The Christina & Dusty Show

17. New hair, old patterns

Christina [https://christinalynnwallace.com] has new hair (and a lot of feelings about it), and Dusty [https://dustyhegge.com] gets on her soapbox about trad wife culture, slow living, and what ambition is actually supposed to look like. They get into the pressures placed on men and women, why good friendship matters so much, and why we're all so grateful for long-form content these days. Dusty's got exciting book news, and Christina is still buried in her Oxford philosophy papers (because Philosophy is…a lot, and the surgery really didn't help). → scroll for the chapter breakdown + links LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christina-dusty-show/id1830262851] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4Qt5jdrooK037zDtdZ7THR?si=e3a4314ff91c4a0f] CHRISTINA’S LINKS: Website [https://christinalynnwallace.com/] | Substack [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnwallace] DUSTY’S LINKS: Website [https://dustyhegge.com/] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/dustyhegge] | Substack [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] LINKS MENTIONED: No Dumb Questions Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-dumb-questions/id1204701206] Subscribe for free to join us every week, chatting about theology, creativity, business, and whatever else we can't stop talking about. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: * Christina realized her hair was a security blanket after chopping most of it off. * Why trad wife culture, slow living, and hustle culture might all be lies we keep falling for. * What “holy ambition” actually looks like when the world only rewards visible metrics. * Why downplaying the weight of fatherhood ends up hurting everyone, not just men. * The reason men can’t “chit chat” the way women do — and the edge women don’t realize they have. * Why long-form content might be the last sane corner of the internet (AI ads, we’re looking at you). More from Dusty and Christina: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please share it and let us know what stood out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com [https://thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

16. The messy business of being a Christian online

We start where we always do — in the thick of real life — with a rogue robin, a bird loose in Christina's [https://christinalynnwallace.com] attic, and Dusty [https://dustyhegge.com] getting hacked at 2am. Things get a little heavier from there as Christina opens up about something that's had her genuinely grieved and glued to her phone, which spills into one of those conversations about discernment and digital noise that we could honestly talk about for hours. Dusty also has book news — the kind we've been hoping for — and we get into what the road to publishing actually looks like, why Christian writers can't afford to stay silent, and what we both wanted to be when we grew up. CHRISTINA’S LINKS: Website [https://christinalynnwallace.com/] | Substack [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnwallace] DUSTY’S LINKS: Website [https://dustyhegge.com/] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/dustyhegge] | Substack [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] WHAT WE DISCUSSED: * We finally got to the bottom of why Filbert the Robin won’t stop attacking the windows. * Someone tried to steal from Dusty in the middle of the night — and she almost missed it. * Christina’s long-overdue essays are finally in, and we’re celebrating accordingly. (!!!) * When do you speak, and when do you stay silent? A question neither of us has a clean answer to. * Dusty has some very exciting book news she’s been waiting to share. * A moment from Christina’s feed that stopped us both cold and felt like a rallying cry for Christian writers. * What Christina’s Wind & Breath [https://christinalynnwallace.substack.com/p/may-wind-and-breath-creative-writing?utm_source=publication-search] workshops are, how they work, and how to join. * What we each wanted to be when we grew up. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com [https://thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

15. Coming up roses

LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christina-dusty-show/id1830262851] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4Qt5jdrooK037zDtdZ7THR?si=e3a4314ff91c4a0f] Dusty [https://dustyhegge.com] has a kamikaze robin trying to break in (Filbert, thank you very much), and Christina [https://christinalynnwallace.com] has a rose bush that’s carrying way more emotional weight than a plant should have to carry. Today, we talk about why feeding ourselves can be such a challenge, which dovetails into a lively conversation around self-care, soul care, and Dusty’s framework for not letting her days get away from her. The heart of it, though, is Christina naming that her perfectionism might be quietly feeding her depression, and how Oxford is gently dismantling an identity she didn’t realize she’d built. We end up somewhere I didn’t see coming — a charcoal fire, John 21, and the way God tends to redeem broken things rather than erase them. CHRISTINA’S LINKS: Website [https://christinalynnwallace.com/] | Substack [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnwallace] DUSTY’S LINKS: Website [https://dustyhegge.com/] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/dustyhegge] | Substack [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] LINKS MENTIONED: * The book Christina is reading: The Anti-Inflammatory 30-Day Reset by Sophie Richards - Get it in the UK [https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/471349/the-anti-inflammatory-30-day-reset-by-richards-sophie/9780241770436] | Get it in the US [https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Inflammatory-30-day-Reset-Simple-Transform-ebook/dp/B0F8PDNCMW] * The book Dusty’s reading - Courageously Soft: [https://www.amazon.com/Courageously-Soft-Daring-Tender-Heart/dp/1540903435] https://www.amazon.com/Courageously-Soft-Daring-Tender-Heart/dp/1540903435Daring to Keep a Tender Heart in a Tough World [https://www.amazon.com/Courageously-Soft-Daring-Tender-Heart/dp/1540903435] | Amazon UK [https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Inflammatory-30-day-Reset-Simple-Transform-ebook/dp/B0F8PDNCMW] * Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlund - Get it here [https://www.daneortlund.com/gentle-lowly] * 40 Plant Challenge by Brie Townsend [https://brietownenutrition.com/40-plant-challenge] * Root and Brand Nutrition on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rootandbranchnutrition/] WE DISUCSS: * A plant is just a plant. It’s okay to release something whose symbolism has soured. * Caring for your body isn’t selfish. * Across most diets that “work,” the common denominator is cutting ultra-processed foods. * Perfectionism served you once — be kind to that version of you as you let it go. * The all-or-nothing trap is often what’s feeding the depression underneath. * At its root, perfectionism is a trust issue. * Break your day into quarters. A rough morning doesn’t have to scrap the whole day. * Slow living isn’t always a choice — sometimes it’s a surrender, and there’s intimacy with Christ in it. * God doesn’t always remove our brokenness, but He is always redeeming it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com [https://thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

