show with my band.
It was a really busy airport, and at this season
(15:45):
of my life, I just really wasn't paying attention to
where I was. I would just get to the airport.
I mean, I was very I was reading any self
help book I could get. This new book I got
I was so excited about. It was about how to
organize your life. I remember I had bought it, but
I was really sad, you know, and I am married
(16:06):
at the time. I have this new book. We get
to this to the airport. We fly from Nashville, I
think it was to Denver. We get there, it's massively packed.
He had to take three planes that day. The airport's busy.
And we get to our gate and our flights delayed.
And I'm so happy because no one can call me
(16:27):
on my phone. There won't be any ask I could
just have quiet. And so I sat down with my
book and I noticed out of the corner of my
eye this black woman being wheeled up in a wheelchair
to the gate, like two gates away, and she was
elderly in a wheelchair, and the airplane staff just pushed
(16:50):
her facing the wall and left her there, and I
was watching this, thinking this is crazy, and I could
tell she wanted to move her will chair. So I
say something to my husband and he goes, maybe you
should go help her, and I was like, nope, no,
I've got a new book. I'm gonna read my book.
I need help. I need help myself. And I just
(17:11):
couldn't shake it, Like I kept looking over at her,
and I finally went over to ask her if she
needed help, and she said, yes, I need to go
to the restroom. And I said, well I can take you.
I will wheel you over there. My name is Cindy,
my flight's delayed. We'll just get you to the bathroom.
So I start to wheel her in the middle of
this busy airport traffic, you know, back and forth, people
(17:34):
are going places, middle of the day, and I bump
into this young girl who gives me the ugliest look
like you're in my way. Now I'm thinking, well, I'm
pushing someone in a wheelchair. How dare you you need
to notice, like stop, smell the roses, you know, see
what's happening, read the room. But instead I looked at
her and I thought, you know, that's kind of who
I'm becoming, you know, just real busy with life and
(17:57):
not paying attention to the one or maybe the moment
that God kind of has set aside intentionally for you
to serve. So I just kept pushing her. Got to
the restroom. No one was in this restroom in the airport.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Even though it's so busy.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Yes, very interesting. So the whole while we're not talking,
there's no way to talk. I don't get to know her.
There's no conversation that transpires. She's just saying thank you, honey,
thank you, honey, and I'm like, you are welcome. So
we get into the bathroom, help her into the stall,
and I just wait. And when she finishes, she comes
(18:33):
out and she kind of tries to give me some cash.
I was like, I'll take twenty dollars, but I told
her to pitt your money away. No, And she grabbed
both of my hands and looked me in the eye
and she said, honey, you need to make the choices
that make you happy in life. You need to be happy,
(18:54):
and she let go of my hands. I just got
care of the words, and I looked at her because
the whole time she had been an elderly woman, but
in that moment, she had the strength of an hour,
me of ten thousand, and I knew God had put
someone of a different demographic, a different race, even with
a handicap, to stop me in my tracks, to say
(19:16):
it's okay to make this decision about your life. And
obviously there were other factors that wrapped around this. But
I went back to my seat at the gate and
I looked at my husband and I just said, I
know what I'm going to do. I am going to
leave the industry. And he said, okay, whatever you need
(19:36):
to do. And I was like, you don't have anything
else to say. He's like nope. So I kept pushing through.
I played the committed shows, and then I made an
appointment at Capital with Mike Dungan, the head of the
label at the time, and I went in. I met
with him and just told him that I wanted to
step away from music and I did he say, Well,
(20:00):
he was really sad. I mean, I know he has
said this in interviews before, so I'm not saying anything
he wouldn't talk about. But he started to cry, yeah,
and I started to cry, and we just didn't have
anything to say to each other. It was really painful
because I loved him so much. He was like a
(20:21):
dad to me. I had a really really good label family,
and we kind of structured a plan like what it
would look like. Maybe we finish out one more single,
I play the rest of the year, and then I
disappear and say I'm writing a second record, which was
the perfect time to do that, And in his heart,
(20:45):
I think he thought, because if we do that, she'll
come back, She'll just get some time to rest. And
in my mind, I was like, perfect that way. No
when thinks I'm ungrateful or I just dumped this whole thing,
and it didn't quite turn out like that. People got
wind that I was leaving, and it just kind of
got in the press. I couldn't finish the shows for
the rest of the year. People at radio and things
(21:06):
like that. There were certain people didn't want to support it,
and just you know, it was It was a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
It was a lot because I remember you did a
formal press release and like you stood up in front
of reporters.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
I did, and then we put out a press release
that just kind of explained it. My publicist at the
time wrote this really amazing piece with me, you know,
because it was hard. It was hard to explain this.
It wouldn't be now, which I look back and I think,
oh my gosh, there's so much talk about taking breaks
(21:39):
and being with your family and mental health and I
need to go to on site, which is this counseling
center here in Nashville, which I used to say all
the time. Somebody needs to like come up with the
place where artists can go retreat, you know, to get
back to normalcy. I mean, I don't I don't know
how to explain it, cause you sound like you're complaining
(22:02):
about being famous or you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
But I think what it is too, just from like
observing this industry from so many different perspectives and so
many artists. I think it's like you get sucked into
this rocket ship that literally you can't prioritize anything other
than the career like you really have. I think things
are trying to change now, like you said, people are
becoming a lot more aware of mental health and balance.
(22:29):
But like even back in the day, I've interviewed Maddie
and Tay, I've talked to Runaway June about this, Like
a lot of females having a baby, Like it was
like impossible to even like dream about having a family
when you were starting as an artist because there was
no time and you couldn't step away from the grind
and you're always playing a different show, You're always at
a different radio station, You're always doing something, and it's
(22:51):
like you can't say no to it, you know, because
this is your chance and like you said, people are
you don't want to sound ungrateful, but it's also like
you have to like cash in your one life for
this other life when it all takes off, Like it
doesn't feel like there's any kind of balance that you
can have at all.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Well, and I was grateful to do that, but no
artist really knows what that's like till you're running in it,
you know. And I think there's a way to do
it well with the right people around you that can
say no without saying no, that can look you in
the eye and go, hey, I think you need a
day or two off. No one's gonna call you, or hey,
(23:39):
how about we take that one weekend and move it
to this weekend and you can go away or you
can I don't know, or I don't know the answer,
but you know, at the time. I just I think
things could have been a little bit different had I've
(24:00):
been a little bit more courageous in my speak. You know. Also,
you're so young I was, and there was no one
else talking about how hard this life was, how hard
it was to be famous and get to make your record,
and I mean, you really, I did not want to
bring it up. So but you know what the story
(24:23):
turned out. And I'm not just saying this because I'm
on the other side of it and it's what I'm
supposed to say, and it's like the right thing. But
it turned out the way that it should have turned out.
It's perfect.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Tell me why it's perfect, because isn't that interesting. You're
such an interesting case though of like you know that
movie like Sliding Doors, where you like pick different alternatives
to your life. It's like you could have gone down
such a different road and your life would have played
out so differently, and who knows how that would have been.
I'm sure because it's you, you would have turned it
(24:54):
into something wonderful. But also you have this other life
that you you chose, and they're like completely different, and
like you said, it turned out exactly how it's supposed to.
But It's like, what a moment in time where you
have this choice that changes the rest of your life,
which happens to all of us all the time, but
this one just feels so big.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
You know, well it's true. My story, I think is
relatable because I think at some point, whether once or
twice or many more times, I think as humans were
faced with times to take inventory, whether it be with relationships,
a job, a career, whatever it is, there are times
(25:37):
to check your pulse and go, is it worth it?
What matters more? Can I do this? And I know
that for me, the reason it turned out perfectly is
because I got the other part of my dream. Tell
me that, which is you know, I want it to
(26:00):
be a mom, a stay at home mom. My mom
stayed at home with all of her daughters. She cooked
for us every night. And not that I couldn't have
done that as an artist could definitely do those things.
There are women that have done a good job at that.
But you know, I you.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Wanted to be at home.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
You didn't want to be traveling all around with a
crazy schedule, not being able to be present like in
the way you wanted to be as a mom.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Right I thought of it, differently, you know, for me
at the time, you know, my career, when I dreamed
about children, I thought, well, there'll be this time where
I'm off for a while and I could just you know,
be involved at their schools and you know, wake up
with them every morning out of their crib and you know,
all the things. And so my husband and I just
(26:47):
made that decision, and you know, I stayed at home
and it's been this beautiful life. You know, for me,
it's exactly what I needed. I started gardening, I cleaned
my own house, I grocery shop, I cook every night.
My son, Hayden, is sixteen and Bella is twenty, and
(27:09):
we just have this family dynamic that I could never
have imagined.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
When it's your dynamics.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Well, we're just really close, not in a weird way,
like I'm not your typical mom.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Tell me how you are as a mom.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Okay, well, I'm really sarcastic and funny twenty four to seven.
Like when they come in my room to show me something,
I'm like, I don't care about it. But that's not true.
I'm just kidding. I don't do that all the time.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
We just.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Talk about life a lot. They share a lot. We
walk through things together as a family. We just have
this I don't know, you just have to be around
it to see it.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
You know.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They're very well rounded kids. I'm very proud of them.
Bella just started her own business. She makes clothes, and.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
She's like making clothes for Laney Wilson.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yes, she has been doing some seamstress work for different
stylists in town and working on clothes for artists. And
now she's like, you know, I'm diving in, mom, I've
got I'm starting my own company. So she's already like
sold like three of this dress that she created, and
it's gonna be small, batched clothing, you know. So she's
(28:26):
she's just rocking and rolling and.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And hav this feeling as a mom to see your
children and your child like coming into what they love.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Is that?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
What does that feeling as someone who's followed their dreams
like yourself, and now you see here's your daughter like
really stepping into her dream.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
What is that like as a parent? That makes me
feel teary?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
It's amazing because I grew up in a home where
my mom and dad were like what do you want to do?
What do you dream about will do whatever it takes
to get you to where you want to be. And
they did that for me. I mean, they did a
lot for me. But you know, having these kids, I'm like,
what do you want to do? Where do you want
to go? How many footballs do we need to buy?
What's the right you know, a pair of cleats for
(29:06):
that sport? And how much lace do we need to
get to you? And and she she works her tail off.
She does a lot of it on her own. But
we got her a new sewing machine. We got her
all this stuff she needed. And it is there's no
joy that compares to when I look into my dining
room and I see her making clothes confidently and listening
(29:27):
to jazz music. Oh my gosh, I just think to myself,
I don't know, I'm I'm so proud of my children.
I'm so proud of the people that they are. You know,
they're just they're really good guys. They're good, They're just
good kiddos. I mean, I don't know what else to say.
