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Host Intro
Taking a Walk welcome to Taking a Walk on Buzz Night and we are continuing our Valentine's Week celebration with Love Songs and Heartbreak Stories, a special series where we revisit episodes that explore the romantic heart of music. These are the conversations about the songs that capture love's highest highs and lowest lows, the melodies that become the soundtrack to our most meaningful relationships. Today's guest is the incredibly talented Cindy Thompson, a country country artists whose voice and songwriting have touched hearts with their authenticity and emotional depth. Cindy burst onto the country music scene in the early 2000s with her breakout hit what I really Meant to say, a song that perfectly captures the universal feeling of wishing you could take back your words and express what's really in your heart. It's a song about missed opportunities and and unspoken feelings that so many of us have experienced in matters of love. In this conversation, Cindy opens up about the personal stories behind your music, the vulnerability it takes to write from the heart, and her journey through the Nashville music scene. So pour yourself something special this Valentine's week and settle in for an intimate conversation about love, loss, and the courage it takes to say what you really mean. Taking a Walk with Cindy Thompson is next.
Cindy Thompson
This is an iHeart podcast.
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Host Interviewer
Taking a walk Cindy Thompson, thanks for being on the Taking a Walk podcast.
Cindy Thompson
Thanks for having me.
Host Interviewer
So since we call this, this little podcast Taking a Walk, I want to ask you first if you could take a walk with somebody. I'll make it very suspenseful.
Host Intro
If you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, they could be involved with music.
Host Interviewer
They don't have to be. Who would you take a walk with? And where would you take a walk with them? That wasn't that suspenseful, was it?
Cindy Thompson
It sounded kind of cool. I felt it. Wow. Okay. You know, I might take a walk with my great grandfather. I never got to meet him, but we have this amazing photograph in our house and he's so handsome. And he came from Scotland. He was a pastor and he came from Scotland to become a preacher here. And he just looks really cool and I just love to pick his brain.
Host Interviewer
Oh, that's so special. I could, I could visualize the, the cool look, you know, the picture.
Cindy Thompson
Yes. He's so good looking and I'm like, you know, he just, I don't know, I don't know what we would talk about. I'm sure all kinds of things that he's so intriguing to me. Every time I see that picture, I'm like, just want to know him. But I don't, sir.
Host Interviewer
That's nice. It's amazing the array of answers that, that we get with the question. We get everybody from Johann Sebastian Bach to fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers. It goes all over the place. It really does.
Cindy Thompson
Well, if I had a lot of time to think about it, I'd probably pick not, not pick my great grandfather. But you know, there are so many people that I'm intrigued by and stories and so it's a good question.
Host Interviewer
Well, thank you. Thank you for, for that answer. And we're going to talk about the. The brand new music. Certainly get into that. Acres of diamonds and a pretty amazing sound and cast collaborators. So we'll get in the midst of. Of that conversation, But I do want to start at the beginning with you and talk about some of your earliest memories of music that certainly have shaped you to this day.
Cindy Thompson
You know, my favorite memories are always getting in the car with my dad, and he would always have the oldies station playing. He was a big. You know, my parents weren't musical, but they loved music. My mom played the piano a little bit from time to time, like hymns and things. My dad listened to oldies, and we just, I don't know so much great music, and it was just constantly on in his car. Even if we were talking or whatever, it was just kind of playing in the background around. But then we turn it up and listen and so. And then my sisters were older than me. I was kind of the baby of four and kind of an afterthought. Although my mom said she was done having kids, and my dad was like, I just want one more. And it wasn't to have a boy, they swear. But anyway, my sisters had their own, you know, loves of music. One loved jazz, like Manhattan Transfer was always playing. One liked urban music, and one just like popular music. And so I really had a, you know, amazing, you know, intro to music. It was always kind of playing somewhere in the house. All different kinds, so.
Host Interviewer
And that was in the Nashville area?
Cindy Thompson
No, I'm originally from South Georgia, so I grew up in Tifton, Georgia. And, yes, it was just a small town, and that's where I'm from.
Host Interviewer
Probably knew everybody's name there. I'm thinking.
Cindy Thompson
Yes. Yeah, you do. You do. It's gotten bigger now, but yeah.
Host Interviewer
And was there a moment, you know, being impacted by that music that you just described, that, you know, you first knew that you were going to make a career around music?
Cindy Thompson
You know, I didn't until I was around 12 years old.
Host Interviewer
Oh, that old. Geez, yeah.
