photo credit: Alexandra Rapadas Munger
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’s hand-shaping palm leaf hats for hundreds of people at events such as last month’s Old Salt Festival or creating a custom felt hat for a 5th generation rancher or celebrity musician, Christy’s 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– so she went all-in. Today, Christy’s hats– and her long list of customers– demonstrate the amazing success she’s achieved in a relatively short amount of time.
I’ve been following Christy’s 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’t checked out Christy’s website or followed her on social media, I recommend that you do– there are links in the episode notes to all of that and everything else we discussed. But in the meantime, I know you’ll enjoy this inspiring and motivational conversation with Christy Sing Robertson.
Photos courtesy of Sing Hat Company, header photo by Jamie Johnson.
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RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 4:30 – Christy’s childhood
- 9:00 – Christy’s life post high school
- 10:45 – When making things clothes came into Christy’s life
- 12:00 – How Christy came to the Rocky Mountains, and how it changed her
- 23:00 – What Christy’s work and life was like after moving to Wyoming
- 25:15 – When hatmaking entered Christy’s life
- 27:30 – How Christy’s life changed after she had kids
- 32:00 – How Christy became self-sufficient in hunting
- 35:30 – Back to hats
- 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’s 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’s journey and career
- 55:15 – Reflecting on how Christy got where she is in her craft and career
- 58:45 – Christy’s advice for aspiring makers
- 1:01:15 – Christy’s vision for Sing Hats
- 1:05:00 – Christy’s book recommendations
- 1:07:00 – Christy’s parting words of wisdom
Information Referenced:
- Christy Sing
- Sing Hat Company (Instagram)
- Old Salt Festival
- Russellville, AR
- Ozark Mountains
- Mount Magazine, AR
- Jackson, WY
- Lost Creek Ranch
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Alpine, WY
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Adam Gall
- Billionaire Wilderness by Justin Farrell
- Heather Hansman
- Powder Days by Heather Hansman
- Pema Chödrön
- Jillian Lukiwski
- Noisy Plume
- Kate Mannix
- Think Again by Adam Grant
- Kathy Sever
- Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Chop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf
- Wintering by Katherine May
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Jessica Ilalaole – Creating Home in the High Desert
- Cate Havstad-Casad, Part 2 – Building Businesses for the Greater Good
- Jessica Lewis – Doing More With Less
- Morgan Irons – Finding Her Muse
- Anna Brones – Committed to Creativity
- Iris Gardner – Living with Intention
- Nicole Morgenthau – Curiosity & Creativity
- Riddy Arman – Artistic Authenticity
- Kathie Sever – Chainstitching, Craftsmanship, and Cosmic Western Wear
- Jillian Lukiwski – Art and Adventure in the American West
- Live in Bozeman!
Visit the podcast page for a full, searchable list of episodes
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