The Work of Warriors

Kimberly Rapach (00:02)
Welcome back, warriors Anytime someone writes a song that stops me in my tracks, I'm hunting them down, wanting to talk to them and wanting to wanting to know more of their story and wanting to get them on the podcast. You know, as of recent, last couple of years, I would say the top three songs that have come through for me where I'm like, Whoa, one is

Welcome back, Warriors. You know, sometimes there's a song that comes across our playlist or the radio or TikTok, whatever, and it just stops you in your tracks. I love those songs. In the last couple of years, I would say my top three would be The Night by Morgan Wade, Save Me by Jelly Roll, and Battles by Madison Hughes.

And I am so freaking excited that today I get to sit with Madison Hughes and she is a musician out of Nashville. And she recently released an album and one of those songs is battles and it just went viral on Tik Tok. And I'm so excited that she's here to share her story. Welcome Madison Hughes.

Ahem.

Hey warriors, welcome back. You know, every once in a while...

Hey, warriors, welcome back. know, every once in a while, a song will come across the radio or Instagram or especially TikTok, right? And sometimes they just stop me in my tracks. And I would say the last few years, the top three songs that have done that to me just stopped me where I was like, wait a minute, who is this? Would be Save Me by Jelly Roll, The Night by Morgan Wade, and ⁓

recently released Battles by Madison Hughes. And I am so excited that I get to introduce to you today's guest, Madison Hughes.

Madison Hughes (04:08)
Love.

Kimberly Rapach (04:09)
Hi Madison.

Madison Hughes (04:12)
How's it going?

Kimberly Rapach (04:14)
Let get this turned up so I can hear you. Okay, can you hear me okay? Yes, I can. It's so nice to meet you. From tick tock. Never fails. I love it. ⁓ Your song battles when a little viral.

Madison Hughes (04:20)
Yes, can you hear me?

Nice to meet you from TikTok, is that right?

I know that's how a lot of you guys are finding me from this song.

Kimberly Rapach (04:43)
I know, and I know it's not your first and I'm diving into your other music too. I saw a recent video where you're like, I have other music too.

Madison Hughes (04:47)
Yay!

Yes, no, it's

I think like the new music industry people discover song by song versus like albums and things like that. So, but I still wanted to put out an album. And so that's what I did a couple of weeks ago.

Kimberly Rapach (05:06)
So that's what I did half a week ago. Yeah, congratulations. That's exciting. Yeah, I was, ⁓ I did your introduction and I was saying that, you know, I think this happens for all of us, but you know, there will be a song that comes across your feed today. For me, most, most often it is TikTok because it'll have a sound or whatever, but sometimes a song just lands in your lap and you're like, whoa.

Madison Hughes (05:10)
Thank you.

Kimberly Rapach (05:34)
How did this person know exactly what I've been through or what I'm feeling or what I'm thinking or whatever? And I would say, excuse me, I would say the last few years for me, the big ones for me would be The Night by Morgan Wade and Save Me by Jelly Roll and Battles by Madison Hughes.

Madison Hughes (05:59)
Wow, no way. See, this is what it's all about. I mean, before I was making, ⁓ I used to make like little R &B, kind of Christian rap songs actually, like almost seven years ago about. And then I explored country and like finding my voice and niche. takes a long path to like figure out what you're good at and what ⁓ niche within the music.

Kimberly Rapach (06:03)
Yeah, for real. Yeah, I have goosebumps.

Madison Hughes (06:26)
genres that I fit best and this sort of was sort of like a country blues just really heartfelt raw and people just love that when I'm just channeling raw emotion you know like forget about the productions and all the symphony behind you like when the song is that meaningful it's like I just want to hear the voice you know

Kimberly Rapach (06:34)
people love that when I'm just channeling raw emotion. Forget about the productions and all the symphony behind you. When the song is that meaningful, I just want to hear your voice. Yeah. Well, we'll come back to that song. I want to know a little bit about you. So tell me what have been as a musician, what have been some of your wins in the industry?

Madison Hughes (06:51)
Mm-hmm.

have been when I do shoot my shot. I mean, a lot of it's rejection, but the few yeses have really gotten me far. Like the first big yes of my career was trying out for the voice show and like getting the chair turned. That'd be the first one. And then the second one would be asking this male country singer named Brent Cobb. He's kind of niche, but he's really successful. And I asked him to sing on a song with me and that's one of my top.

Kimberly Rapach (07:03)
have been when I do shoot my shot I mean a lot of it's rejection but the few yeses have really gotten me far like the first big yes in my career was trying out for the boys show and like getting the chair turned that'd be the first one the second one would be

That's amazing. ⁓

Madison Hughes (07:30)
five songs and it's a really sweet love song. I did not think he would see that email but I shot my shot and he said yes to that. ⁓ What's another yes that's a big win. ⁓

And then I guess, yeah, when I finally made the move to Nashville three years ago, that wasn't hard enough, like getting myself out of my comfortable home back in Florida and, ⁓ you know, going against the grain. I just was proud of that decision. ⁓ My inner self being like, this is what you need to do. And so I'm just thankful there wasn't too many obstacles holding me back from doing that.

Kimberly Rapach (07:49)
when I finally made the move to Nashville three years ago. That wasn't hard enough, like getting myself out of my comfortable home back in Florida and going against the grain. I just was proud of that decision.

my inner self, being like, this is what you need to do. So I'm just thankful there wasn't too many obstacles holding me back from doing that. Sure. So it's been three years since you've been in Nashville? Yep. That's exciting. call it a 10-year town, which I don't know. I don't like to limit myself to those trends, but.

Madison Hughes (08:19)
Yep. Yeah. Some people call it a 10 year town, which I don't know. I don't like to limit myself to those trends, but, ⁓ I'm definitely happy that I've gotten out of my self doubt mental block that was holding me back for so many years. ⁓ when I could have, you know, done this sooner, like everyone says, I wish I'd done this sooner. ⁓ don't worry too much about that. can't beat yourself up. I'm just glad I

Kimberly Rapach (08:28)
I'm definitely happy that I've gotten out of my self doubt and to walk that was holding me back for so many years. I could have done this sooner like everyone says. I wish I'd done this sooner. ⁓ don't worry too much about that. can't beat yourself up. I'm just glad I...

Madison Hughes (08:46)
had this reckoning with myself when I was 25. I had this like wake up moment and I hired this confidence coach and just was feeling down in life and was like, I need to like see what my potential is and really try. Like I don't wanna follow the same path of everyone else in high school.

Kimberly Rapach (08:47)
Wow. So what was what you said you called it a reckoning? ⁓

Madison Hughes (09:07)
But yeah.

Yeah, my vocabulary is a little... not the best, but...