Cindy Thompson
So old. Well, you know, I, you know, some. You'll hear these stories of kids that sung their whole lives. And mine is a little bit different in that I came out of middle school out of this really bad bullying situation. And so it really, I think, created this part of me that just wanted to be quiet, kind of disappear and not be seen. So it was kind of solidified in a way. And I got into marching band in junior high school. My sister had a clarinet. I thought she was really cool. And I was a terrible clarinet. Player. And I was the last chair. And I was just so bad. But I got in the marching band thinking I could be a part of something really big so that it wasn't just me, right? But because of music, I wanted to do something. And one afternoon, the choir teacher came in instead of Cindy Thompson in here. And I didn't want to raise my hand right away because I didn't want to be seen or heard or noticed. But I went with her outside the classroom, and she said, listen, I heard that you can sing. And I was like, I don't know if I can sing. She had heard about me, I think, through a couple solos I'd done at church in our youth group, you know, but my bully went to my church, so I didn't ever want to sing, you know, because she was a good singer. I mean, it was just this whole thing. So she took me in her choir class, put me in front of the piano. All the students were sitting there, and she began to play scales. They were really easy. They got really hard. And I just sang them all back to her. And she said, I don't care what you do at that clarinet. This is your classroom. This is where you're going to be. So she was the first person to ever say to my parents, she's a star. There's really something special about her. And I find it ironic because I was so withdrawn and so shy and quiet, but she heard something in my voice, and I'm so grateful to her for that because it was really what. That was the catalyst in turning this whole thing around. And. And after that, it was really seeing. You asked me if there was a moment one Saturday morning around this season of my life, I saw Trisha Yearwood singing She's In Love with a Boy on tv. And at Stop Me In My Tracks, I was like, I don't know what that is, but that's what I want to do. And I want to be her friend. And, you know, she is from Georgia. It was just perfect timing on that Saturday morning.
Host Interviewer
Were you looking ahead at some of the questions I prepared? Because. No, I'm teasing you, because. Because the reality is that I was next going to ask you about your musical heroes. So you mentioned Trisha, who's a great one. Were there others that really had a profound just on, you know, kind of giving you that further creative spark?
Cindy Thompson
Yes, there were. I mean, because of all the music that was in my house, you know, and I was also a young teenager, so, you know, your friends kind of influence your musical tastes and you know, listen to popular radio and at the time, this was Whitney Houston. Debbie Gibson was huge because she was so young. And it made it feel like I can do that too. If that, if someone that young can sing, I have that chance. Because back then there was no the Voice or American Idol. It was truly just a dream, you know, to, to. To be in a tiny little town wishing to be this country singer. But yeah, I would say Whitney Houston the most. I just loved so much of what she did and I don't know, she was a big influence.
Host Interviewer
So your songs really have this incredible emotional honesty. Where do you find that inspiration over your career and still for your lyrics?
Cindy Thompson
Oh, I don't. I don't know. You know, sometimes I'm driving down the road and I'll think of something and think, well, that would be a really good title. Or, you know, I think so many things influence me and songwriters in general. I think just moments we might see in real life happening in front of us or, you know, I just know myself pretty well and I, I know if I'm singing a song to you or writing a song, I want you to believe me. You know, I, I don't want to sing something that's just. It's just really important. And so, you know, I'm just inspired sometimes through reading sometimes movies and just sometimes just a phrase that I hear. And then, you know, you get together with a collaborator and they bring what they have to the table and it just becomes a story. I like to tell stories and I like to. You know, one thing that I do when I write a lot is I can actually see the like, music video sometimes playing out or as if it's a movie. Like, what would be the thing that we would say? What would the next thing be that would happen that would make sense. And so inspiration for me though, just comes from all over the place.
Host Interviewer
Do you dream in Technicolor?
Cindy Thompson
Sometimes I do dream a lot. There are seasons I'll dream every night. And yes, they're very vivid, they're very movie like and very, very detailed and long. I'm surprised I'm not tired the next morning. It's not all the time, but fairly often.
Host Interviewer
Sometimes, yeah. Is there a place or a routine that you feel sparks your creativity?