(29:50):
You know, in my marriage, I mean that could have
easily fallen apart when I left the industry. Tell me, well,
he was on the road with me he had he's
playing in another band and I stole him away. And
you know, he had also been working in TV and
film production and built a nice like name for himself
within that world which you have to build. And to
(30:13):
come on the road with me and to chase this
dream together was really beautiful. But then to go, okay,
I'm done, we had to like step back into real
life and figure out what do we do and how
do what do you want to do? And you know,
he we struggled for a little while getting back into life.
I mean, I applied for a job at the mall
(30:34):
and no one would hire me. Like it was sad.
It was like what else God like this? This sucks
like But I think what was great about it was
that it really allowed me the time to wrestle out
all the stuff, you know, to to deal with the
(30:54):
broken pieces. I think had I jumped back into some
sort of career, I would have missed the beauty of
that season of being alone with God.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
That is so profound and so true.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
And I feel like so many people need to like
really hear that, because those are the hardest seasons and
I feel like I'm just coming out of one myself,
of like five years. And it's literally like whenever you
are at the valley, the bottom of the valley, like
you said, you're deep in the woods, you cannot see
the forest for the trees, Like you don't even know
(31:27):
which way to go. You just left your career, your
husband just left his career, and now you literally have
no backup plan or no.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Idea of what you're going to do next.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And you're just sitting here putting yourself out there and
the best so you can't applying at them all and
you're like, God, what on earth am I supposed to
do with my life?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And you don't even have a clue.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
But yet what you're supposed to be doing with your
life at that moment is untangling all of the web
of different faces and different you know, different different, different,
different feels that we put on ourselves and like just
like actually figuring out who you are at your core
and who you are in God's eyes, who you are,
(32:08):
like what do you really want to put your time
and energy into? And it takes a lot of time,
a lot of energy, and it's very very hard, scary,
heartbreaking work at times, and most people don't want to.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Do it well. And you think, Okay, I've done it
for a couple of months, I'm good. But it's oh yeah, years,
it's years. And what's really great about it is God
is really kind and so he's I always say to
people when you're in your wilderness season, it's okay to
pitch a tent, but do not build a house. You know,
good point. Yeah, you need to get the work done.
(32:43):
The work is so important because what's on the other
side of the work. I mean, I don't think I
could be doing you know what I'm doing now at
all without that season of brokenness and really not sitting
there and going poor me, I'm a victim and getting
in that mindset, which is so dangerous it's diabolical. But
(33:04):
the just the Okay, God, I need you to strengthen me,
work on my heart, you know. And it was a
long process. Even while I was a mom, this stuff
was going on. It wasn't like I had arrived once
I had my kids. I was still processing identity. I mean,
I struggled with where to hang my gold record in
our house because I didn't want to have it like
(33:26):
in this position that would hurt me anymore. You know,
it's not in a predominantly, like, it's not in this
place that you would expect in a house, you know,
it hangs beside the laundry room, and I think that
has some meaning. Now I have one in my jewelry room,
in my jewelry studio, But the one I had downstairs,
(33:50):
I was like, where do I even put this? And
I didn't put it up for years, not because I
had this hate or this towards it. I was really
just protecting my sanity and my quiet time because I
still had to grieve all.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Of that, you know, So do you ever regret it?
Speaker 4 (34:12):
There are things I regret, but not I do not
regret leaving. I would have died, I would have not
not literally, but I wouldn't be married. Why do you
think you wouldn't be married. I think that maybe we
would be. I think that I was struggling so much internally,
like I would have probably just been a broken mess.
(34:34):
And I don't think I don't he wouldn't have deserved
what I probably would have ended up being. He's such
a good man, you know. And I don't say like
this crazy, I just think that mentally, I don't know.
I felt out of control, even on antidepressants, and I felt.
(34:58):
I don't know, I was just sad all the time,
you know, even though I looked happy on the stage.
But the great thing is that I've overcome so much
and I'm thankful for that season of my life, as
hard as it was to now be making music, to
now have a jewelry company, to now partnering with my
(35:21):
daughter on some things, and you know, just I think
the greatest moment when it really hit me was last
year when I came back and I played the Opry
with Vince Gill. My kids had never been to the Opry.
They'd never been, and I kind of did that on purpose. Secretively.
I thought, one day I'm there, so I would say,
you can't go to the Opry with your friends. You cannot.
You know, You're come to see me first, your mama first.
(35:45):
I never knew if it would happen, but uh it did,
and it.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Was Vince skill no less way to come back with
a bang.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
No.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
I'm so grateful for that moment.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
What was that like, coming back twenty years later on
stage at the Opery than skilled for the first time
in twenty years.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
It was more than I could have imagined. It was
just I had to really keep my head about me,
because if I really thought about it, you know, and
saw my mom sitting out there and my two children
and my sisters and events, if I really had just
kind of tried to really process it at the time,
I probably have lost it. But I don't know. It
(36:26):
was just magical. It was beautiful and I wouldn't change
a thing. It was great how it was.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Your kids say.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
It was funny watching their faces because they had never
really seen me do something like that, you know, and
just have that. I don't know they I think they
just thought, well, I hope they thought it was really cool,
you know, because I am. But they were just really
(36:57):
proud of me. I mean I remember hating hugging me
and he said, I'm so of you, and I was like, wow,
you know, to have your sixteen year old tell you that.
Because the funny thing is is all these years have
been like, if you don't follow your dreams, you're going
regret it for the rest of your life. So what
are you dreaming about. I don't care what it is.
Let's figure it out.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
That's what you tell your kids.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
All the time, all the time, all the time, and
it's been you know, they're in it now. They're in
their dreams now, but it's been this for their whole life,
you know, talking about dreamers and how God gives us
giftings and we need to pay attention to those because
usually that's where our destiny lies, our purpose lies with
that gifting. Right, So you know, for me to finally
(37:46):
look at them and go, Okay, I guess I need
to follow my own advice. I've been dreaming about singing
again and hat it's like, you got to do it,
you got to do it. They're like, go do it,
do it. So it just kind of all fell into place,
the timing, their ages, you know, just the moment. I
think the biggest moment for me realizing I'm going back
(38:06):
was when I was sitting with my dad. He passed
away about three years ago, and each one of us
girls went in to sit with him privately, just to
have our own time with him, to say goodbye. And
we talked about so many things, and one of them
was I apologize for not playing the opry for him
one more time, and you know, he obviously was like,
(38:29):
uh uh no, you know, like that's not He just
squeezed my hand and he just smiled and that was
not what we were going to talk about. He didn't
need that from me, right. So the next day I
was driving around town, just broken over losing my dad
and looking at the scenery in South Georgia. That's where
(38:52):
I was and just where my world was. Kind of
created that first record and just started talking to God
and I was like, I want to make a record.
I'm just going to do it because I thought if
I was my dad, right, And Bella came in and
was saying goodbye to me, I didn't want to look
at her and say I should have made a record.
I really shouldn't have been afraid or worried about what
(39:12):
other people think or do something at my age, in
my forties. I don't even want to tell you how
old I am. I guess you could Wikipedia, but like
it's like, are you kidding me? With social media and
all the things, I'm like, I don't care.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
You know you're doing it for you because this is
in your heart and your calling.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, It's just it's just a whole different ballgame. And
so I just started writing. I called Tommy, you know,
we got together in Charleston. I talked to him about
making a record. We were together one night with our families,
and I was like, Hey, I have this wide idea.
Would you want to write a record with me? And
he said yes, So he flew into town three days
later and we just started setting up writing appointments and
(39:52):
we just wrote and wrote and wrote so many songs.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
And did the songs flow? Did you feel like you
had a lot to say?
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Because you said when you came back to Young Guns,
that's when you first were writing, but you weren't necessarily
writing for a record back then, you were just sort
of writing. So this is like more specific because you're like,
I am writing for my record. This is what I
have to say after twenty years, so this is kind
of a big deal. And tell me what it was
like when the songs were flowing. How did you know
what you want to write about?
Speaker 4 (40:20):
It's a good, good topic of conversation because I thought
I'd put the pressure on myself. I was like, if
I don't have anything to say, then this is a bust,
Like there's no reason to do this. I knew I
wanted it to be southern. I knew I wanted to
have a song about Georgia, which is our lead single
to Georgia and me. I just want to tell people
(40:41):
who didn't know who I was. I was from Georgia,
even though I live here. It's a big part of
my life and important to me. And you know, we
just started crafting this record, and it was very similar
to how we wrote My World. We you know, I
had some ideas. I had some ideas about love and love,
breakup song, love, love songs. I don't you know, we
just had direction. We just started and then we'd get
(41:03):
in the room with someone and they would bring, you know,
their magic to the table, and it just all came together.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
The ones that really stand out to me are Acres
of Diamonds, which is like your lead single, right or
your lead song that you put up first, and that's
kind of like summing up your life, which I think
is beautiful, and then freaking five more minutes about your
family is and then also the one about your husband's
so glad your mind. I mean, what a beautiful love
song to hear from a perspective of being married for
(41:32):
twenty plus years, right.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
Yeah, twenty three years this past Sunday.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I mean, what a beautiful love song. We hear so
many songs about like falling in.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Love and chasing love and all of the beginnings of love.
But to actually hear a song from a well worn
in love, you know.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Like that's really it's really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It makes me cheery again because it is really cool
to see you at the beginning of it all, you know,
with My World, your first record, and now here we
are twenty plus years later and you have lived this
whole life in between. Then now you have like a
whole new world that you're sharing with us. But it's
like an extension of that. But it's so thoughtfully crafted,
(42:15):
this world like you didn't like, you're so intentional with it,
and like I feel like acres of Diamonds kind of sums.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
That up, it does. I had that title for a
while and when I wrote it with Dan and Jusica,
it was like they both have families and it just
made sense to talk about what we've been growing, right,
what has really mattered to us and to me, it's
been this marriage and these kids, and that's my acreage,
you know, that's that's the land that we've we've worked
(42:44):
on and they're my acres of diamonds. And to title
the EP that was really important. And then so glad
you're mine. I wrote that a while back and about
my husband, just how you do you have this marriage
that's so beautiful and we're not perfect? Okay, well no one.
(43:04):
I love him so much, like I truly am in
love with him. I still get butterflies when I see him,
and we fight and argue, and I had receipts when
I shop. I do all the things girls Christines when
I shop I do. Sometimes I'll had him for like
a week, you.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Know, like he's not gonna see it on the credit card.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I know, I don't know it does anyway, I love
it he That is about that, you know, because I
think so often we just you know, we need to
kiss more, we need to hug more. Life gets in
the way, and so I'm just so glad he's mine.