Kimberly Rapach (09:16)
Well, I just, would like, I'm always like, so tell me about your childhood trauma. Like I like to go deep. So what did that look like? What did that season look like for you before you hired the confidence coach?

Madison Hughes (09:19)
Right, yeah. I know.

Yeah.

I was living in Los Angeles. decided to pack up my RAV4, leave Florida, drive across the country alone. I didn't know anyone there. I just thought Hollywood was the land of dreams. So naturally after college, I thought that was what I was supposed to do. And just I ran around and helped YouTubers and was mainly doing like video edits and stuff. I was not focused on music. I just did not think that was possible and kind of held it back in the back of my head and posted for fun, like as hobby on SoundCloud app.

Kimberly Rapach (09:33)
I didn't know anyone there, just thought Hollywood was the land of dreams. So naturally after college I thought that was what I was supposed to do. I ran around and helped YouTubers and many doing video edits and stuff. I was not focused on music, I just did not think that was possible and kind of held it back in the back of my head and posted for fun as a hobby on SoundCloud app.

Madison Hughes (09:58)
⁓ but just my confidence was just down and I just didn't like how I felt about myself at all. And, ⁓ I would like move from. Sublease to sublease on Facebook marketplace. I'd find different places and it just was like this rambling soul and it was like getting a little tired. was like, okay, this is getting old. Like I don't feel grounded and I'm not doing what I need to do. And I'm also, it's like that 25 number. feels like you're.

Kimberly Rapach (10:07)
I would move from subways to subways on Facebook Marketplace. I'd find different places. And it was just this rambling soul. And it was getting a little tired. I was like, hey, this is getting old. I don't feel grounded. And I'm not doing what I need to do. And also, it's like that 25 number, feels like you're a quarter of life. So I need to have this moment of what am I going to do with myself now on this earth?

Madison Hughes (10:25)
the quarter life. like, I need to have this moment of like, what am I going to do with myself now on this earth? ⁓ and so that's when I went back home and hired Christina Liqueur, who was my confidence coach and how she helped me kind of sort through my own thoughts because so all the time you get stuck in your own circles, like, ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (10:35)
So that's when I went back home and hired Christina LaCure, who's my confidence coach, and she helped me sort through my own thoughts. Because a lot of the time, you get stuck in your own circles.

Madison Hughes (10:56)
Yeah, trying to think. So loud, ⁓ my God.

Kimberly Rapach (10:57)
The inner critic is loud. So loud. ⁓ my god. Yeah.

So I guess my next question would be, okay, so you shared some of your wins in the industry. Congratulations. What have been some of your lessons?

Madison Hughes (11:11)
Thanks.

⁓ would definitely.

Kimberly Rapach (11:18)
Because I think we have even we have wins and lessons. I don't think we have losses. think wins and lessons. ⁓

Madison Hughes (11:21)
Yeah, that's a good point. Cause that is true with like me, you call them failures. Like I know the way I've learned has been through that. So a lot of the times I would reach out to people like agents or managers and stuff and be all gung ho, hi, like I want to work. And is just the fact of the matter is that just was still in development phase. And so of course they were too nice to like tell me that, but I kind of got the hint of like, I think I do have some more.

Kimberly Rapach (11:37)
And it is just the fact of the matter is that this was still in development phase. And so of course they were too nice to like tell me that, but I kind of got the hint of like, ⁓ I think I do have some more growing and like practicing and honing in to do. And I also learned just to not get negative about it and not diss anybody because everyone's in the same boat of trying to make it and.

Madison Hughes (11:47)
like growing and like practicing and honing in to do. And I've also learned just to not get negative about it and not diss anybody because everyone's, I mean, in the same boat of trying to make it and.

do the right choices with their own business. And so I can't take a personal, and then with the type of songs I was trying to write, like I think I was so scattered of like writing songs about whiskey and I don't know, things that I didn't really feel aligned with, but I would just do it anyway. It wasn't really thinking strat.

Kimberly Rapach (12:20)
things that I didn't feel aligned with, but I would just do it anyway. really thinking, I wasn't thinking like, oh, is this representing Madison Hughes as the brand? I wasn't really thinking that way. But now, that's a great lesson I've learned. You have to be more intentional with what you are putting out to the world. What is this saying about me and what impact do I want to have?

Madison Hughes (12:25)
Wasn't thinking like, is this representing Madison Hughes as the brand? Like I wasn't really thinking that way. But now that's a great lesson I've learned. Like you have to be more intentional with what you are putting out to the world. Like what is this saying about me and what impact do I want to have?

And even with performing live, think you learn just in terms of what songs are working and what songs are not working with people in real life.

Kimberly Rapach (12:45)
And even with the live, I you learn just in terms of what songs are working and what songs are not working with people in real life.

Madison Hughes (12:58)
Yeah, that's what I've got so far. Well, I mean, those did come from real scenarios. Like this one called, was it you or the whiskey I met? Like that was a real person who loved Pendleton whiskey actually. And we called it Tennessee whiskey for the sake of the song rhyming. So that is true. just, feels like.

Kimberly Rapach (12:59)
So what inspired you to write songs about whiskey?

and we call it Tennessee Whiskey. Sure. So that is true. just it feels like really old school country with the sound of the music and the sound of the lyrics. And if I had thought more intentionally, oh, if I want to be more of an indie folk artist or country blues like that's. This is really.

Madison Hughes (13:20)
really old school country when the sound of the music and the sound of the lyrics and if I had thought more intentionally oh if I want to be more of an indie folk artist or country blues like that's is this really going in that direction I don't know but then again I don't want to critic critique all my past stuff because it did come from like an authentic place I think in the moment I just didn't know about

Kimberly Rapach (13:37)
I don't but then again, don't want to critique all my past stuff because it did come from an authentic place of thinking in the moment. I just didn't know about being intentional with branding and things like business side of thinking strategically. This is a way to do it right too, going forward, being consistent.

Madison Hughes (13:47)
being intentional with branding and things like that, like the business side of like thinking strategically. This is a way to do it right to like going forward, being like, what's the word, consistent with everything matching, like having, what are the themes of my music? Do they making sense? they aligned with the same type of person Madison is not? Cause I have another song called about brandy and like, I just am not a big drinker either. like it's need to be.

Kimberly Rapach (14:01)
everything matching, like having what are the themes of my music? they make sense? Or align with the same type of person Madison is, not another song called out Brandy. I just am not a big drinker, either, it's me to be. Well, that might be why, because of your experiences. Yeah. Right.

Madison Hughes (14:22)
Yeah. Yep.

Kimberly Rapach (14:25)
Well, you've talked about, ⁓ you know, like the branding and the consistency and not judging your past work. And I think if you, you know, it's like when they say like, it took me 40 years to be an overnight success, right? Like you have a song that pops off and then everybody thinks like, wow, this brand new artist with her first song, right? And it's like, no, no, no, I have a lot of music. But I think when we look back at someone's art, whatever it is, I myself love to see that evolution.