Cindy Thompson
I wish I could say yes. I think back when I was a younger writer without a family, you know, just kind of that first go around, you know, I was writing every day, five days a week, sometimes, you know, two different rights a day. And it was just being at the publishing company you know, being in. In the space where writers were in rooms, you could hear the music coming out of them. And just that world of Nashville at that time was so great. And now it's so interesting because I have two children, I'm, you know, married, and I have a jewelry company. Things that I really am pulled in so many different directions. And so now it's just, you know, making sure I plan to write with someone, like, getting it on the books and then, you know, preparing in some sort of way before I go. But, no, I don't have a routine because my life is so busy that it's not the same as it was back then, you know, so I've had to really learn to pull into the parking lot, walk into the writer's room and focus. And, you know, obviously I keep notes, I keep ideas in my phone for those moments that I get inspired. But no, I really don't have, like, this routine that I do.
Host Interviewer
Just keep it that way then, if it's working. Right. Right. We don't want to disrupt it. Your debut single, what I really meant to say was a big, big hit. Tell us about that time in your life and about that moment with that great song.
Cindy Thompson
Sure, sure. I was in love with this boy. He played baseball, and I met him in Georgia. And, you know, just. I think we dated so long. Seven years. We broke up on an awful lot through that seven years. But it was really. That first whole record is really written around that relationship because that was the one that meant the most. And then being young and growing up in Georgia. But that particular song, what I really meant to say, I wrote because we had broken up. It was final. It was done. We were not playing the games anymore. And his dream was always to be this sculpture artist. He was a baseball player, but he came from artists. And he really had this idea that was different. No one had done it. And I just really believed in him, and I wanted that for him, just like he wanted for me to be a singer. So that didn't happen within the span of our relationship. He did start making art, but not the big gallery opening, like, to have a real place where you could hang your art. And so we broke up, and I found out not too long after that that he got his first gallery opening. So I was struggling with what to do, and I just decided, who cares? I drove down to Georgia and went to see this art opening, and he didn't know I was, you know, coming in at that time. Like, he didn't know I was coming in the room. I think he knew I was going to be there. But I came in and I saw him just walking around the room talking about his art. Everything he had dreamed about, everything that I had dreamed for him was happening. And I was so proud of him because we were really good friends too. And I remember seeing him, we made eye contact and I just told him, I'm proud of you. This is amazing. And I ended up leaving. Not too long after that, I walked out the door. It was very busy that night for him. And out in the street, it was like a movie. The street lights were shining down perfectly lit street in Atlanta, in this particular area of Atlanta. And I hear him calling my name in the street.
Host Interviewer
Wow.
Cindy Thompson
He's left his gallery openings out in the street. And he's like, don't leave. And I'm like, I have to go. And I'm really proud of you. And so I left and, you know, the next day went back to Nashville and I got a notebook, like a notepad out, and I wrote what I really meant to say at the top of the paper because what I really wanted to say was, I still love you. I still feel all these feelings, but the right thing to do was for me to go because we weren't meant to be together. And I took that into my co write and we wrote what I really meant to say.
Host Interviewer
Wow, what a great story. There you go, dreaming and visualizing in Technicolor again.
Cindy Thompson
I know, it's so great.
Host Interviewer
Would you ever consider scoring. Scoring a movie or, Or. Or being in the movie itself?
Cindy Thompson
Oh, yes, we. We've talked about that. You know, I've never. I've had some people recently talk to me about, would you want to do some acting or. And yes, if it made sense. You know, I don't want to, like, be terrible and, you know, so who knows? I mean, it's. It's on the bucket list. Maybe.
Host Interviewer
Cindy, be terrible. I don't think those two words exist for you.
Cindy Thompson
You're very kind. You never know when. You know. I've never done. I did some acting in high school on the school plays, so we'll see.
Podcast Host/Outro
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
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Cindy Thompson
Smart.
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Cindy Thompson
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Cindy Thompson
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Podcast Host/Outro
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
Host Interviewer
So you did step away from the spotlight at one point. And what motivated that decision? Was that really a life sort of, you know, balance and kind of reassessing moment?