14. When the grumpy gits pray

Christina [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] and Dusty [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] talk about why they are pissed as punch. Dusty’s daughter got an eye injury, Christina’s husband is sick, and they both need a minute to wallow about well, everything. Once they (we) get it together, we pray and talk about how good our God is, even in the midst of trials, blasphemy, bad leadership (thanks, Trump), and whatever nonsense the world throws our way. LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christina-dusty-show/id1830262851] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4Qt5jdrooK037zDtdZ7THR?si=e3a4314ff91c4a0f] We’d love for fo you to join us each week! Subscribe below for free. CHRISTINA’S LINKS: Website [https://christinalynnwallace.com/] | Substack [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnwallace] DUSTY’S LINKS: Website [https://dustyhegge.com/] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/dustyhegge] | Substack [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] What we talk about: * Humility and discernment are crucial in navigating current cultural and political chaos * President Trump’s AI image painting himself as Jesus * Prayer and scripture provide peace and clarity amid overwhelm * Christian traditions and community offer stability and meaning * Recognizing and speaking out against blasphemy and heresy is vital for believers Thanks for reading The Christina & Dusty Show! This post is public so feel free to share it. LAST WEEK: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com [https://thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

13. Let the first draft be trash

A conversation about why failure is an important part of creativity. Christina [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] and Dusty [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] talk about seasonal drink preferences and why Squarespace is better than Showit. Dusty shares updates about her solo Company Retreat and how she’s working on submitting a sample chapter to a literary agent. Christina shares a story about her neighbor’s butt and the importance of letting ourselves pursue creativity even if it’s not “publishable,” which sparked an incredible conversation around the value of not hiding or dwelling in our public failures. LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-christina-dusty-show/id1830262851] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4Qt5jdrooK037zDtdZ7THR?si=e3a4314ff91c4a0f] CHRISTINA’S LINKS: Website [https://christinalynnwallace.com/] | Substack [https://substack.com/@christinalynnwallace] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/christinalynnwallace] DUSTY’S LINKS: Website [https://dustyhegge.com/] | Instagram [https://instagram.com/dustyhegge] | Substack [https://dustyhegge.substack.com/] Chapters 00:00 Adorable Greetings and Garden Adventures 02:54 The Allure of Gardening and Nature 05:51 Dreaming of Devon and Cornwall 08:59 The Healing Power of the Sea 11:58 Travel Plans and Nostalgic Memories 14:53 Unexpected Adventures and Hospital Tales 16:46 Seasonal Sips: Changing Tastes in Alcoholic Beverages 21:09 Reflections on Retreat: Personal Growth and Writing Progress 27:59 Navigating the Writing Process: Embracing Imperfection 34:14 Artistic Journeys: The Intersection of Creativity and Self-Discovery 36:34 Embracing Failure and Resilience in Leadership 39:36 The Paradox of Social Media and Creativity 42:33 Navigating the Pressure of Perfection 45:21 Intentionality and Surrender in Ambition 48:25 The Evolution of Blogging and Content Creation 57:30 Navigating Website Design: Showit vs. Squarespace 01:01:17 Client Management and Website Maintenance 01:02:07 Course Offerings and Pricing Strategies 01:05:29 Balancing Perfectionism and Productivity 01:09:43 Building Community Through Writing Sessions This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com [https://thechristinaanddustyshow.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]