Madison Hughes (14:29)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

That's true.

Kimberly Rapach (14:56)
You know, you see somebody in a movie and then you're like, wait, that's the same person. They were just another thing I watched. And you think like they just arrived in Hollywood, right? They just arrived in film and you go back and it's like, they've been acting since they were five, right? And then you want to go back and I want to go back and see what they were doing when they were five and 20 or whatever. And so I love to see that evolution of your past art. I think it's a beautiful, like visual or.

Madison Hughes (14:59)
Mmm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (15:22)
even auditory journey of where you've been and where you're going. ⁓

Madison Hughes (15:26)
Absolutely. And I'm kind of glad that I didn't know when I was younger, like that I wasn't thinking about when I will make it and what year, because then I would have maybe given up too early, like in thought as a young kid, that'll take too long. I'm impatient. So I'm glad I just stuck with it for the fun of it and wasn't thinking. So how do I make it a music business?

Kimberly Rapach (15:30)
And I wasn't thinking about when I will make it and what year, because then I would have maybe given up too early, like, and thought as a young kid, that I don't think too long, I'm in patient. So I'm glad I just took it for the fun of it and wasn't thinking so, I'm gonna make it, music business. And then TikTok only came along really in the last three years, because before COVID, I don't think people were actually really using that app, but it's been huge for music discovery and for connecting to real people like you. It's not just a silly app for people like

Madison Hughes (15:45)
And then TikTok only came along really in the last three years, because before COVID, I don't think people were actually really using that app, but it's been huge for music discovery and for connecting to real people like you. know, it's not just a silly app that people like to say it is.

Kimberly Rapach (16:00)
I love it and I I mean I love those connections I don't love all the ads and all the selling that happens but I'm willing to go through that to get to the good stuff. I think they know that. They know we're all willing to go through it to get.

Madison Hughes (16:10)
Yep. Yeah. Yeah.

TikTok shop, Mm-hmm, I sure do. ⁓

I know for my feet is all like this supplement or this scrub brush. I'm like, need, I need both of those. really? Everyone's is different page. So many fun. Gosh. I don't know.

Kimberly Rapach (16:30)
Mine are always bags. Like makeup bags and travel bags.

Why is that? don't know. That's so funny. ⁓ Have you met other artists on TikTok that you maybe would collaborate with? Or is there anything in the works or in discussion about that?

Madison Hughes (16:45)
yeah!

Yes, I'm collaborating with, you know, the fiddle player, Philip Bowen, if anyone listening, he's a huge TikToker, but he's famous for his Fiddles, ⁓ Fiddles songs, him. And then there's another artist called Benjamin Todd, who was an outlaw country artist. I'm singing background vocals on his song. That was a cool organic moment. But other than that, those have come, those opportunities have come to me. So I need to figure out what my next outreach move will be.

Kimberly Rapach (17:12)
Yeah, that's so exciting.

Madison Hughes (17:21)
⁓ I like to collaborate with this artist named, ⁓ Petey Chavis. I think that's how you say his name. He was also on The Voice before me, but he is kind of a retro sound and we've, a lot of our covers together have blown up. So I think we should do a song together at some point.

Kimberly Rapach (17:34)
together and blown up so I think we should do a song together at some point. That's so fun. Yeah, that's amazing. It feels almost like TikTok is providing like Nashville from decades ago. Like, hey, you want to play together? Exactly. You know? Yep.

Madison Hughes (17:47)
Hmm. Yeah, that's, think exactly. Yep. Cause I mean, when, when I'm out and about at songwriter rounds, which I'm going to on tonight, I'll network with people there, but if you're not seeing the people play live, it's hard to know if they will be your vibe, but on Tik TOK you get to see them playing. So yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (18:03)
If you're not seeing the people play live, it's hard to know if they will be your vibes. I'm sure you get to see them playing. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. So what does what does life look like in Nashville for a musician such as yourself? Yeah, I mean, lot of the weekday stuff is songwriter sessions. So during the day at 11 a.m.

Madison Hughes (18:23)
Yeah, I mean, a lot of the weekday stuff is songwriter sessions. So during the day, like 11 a.m. is the time where all the sessions start at. You normally should try to bring in a song idea or song title. I've been kind of bad about not having a lot ready, but that's something now ever since Battles came out that I'm gonna be intentional about because if it comes from within the artist, so that's.

Kimberly Rapach (18:33)
session start up. You normally should try to bring in a song idea or song title. I've been kind of bad about not having a lot.

Madison Hughes (18:49)
gonna connect with your audience. So that's during the weekdays, during the day. And then usually at the evenings on the weekdays, there's something called songwriter rounds, which is where like four people sit on a stage with their guitars on a stool and they song swap. So you do four songs each or something. ⁓ And then sometimes after that, people will go network even more, but that's too late for me. And then the weekends is when they people go touring. So...

Kimberly Rapach (19:11)
but that's too late for me. And then the weekends when the people go touring. So doing the weekend warrior thing or Friday, Saturday, trying to find shows, driving distance within eight hour drives, come back on Sunday and then repeat. So, know, you can get to Chicago in under eight hours. saying. Oh, I've been looking at Chicago.

Madison Hughes (19:18)
doing the weekend warrior thing where Friday, Saturday, you try to find shows driving distance within eight hour drives, come back on Sunday and then repeat. I am, yeah. I've been looking at Chicago venues for like a 100 capacity venue. See, I can't do bigger than that yet just because of like.

ticket sales strictly, like if you don't have this whole marketing machine behind you paying for like ads to get it out to the area, it's really hard to just sell a hundred tickets like that. So I'm working on it, but any Chicago listeners, please let me know where I should play. But aside from that, and then there's the recording. Yes, that'd be awesome.

Kimberly Rapach (20:00)
I have a few connections I'll reach out to as well.

Madison Hughes (20:06)
And then, besides those other things I mentioned, then you go to the recording studio, or if you're like me, sometimes you would just record at your house and do your TikTok videos and your content. And then, a lot of us do barista work or side jobs. And then, I have found that song...

Kimberly Rapach (20:12)
studio or if you're like me sometimes you just record at your house and do your TikTok videos and your content and then a lot of us do resto work or side jobs and then I have found that some

Madison Hughes (20:30)
song, what's it called? Sound recording royalties are kind of like your passive income that come in every month. So on May 1st, I'm excited my next royalty comes through. And so that's where Spotify and all of them pay you for uploading your music, based off of how many streams you get. So the streams actually do correlate to money as a lot of people.