Cindy Thompson
Yes, absolutely. You know, artists don't really know what that life is like until they just jump into it, right? You don't get like a crash course or boot camp. And for me, it happened really fast. You know, just the. The life, it turned into a dream come true. I don't want to paint this picture that. That I had a bad experience at the label or, you know, that I was mistreated or anything like that. It truly. Everything was beautiful. It was like from the outside looking in especially, it's like, this is exactly what you would want to happen as an artist. Like, you want your song to go number one that you wrote. You want to be able to open for a trish yard, which I did. You know, Alan Jackson, you. All of it was lining up perfectly. And I would say a year into it, I started having major panic attacks and I didn't know what they were. And so it scared me because I thought, what is this? I'm very peaceful person. I have a great faith that I rely on and I pray a lot. And for whatever reason, I felt very lonely. And I felt. I can't describe it to you, but I was having panic attacks and night terrors and a lot of anxiety. And, you know, back then, nobody was talking about those things. And I felt like if I brought it up, I kept it a secret for a while, that it would look as if I didn't want to work hard or that I didn't appreciate my opportunity. So I just kept kind of trucking along. I had a doctor that would kind of monitor my heart weekly because it was like crazy beating out of control and. And I kept doing the work. You know, I. And I loved singing. I loved the fans. I loved just getting to. To meet people and hear, you know, their stories about how my song had affected their life. And there was so much beauty in that. But there's also this other side to fame, and it's really unnatural to be famous, first of all, but you can do that well. And for me at the time, I just couldn't find the balance. And I felt like the best answer was to like self preservation. You know, I couldn't really look at the, the meetings that we were having with businesses or companies to partner with them and like this projected career that was on the table we were having meetings about, and I couldn't look at that and make this decision. I really had to say, if you are doing something that you love to do and you're meant to do it, you're gifted in that area and you feel like you are falling apart at the seams doing that job right at that second, I think it's okay to step back and go, what's going on? You know? And so that's what I did. I just laid it down. I always knew I would sing again. I didn't know what that would look like, but I just felt like for me it was just saving something that really mattered.
Host Interviewer
I'm so glad you mentioned, you know, there was a period in the world that, you know, wasn't as easy to talk about those things and be public about it or just make that decision. It's now, it's, it's. It's different, I think, but it still is something that's often in the shadows. And the fact that you confronted it and are still talking about it must now lead you to a greater appreciation of life balance, doesn't it?
Cindy Thompson
Yes, absolutely. And. And to be able to have another dream of mine come true, which was to be a stay at home mom. I wanted to have a family like my mom did, and I'm so grateful that I got to do that. And it really taught me a lot. And in coming back and choosing to sing again and do it this, this way, I don't know, for me, it's just there's such a richness to it that I don't think would have been there had I not walked away.
Host Interviewer
Behind you, I see some beautiful jewelry. It must have something to do with this little venture called the Hay Bell Company. Tell us about how that became a reality and how it's then become this wave of popularity among some really cool people.
Cindy Thompson
Well, I feel like it fell from the skies very divine. You know, at the time I wasn't singing yet. This is about four years ago. And I was like, I just want to be creative. And I didn't know what that was, you know. Yes, I had written some songs and that kind of thing, but I just Wanted something. I don't know, I wanted something for myself. And I was just trying to process it all and think about, like, what is that? And I was being very prayerful about it, like, okay, God, like, I want something. I want something to do, you know? So I don't really have a lot of jewelry. I wasn't a big jewelry wearer of things, you know, I didn't even. As an artist, I didn't even wear a lot of necklaces. Like, I was just really, I don't know, minimal. And I went to the beach one summer with my family four years ago, just for a little week, little getaway. And I see these earrings hanging in the shop. And I was like, I think I'm going to make jewelry. And my husband was like, okay. So I got home and I went to some local antique stores and just kind of grabbed pieces that were broken and discarded and kind of just one of the, like, one offs, maybe a pair of earrings, but they weren't a pair anymore because one was missing. And I just came home and started creating things at my dining room table, thinking it was a hobby. And within two weeks, it was on the red carpet at the CMA Awards, which I think is interesting. And it didn't come through a music contact. It came through a friend who knew Hannah Billingsley, you know, Shay Mooney's wife. And she called me and I drove to her house and took the jewelry that I had, and none of it matched her dresses. And so I said, I can make you something. And so I went home that night and dug in this box and made these star earrings that ended up being at the red carpet. She was photographed because they were doing well. They're always doing well. But this particular CMA Awards, they had gotten a lot of nominations. And so she was just everywhere. She was on the tv, every, like, tv, like it was crazy. Sitting in her seat. And you could just see my earrings. And it was a little hard because I was so proud of Hay Bell. I couldn't believe that that happened. But I also was sad because I wasn't sitting there and I had to really think about that. Like, what is that? Pay attention. What does that mean? And I think that was the first, the catalyst in, okay, I think God's prepping my heart for maybe what's coming. That I just kept making the jewelry and the stylists and the artists kept calling. And it's really just one of a kind pieces. I do have an everyday line that's, you know, not one of a kind, but most of my pieces. What I love about what I do is that, you know, I just get to be creative all the time with whatever I find all over the world. I shop all over the world, and I just put these things together, and it's so fun.