And that's kind of that song. Yeah, I'm really proud
(43:45):
of this project. I mean, it's been that many years
and I have been very very careful about what I
want to say and how I want to say it,
you know. And there's a lot of music that comes
out every week, and sometimes I feel like I'm swimming
upstream and a lot of songs. But I'm just hoping
that the fans that are still around, love it, and
(44:06):
you know that it just moves people.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
Five more minutes, man, hold on, So let's just kind
of go through some of these lyrics.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It's like, he's almost sixteen.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Sometimes it's hard to believe they still seem in my
mind sitting in his car seat seeking Jesus loves me.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I'm still there. I'm there right now.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
At five, she's like, oh, spider Man pajamas, holding my
hands so tight.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
She's almost twenty.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
It seems like just last week she was spinning around
and around with her daddy while her daddy played piano.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
I'm gonna die. I mean like this because I'm like
in this phase right now where you are, and I'm like, no,
we can't go this fast.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
And then the days seem slow, but the years go fast.
That staying. It's so I was just talking to my
husband about this two nights ago. He was like, you know,
I was like, who do we know that has a
baby that we can babysit?
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Because I just just want a baby.
Speaker 4 (45:09):
I'm not having a baby, but I we talk about
all the time. I'm like, but we don't want our
kids to have baby deal obviously, but it's like if
we could just explain to people, like, you know, the
stages that they're in. Everyone tells you, and it's kind
of annoying. It goes not so fast and you'd be
like whatever, but it's true and weird at a beautiful
stage now that I don't want to rush, I don't.
(45:30):
I want to watch fella build this company and I
want to be there to help her. I love going
to Hayden's sporting events and watching him play football, and
yes some of the mom in the sands with the
shirt with his name on it, and I yell and
just tell him to take people down and all the things.
I don't want to miss this either. And so that song,
you know, really isn't about regret or I wish I
(45:53):
could go back. It's more of a I do wish
I could go back to certain moments because they were
the world to me, Like riding my huffy bike, my
pink one. I think about that bike a lot, especially
when I see kids in the neighborhood. I'm like, that
little girl doesn't even know how amazing this is. You know,
I was barefitting on that banana seat, riding down the street,
(46:14):
singing Footloose or singing Whitney Houston. I mean, it was
like everything, but I don't want to go there forever.
I just think, oh, five more minutes of that would
be a lot of fun, you know. So you know,
initially when we wrote the song, I thought, Okay, the chorus,
shouldn't it be more relatable to the listener, right? Should
(46:36):
it be all about me and my things? But we
decided to keep it that way, and it keeps resonating
with people, and I'm so surprised by it that it's
still touching people.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
I love that you have it with Bella's name, because
you say, like dropping Bella off at college, cooking with
my mam, and dancing and my sister singing so loud,
riding my pink hoppy bike Nashville for the first time,
these moments flash and I'm right back in. I could
go back for five more minutes because it's like, I
know you're telling the truth, you know, and like I
hear this song and I'm like, I feel this truth
so much because these are the sweetest moments in life,
(47:10):
and you have a collection of them, starting from when
you were a kid to like now having your kids
and now your kids being grown to all these different
moments in our life that are so that are the
sweetest parts of our entire existence.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
And it's like when you hear them caught up in
a song like this, it just is overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Because that is what life is all about, is these minutes,
is these moments in these minutes, And like you said,
the days are long, the years are fast, but it's
like it's they're just happening, and you don't even always
know that these are like the most rich moments of
your life because you're just so in it and you
know it, but you're in it, you know, so when
you will get back.
Speaker 4 (47:48):
In your world right now, especially, you're really busy. So
it's like, we got to hurry up. And I remember
saying this to my kids, hurry up, hurry up, get
in the car, hurry up, get in the car. I mean,
this would be like a dialogue. How many times a day?
Get your sippy cup, pick up your toys?
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Please?
Speaker 4 (48:04):
And I look back and there were times I wasn't present.
There were times I was a rushing the moment because
I had to get to Kroger and get what I
can't even remember the list, but I remember hurrying everybody
along to get there. So I think it's really important
for all of us to really stay present. And it's
hard because social media, man, that world keeps you from
(48:28):
being as present as you need to be. But you're
doing a beautiful job, and you just even the fact
that you're picking up on that and you're you know,
it's just it's beautiful and just sit more, have more
lazy days, even though the world's like, no, no, you've
got to go make ten more calls for your podcast.
(48:48):
You've got to get out there in the world and
make some things happen.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
I don't know, I know, I feel like this is
is it, Like this is the most important thing I
could ever get the chance to do. And I think too,
it's like, I know what a blessing it is to
be a mom, and i' because I've talked about this
in podcast before, but I struggled so much having her,
and then I was an older mom, and then I
was like, oh my god, I can't believe that I
(49:12):
get to do this, you know, like I can't believe
I get to have this like experience of being a
mom and then just watching her become her own human.
It's just it's just unbelievable and so when you hear
a song like five more minutes, it just stops you
in your tracks because you can't help but just being
knocked over with it, because you're like.
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Oh my god, Sunday's going to go to college. I
can't believe it, Like Bella's going to college. No, it's
so good, but it's just it just goes so fast.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
It does. But if you invest that time, when the
years pass fast, you don't have a lot of regrets.
That is so all you're doing is enjoying their life
because you've built this really serious relationship with your kids
by investing that time. That felt like groundhog Day every day,
(50:05):
you know, the routine of naps and sippy cups and
conversations in the park and the swing and then going home,
and you've got your stuff that you do, but that
stuff adds up. And then when you're invested in that,
I'm telling you, the payoff is beautiful. It's great. There's
nothing that compares to the relationship I have with my kids,
And it comes from that time. I truly believe that
(50:28):
that I was here, face to face, always here, even
when you don't feel appreciated, even when you're tired, even
when you're sick and you got to keep going. It
pays off, It really does.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Would you say that is your secret to like mothering
in parenthood is just being there, showing up consistency.
Speaker 4 (50:48):
It's a big part of it. But I also think
it's really important as a mother that I don't ever
and I say this all the time, I don't ever
hand my baggage to my kids to carry a lot
of people, a lot of mothers I see it a lot,
you know, don't get freedom from things that have caused
(51:11):
trauma in their life or brokenness, and it can turn
into well, it affects how your parent and your kids
deserve a really good chance at being a child, you know,
and if you're projecting your brokenness on them through anger
(51:32):
or yelling or whatever, and we do that sometimes we
all lose our temper whatever. It just you know, I
think as a mother it's really important to stay on
the pulse of, you know, getting getting those kind of
things taken care of, so you're not handing it down
or parenting out of that place, you know. And I've
had to do a lot of work on getting free
(51:54):
from things, and I think that really does help me
as a mother. You know, to see things a different
way when I'm sharing or talking with them, and you know,
and God is a big foundation in our lives.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
You know.
Speaker 4 (52:08):
The Lord is essential, you know, and you can't give
that to your kids. You show it to your kids
and then they choose based out of the love that
you give them. You know, that relationship with God is personal,
so it's theirs to choose. But yeah, I just think
(52:29):
kids want to know you're there, you know, and routine
is essential and love and I don't know, I don't
really have it all figured out, but I don't know.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
I love all that and I think you're so on it,
I really do. I think that is just so so wise. Okay,
so we'll start wrapping up, But I want to know,
what is it like now coming back twenty two or
so years later? How do you feel differently now stepping
out with this new album, I mean, your comeback album,
(53:01):
Acres of Diamonds, And it's the second album that you
told Mike Dungan that you are gonna, you know, get
to eventually after you take a little break.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
So your break is.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Now complete, your break is over, your sabbatical is over,
and you're coming back now. Your kids are grown. I
mean they're still growing, but you've raised them. Well, they're older,
bellas in college, you have your son's a teenager, and
you did what you wanted to do. You stayed at home,
you were present, You pursued other gifts that didn't take
(53:34):
you away from your main pursuit of being a mom
and in that season of your life, and now you're back.
So what is your mental mind like now versus then?
How are you approaching this now versus then?
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Well, I am doing it on my own. I have
a team that I've built, so the team is well
aware of peace and balance and building something.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Now.
Speaker 4 (54:03):
Listen, it's been the hardest work I've done in a
long time, other than my jewelry business.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
Which your joy business is called Haybell right, yeah, hey Bell,
Like Lady Wilson's wearing that too.
Speaker 2 (54:13):
I mean, you're all over red carpets, which is so cool.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
I'm sure to have another creativity, another outlet of your
creativity being expressed to your jewelry. And how fun that,
like this time you've been able to pursue that.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
You know, Yes, it's been really sweet the last four
years doing jewelry and having artists wear it. And to
build that. But music, I mean, it's just it's a
whole different ball of wax. Like I didn't know what
I was getting into. So I kind of have a
label and we have a team, and we kind of
(54:44):
have learned a lot. We were learning as we go.
We jumped in headfirst, and we've been cliff noting all
the way, Like I'm like, what is a DSP? What
is this? Who do I need to call? What is TikTok?
We've got to get on TikTok. Let's just get a
viral video, guys. What is this? So we're finding our way.
(55:06):
I think that's been very stressful for me, is to
be that out there right and figuring that out and
what I want people to see and what I want
to share and trying to balance like what I don't know.
It's a crazy world, but it's different in that it's mine.
You know, we kind of get to decide what we're
(55:26):
going to do and which I mentally, I've had a
couple of days where I'm like, what's going on. I
had to fly to Dallas last week and do some
radio remotes and then I had to share the next night.
So I mean it was like crazy for the first
time in a while, and I was like, I'm really
tired and that it was good because it was. I
(55:47):
don't know, it's just I feel different. I don't know
how to describe it to you. But there's no pressure, right,
because I'm I would be the pressure if there was pressure, right.
And we have a really solid team of like minded
people who really believe in the project and are champion
and I love them, and we've created this camaraderie that
(56:12):
I just don't want anything to change about it. And
you know, so far, so good. I mean, it feels
good to be singing again, more than good. And to
hear people saying they miss me or they loved what
I really meant to say, like it's been I mean,
I've sat and cried in my room reading comments because
it means so much to me, because I thought, who cares, Like,
(56:34):
who's going to remember? Should I even do this? This
is crazy? But it has been such a blessing to
my life and to my family's life, you know, for
my kids, and I needed it. It's time.
Speaker 3 (56:47):
If you could have it play out perfectly, seriously, like
in the next five years, if this could play out perfectly,
you come back this album your career, what it would
look like, how you would be presenting yourself to the public,
Like the kind of show you're going to do, Like
how you're going to be received? If this could play
out in your dream perfectly, how would it go? How
(57:07):
do you want to feel out there? What kind of
shows are you wanting to play? How do you want
the public?
Speaker 2 (57:12):
Like? What level are you wanting to like land on?
Like what you know? Like if you could just see
the picture? What would mean?