Kimberly Rapach (20:32)
Sound recording royalties are kind of like your passive income that come in every month. So on May 1st, I'm excited my next royalty comes through. And so that's where Spotify and all of them pay you for uploading your music based on how many streams you get. So the streams actually do correlate to money as a lot of think it doesn't pay much, but I definitely get a decent amount every month that helps me going. It helps me keep living here. So that's a quick run now.

Madison Hughes (20:52)
think it doesn't pay much, I definitely get a decent amount every month that helps me going, helps me keep living here. So that's the quick rundown of Nashville life.

Kimberly Rapach (21:02)
So when someone I'm just curious because I'm learning. So when someone plays your song on repeat, so a song goes viral, and people are playing it over and over, like on Apple or Spotify, that's revenue for you. What about if it's like on TikTok where it's a bite?

Madison Hughes (21:15)
Mm-hmm. Yes, but not on TikTok or Instagram. No, that's the only downside about TikTok. mean, it is good in that it's a music discovery app so that it does direct people to listen to the full thing on Spotify. So if I had just released like say three minutes song on TikTok and didn't put it on Spotify, I would be missing out on a huge opportunity for myself. I would be shooting myself in the foot. Like it's crazy that just the difference between

Kimberly Rapach (21:23)
Yeah. Sure. Sure. ⁓

Madison Hughes (21:45)
one app can like change how much money someone can make in a month.

Kimberly Rapach (21:47)
can like change how much money someone can make. Yeah, that's so helpful to know because tic tac is always the clips, right? Like rarely do you see a full song even though you can record up to 10 minutes. So that makes sense. Now I know. Yes, everyone should understand that. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok is strictly for leading people to listen on Apple and Spotify. Yeah, is artists prefer. Yep.

Madison Hughes (21:55)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yes. Yes. And Spotify, you can add to your playlist. No, yeah, that definitely. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok is strictly for leading people to listen on Apple and Spotify. That is what artists prefer.

Kimberly Rapach (22:16)
Makes sense. That's awesome. So ⁓ when I reached out and asked if you wanted to come on the work of warriors, know, we're, you know, my mission is just to empower artists because I see as a former therapist, I see how we're hurting our artists and I see how we are disempowering our artists. And one of my biggest gripes is how

we put artists into a toxic system with unrealistic schedules and unrealistic demands and essentially burn them out. And then if an artist burns out, then we slap a mental health label on them. And it just drives me like to my limit, right? And so,

Madison Hughes (22:57)
Mmm.

Wow. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (23:05)
this space is for artists to be able to show up, to be people, to be human, to not have to perform, to not have to meet anyone else's expectations, and just to tell your story. And so when you saw the work of warriors and about mental health and empowering artists and ending celebrity suicide, what came up for you? Why did you say yes?

Madison Hughes (23:08)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, well, I personally have struggled with so much in her conflict and pain the last two years as well. mean, as I feel like ever since high school is like really hard and ⁓ I can only do so much through speaking through my music and it helps even more for me to audibly like have conversations like with you as a person and be able to talk about why I'm writing these and

Kimberly Rapach (23:41)
so much through speaking through my music and it helps even more for me to audibly like have conversations like with you as a person and be able to talk about why I'm writing these and because you can't explicitly say everything about your life in the song. Sure. Yeah you know I obviously are a certain humans too that are going through really silent battles as I said in song but

Madison Hughes (23:55)
Cause you can't explicitly say everything about your life in a song, but ⁓ yeah, you know, I obviously artists are humans too, that are go through really silent battles. As I said in the song, that's too hard to get off your chest. And I want people to not feel so alone, even though there's thousands of people commenting, my gosh, this is my story, you know, on your song. just...

Kimberly Rapach (24:11)
Too hard to get off your chest and I want people to not feel so alone even though there's thousands of people commenting, my gosh, this is my story, you know, on your song. Just day to day, this life is painful for me right now and I can't share this with anybody. So here's me stepping out and sharing like I'm standing with you. Yeah. Yeah.

Madison Hughes (24:20)
day to day, this life is painful for me right now and can't share this with anybody. So here's me stepping out and sharing like I'm standing with you, you know.

Kimberly Rapach (24:35)
So what would you be able to share as far as what is what is a season like for you? Like for me, when I just called a dark season, I went through a very dark season where I contemplated my own existence. And I, you know, I used to be a therapist, I walked away from that and created a system based on what saved my life. And so

Madison Hughes (24:45)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Kimberly Rapach (25:00)
I know for me, it was dark, I was angry, I was burned out. felt, I just didn't have boundaries. I felt like nobody cared, nobody saw me. None of that was true. ⁓ It's just how I was feeling because I had overextended myself. ⁓ And just hit a really dark place where, you know, it was just the closest to...

feeling suicidal that I had ever been. Like I'd always had thoughts of like, what if? More of a passive feeling, but this started to become more active where I was like, how would I do that? And it scared me. And you know, I had to make a decision and I chose life. ⁓ So I'm wondering if you could describe whatever you're comfortable with. ⁓ What your dark... ⁓

Madison Hughes (25:50)
Yeah. Yeah, that's a good way of framing it. Yeah, that's exactly kind of a good way of framing it because I don't want to...

Kimberly Rapach (25:51)
I don't want to give you my word, is that okay? Does that land? Yeah.

Madison Hughes (26:03)
Yeah, I feel like the world where this dark cloud was around me type thing. it ever, obviously heartbreak is a silly thing to say, but that's a lot of people, it is a really strong feeling. And if you're not prepared for that and your brain goes overboard on freaking out, and people around you don't have that same experience, so they're either judging or...

So you know, snap out of it. It's like, I should, it's just a contradictory of like, I should be snapping out, but I feel something so deeply. Like you can't tell my brain to just snap out of this and go live life and be happy. Like, and so that constant battle of like painting on a smile, but inner struggle of like, ⁓ I want to be with this person, but they're gone now or. ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (26:32)
And you know, snap out of it. like, ⁓ should, it's just a contradictory of like, I should be snapping out, but I feel something so deeply that we can't tell our brain to just snap out and just go live life and be happy. So that constant battle of like, on a smile, but inner struggle of like, ⁓ I want to be with this person, but they're gone now.

Madison Hughes (26:58)
Yeah, or like if your life being judged by close people, like I've experienced that and ⁓ as much as I want to say, I don't care what people think. Like sometimes the people pleaser mentality can get the best of me, but I just have to constantly remind myself. Like we all think we have so much time. Like I would hate to realize at the end, like ⁓ of each day, like,

What did you do today? You worry the whole day and like every day it's like how many days were you overthinking and just ⁓ letting, yeah, letting the darkness override you. As much as I would try to like journal and get things out like.