Host Interviewer
You make it so matter of fact.
Cindy Thompson
I mean, it kind of is. I mean, even my husband, like, I did my own website. I take the pictures, I did my own logo. Like, for me, from a business standpoint, it really felt good to sit in my jewelry room, this little space I have, and listen to podcasts on how I built that. You know, that podcast. Like, listening to Kendra Scott talk about jewelry, listening to. Oh, gosh, the Spanx founder Sarah Blakely talking about how she started Spanx and hearing these crazy stories of people that sailed, that failed, that failed, you know, and then they just stuck with it. So I. All the while I'm doing this, thinking I'm crazy. I'm listening to these people say, don't give up, don't give up, don't give up. And I haven't. It's the little engine that could, but I'm really proud of it. And my husband, like I was saying earlier, he would come in here and he'd go, I can't believe you're doing this. It's really good. I'm like, I know. It's interesting, isn't it? Because I. I'd never done anything like that. So I don't know. It's just finding. I always say to people, just be open to new adventures in life. Life doesn't have to be empty and stagnant and broken. You can really, you know, carefully be adventurous and, you know, not give up on dreaming. And I'm living proof. I'm in my 40s and starting all over with this crazy thing.
Host Interviewer
Following your heart. Yeah, following your heart and just being passionate about it. Right?
Cindy Thompson
Yes.
Host Interviewer
Yeah. Which now. Okay. I'm sorry it took so long. Brings us to Acres of Diamonds. Congratulations on.
Cindy Thompson
Thank you.
Host Interviewer
The. The. The. The upcoming new music. Five More Minutes is the single. Talk about some of the work behind that, some of the collaborators, and what folks can expect to hear.
Cindy Thompson
Well, Acres of Diamonds is the title of the new EP we have coming out May 23rd, and, you know, it is a labor of love. We know we had a lot of songs to choose from, and we just all kind of. My team came together and said, these are the ones. Acres of Diamonds is the title cut because it's about what I've been building outside of the music industry, this simple life to Me that is full of diamonds. You know, my kids are the acreage, and they are the diamonds, and that's what we've built, my husband and I, this life. So I thought that was important for the listener to know. Hey, this is where I've been. Five More Minutes is the latest single, and it's really just about not something where you look back and regret that you weren't present in a moment, but just a favorite moment that, gosh, if I could just go back for five more minutes, it'd be so fun. Like, one of the lines in the song is riding my pink Huffy bike. My daddy got me this amazing pink Huffy bike, and I loved it. And I rode it every day barefoot all over the place. And sometimes I'll look outside and see kids riding their bikes, and I think, oh, I wish I could just do that again for five more minutes, you know, like that. So it's just a song to just kind of maybe just hopefully make us all more aware of the places and times in front of us that we can be really present, you know? And. And so it's. It's one of my favorites. And then we have this big song coming out. It's a song called Black Celica. My daughter was like, what is that? And I'm like, it's a car that was really cool back in the day, but I wrote it with Ashley Monroe and Mickey Reeves and Ashley. I was like, why don't you sing on it? You know, why don't you. Let's. Let's feature you on this song. Because she's magnificent. Like, her voice is stunning. It's. I called it Like a Beautiful Butterfly the other day. You know, it. It knows where to land. It knows how to surround the lead. Like, she just has her place in this track, and I'm so proud of it. Paul Sykes did it for us. So that is something that's really exciting to me, that we got to do that together. And in fact, Black Silica is kind of based off of that boy, that baseball player that I dated back and with what I really meant to say. So we kind of put all of our minds together and had our own little contribution to the song that meant something to us, and so that's exciting. And then I did a cover of a Harry Styles song, Fallen. We had a list of covers, and I was like, what do we do? I listened to all kinds of music, and I was like, I just love that song. So that kind of became the one that we decided on. I just love the lyrics. Of that song. Like, I love the intimacy and the pain. I love pain. Like, I love the love song kind of pain. Right. So it just worked. It's a Cindy song and then a song called so glad you'd're mine I wrote a while back about I've been married 23 years. And it's kind of a song about just really solidifying being in love, even this far into it. Like, I just love the idea of telling this love song, telling this story. So I'm proud of it. You know, it's. Again, a lot of people have worked really hard. My team has worked really hard on helping bring this to life because. Because we're independent, we're doing it a different way, and so it feels good, and I'm excited.