Speaker 4 (57:19):
This is going to be not hard to answer, but
I would love to I don't. I want to be
careful because I want to sound humble when I say this.
I want to be back on a tour, a big tour,
you know. I want to reach more people, more fans,
just connect with that audience that was there before. Wherever
(57:41):
they are, I'm trying to find them still, you know.
I think just you know, there's a lot of things
I dream about that I'm not going to share here.
We're working on some things, but you know, I just
think in my family being very happy and healthy all
the while we do it, we celebrate together. They get
(58:01):
to come and celebrate that with me, you know, and
that my team feels supported and loved by me, and
that we just I don't know. I miss country music.
I'm miss It's almost like I'd like to pick up
where I left off, if that's even possible. Yes, I
(58:22):
want to go back to that place.
Speaker 2 (58:24):
But you're ready.
Speaker 4 (58:25):
God has his own plan. So we're just kind of
working every day towards So what in front of us?
Speaker 3 (58:31):
What would happen if it took off on a rocket
ship like it did before and you hit that moment
where like everything's spinning so fast that you're like having
a panic attack. Do you think you have better tools
to handle it now? Like what happens if it happens again? Well,
which is a good thing, I guess in this scenario.
Speaker 4 (58:47):
I mean that would be great if something took off,
which is every artist dream, right. We all put art
out there to hope that it reaches the masses and
then sometimes suddenly happens. So if that were to happen again,
I definitely of the tools that I need. I've got
a great family foundation and a great team that's not
going to let this. You know, we've got balance in
(59:08):
our lives.
Speaker 3 (59:09):
Like you'll can't balance, Your balance would be your priority
over anything over everything.
Speaker 4 (59:15):
Yes, even in the jewelry world. You know, I have
to step back and take a deep breath, and you know,
when I get frustrated or whatever, but I think music,
I'm just gonna let it play out. You know, it
feels good to be singing. I've missed it like nobody's business.
There's not a day I haven't thought about it, not
a single day and a single day. But I knew
(59:38):
the time would be right, and it is. The doors
have opened, so I can't imagine that God would allow
it to just break apart.
Speaker 3 (59:46):
You know, I'm dying great having your faith so strong
that you know when it all lines up and the
doors are opening, that it's like, Okay, you can druss it.
Speaker 4 (59:54):
It's everything to me. It's in everything that I do,
and every decision I make is appearing with jewelry, with music,
my marriage, my friendships, it's everything. I mean, I wouldn't
have it any other way, because why not? You know?
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
Okay, Acres of Diamonds is out. Cindy Thompson is back,
looking hotter than ever. I mean literally, you have an
age one ioda of a bit and makescept for your soul,
your soul has just gotten age and wisdom and you're
(01:00:30):
so wise and this is so exciting, Cindy.
Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
I am so excited for you.
Speaker 4 (01:00:35):
Thank you, thanks for doing this today. Oh my gosh,
I'm excited to talk with you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
I know. Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
So I always wrap up with Lead Your Light, and
it's super open ended and it's basically just dropping some inspiration.
Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
What do you want people to know?
Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:00:50):
Wow, Well, if there's a dream that you've had in
your heart for a really long time and you've been
too afraid to pursue it, stop being afraid. Just go
do it.
Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
I love that. Yeah, Sindy, do you have ten or
like five to ten minutes to do like draw some
questions and answer some quick questions?
Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
Yes, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (01:01:15):
Okay, this is We're gonna wrap this episode up and
then Sindy's gonna do a bonus episode of Tell Me More, y'all,
She's gonna answer your burning questions. You're not even gonna
believe what they're gonna be. You're gonna pick them and
we're gonna see what your deep your deepest, deepest soul
answers are. Cindy Thompson, adore you love you where can
everyone follow you? Where?
Speaker 2 (01:01:31):
Can everyone follow you? And find you? And what do
they need to know?
Speaker 4 (01:01:34):
Okay, it's Cindy Thompson dot com. It's see Why India
and Thompson without a P T h O ms O
in and then hey Bell Co Jewelry, h A Y
B L L E Co c O Jewelry or Heybell
code dot com. You can see me on Instagram everywhere everywhere.
YouTube have a YouTube channel that with a great series
(01:01:55):
called My World and My Words. We have lots going on,
so all the plays, all the socials you can find me.
Speaker 2 (01:02:02):
Heck, yes, this was so much fun.
Speaker 4 (01:02:04):
Okay, bye bye
A carry lone. She's a queen and talking and song.
You know, she's getting really not.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Afraid to feel the episode soul.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Just let it flow. No one can do we cud
that carey Lone is time for care Lone.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I am so happy to be here with Cindy Thompson,
the legendary Sydney Thompson.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
Stop.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Remember when we had our good old days back at
Young Guns.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
I do. I've thought about that today. In fact, this
morning I was like, gosh, that was so fun. You
guys were killing it out there on music Row.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
You were killing it on yourthing. That was like a
moment in time. And I love this on your song too.
I think it's I think it's called like Acres Acres
of Diamonds is your album, but like you have a
song with your what is this song that made like
super nostalgia.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Maybe it was five more.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Minutes, but you have this, Okay, so there's this moment
in time. I think it's five more minutes. That song
which brings tears to my eyes that is on your
new album, Oh my God, about your family and your love.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
And your life and how it goes so fast and
you just want five.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
More minutes but there's moments in time that like mark time,
and I feel like when I met you, when I
personally was like I've continuously been in series of like
midlife crisis, Like I've always had like some sort of
like crisis and reinvention going on, and I was in
this crisis where not reinvention of where I had. I
had personally left music myself, and then I was doing
(01:40):
trying to figure out what I was doing.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
With my life.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Started working at Young Guns as a song publisher, and
I was your song publisher, and I remember I was
so starstruck because I was crazy about your album.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
You are so sweet, the album you.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Put out with what I meant to say, What I
really meant to say is that was like the jam.
Grew up listening to that like in high school, and
like it was like the song and like the album.
And then I was like, oh my god, I am
working with Cindy Thompson and I'm going to be setting
her up songwriting appointments and pitching her songs being around her.
(02:17):
It was such a cool moment because I was such
a fan of you and you turned out to be
just like the greatest person, which is also exciting when
you meet someone and they're awesome, you know, when you're
like a fan and then you meet them and.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
They're awesome, Like you, I love you so much, I mean,
you know, that was such a great season. You guys
just brought so much excitement to songwriting, Like and there
were days that I didn't feel like I was writing
great and you were like, yes you are, and you
would just go pitch my songs and you were such
an encouragement to me. And I love that you settle
those things about me. They're so nice. That was a
(02:50):
weird season because I hadn't been writing for a really
long time, and that was like my first publishing deal
after leaving for a while, and part of me was
nervous because I didn't even think if I didn't know
if I could ride anymore. So really, well, you know you,
I did hand songs over to get the deal, so
(03:10):
they had to hear what I was doing. But I
was in the process at that time period, like in
the very beginning, thinking what if I suck, if this,
what if this doesn't work? You know.
Speaker 5 (03:22):
So so that was kind of a big leap of
faith for you because you had for anyone who needs
a little Refresh on Sydney Thompson, which the whole world
is about to like just be blown away with this album.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I know you just put your album on, but you
were on top of your career. Was it like twenty
years ago, and you like you were the hottest thing
in Nashville. I mean you still haven't aged a freaking day.
I mean you are like ageless, but I mean, like
the hottest thing in.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Nashville, the it girl. You come out. You're on all
these big tours.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
You're doing all these shows and everybody's crazy about you.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
You're on top of the world.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
And you literally leave the music industry after you have
this monster number one and like things are starting to
be a ship at rocket Ship You're like my and
I'm out.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I know right well, it was crazy. I mean the
ride was wild and everything I dreamed I never want
to knock. You know, my dream did come true. I
got a record deal, I got to sing my songs.
I got to be very much a part of the
creative process. I had a lot of vision for this
piece of art, my world, my record and Capital was
(04:32):
such a great partner in that. But it did it.
It went really fast. It just went to the top
of the charts, and when an artist steps into that world,
they can never really know what it's like until they're
in it. No one can give them a crash course
or explain it with words. You just have to step
into it. And there's something so beautiful about it because
(04:52):
all of a sudden, you're doing exactly what you dreamed
of doing. You're, you know, meeting the fans, You're getting
to sing your songs and tell the story behind the song.
But there's also this other side that's kind of business related,
which is really interesting. It kind of bleeds into it.
And then I'll always say fame is very unnatural, and
(05:15):
so you're trying to find this balance of your identity,
like I want to remain this person who I just
don't want to lose myself in this and so I
was always battling that. And I was also a major
people pleaser, which can be very detrimental to anything you
do in your life. I think it's good to want
to please people at a certain level, but it was
(05:38):
ruining my life because I couldn't make everybody happy and
everyone had demands, and so I think just starting to
have panic attacks. I was having just night terrors. I
was having my heart monitored every week. I mean, it
was a massive overload of like, this doesn't make any
(06:00):
sense to me. And this was at the height of
it all. This was when I was from the outset
looking in. You would think that it was just a
really beautiful story, and there was so much of it
that was beautiful. But I just decided after a year
of really being prayerful about it. If I'm being honest,
I didn't make that decision haphazardly. I knew it would
(06:21):
affect my band. I had employees, I had a corporation.
I mean, this was all it was wild and I
am twenty twenty five, twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
God, so you're running a major business at twenty six,
while presenting yourself to the public in every single way
and having so many people weigh in on how you
the product needs to be.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
Yeah, it's very interesting dynamic to put the creative side
alongside of the business and these and listen, there's nothing
wrong with it. There are people out there that do
it well and I'm coming back, so there must be
something great about it, right, But I think I was
just dying inside. And now I love I talk about
(07:08):
it all the time, there's so much conversation around mental health,
there's so much conversation around checking in on artists making
sure they're okay, because I think people are starting to realize,
like the world is really broken. You know. Culture lies
to us all the time about what success should be.
It's like it's beauty, it's perfection, it's same yeah, fame,
(07:30):
And the truth is that isn't true success. Those are
benefits of you know, some of the talent that you
might have. But really, for me, success is really truly
looking at my children and you know, seeing these people
that I really enjoy being with that I love that
they have good character, they they love the Lord, they
(07:53):
have dreams of their own, and they're very much well
on their way to those and so, you know, I
just look at it differently, and so it was a
really it was the hardest decision I've ever made because
I didn't know what it would look like on the
other side of it either, Right.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
And they're walking away from the golden egg, as people
would what people think is the golden egg.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, and there's a lot of judgment around that, you know,
there's a lot of and there was that people pleasing
part of me that was like, dang it, I need
to get rid of this because I'm caring too much
about what people might be saying about the decision I made.