Kimberly Rapach (27:34)
letting the darkness override you. ⁓ As much as I would try to journal and get things out, music obviously did help me as my first outlet to express that. by holding it in, clearly no one else around me wants to talk about it and help me through it, so I have to get out somehow. I just think the battles that we struggle silently are the hardest.

Madison Hughes (27:41)
music obviously did help me as my first outlet to express that out. Because if I was holding it in, clearly no one else around me wants to talk about it and help me through it. So I have to get it out somehow. And I just think the battles that we struggle silently are the hardest. And I just know people close to me that have gone through.

worse, so to speak, with like illnesses and then thinking like, oh, what's the point of living, you know, because life is 2025 is so hard and things are doomed and it's just really, I can't necessarily relate to feeling, you know, having an illness or something, but like, it's reality for so many people going through something really hard. And I can only put myself in that glimpse where I was last year and.

Kimberly Rapach (28:18)
can't necessarily relate to feeling, you know, having an illness or something. reality for so many people going through something really hard. ⁓ And I can only put myself in that glimpse where I was last year. And it was empathizing in those moments. Yeah, no, I'm totally tracking. Yeah. And I think, you know, two things that come up for me are

Madison Hughes (28:31)
and able to empathize like in those moments. I don't know if I'm rambling now, but.

Yeah, thank you.

Kimberly Rapach (28:47)
you know, when you talked about like heartbreak, I think our society does a really crappy job of teaching people how to grieve. And what little grief we let people have, it's like if somebody dies, and then you only get so much time when that's just not how it works, right? Like once there's a loss, well, a backup and say loss isn't just death, right? It can be loss of a relationship, even a friendship.

Madison Hughes (28:55)
Hmm, yeah.

Right, Yeah. ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (29:18)
It can be loss of a job or a career or whatever and it doesn't there's no like time period to put on it like okay You're gonna agree for three months and then you'll be fine It's like no you're gonna spend however much time it takes learning how to live with this absence and This is your new normal now, so there is no snapping out of it

it's adjusting, it's taking that loss with you into the next version of yourself because now you're a different person because of that betrayal or loss, you know, or breakup, whatever it may be. Yeah, so I just, you know, I think we do a really crappy job and, you I heard you say like, nobody else wants to talk about it. ⁓ You know, we don't want to talk about grief because if I...

Madison Hughes (30:02)
Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (30:09)
If I get into your grief with you, then I have to accept that that could happen to me. And if I'm not self aware, yeah, if I'm not self aware or self evolved, I'm like, I can't touch that. Why don't you just snap out of it and then I don't have to worry about it.

Madison Hughes (30:14)
Mm-hmm. That's so true. People.

Right, that's so true. It's like everyone, like I remember being so lighthearted and free and thinking nothing hard will ever happen to me and like until it happens to you then you understand like everyone's gonna have dark moments in life and you don't know when they're gonna come up and so, but I also refuse to live in fear of like constant looming things coming.

Kimberly Rapach (30:40)
Sure Yeah, it's like that scene out of Finding Nemo. I think that's where it came from ride the wave. Just don't get caught in the undertow Because it is life happens in waves Yeah, so

Madison Hughes (30:57)
That's great. There's a song right there. Mm-hmm. like that.

Kimberly Rapach (31:09)
What is your like what is your community like now? I think community is huge for me for like mental health and mental wellness. What is your community look like?

Madison Hughes (31:21)
It's mainly like my immediate family. I feel like the friend circle in Nashville, it's like all business related. So it's like hard because everyone in Nashville is all creative and we're all doing the artist's dream. And it feels different from like, say if I were to live back home where everyone's just doing their normal job or something and then everyone has their community. So I feel like kind of an...

Kimberly Rapach (31:31)
It's like hard because everyone in Nashville is all creative and we're all doing the artist's dream. it's different from like say a bar, live back home where everyone's doing their normal job. And everyone has their community. So I feel like kind of an, that is one aspect of West that feels like kind of absent honestly. Because it's.

Madison Hughes (31:47)
Like that is one aspect of life that feels like kind of absent, honestly, because it's, you feel like you're at this window of chasing the dream and it's like, the next three years are crucial. So power in. ⁓ and like sometimes my songwriting sessions turn into therapy sessions of me just laying your heart out. ⁓ and then sometimes I guess the other community would be the digital community. Like, I hate to be like that, that's a real thing, but.

Kimberly Rapach (31:55)
feel like you got this window of chasing the dream. It's like, the next three years are crucial, so power in. And like, sometimes my songwriting happens to turn into therapy sessions, you're just laying your heart out. ⁓ And then sometimes, I guess, the other community would be the digital community. Like, I hate to be like, but that's a real thing. But the relationship with people that following me and the conversations we're having. ⁓

Madison Hughes (32:17)
you know, the relationship with people that are following me and the conversations we're having. Yeah, I would say that's my extent.

Kimberly Rapach (32:25)
Yeah, I'll say that's my said. So what would you like? What was your experience? And this may be a repetitive question. But do you want to say any more about how battles came to be? Yeah, it came from

Madison Hughes (32:37)
Mm-hmm. Yep, it came from.

me seeing a person wearing a shirt that said, everyone's fighting a battle you don't know anything about, which turned into me thinking this needs to be a song. And so when I went to the writer session, this other writer in the room, she started, had this idea, it should start from a female narrator. She paints on a smile she takes on the day. And then that leads into the hook of everyone's fighting silent battle. ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (32:43)
seeing a person wearing a shirt that said everyone's fighting a battle you don't know anything about. when I went to the writer session, this other writer in the room, started, had this idea, it should start from a female narrator. She paints on a smile she takes on the day. And then that leads into the hook of everyone's fighting a battle.

Madison Hughes (33:07)
So I brought in the way it should sound. was like, should be everyone's fighting battles that you don't know nothing about. And I was kind of almost timidly saying that I'm like, is this good? Is this bad? I don't know. Like you guys are professional writers, you know better than me, but. ⁓ and I was so happy that like they were able to catch.

Kimberly Rapach (33:08)
So I brought in the way it should sound. was like, should be, everyone's fighting battles that you don't know nothing about.

Well, I have goosebumps had to tell right now so ⁓

Madison Hughes (33:30)
my idea of like, this needs to be a song. It's not just a cheesy saying I saw on a shirt. Like this is, this is, this is a powerful thing. Because also when I was driving to the chiropractor, my Uber driver, her back was really hurting and she randomly heard me listening to this first demo voice memo of battles on my phone. I was trying to make sure she wasn't hearing it cause I wasn't sounding that on pitch or whatever. And she was slurred. She was like, wait, is that you singing? Like.