Host Interviewer
I love the independent aspect of it. I love more and more that artists are able to be independent in their thinking and their strategy with it. I think one of the beautiful things about what's happening with maybe by necessity in some cases, but in general, that artists can have the confidence to be independent. I think that's really cool.
Cindy Thompson
It is. It's scary. You know, it's scary at first because I had come back from just the timeframe where it was only a record deal and then radio. When I jumped back into this, it's like, the sky's the limit. You can do it any way you want to do it. And I'm like, well, I need some structure. Like, what I need. I need parameters. I'm not designed that way. And so I just found an amazing manager, and she's a believer. She's a champion, and she's. She's just amazing. And. And we just started building this, like, learning about how to do it independently, and it's. It's been really hard and really beautiful, and we have learned a lot. I feel like sometimes we laugh. I'm like, we've accomplished a lot in our little, you know, almost two years of doing this together, like, but I'm very excited about what's to come. And the good thing about independence, too, is just the freedom to pivot when we need to if we want to. Also, I get to just go pick up my son from school until he's driving. Officially, she can do the same for her daughter. We just kind of, hey, I'm out at three. I got to go to some baseball games. You know, there's just. There's a beauty of it now that it's getting busier. It's getting busier. But we both agreed that we'd put the things that mattered most in, in first, you know, in this family.
Host Interviewer
Will you be taken, taken to the road a bit?
Cindy Thompson
I absolutely want to go on the road. I mean, I. My hope is to, you know, be a part of some sort of tour at some point. We have a few shows coming up, one in the fall that's being solidified now in Georgia, but ultimately I'd love to be back just on some sort of tour. It's so fun to do that and, you know, so we'll see what lies ahead.
Host Interviewer
You have such a great attitude with it all. It's so, you know, authentic and empowering and inspiring and the music is really awesome as well.
Cindy Thompson
Thank you so much. Well, I know I try to. I'm not always as positive. There are days that are hard, you know, in all aspects of life. I think we all go through moments where we're like, this, is this the right thing to do? And, you know, you just have to backtrack and think of how it all fell into place. I can't deny the open doors, you know, that it's just been really divine and really beautiful.
Host Interviewer
Well, Cindy Thompson, congratulations on everything. Thank you. Grateful that you came on Taking a Walk and I know our audience, including me, are rooting for you in this exciting next chapter of your life.
Cindy Thompson
Thank you so much. I've loved talking with you.
Podcast Host/Outro
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Janice Torres here and I'm Austin Hankwitz.
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We host the podcast Mind the Small.
Cindy Thompson
Business Success Stories, produced by Ruby Studio.
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In partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.
Cindy Thompson
We're back for season four to talk to some incredible small business owners. The big thing about working at tech is that it's ever evolving, ever changing. Everyone's a rookie, that's how fast the industry is changing. So what I'm really excited about is to be part of that change.
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So listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Cindy Thompson
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
Podcast: Takin' A Walk – Music History with Buzz Knight
Episode: “From the Heart: Cyndi Thompson’s Journey Back to Music – Encore Inspiring Musician Interview”
Date: February 11, 2026
Guest: Cyndi Thompson
Host: Buzz Knight
This episode of Takin’ A Walk features an intimate conversation with country singer-songwriter Cyndi Thompson. The discussion explores Cyndi’s personal journey through music, the origins of her honest and emotional songwriting, her decision to step back from the limelight, and her inspiring return to music with the upcoming EP “Acres of Diamonds.” The episode is a celebration of love, vulnerability, personal growth, and creative resilience—perfectly timed with Valentine’s Week.
[06:12–11:44]
Musical Environment at Home:
Discovering Her Own Talent:
Musical Heroes:
[11:44–14:53]
Emotional Honesty:
Dreams & Inspiration:
Routine No Longer Necessary:
[15:10–18:05]
[22:06–26:46]
[27:10–31:49]
[32:03–38:17]
[37:50–39:14]
Cyndi Thompson’s story is one of authenticity, resilience, and renewal—a journey from small-town roots through country music stardom, through adversity and reinvention, all the way to an independent and creatively adventurous life. Her openness about vulnerability, anxiety, and changing dreams is paired with a relentless passion for music and creativity, making this episode equal parts inspiring and heartfelt.
For more episodes and inspiring music stories, subscribe to Takin’ A Walk with Buzz Knight wherever you get your podcasts.