And there was just this wilderness season right after for me,
a really quiet time where I had to work out
(08:40):
things that needed to go, like what, well my identity
being totally wrapped up in that. Yeah, you know, I
think for me, I'm trying to silence these things and
I don't know how.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
To do it.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
I think for me it was also just getting back
to a healthy state of mind, whatever that meant. I
didn't want to have panic attacks anymore. I didn't want
to be on anti depressants to do something that I
love to do. I didn't want that in my life.
And so it was kind of like this self preservation time,
you know. And little did I know, twenty something years later,
(09:24):
I'd be doing it again. And I'm so glad I
preserved that part of my life. You know, that there
was just a I couldn't care about what anybody else thought.
That was one of the things I really had to
work out of my system.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
And now did you do that?
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Because I also Cindy and such a people were covering
people pleaser. I have done tons of work on it myself.
I realized I was a high functioning codependent and I
like needed the whole world to love me, and I
need to make sure everyone's happy with me, because I
couldn't feel love if I did not feel like everyone
was okay, Like I didn't feel like I could receive love.
(09:59):
And so well, how did you recover yourself from people pleasing?
And then also another question I have while you're on
this train of thought is what was the part that
was giving you panic attacks being in front of the
crowds and like performing or was it all of the
details behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (10:14):
No, you know. My first panic attack happened on a
Southwest flight and I was with some people from the
record label. We sat down in our seats and all
of a sudden, I thought I was dying, but I
was calm. I was just sitting in my seat.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Like, what do you mean you thought you were doing?
Speaker 4 (10:33):
I just got so tight and I can't describe it
to you. It was like this, oh my god, I'm dying.
And I looked at one of the girls that was
with me, that was a friend of mine from the label,
and I just said, something's wrong, something's really wrong. I
feel like I'm going to explode inside, but I'm very calm,
(10:53):
Like I'm very I'm not. You wouldn't be able to
tell looking at me that this was happening inside. It
was like I wanted to get off the plane. I
wanted to get out of wherever I was, and the
only thing I knew to do was I went to
the bathroom and I just prayed and I was like,
God help me, I don't understand what's going on, and
(11:15):
just this piece came over me. But it was long
enough to know that there was something wrong, and they
began to happen more frequently, so it was triggered by
all kinds of things. I think it was just just
the life, you know, and my personal insides were causing
this craziness.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Do you think that you were stressing out about like
not being in control of your life, or it's just
like you had to always like you. I don't know
what was like the root, cause when you were thinking
about it.
Speaker 4 (11:46):
They were all different times. I mean, never when I
went to perform. That's probably what's interesting now that you're
talking to me about it. When I sang, there was
none of.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
That, no matter how big the crowd, No.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Because that's your gifting. You're doing what you're kind of
made to do right now. Initially, when I would walk
on stage, I would reconsider my entire life. I would
be like I would see the arena and I'd be like,
there's this many people here to watch this show. What's happening?
(12:18):
Because I'm very much this quiet one. I hide in
the corner person. And then I love to just be
on a stage sometimes and sing and the fans and
there's so much. I'm kind of both sides of the scale.
So but honestly, I just think it was just an
overwhelming The life itself was causing these attacks, causing this
(12:42):
I don't know, and I never told anybody about it.
I never Only my doctor knew that I was on antidepressants,
and I was like, can I take more? Does it
work where you? If you up the you know, dosage,
will I be more happy?
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Like?
Speaker 4 (12:56):
What? How did these work? You know? Because I really
knew I was supposed to be happy. I was doing
my dream, and I was. There was a lot at
the time I was happy. But when it got to
the pinnacle of like I started just just and like
(13:16):
I was I became a very, very much an introvert.
Like I'd sit on the back of the bus until
showtime till the exact moment and just be staring at
the wall.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Just trying to calm yourself down, Like your energy is
just so overwhelmed inside of you that you're just trying
to calm down.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Almost.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, And I think the other reason I was really
struggling was because I felt like I had a really
big secret and because I didn't tell anybody about it.
It was probably the biggest secret I've ever kept.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
That you were freaking out inside.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Yeah, and that I was considering leaving it all behind.
H I got here.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, so you're over here analyzing every single day. I'm
gonna walk away from this. I'm gonna walk away from this.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
Nobody knows while I'm on this rocket ship shooting straight
up to the moon.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Everyone went on my team.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
All these people around me have no idea that I
literally want to walk away.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
No, that is a big secret, Cindy.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
No one knew. I didn't even really tell my husband
at the time we were dating, and then I didn't
tell them right away. I didn't tell my parents because
the truth was if I was going to make a
decision like that. I didn't want them involved because if
it went one way or the other, I never wanted
the pressure of their I didn't want them to feel
(14:29):
like they made that happen for my life, whether it
was good or bad on the other side of it.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
So it's literally like walking away at the altar.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Yeah, it was a really big deal, and that's huge.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
I mean, I can't believe had the confidence to pull
it off.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
Well, you know, I really prayed about I prayed hard
because I was like, God, you know, I'd always wanted
this since I was twelve, and here I am. I've
got this opportunity at this label. I've got everything I
could have ever dreamed, everything and more was I mean,
we were having meetings with companies and we were projecting,
(15:03):
like for the next five years what we wanted out
of this career and the plans people were making, and
so it was just a wild, wild ride. And so yeah,
there was a lot all the time going on in
my life, but that was just really hanging over my head.
(15:24):
And when I finally made the decision it make it well.
I asked God for something supernatural that I could not deny,
and I don't tell this story very often, but I
was in an airport flying to a show with my band.
It was a really busy airport, and at this season
(15:45):
of my life, I just really wasn't paying attention to
where I was. I would just get to the airport.
I mean, I was very I was reading any self
help book I could get. This new book I got
I was so excited about. It was about how to
organize your life. I remember I had bought it, but
I was really sad, you know, and I am married
(16:06):
at the time. I have this new book. We get
to this to the airport. We fly from Nashville, I
think it was to Denver. We get there, it's massively packed.
He had to take three planes that day. The airport's busy.
And we get to our gate and our flights delayed.
And I'm so happy because no one can call me
(16:27):
on my phone. There won't be any ask I could
just have quiet. And so I sat down with my
book and I noticed out of the corner of my
eye this black woman being wheeled up in a wheelchair
to the gate, like two gates away, and she was
elderly in a wheelchair, and the airplane staff just pushed
(16:50):
her facing the wall and left her there, and I
was watching this, thinking this is crazy, and I could
tell she wanted to move her will chair. So I
say something to my husband and he goes, maybe you
should go help her, and I was like, nope, no,
I've got a new book. I'm gonna read my book.
I need help. I need help myself. And I just
(17:11):
couldn't shake it, Like I kept looking over at her,
and I finally went over to ask her if she
needed help, and she said, yes, I need to go
to the restroom. And I said, well I can take you.
I will wheel you over there. My name is Cindy,
my flight's delayed. We'll just get you to the bathroom.
So I start to wheel her in the middle of
this busy airport traffic, you know, back and forth, people
(17:34):
are going places, middle of the day, and I bump
into this young girl who gives me the ugliest look
like you're in my way. Now I'm thinking, well, I'm
pushing someone in a wheelchair. How dare you you need
to notice, like stop, smell the roses, you know, see
what's happening, read the room. But instead I looked at
her and I thought, you know, that's kind of who
I'm becoming, you know, just real busy with life and
(17:57):
not paying attention to the one or maybe the moment
that God kind of has set aside intentionally for you
to serve. So I just kept pushing her. Got to
the restroom. No one was in this restroom in the airport.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Even though it's so busy.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Yes, very interesting. So the whole while we're not talking,
there's no way to talk. I don't get to know her.
There's no conversation that transpires. She's just saying thank you, honey,
thank you, honey, and I'm like, you are welcome. So
we get into the bathroom, help her into the stall,
and I just wait. And when she finishes, she comes
(18:33):
out and she kind of tries to give me some cash.
I was like, I'll take twenty dollars, but I told
her to pitt your money away. No, And she grabbed
both of my hands and looked me in the eye
and she said, honey, you need to make the choices
that make you happy in life. You need to be happy,
(18:54):
and she let go of my hands. I just got
care of the words, and I looked at her because
the whole time she had been an elderly woman, but
in that moment, she had the strength of an hour,
me of ten thousand, and I knew God had put
someone of a different demographic, a different race, even with
a handicap, to stop me in my tracks, to say
(19:16):
it's okay to make this decision about your life. And
obviously there were other factors that wrapped around this. But
I went back to my seat at the gate and
I looked at my husband and I just said, I
know what I'm going to do. I am going to
leave the industry. And he said, okay, whatever you need
(19:36):
to do. And I was like, you don't have anything
else to say. He's like nope. So I kept pushing through.
I played the committed shows, and then I made an
appointment at Capital with Mike Dungan, the head of the
label at the time, and I went in. I met
with him and just told him that I wanted to
step away from music and I did he say, Well,
(20:00):
he was really sad. I mean, I know he has
said this in interviews before, so I'm not saying anything
he wouldn't talk about. But he started to cry, yeah,
and I started to cry, and we just didn't have
anything to say to each other. It was really painful
because I loved him so much. He was like a
(20:21):
dad to me. I had a really really good label family,
and we kind of structured a plan like what it
would look like. Maybe we finish out one more single,
I play the rest of the year, and then I
disappear and say I'm writing a second record, which was
the perfect time to do that, And in his heart,
(20:45):
I think he thought, because if we do that, she'll
come back, She'll just get some time to rest. And
in my mind, I was like, perfect that way. No
when thinks I'm ungrateful or I just dumped this whole thing,
and it didn't quite turn out like that. People got
wind that I was leaving, and it just kind of
got in the press. I couldn't finish the shows for
the rest of the year. People at radio and things
(21:06):
like that. There were certain people didn't want to support it,
and just you know, it was It was a lot.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
It was a lot because I remember you did a
formal press release and like you stood up in front
of reporters.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
I did, and then we put out a press release
that just kind of explained it. My publicist at the
time wrote this really amazing piece with me, you know,
because it was hard. It was hard to explain this.
It wouldn't be now, which I look back and I think,
oh my gosh, there's so much talk about taking breaks
(21:39):
and being with your family and mental health and I
need to go to on site, which is this counseling
center here in Nashville, which I used to say all
the time. Somebody needs to like come up with the
place where artists can go retreat, you know, to get
back to normalcy. I mean, I don't I don't know
how to explain it, cause you sound like you're complaining
(22:02):
about being famous or you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
But I think what it is too, just from like
observing this industry from so many different perspectives and so
many artists. I think it's like you get sucked into
this rocket ship that literally you can't prioritize anything other
than the career like you really have. I think things
are trying to change now, like you said, people are
becoming a lot more aware of mental health and balance.