Kimberly Rapach (33:46)
First demo, voice memo battles on my phone. I was trying to make sure she wasn't hearing it because I wasn't sounding that on pitch or whatever. was like, wait, is that you singing? You need to turn that up. Let me hear this. And then I noticed she starts tearing up, which I started playing it. I'm like, oh, this song is special, even in its rawest form. Wow.

Madison Hughes (33:58)
You need to turn that up. Like, let me hear, let me hear this. And then I noticed she starts like tearing up, which I started playing it and I'm like, ⁓ this song is special even in its rawest form. Wow. And then that's when I went home and recorded that first version of me sitting on my bed playing through the first verse and chorus saying this made my Uber driver cry. ⁓ and then that was back in January of this year and now it's end of April and I finally released it this month, but.

Kimberly Rapach (34:10)
Wow ⁓

Madison Hughes (34:27)
I mean, all the different clips of me posting it throughout the last months. mean, thousands of likes and shares and comments and, you know, people lip syncing along to it and commenting, this is me. How did you know this was my story? Are you reading my mind? I'm like, this is so meant to be like, oh.

Kimberly Rapach (34:40)
my story, or you're reading my mind, like, this is so meant to be. Yeah. Well, and I love the verse where you say, you know, she might have lost her mama, she might have just lost her mama, might be working through some trauma, or has some trauma she's trying to work through. And I...

Madison Hughes (34:52)
Mm.

Yes.

Kimberly Rapach (35:00)
I just have so much respect for anyone who normalizes that conversation. Because again, we're even though it's 2025, we still have this like misconception that like some people have mental illness. And it's like, I'm not saying mental illness doesn't exist. But most people have mental health that they're struggling with because not because they're mentally ill, but because they're human. And life happens and we lose people and betrayals happen and illnesses happen.

Madison Hughes (35:16)
All

Yeah. Absolutely. Mm-hmm. Yes.

Kimberly Rapach (35:30)
And being human is hard.

Madison Hughes (35:33)
Yeah, it's really hard. mean, everyone commenting, like, it's all people who are, you know, I know teenagers struggle with hard times too, but it's a lot of the commenters are people who've lived more life than the younger kids and are more, I don't wanna say jaded, but have had more hurt happening and like life's taking a toll and just.

Kimberly Rapach (35:37)
It's all.

But it's a lot of the commenters are people who've more life than the younger kids and are more, I don't want to say jaded, but have had more hurt happening and life's taking a toll and just, I was blown away. mean, a lot of people when you post, you don't think things are gonna really catch on.

Madison Hughes (35:57)
I was blown away. A lot of people, when you post, you don't think things are gonna really catch on. I was like, yeah, this is crazy that this many people are feeling this emotion all at once. We're all painting smiles for the most part because it's not gonna walk around with a frown on my face mad at everybody because I want to be pleasant. it is hard to like...

Kimberly Rapach (36:21)
⁓ Right, right, right. Right. That's all we talk about here. It's funny I was looking for I'm doing a masterclass tomorrow. And I was using, excuse me, I was using chat to just make sure I had all of

Madison Hughes (36:23)
just normalize trauma or like talk about it just in the open every day. If it's not a structured conversation like this, where people are aware of this is what we're talking about today. And if you don't care, go to a different podcast. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (36:51)
my resources. And you know, I always want to offer people resources. I'm a social worker by nature. And it recommended my podcast. And it was like, this one is curated by a former therapist. Okay, cool. I'll check it out. So funny. ⁓ How fast did your song hit on TikTok?

Madison Hughes (37:00)
my god, nice! Well... my god. Classic.

to me. I mean, it was probably like day three after I posted it where it was getting more and more views. And then I sometimes you have to test out different locations and different overlays on your video, like texts and what's going to trigger people. Like the second time it went viral when I was like, apparently everyone's going through this right now. Or what did I say? I think we're all the same person or something. And then have the lyrics throwing up about the screen.

Kimberly Rapach (37:22)
getting more and more views. then I, sometimes you have to test out different locations and different overlays in your video, like texts, what's gonna trigger people. Like the second time it went viral when I was like, apparently everyone's going through this right now, or, I think we're all the same person or something. And then have the lyrics throwing up all over the screen. But I...

Madison Hughes (37:46)
but I should have recorded and put, this out as soon as I was catching, but, I was in the middle of putting my album out. So I was like, I don't want to confuse. But, ⁓ anyway. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (37:48)
I should have recorded and put this out as soon as that was catching.

Yep. Yeah. Well, from an onlooker, it looked like it was timed perfectly. Yeah, exactly. But we don't, you know, I don't see behind the scenes, so. Right. ⁓

Madison Hughes (38:03)
Yeah, exactly. Because new people are still discovering this. Right? Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (38:11)
So let me ask you Madison, what do you do to protect your own mental health?

Madison Hughes (38:22)
This is good because honestly, like if I'm being honest, I do sometimes let just like that thoughts just like go through and I know I'm supposed to take my thoughts captive and be like, is this a true thought? No, it's not. So why are you letting it circulate? And like I will take out my notes app and like write down things I'm thinking to get them out of my brain to out. So it's not causing me distress throughout the day.

Kimberly Rapach (38:28)
that thought just like go through. And I'm supposed to take my thoughts captive and be like, is this a true thought? No, it's not. So why are you letting it circulate? And like, I will take out my notes app and like write down things I'm thinking to get them out of my brain as soon as possible.

So it's not calming me distress throughout the day. But I mean, do normally like try to find someone at least talk it out. I, for a period would hold everything in that for me personally, I don't like doing that. So I do find people close to me and be like, hey, I'm struggling with this right now. need to check this out. So I only know what the proper way to do it is. Is it to go to your mom or? ⁓

Madison Hughes (38:49)
⁓ but I mean, I do normally like try to find someone at least and talk, talk it out with like, I, I for a period would hold everything in and that for me personally, I don't like doing that. So I do find a couple of people close to me and we'll be like, Hey, I'm struggling with this right now. I need to chat this out with you. that okay? So I don't really know what the proper way to do it is. If is it to go to your mom or like, it doesn't always have to be.

Kimberly Rapach (39:17)
Well, it sounds like connection is helpful for you. Yeah. And I believe connection is important for most people, but not everyone is willing. Like sometimes it just gets too heavy and a lot of people just isolate, which is what makes it even more dangerous. ⁓

Madison Hughes (39:20)
Yeah, some people would be...

Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Yeah, no, I totally agree. And it's not like I can just go, paint and feel like that's getting something out. ⁓ And also just feeling like people are judging if you try to say something or finding the right people to talk to who aren't gonna be all like, you're overreacting or, ooh, that's crazy how you're going through that. ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (39:50)
Yeah.

Madison Hughes (39:55)
trusting the right people to talk things out was hard. yeah, connection, that's good.

