Podcasts Culture Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Christy Sing Robertson - On Grit, Hard Work, & Going All In

Christy Sing Robertson - On Grit, Hard Work, & Going All In

Published: July 14, 2023, 12:32 p.m.

Christy Sing Robertson is a hatmaker and the founder and owner of Sing Hat Company. Based in Jackson, Wyoming, Christy has evolved rather quickly from making a few hats for herself and several friends into becoming one of the most popular and sought-after hat makers in the West. Whether she\u2019s hand-shaping palm leaf hats for hundreds of people at events such as last month\u2019s Old Salt Festival or creating a custom felt hat for a 5th generation rancher or celebrity musician, Christy\u2019s humility, curiosity, and commitment to the craft have allowed her to stand out in the crowded field of custom hatmakers.

-

Christy was born and raised in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, and she stayed there for the first half of her career, working as a high-performing salesperson in the insurance industry. But despite her success in the conventional and lucrative world of sales, she felt called to the West and decided to uproot her life and move to Jackson, Wyoming. Even though she moved to Jackson without knowing a soul, she managed to establish roots and build a fulfilling life centered around motherhood, hard work, and leading a thoughtful, intentional life. And along the way, just as she felt a calling to move to Wyoming, she felt called to make hats\u2013 so she went all-in. Today, Christy\u2019s hats\u2013 and her long list of customers\u2013 demonstrate the amazing success she\u2019s achieved in a relatively short amount of time.

-

I\u2019ve been following Christy\u2019s work for many years now, so I was thrilled to finally have a chance to chat with her on the podcast. Her story is amazingly inspiring and speaks to the importance of grit, risk-taking, working hard, humility, and trusting your gut. We covered a lot during our hour together, including: her upbringing in Arkansas and her success in the insurance business; the spiritual event that led her to move to Wyoming; how motherhood changed her; the focus and hustle required to make ends meet as a single mother; hunting big game for food; balancing the artistic side of hatmaking with the all-important need to earn a living; the increasing wealth inequality in Jackson; the importance of friendships with other artisans and makers; why imposter syndrome can be a good thing; techniques for keeping an even keel; favorite books; and much more.

-

If you haven\u2019t checked out Christy\u2019s website or followed her on social media, I recommend that you do\u2013 there are links in the episode notes to all of that and everything else we discussed. But in the meantime, I know you\u2019ll enjoy this inspiring and motivational conversation with Christy Sing Robertson.

---

---

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • 4:30 - Christy\u2019s childhood
  • 9:00 - Christy\u2019s life post high school
  • 10:45 - When making things clothes came into Christy\u2019s life
  • 12:00 - How Christy came to the Rocky Mountains, and how it changed her
  • 23:00 - What Christy\u2019s work and life was like after moving to Wyoming
  • 25:15 - When hatmaking entered Christy\u2019s life
  • 27:30 - How Christy\u2019s life changed after she had kids
  • 32:00 - How Christy became self-sufficient in hunting
  • 35:30 - Back to hats\xa0
  • 39:00 - Whether or not Christy ever reconsidered her decision to make hats
  • 40:55 - When Christy felt she was good at making hats
  • 42:45 - How relationship building impacted Christy\u2019s business
  • 44:15 - How it went when Christy went full into making hats for a living
  • 46:45 - How Christy manages the prices of Jackson, WY
  • 50:15 - How Christy keeps an even keel
  • 51:30 - How a community of makers has impacted Christy\u2019s journey and career
  • 55:15 - Reflecting on how Christy got where she is in her craft and career
  • 58:45 - Christy\u2019s advice for aspiring makers
  • 1:01:15 - Christy\u2019s vision for Sing Hats
  • 1:05:00 - Christy\u2019s book recommendations
  • 1:07:00 - Christy\u2019s parting words of wisdom

---

ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE:

\xa0