(22:29):
But like even back in the day, I've interviewed Maddie
and Tay, I've talked to Runaway June about this, Like
a lot of females having a baby, Like it was
like impossible to even like dream about having a family
when you were starting as an artist because there was
no time and you couldn't step away from the grind
and you're always playing a different show, You're always at
a different radio station, You're always doing something, and it's
(22:51):
like you can't say no to it, you know, because
this is your chance and like you said, people are
you don't want to sound ungrateful, but it's also like
you have to like cash in your one life for
this other life when it all takes off, Like it
doesn't feel like there's any kind of balance that you
can have at all.
Speaker 4 (23:16):
Well, and I was grateful to do that, but no
artist really knows what that's like till you're running in it,
you know. And I think there's a way to do
it well with the right people around you that can
say no without saying no, that can look you in
the eye and go, hey, I think you need a
day or two off. No one's gonna call you, or hey,
(23:39):
how about we take that one weekend and move it
to this weekend and you can go away or you
can I don't know, or I don't know the answer,
but you know, at the time. I just I think
things could have been a little bit different had I've
(24:00):
been a little bit more courageous in my speak. You know. Also,
you're so young I was, and there was no one
else talking about how hard this life was, how hard
it was to be famous and get to make your record,
and I mean, you really, I did not want to
bring it up. So but you know what the story
(24:23):
turned out. And I'm not just saying this because I'm
on the other side of it and it's what I'm
supposed to say, and it's like the right thing. But
it turned out the way that it should have turned out.
It's perfect.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
Tell me why it's perfect, because isn't that interesting. You're
such an interesting case though of like you know that
movie like Sliding Doors, where you like pick different alternatives
to your life. It's like you could have gone down
such a different road and your life would have played
out so differently, and who knows how that would have been.
I'm sure because it's you, you would have turned it
(24:54):
into something wonderful. But also you have this other life
that you you chose, and they're like completely different, and
like you said, it turned out exactly how it's supposed to.
But It's like, what a moment in time where you
have this choice that changes the rest of your life,
which happens to all of us all the time, but
this one just feels so big.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
You know, well it's true. My story, I think is
relatable because I think at some point, whether once or
twice or many more times, I think as humans were
faced with times to take inventory, whether it be with relationships,
a job, a career, whatever it is, there are times
(25:37):
to check your pulse and go, is it worth it?
What matters more? Can I do this? And I know
that for me, the reason it turned out perfectly is
because I got the other part of my dream. Tell
me that, which is you know, I want it to
(26:00):
be a mom, a stay at home mom. My mom
stayed at home with all of her daughters. She cooked
for us every night. And not that I couldn't have
done that as an artist could definitely do those things.
There are women that have done a good job at that.
But you know, I you.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Wanted to be at home.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
You didn't want to be traveling all around with a
crazy schedule, not being able to be present like in
the way you wanted to be as a mom.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Right I thought of it, differently, you know, for me
at the time, you know, my career, when I dreamed
about children, I thought, well, there'll be this time where
I'm off for a while and I could just you know,
be involved at their schools and you know, wake up
with them every morning out of their crib and you know,
all the things. And so my husband and I just
(26:47):
made that decision, and you know, I stayed at home
and it's been this beautiful life. You know, for me,
it's exactly what I needed. I started gardening, I cleaned
my own house, I grocery shop, I cook every night.
My son, Hayden, is sixteen and Bella is twenty, and
(27:09):
we just have this family dynamic that I could never
have imagined.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
When it's your dynamics.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
Well, we're just really close, not in a weird way,
like I'm not your typical mom.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
Tell me how you are as a mom.
Speaker 4 (27:24):
Okay, well, I'm really sarcastic and funny twenty four to seven.
Like when they come in my room to show me something,
I'm like, I don't care about it. But that's not true.
I'm just kidding. I don't do that all the time.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
We just.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Talk about life a lot. They share a lot. We
walk through things together as a family. We just have
this I don't know, you just have to be around
it to see it.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
You know.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
They're very well rounded kids. I'm very proud of them.
Bella just started her own business. She makes clothes, and.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
She's like making clothes for Laney Wilson.
Speaker 4 (28:04):
Yes, she has been doing some seamstress work for different
stylists in town and working on clothes for artists. And
now she's like, you know, I'm diving in, mom, I've
got I'm starting my own company. So she's already like
sold like three of this dress that she created, and
it's gonna be small, batched clothing, you know. So she's
(28:26):
she's just rocking and rolling and.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
And hav this feeling as a mom to see your
children and your child like coming into what they love.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Is that?
Speaker 3 (28:36):
What does that feeling as someone who's followed their dreams
like yourself, and now you see here's your daughter like
really stepping into her dream.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
What is that like as a parent? That makes me
feel teary?
Speaker 4 (28:46):
It's amazing because I grew up in a home where
my mom and dad were like what do you want to do?
What do you dream about will do whatever it takes
to get you to where you want to be. And
they did that for me. I mean, they did a
lot for me. But you know, having these kids, I'm like,
what do you want to do? Where do you want
to go? How many footballs do we need to buy?
What's the right you know, a pair of cleats for
(29:06):
that sport? And how much lace do we need to
get to you? And and she she works her tail off.
She does a lot of it on her own. But
we got her a new sewing machine. We got her
all this stuff she needed. And it is there's no
joy that compares to when I look into my dining
room and I see her making clothes confidently and listening
(29:27):
to jazz music. Oh my gosh, I just think to myself,
I don't know, I'm I'm so proud of my children.
I'm so proud of the people that they are. You know,
they're just they're really good guys. They're good, They're just
good kiddos. I mean, I don't know what else to say.
(29:50):
You know, in my marriage, I mean that could have
easily fallen apart when I left the industry. Tell me, well,
he was on the road with me he had he's
playing in another band and I stole him away. And
you know, he had also been working in TV and
film production and built a nice like name for himself
within that world which you have to build. And to
(30:13):
come on the road with me and to chase this
dream together was really beautiful. But then to go, okay,
I'm done, we had to like step back into real
life and figure out what do we do and how
do what do you want to do? And you know,
he we struggled for a little while getting back into life.
I mean, I applied for a job at the mall
(30:34):
and no one would hire me. Like it was sad.
It was like what else God like this? This sucks
like But I think what was great about it was
that it really allowed me the time to wrestle out
all the stuff, you know, to to deal with the
(30:54):
broken pieces. I think had I jumped back into some
sort of career, I would have missed the beauty of
that season of being alone with God.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
That is so profound and so true.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
And I feel like so many people need to like
really hear that, because those are the hardest seasons and
I feel like I'm just coming out of one myself,
of like five years. And it's literally like whenever you
are at the valley, the bottom of the valley, like
you said, you're deep in the woods, you cannot see
the forest for the trees, Like you don't even know
(31:27):
which way to go. You just left your career, your
husband just left his career, and now you literally have
no backup plan or no.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Idea of what you're going to do next.
Speaker 3 (31:36):
And you're just sitting here putting yourself out there and
the best so you can't applying at them all and
you're like, God, what on earth am I supposed to
do with my life?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
And you don't even have a clue.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
But yet what you're supposed to be doing with your
life at that moment is untangling all of the web
of different faces and different you know, different different, different,
different feels that we put on ourselves and like just
like actually figuring out who you are at your core
and who you are in God's eyes, who you are,
(32:08):
like what do you really want to put your time
and energy into? And it takes a lot of time,
a lot of energy, and it's very very hard, scary,
heartbreaking work at times, and most people don't want to.
Speaker 4 (32:19):
Do it well. And you think, Okay, I've done it
for a couple of months, I'm good. But it's oh yeah, years,
it's years. And what's really great about it is God
is really kind and so he's I always say to
people when you're in your wilderness season, it's okay to
pitch a tent, but do not build a house. You know,
good point. Yeah, you need to get the work done.
(32:43):
The work is so important because what's on the other
side of the work. I mean, I don't think I
could be doing you know what I'm doing now at
all without that season of brokenness and really not sitting
there and going poor me, I'm a victim and getting
in that mindset, which is so dangerous it's diabolical. But
(33:04):
the just the Okay, God, I need you to strengthen me,
work on my heart, you know. And it was a
long process. Even while I was a mom, this stuff
was going on. It wasn't like I had arrived once
I had my kids. I was still processing identity. I mean,
I struggled with where to hang my gold record in
our house because I didn't want to have it like
(33:26):
in this position that would hurt me anymore. You know,
it's not in a predominantly, like, it's not in this
place that you would expect in a house, you know,
it hangs beside the laundry room, and I think that
has some meaning. Now I have one in my jewelry room,
in my jewelry studio, But the one I had downstairs,
(33:50):
I was like, where do I even put this? And
I didn't put it up for years, not because I
had this hate or this towards it. I was really
just protecting my sanity and my quiet time because I
still had to grieve all.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Of that, you know, So do you ever regret it?
Speaker 4 (34:12):
There are things I regret, but not I do not
regret leaving. I would have died, I would have not
not literally, but I wouldn't be married. Why do you
think you wouldn't be married. I think that maybe we
would be. I think that I was struggling so much internally,
like I would have probably just been a broken mess.
(34:34):
And I don't think I don't he wouldn't have deserved
what I probably would have ended up being. He's such
a good man, you know. And I don't say like
this crazy, I just think that mentally, I don't know.
I felt out of control, even on antidepressants, and I felt.
(34:58):
I don't know, I was just sad all the time,
you know, even though I looked happy on the stage.
But the great thing is that I've overcome so much
and I'm thankful for that season of my life, as
hard as it was to now be making music, to
now have a jewelry company, to now partnering with my
(35:21):
daughter on some things, and you know, just I think
the greatest moment when it really hit me was last
year when I came back and I played the Opry
with Vince Gill. My kids had never been to the Opry.
They'd never been, and I kind of did that on purpose. Secretively.
I thought, one day I'm there, so I would say,
you can't go to the Opry with your friends. You cannot.
You know, You're come to see me first, your mama first.
(35:45):
I never knew if it would happen, but uh it did,
and it.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
Was Vince skill no less way to come back with
a bang.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
No.
Speaker 4 (35:53):
I'm so grateful for that moment.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
What was that like, coming back twenty years later on
stage at the Opery than skilled for the first time
in twenty years.
Speaker 4 (36:03):
It was more than I could have imagined. It was
just I had to really keep my head about me,
because if I really thought about it, you know, and
saw my mom sitting out there and my two children
and my sisters and events, if I really had just
kind of tried to really process it at the time,
I probably have lost it. But I don't know. It
(36:26):
was just magical. It was beautiful and I wouldn't change
a thing. It was great how it was.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Your kids say.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
It was funny watching their faces because they had never
really seen me do something like that, you know, and
just have that. I don't know they I think they
just thought, well, I hope they thought it was really cool,
you know, because I am. But they were just really
(36:57):
proud of me. I mean I remember hating hugging me
and he said, I'm so of you, and I was like, wow,
you know, to have your sixteen year old tell you that.