Kimberly Rapach (40:05)
or anything else? Do you have any like non negotiables? Like any? Like you said, you tried a journal but like working out or

Madison Hughes (40:13)
that's a good one. Actually. I forgot about that outlet about moving my body. We have a park nearby, which is great. So I try to make it a goal to walk a few times a week because it's. It's beautiful out. It's by spring and summer. Now it's perfect winter. It's harder,

Kimberly Rapach (40:29)
Yeah. Well, it gets pretty hot there in the summer, doesn't

Madison Hughes (40:36)
Mm-hmm. Also like we'll do like cooking near cooking now, like more finding an interesting recipes and being like, I'm gonna like, yeah. gosh. And coffee. Yeah. that's my whole other series besides cooking. I do like, yeah, like snack. It was like morning brews with Madison Hughes. So it actually almost sounds like morning news. Morning brews, but it rhymes. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (40:44)
my gosh, your morning brews with Madison Hughes. caught episode one. Coffee? What is it called? Coffee brews?

Yes.

Well, you had your coffee, so, and it was, you just took it like a champ. You dumped your strawberry water in your coffee.

Madison Hughes (41:09)
⁓ I can't believe that. That's hilarious. Like, of course. It's funny. I'm very clumsy. Yep. See, and I was like, need to say I want to start posting just like fun things like that, too. I think that actually is another one that helps me actually get out of my head and get out of.

Kimberly Rapach (41:13)
It's like that's so cute and you're like man and he just like okay well we're back ⁓

Madison Hughes (41:30)
⁓ overthinking and over people pleasing and over everything. Like, let me just start treating Instagram as I'm sharing, ⁓ fun day to day things. Don't over, you know, get annoyed with social media and be like, I have too much screen time, blah, blah. Yeah, well we all do, but it's a means of connecting with people and I want to help other people feel free and just, yeah, being free is so, is what I lacked for a long time. I

Kimberly Rapach (41:42)
get annoyed with social media and be like, oh, too much screen time, blah, blah, Yeah, well, we all do. But it's a means of connecting with people. And I want to help other people feel free. Yeah, being free is what I lacked for a long time. I think you get better at it more you are.

Madison Hughes (41:58)
It's like you get better at it the more you are releasing a bit by bit, you know, and it makes you more free. And I've actively seen that result myself. I used to not be able to even hold the iPhone up to my face and do any interview. Like that would be way too scary. I like, I'm being perceived. And like, what if, what if, what if? And it's like that. I did not want to live that way. And it's like, do sometimes you do get to a point where like, I can't, I can't keep living like this.

Kimberly Rapach (42:02)
releasing a bit by bit. And it makes me more free. And I've actively seen that myself. used to not be able to even hold the iPhone up to my face and do any interview. That would be way too scary. Like, I'm being perceived. like, what if, what if, That.

Madison Hughes (42:25)
mental turmoil. I don't want to, so you make the decision. Sometimes it does come to that point. ⁓

Kimberly Rapach (42:31)
Well, when I talk to people about wellness, creativity, and play are

Madison Hughes (42:37)
Mmm.

Kimberly Rapach (42:40)
part of wellness for me. So cooking, your coffee brews, your morning brews, all of that. And then also I think like how you show up, you know, like, like spilling the water, like that was so perfect. And I think we are craving imperfection.

Madison Hughes (42:40)
That's great, yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So good.

Kimberly Rapach (42:59)
I think we are craving it. went through that period where everything was so curated, so perfect that I don't know about other people, but when I see imperfection, just that, that spilling of the water is such a good example of like, yeah, shit happens. We're all human. And you just took it like a champ and rebounded and brought it right back. And it's just such a great lesson, right? Like that's our everyday life. That's what life is really like.

Madison Hughes (43:15)
Yeah, that's a great example. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh my God. I know. Yeah. I mean, there's no way I'm to actually like for this new little series, like I'm going to have my walking clothes on. I'm not going to do my whole glam like as I would in the afternoon. Like I'll do makeup in the afternoon when I have to go out and about, but I'm not going to do this whole production at six in the morning. And no, that's crazy. No one is doing makeup for their walk.

Kimberly Rapach (43:29)
What else did you say ⁓

Did you say something about, you said when you couldn't put the iPhone up to your face and you, was too scary to put yourself on camera. One of the greatest things that my coach, shout out to Danielle McCleary, but ⁓ one thing my coach really helped me with is the universal law of polarity.

Madison Hughes (44:02)
yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (44:17)
And so she is always like hands down, if you are going to have people who love you, you are just naturally going to have people who hate you. And you have to be ready for both. And once I just knew to, kind of always knew to accept it, but I didn't allow myself to really accept it. but once you realize that, like, that is the world we live in and a lot of the people who bring the criticism and the bullying and the

Madison Hughes (44:25)
Mm.

Kimberly Rapach (44:45)
the rude comments, like they're not your people. And it really doesn't matter because your people that, you like that song that you wrote, like that's not for bullies, right? It's for real humans who are living their lived experience and looking for a little hope. And they're probably the kindest people on the planet. So.

Madison Hughes (44:51)
Yeah. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (45:08)
Just you know taking that with a grain of salt and that made me wonder have you gotten any criticism? Have you had to deal with any of that with your music career? Thank goodness, yeah Yeah, yeah

Madison Hughes (45:17)
It's funny with this song, course, zero criticism. think as it should, that would be crazy if someone's someone's like, ⁓ that's weird. Or what? I don't even know what comment they would make because everyone it must be so true that no one's going to comment on there. Like, mean, I.

Sometimes like, yeah, they'll be like, oh, you sound too country or when I do some covers or like, that's a terrible rendition or like, okay, ha ha ha ha. You really got me. mean, it's just like, I don't know. I don't know.

Kimberly Rapach (45:38)
Look at you now. It doesn't even bother you. You're like, here's my face, here's my coffee, here's my music, and I'm going to keep going.

Madison Hughes (45:52)
Gosh, yeah. only time it was really hard was in real time when I had to do the second round of The Voice and I was singing Every Rose Has Its Thorn and my duet partner was amazing. ⁓ But it was hard taking their criticism after I lost the battle like in real time, but it wasn't mean comments. It's just like, it's the reality of rejection sometimes and people, no matter how nicely they say it to you, it's still like, it's really hard. ⁓ I'm just like smiling on TV. Ha ha, don't cry.

Kimberly Rapach (46:03)
It It was hard taking the criticism after I lost the battle in real time. It wasn't me in common. It's just like, it's the reality of rejection sometimes when people, no matter how nicely they say it to you, it's still like, it's really hard. I was like smiling on TV. Don't cry. Because at that time, I thought the voice was the highest I'll ever make it, music journey.