Because the funny thing is is all these years have
been like, if you don't follow your dreams, you're going
regret it for the rest of your life. So what
are you dreaming about. I don't care what it is.
Let's figure it out.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
That's what you tell your kids.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
All the time, all the time, all the time, and
it's been you know, they're in it now. They're in
their dreams now, but it's been this for their whole life,
you know, talking about dreamers and how God gives us
giftings and we need to pay attention to those because
usually that's where our destiny lies, our purpose lies with
that gifting. Right, So you know, for me to finally
(37:46):
look at them and go, Okay, I guess I need
to follow my own advice. I've been dreaming about singing
again and hat it's like, you got to do it,
you got to do it. They're like, go do it,
do it. So it just kind of all fell into place,
the timing, their ages, you know, just the moment. I
think the biggest moment for me realizing I'm going back
(38:06):
was when I was sitting with my dad. He passed
away about three years ago, and each one of us
girls went in to sit with him privately, just to
have our own time with him, to say goodbye. And
we talked about so many things, and one of them
was I apologize for not playing the opry for him
one more time, and you know, he obviously was like,
(38:29):
uh uh no, you know, like that's not He just
squeezed my hand and he just smiled and that was
not what we were going to talk about. He didn't
need that from me, right. So the next day I
was driving around town, just broken over losing my dad
and looking at the scenery in South Georgia. That's where
(38:52):
I was and just where my world was. Kind of
created that first record and just started talking to God
and I was like, I want to make a record.
I'm just going to do it because I thought if
I was my dad, right, And Bella came in and
was saying goodbye to me, I didn't want to look
at her and say I should have made a record.
I really shouldn't have been afraid or worried about what
(39:12):
other people think or do something at my age, in
my forties. I don't even want to tell you how
old I am. I guess you could Wikipedia, but like
it's like, are you kidding me? With social media and
all the things, I'm like, I don't care.
Speaker 3 (39:26):
You know you're doing it for you because this is
in your heart and your calling.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
Yeah, It's just it's just a whole different ballgame. And
so I just started writing. I called Tommy, you know,
we got together in Charleston. I talked to him about
making a record. We were together one night with our families,
and I was like, Hey, I have this wide idea.
Would you want to write a record with me? And
he said yes, So he flew into town three days
later and we just started setting up writing appointments and
(39:52):
we just wrote and wrote and wrote so many songs.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
And did the songs flow? Did you feel like you
had a lot to say?
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Because you said when you came back to Young Guns,
that's when you first were writing, but you weren't necessarily
writing for a record back then, you were just sort
of writing. So this is like more specific because you're like,
I am writing for my record. This is what I
have to say after twenty years, so this is kind
of a big deal. And tell me what it was
like when the songs were flowing. How did you know
what you want to write about?
Speaker 4 (40:20):
It's a good, good topic of conversation because I thought
I'd put the pressure on myself. I was like, if
I don't have anything to say, then this is a bust,
Like there's no reason to do this. I knew I
wanted it to be southern. I knew I wanted to
have a song about Georgia, which is our lead single
to Georgia and me. I just want to tell people
(40:41):
who didn't know who I was. I was from Georgia,
even though I live here. It's a big part of
my life and important to me. And you know, we
just started crafting this record, and it was very similar
to how we wrote My World. We you know, I
had some ideas. I had some ideas about love and love,
breakup song, love, love songs. I don't you know, we
just had direction. We just started and then we'd get
(41:03):
in the room with someone and they would bring, you know,
their magic to the table, and it just all came together.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
The ones that really stand out to me are Acres
of Diamonds, which is like your lead single, right or
your lead song that you put up first, and that's
kind of like summing up your life, which I think
is beautiful, and then freaking five more minutes about your
family is and then also the one about your husband's
so glad your mind. I mean, what a beautiful love
song to hear from a perspective of being married for
(41:32):
twenty plus years, right.
Speaker 4 (41:33):
Yeah, twenty three years this past Sunday.
Speaker 2 (41:36):
I mean, what a beautiful love song. We hear so
many songs about like falling in.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Love and chasing love and all of the beginnings of love.
But to actually hear a song from a well worn
in love, you know.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Like that's really it's really beautiful.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It makes me cheery again because it is really cool
to see you at the beginning of it all, you know,
with My World, your first record, and now here we
are twenty plus years later and you have lived this
whole life in between. Then now you have like a
whole new world that you're sharing with us. But it's
like an extension of that. But it's so thoughtfully crafted,
(42:15):
this world like you didn't like, you're so intentional with it,
and like I feel like acres of Diamonds kind of sums.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
That up, it does. I had that title for a
while and when I wrote it with Dan and Jusica,
it was like they both have families and it just
made sense to talk about what we've been growing, right,
what has really mattered to us and to me, it's
been this marriage and these kids, and that's my acreage,
you know, that's that's the land that we've we've worked
(42:44):
on and they're my acres of diamonds. And to title
the EP that was really important. And then so glad
you're mine. I wrote that a while back and about
my husband, just how you do you have this marriage
that's so beautiful and we're not perfect? Okay, well no one.
(43:04):
I love him so much, like I truly am in
love with him. I still get butterflies when I see him,
and we fight and argue, and I had receipts when
I shop. I do all the things girls Christines when
I shop I do. Sometimes I'll had him for like
a week, you.
Speaker 2 (43:23):
Know, like he's not gonna see it on the credit card.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
I know, I don't know it does anyway, I love
it he That is about that, you know, because I
think so often we just you know, we need to
kiss more, we need to hug more. Life gets in
the way, and so I'm just so glad he's mine.
And that's kind of that song. Yeah, I'm really proud
(43:45):
of this project. I mean, it's been that many years
and I have been very very careful about what I
want to say and how I want to say it,
you know. And there's a lot of music that comes
out every week, and sometimes I feel like I'm swimming
upstream and a lot of songs. But I'm just hoping
that the fans that are still around, love it, and
(44:06):
you know that it just moves people.
Speaker 3 (44:18):
Five more minutes, man, hold on, So let's just kind
of go through some of these lyrics.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It's like, he's almost sixteen.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Sometimes it's hard to believe they still seem in my
mind sitting in his car seat seeking Jesus loves me.
Speaker 4 (44:30):
I'm still there. I'm there right now.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
At five, she's like, oh, spider Man pajamas, holding my
hands so tight.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
She's almost twenty.
Speaker 3 (44:38):
It seems like just last week she was spinning around
and around with her daddy while her daddy played piano.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
I'm gonna die. I mean like this because I'm like
in this phase right now where you are, and I'm like, no,
we can't go this fast.
Speaker 4 (44:50):
And then the days seem slow, but the years go fast.
That staying. It's so I was just talking to my
husband about this two nights ago. He was like, you know,
I was like, who do we know that has a
baby that we can babysit?
Speaker 2 (45:06):
Because I just just want a baby.
Speaker 4 (45:09):
I'm not having a baby, but I we talk about
all the time. I'm like, but we don't want our
kids to have baby deal obviously, but it's like if
we could just explain to people, like, you know, the
stages that they're in. Everyone tells you, and it's kind
of annoying. It goes not so fast and you'd be
like whatever, but it's true and weird at a beautiful
stage now that I don't want to rush, I don't.
(45:30):
I want to watch fella build this company and I
want to be there to help her. I love going
to Hayden's sporting events and watching him play football, and
yes some of the mom in the sands with the
shirt with his name on it, and I yell and
just tell him to take people down and all the things.
I don't want to miss this either. And so that song,
you know, really isn't about regret or I wish I
(45:53):
could go back. It's more of a I do wish
I could go back to certain moments because they were
the world to me, Like riding my huffy bike, my
pink one. I think about that bike a lot, especially
when I see kids in the neighborhood. I'm like, that
little girl doesn't even know how amazing this is. You know,
I was barefitting on that banana seat, riding down the street,
(46:14):
singing Footloose or singing Whitney Houston. I mean, it was
like everything, but I don't want to go there forever.
I just think, oh, five more minutes of that would
be a lot of fun, you know. So you know,
initially when we wrote the song, I thought, Okay, the chorus,
shouldn't it be more relatable to the listener, right? Should
(46:36):
it be all about me and my things? But we
decided to keep it that way, and it keeps resonating
with people, and I'm so surprised by it that it's
still touching people.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
I love that you have it with Bella's name, because
you say, like dropping Bella off at college, cooking with
my mam, and dancing and my sister singing so loud,
riding my pink hoppy bike Nashville for the first time,
these moments flash and I'm right back in. I could
go back for five more minutes because it's like, I
know you're telling the truth, you know, and like I
hear this song and I'm like, I feel this truth
so much because these are the sweetest moments in life,
(47:10):
and you have a collection of them, starting from when
you were a kid to like now having your kids
and now your kids being grown to all these different
moments in our life that are so that are the
sweetest parts of our entire existence.
Speaker 2 (47:24):
And it's like when you hear them caught up in
a song like this, it just is overwhelming.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Because that is what life is all about, is these minutes,
is these moments in these minutes, And like you said,
the days are long, the years are fast, but it's
like it's they're just happening, and you don't even always
know that these are like the most rich moments of
your life because you're just so in it and you
know it, but you're in it, you know, so when
you will get back.
Speaker 4 (47:48):
In your world right now, especially, you're really busy. So
it's like, we got to hurry up. And I remember
saying this to my kids, hurry up, hurry up, get
in the car, hurry up, get in the car. I mean,
this would be like a dialogue. How many times a day?
Get your sippy cup, pick up your toys?
Speaker 2 (48:03):
Please?
Speaker 4 (48:04):
And I look back and there were times I wasn't present.
There were times I was a rushing the moment because
I had to get to Kroger and get what I
can't even remember the list, but I remember hurrying everybody
along to get there. So I think it's really important
for all of us to really stay present. And it's
hard because social media, man, that world keeps you from
(48:28):
being as present as you need to be. But you're
doing a beautiful job, and you just even the fact
that you're picking up on that and you're you know,
it's just it's beautiful and just sit more, have more
lazy days, even though the world's like, no, no, you've
got to go make ten more calls for your podcast.
(48:48):
You've got to get out there in the world and
make some things happen.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
I don't know, I know, I feel like this is
is it, Like this is the most important thing I
could ever get the chance to do. And I think too,
it's like, I know what a blessing it is to
be a mom, and i' because I've talked about this
in podcast before, but I struggled so much having her,
and then I was an older mom, and then I
was like, oh my god, I can't believe that I
(49:12):
get to do this, you know, like I can't believe
I get to have this like experience of being a
mom and then just watching her become her own human.