Madison Hughes (46:22)
Cause at that time I thought the voice was the highest I'll ever make it like with my music journey. And so I thought that was a symbol of my downfall, which is so funny. Cause after that, mean, I was in Nashville and it's like, gotta, I want to start writing original songs. So that was when I started writing these songs you guys hear now on Spotify.

Kimberly Rapach (46:29)
So I thought that was a symbolism of my downfall, which is so funny. But after that, I was in Nashville and I want to start writing original songs. So that was when I started writing these songs you guys hear now on Spotify. Right. That's amazing. Yeah. It's so true. think everything, if you don't...

Like if you're not self aware and most young people, you're just not like you're not until you are right. You have to go through some life like you went through that experience. But it's so funny because people who are driven often forget where they've been. Right? Like, how am going to top this? What am I going to do next? And it's like, well, look back and celebrate, you know, celebrate the wins and learn from the lessons.

Madison Hughes (47:04)
Yeah.

I know.

Definitely. hate, I hate it when my mom always said, it's a learning lesson. I'm like, how many times do I gotta learn?

Kimberly Rapach (47:25)
right for the rest of your life. Sorry.

Madison Hughes (47:28)
Yep.

Kimberly Rapach (47:34)
⁓ goodness. Is there anything, Madison, that you wish non-creatives or non-musicians understood about the arts or the entertainment industry?

Madison Hughes (47:56)
I think I was going to say like, well, if they're judging our side jobs, I don't think they are because a lot of people I talked to, they're like, I applaud you for doing this off the beaten path thing. Like I just went to do banking or something. Um, and they're like, that's actually admirable. So I haven't necessarily had backlash about chasing music dream. Cause a lot of people.

Kimberly Rapach (47:57)
think I was going to say like, oh, if they're judging our side jobs. I don't think they are because a lot of people I talk to, they're like, I apologize for doing this off the beaten path thing. Like, I just went to do banking or something. And they're like, that's actually a bad move. So I haven't necessarily had backlash about chasing music dreams. A lot of would have done that if they had a certain talent given to them.

Madison Hughes (48:18)
would have done that if they had a certain talent given to them. ⁓ That didn't mean to sound like a jab. Okay.

Kimberly Rapach (48:25)
⁓ didn't take it that way.

Madison Hughes (48:34)
I guess that maybe, yeah, no, know. Well, maybe like, I maybe some of the people that would comment things like, that's cringe or whatever. It's like, well, you're not trying to build a business around your music or like, so you have to understand that we're throwing, putting ourselves out there in an abnormal way. Of course, not everyone's going to share their whole life on social media. So stop knocking people that are doing that. Like I know people don't necessarily, the non fans don't care what coffee I'm drinking, but like, it's a fun, engaging thing for.

Kimberly Rapach (48:34)
Not everybody can sing. I can't sing. Not everybody can. That's just true.

So you guys understand that we're throwing, putting ourselves out there in an abnormal way. Of course, not everyone can ensure their whole life on social media, so stop knocking people that aren't doing that. I mean, I think don't necessarily, but non-fans don't care what coffee I'm drinking, but it's a fun, engaging thing for the fans that are following you. So, that'd be my thing. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, and I think somewhere along the way with the evolution of social media, I feel like we've empowered people

Madison Hughes (49:03)
the fans that are following you. So yeah, that'd be my thing.

Kimberly Rapach (49:19)
in the wrong way, where it seems like there's a lot of people who are not putting themselves out there. They're not, you know, tuned into maybe their own gifts. And they're just sitting back as like, just, I don't say mirror, but like a sole consumer, like I'm just here to consume. And I'm going to criticize when it's not what I want.

Madison Hughes (49:33)
Yep.

Mm-hmm, that's so true.

Yep, I hear that.

Kimberly Rapach (49:48)
That is really unfortunate because that tells me that you're not living your life.

Madison Hughes (49:54)
Yeah, exactly. I would encourage them to go pursue what they want. Yeah, you're right. I go find your other creative outlet. Go paint in your room. You don't have to post that, but yeah, I agree. Consuming all day is not healthy for anyone.

Kimberly Rapach (50:00)
Right.

Yeah, it reminds me of there's a leadership quote something like

people who've gone further than you will never criticize you, right? The people who do criticize you are people who haven't gone where you've gone, like people who have. like, Reba McIntyre is not going to look back and go, Madison, that's terrible. You should do better. Like she would never, right? Because she knows and she's been where you, where you are.

Madison Hughes (50:22)
Mm, that's good.

Yeah.

No, I know. That's so true. Yep.

Kimberly Rapach (50:40)
And so, but someone who hasn't put themselves out there be like, you're doing it wrong, or it's not good enough, or you know, and that's just really unfortunate, but so important to remember as you go, the critics are not the ones ahead of you.

Madison Hughes (50:44)
All

Yeah, totally.

Yep. love that.

Kimberly Rapach (50:56)
Yeah.

So if someone were listening and while this podcast surely isn't a replacement for mental health treatment or services, but to offer hope, if someone were struggling and they're just wondering like, maybe I should just give up, whether it be on the industry or even worse, if they're really struggling, what would you say?

Madison Hughes (51:31)
For me, what helped was immediately going into create mode instead of self thought spiral downhill. Like I think that's a first like good first thing, because it helps you kind of get out of your funk. But ⁓ for me, I did contact therapist and went through a little bit of that and sometimes it was working, sometimes it wasn't, but ⁓ I intuitively knew like I wanted to contact someone that did that for their job. So.

Kimberly Rapach (51:48)
Yeah, just reaching out for help. ⁓

Madison Hughes (52:03)
It was like better help and then did one locally too. So that's my transparency there. But yeah, cause sometimes like friends will just like to be in their toxic mode and yeah, F people. It's like, well, it's not really the best advice. just say F everything all the time.

Kimberly Rapach (52:23)
Yeah, right. Yeah, and sometimes the professionals are, you know, they just know where to challenge you so that you grow and evolve, not just appease you. And sometimes our friends just want to appease us because they love us so much.

Madison Hughes (52:30)
Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, exactly. That's good.

Right. Yeah.

Kimberly Rapach (52:43)
Yeah. Well, thank you so much. I am so honored to meet you. I'm so grateful that you said yes. Yeah, me too. I'm going to be in Nashville in about a month or so. So maybe I'll get to bump into you. I don't know if there's something open. Yeah, that's what I thinking. Like if you're playing, there's somewhere that I could come see you live, that would be amazing.

Madison Hughes (52:49)
Me too, I'm so glad we connected online.

Yes. That'd be great. Hopefully I'm playing somewhere too. Yeah.

Yes, I'll keep everyone updated on my show Circle.

Kimberly Rapach (53:13)
Okay, awesome. Well, thank you again and we'll be in touch. Okay, thanks.

Madison Hughes (53:16)
Thank you Kimberly. Bye.