It's just it's just unbelievable and so when you hear
a song like five more minutes, it just stops you
in your tracks because you can't help but just being
knocked over with it, because you're like.
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Oh my god, Sunday's going to go to college. I
can't believe it, Like Bella's going to college. No, it's
so good, but it's just it just goes so fast.
Speaker 4 (49:42):
It does. But if you invest that time, when the
years pass fast, you don't have a lot of regrets.
That is so all you're doing is enjoying their life
because you've built this really serious relationship with your kids
by investing that time. That felt like groundhog Day every day,
(50:05):
you know, the routine of naps and sippy cups and
conversations in the park and the swing and then going home,
and you've got your stuff that you do, but that
stuff adds up. And then when you're invested in that,
I'm telling you, the payoff is beautiful. It's great. There's
nothing that compares to the relationship I have with my kids,
And it comes from that time. I truly believe that
(50:28):
that I was here, face to face, always here, even
when you don't feel appreciated, even when you're tired, even
when you're sick and you got to keep going. It
pays off, It really does.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Would you say that is your secret to like mothering
in parenthood is just being there, showing up consistency.
Speaker 4 (50:48):
It's a big part of it. But I also think
it's really important as a mother that I don't ever
and I say this all the time, I don't ever
hand my baggage to my kids to carry a lot
of people, a lot of mothers I see it a lot,
you know, don't get freedom from things that have caused
(51:11):
trauma in their life or brokenness, and it can turn
into well, it affects how your parent and your kids
deserve a really good chance at being a child, you know,
and if you're projecting your brokenness on them through anger
(51:32):
or yelling or whatever, and we do that sometimes we
all lose our temper whatever. It just you know, I
think as a mother it's really important to stay on
the pulse of, you know, getting getting those kind of
things taken care of, so you're not handing it down
or parenting out of that place, you know. And I've
had to do a lot of work on getting free
(51:54):
from things, and I think that really does help me
as a mother. You know, to see things a different
way when I'm sharing or talking with them, and you know,
and God is a big foundation in our lives.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
You know.
Speaker 4 (52:08):
The Lord is essential, you know, and you can't give
that to your kids. You show it to your kids
and then they choose based out of the love that
you give them. You know, that relationship with God is personal,
so it's theirs to choose. But yeah, I just think
(52:29):
kids want to know you're there, you know, and routine
is essential and love and I don't know, I don't
really have it all figured out, but I don't know.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
I love all that and I think you're so on it,
I really do. I think that is just so so wise. Okay,
so we'll start wrapping up, But I want to know,
what is it like now coming back twenty two or
so years later? How do you feel differently now stepping
out with this new album, I mean, your comeback album,
(53:01):
Acres of Diamonds, And it's the second album that you
told Mike Dungan that you are gonna, you know, get
to eventually after you take a little break.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
So your break is.
Speaker 3 (53:11):
Now complete, your break is over, your sabbatical is over,
and you're coming back now. Your kids are grown. I
mean they're still growing, but you've raised them. Well, they're older,
bellas in college, you have your son's a teenager, and
you did what you wanted to do. You stayed at home,
you were present, You pursued other gifts that didn't take
(53:34):
you away from your main pursuit of being a mom
and in that season of your life, and now you're back.
So what is your mental mind like now versus then?
How are you approaching this now versus then?
Speaker 4 (53:50):
Well, I am doing it on my own. I have
a team that I've built, so the team is well
aware of peace and balance and building something.
Speaker 3 (54:02):
Now.
Speaker 4 (54:03):
Listen, it's been the hardest work I've done in a
long time, other than my jewelry business.
Speaker 3 (54:07):
Which your joy business is called Haybell right, yeah, hey Bell,
Like Lady Wilson's wearing that too.
Speaker 2 (54:13):
I mean, you're all over red carpets, which is so cool.
Speaker 3 (54:15):
I'm sure to have another creativity, another outlet of your
creativity being expressed to your jewelry. And how fun that,
like this time you've been able to pursue that.
Speaker 4 (54:23):
You know, Yes, it's been really sweet the last four
years doing jewelry and having artists wear it. And to
build that. But music, I mean, it's just it's a
whole different ball of wax. Like I didn't know what
I was getting into. So I kind of have a
label and we have a team, and we kind of
(54:44):
have learned a lot. We were learning as we go.
We jumped in headfirst, and we've been cliff noting all
the way, Like I'm like, what is a DSP? What
is this? Who do I need to call? What is TikTok?
We've got to get on TikTok. Let's just get a
viral video, guys. What is this? So we're finding our way.
(55:06):
I think that's been very stressful for me, is to
be that out there right and figuring that out and
what I want people to see and what I want
to share and trying to balance like what I don't know.
It's a crazy world, but it's different in that it's mine.
You know, we kind of get to decide what we're
(55:26):
going to do and which I mentally, I've had a
couple of days where I'm like, what's going on. I
had to fly to Dallas last week and do some
radio remotes and then I had to share the next night.
So I mean it was like crazy for the first
time in a while, and I was like, I'm really
tired and that it was good because it was. I
(55:47):
don't know, it's just I feel different. I don't know
how to describe it to you. But there's no pressure, right,
because I'm I would be the pressure if there was pressure, right.
And we have a really solid team of like minded
people who really believe in the project and are champion
and I love them, and we've created this camaraderie that
(56:12):
I just don't want anything to change about it. And
you know, so far, so good. I mean, it feels
good to be singing again, more than good. And to
hear people saying they miss me or they loved what
I really meant to say, like it's been I mean,
I've sat and cried in my room reading comments because
it means so much to me, because I thought, who cares, Like,
(56:34):
who's going to remember? Should I even do this? This
is crazy? But it has been such a blessing to
my life and to my family's life, you know, for
my kids, and I needed it. It's time.
Speaker 3 (56:47):
If you could have it play out perfectly, seriously, like
in the next five years, if this could play out perfectly,
you come back this album your career, what it would
look like, how you would be presenting yourself to the public,
Like the kind of show you're going to do, Like
how you're going to be received? If this could play
out in your dream perfectly, how would it go? How
(57:07):
do you want to feel out there? What kind of
shows are you wanting to play? How do you want
the public?
Speaker 2 (57:12):
Like? What level are you wanting to like land on?
Like what you know? Like if you could just see
the picture? What would mean?
Speaker 4 (57:19):
This is going to be not hard to answer, but
I would love to I don't. I want to be
careful because I want to sound humble when I say this.
I want to be back on a tour, a big tour,
you know. I want to reach more people, more fans,
just connect with that audience that was there before. Wherever
(57:41):
they are, I'm trying to find them still, you know.
I think just you know, there's a lot of things
I dream about that I'm not going to share here.
We're working on some things, but you know, I just
think in my family being very happy and healthy all
the while we do it, we celebrate together. They get
(58:01):
to come and celebrate that with me, you know, and
that my team feels supported and loved by me, and
that we just I don't know. I miss country music.
I'm miss It's almost like I'd like to pick up
where I left off, if that's even possible. Yes, I
(58:22):
want to go back to that place.
Speaker 2 (58:24):
But you're ready.
Speaker 4 (58:25):
God has his own plan. So we're just kind of
working every day towards So what in front of us?
Speaker 3 (58:31):
What would happen if it took off on a rocket
ship like it did before and you hit that moment
where like everything's spinning so fast that you're like having
a panic attack. Do you think you have better tools
to handle it now? Like what happens if it happens again? Well,
which is a good thing, I guess in this scenario.
Speaker 4 (58:47):
I mean that would be great if something took off,
which is every artist dream, right. We all put art
out there to hope that it reaches the masses and
then sometimes suddenly happens. So if that were to happen again,
I definitely of the tools that I need. I've got
a great family foundation and a great team that's not
going to let this. You know, we've got balance in
(59:08):
our lives.
Speaker 3 (59:09):
Like you'll can't balance, Your balance would be your priority
over anything over everything.
Speaker 4 (59:15):
Yes, even in the jewelry world. You know, I have
to step back and take a deep breath, and you know,
when I get frustrated or whatever, but I think music,
I'm just gonna let it play out. You know, it
feels good to be singing. I've missed it like nobody's business.
There's not a day I haven't thought about it, not
a single day and a single day. But I knew
(59:38):
the time would be right, and it is. The doors
have opened, so I can't imagine that God would allow
it to just break apart.
Speaker 3 (59:46):
You know, I'm dying great having your faith so strong
that you know when it all lines up and the
doors are opening, that it's like, Okay, you can druss it.
Speaker 4 (59:54):
It's everything to me. It's in everything that I do,
and every decision I make is appearing with jewelry, with music,
my marriage, my friendships, it's everything. I mean, I wouldn't
have it any other way, because why not? You know?
Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (01:00:10):
Okay, Acres of Diamonds is out. Cindy Thompson is back,
looking hotter than ever. I mean literally, you have an
age one ioda of a bit and makescept for your soul,
your soul has just gotten age and wisdom and you're
(01:00:30):
so wise and this is so exciting, Cindy.
Speaker 2 (01:00:33):
I am so excited for you.
Speaker 4 (01:00:35):
Thank you, thanks for doing this today. Oh my gosh,
I'm excited to talk with you.
Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
I know. Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
So I always wrap up with Lead Your Light, and
it's super open ended and it's basically just dropping some inspiration.
Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
What do you want people to know?
Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (01:00:50):
Wow, Well, if there's a dream that you've had in
your heart for a really long time and you've been
too afraid to pursue it, stop being afraid. Just go
do it.
Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
I love that. Yeah, Sindy, do you have ten or
like five to ten minutes to do like draw some
questions and answer some quick questions?
Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
Yes, okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (01:01:15):
Okay, this is We're gonna wrap this episode up and
then Sindy's gonna do a bonus episode of Tell Me More, y'all,
She's gonna answer your burning questions. You're not even gonna
believe what they're gonna be. You're gonna pick them and
we're gonna see what your deep your deepest, deepest soul
answers are. Cindy Thompson, adore you love you where can
everyone follow you? Where?
Speaker 2 (01:01:31):
Can everyone follow you? And find you? And what do
they need to know?
Speaker 4 (01:01:34):
Okay, it's Cindy Thompson dot com. It's see Why India
and Thompson without a P T h O ms O
in and then hey Bell Co Jewelry, h A Y
B L L E Co c O Jewelry or Heybell
code dot com. You can see me on Instagram everywhere everywhere.
YouTube have a YouTube channel that with a great series
(01:01:55):
called My World and My Words. We have lots going on,
so all the plays, all the socials you can find me.
Speaker 2 (01:02:02):
Heck, yes, this was so much fun.
Speaker 4 (01:02:04):
Okay, bye bye
Host
Caroline Hobby
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