Rachel Skaff is the Senior Vice President of Sales at FedEx and a veteran of the tech industry with past leadership stints at AWS and Intel. Known for her "messy, magical, and spectacular" career path, Rachel combines the technical mind of a computer scientist with the heart of a mentor. She is a passionate champion for STEM and a believer that an exceptional life only happens outside of your comfort zone. When she isn't scaling global organizations, she’s exploring off-the-beaten-path destinations with her six children.

Join Christy as she discusses Rachel's wide variety of industries, from hardhat construction as a civil engineer to global logistics with FedEx. At the heart of everything Rachel does is a curiosity for how things work, how to simplify them, and how to improve the world around us.

Beyond the P&L, Rachel is a fierce advocate for inclusive leadership and STEM education. She is a sought-after voice on the "Human Advantage" in the age of AI, believing that vulnerability and authenticity are the ultimate drivers of high-performing cultures. Rachel holds an MBA from Regis University and is an alumna of Columbia Business School. Based in the Phoenix area, she is a mother of six and an avid adventurer who can be found hiking or boating when she isn't transforming global sales organizations.

What We Discuss:

• Rachel's starting line, and how her career has looked more like an obstacle course than a run
• The key traits of steady leadership
• The difficult but necessary act of listening
• How we can shape the next generation through understanding and support
• How grabbing the markers help us play it big

Follow Rachel's colorful career and tips on compassionate leadership and presence on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelskaff/

Learn more about Christy's work at thrivewithchristy.com

Christy shares a thrilling (and hilarious) hiking adventure through Northern California and Tahoe, complete with a rickety bridge crossing, a steep tumble, and an unexpected visit to a secret clothing-optional beach. This episode is all about courage, rediscovery, and the messy side of stepping outside your comfort zone.

What Happened
Christy tackled a challenging hike that included crossing a sketchy wooden bridge and navigating a steep descent—which ended with a literal fall on her bum and a bruise to prove it. The adventure took an amusing turn when she discovered a clothing-optional beach nearby, where she became one of many "bums" enjoying nature in the raw.

Why It Matters
This isn't just a funny story—it's about what happens when you revisit things you used to love and push past the fear that says you can't.

3 Key Takeaways

1. Enjoy Nature — Get outside. The views, the fresh air, and the reminder that you're small in the best way.
2. Revisit Things You Used to Love — Hiking used to be Christy's thing. Coming back to it brought joy she'd forgotten.
3. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone — That's where the story (and the bruise) come from. Growth isn't always graceful.

Safety Reminder
Be sun smart and always tell someone where you're going—especially on solo or remote hikes.

Follow me on Instagram for more hiking photos

www.instagram.com/rockthedamnboat

Find out more about The Thrive Collective

www.thrivewithchristy.com

Getting laid off doesn't have to be the end of the story — sometimes it's the opening scene.

In this episode of RTDB, I sit down with Alison Kinsey, host of the Real Time Creator podcast. After being laid off last year, Alison didn't scramble for the next "safe" job — she leaned into creative work and said yes to whatever came her way.

She already had the skills: Alison runs a podcast editing business with her husband, and that behind-the-scenes experience became the launchpad for her own show.

We talk about:

• What it actually felt like to get laid off — and the mindset shift after
• Why she chose to build something of her own instead of job-hunting
• How her editing business gave her an unfair advantage in podcasting
• What "leaning into whatever comes" has looked like in practice
• Advice for creators thinking about launching their own show

Connect with Alison:
🎙️ Podcasting for Creatives: https://www.podcastingforcreatives.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-langone/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/alisonkinsey/

In this episode of RTDB, Christy shares the responses from her viral reel on saying what's true instead of what's polite — sparked by a real moment where a podcast guest asked to reschedule two months out, and she defaulted to "it's fine" when it really wasn't.

What you'll learn:

• Why "it's fine" is often a polite lie, not a real answer
• Crowdsourced advice from RTDB listeners on ditching doormat status
• Practical phrases to use when you want to say no but default to yes
• How disrupted boundaries show up in everyday moments — not just big confrontations

Some weeks the nervous system runs hot. In this Sunday Shortie of RTDB, I'm talking about windows of tolerance — the space where you can actually feel and function before you tip into overwhelm or shutdown — and what it looks like when menopause keeps shrinking that window without warning.

I also get honest about something quieter: the pull to dim someone else's joy when you're depleted. Not out of meanness — out of exhaustion. And what it takes to let other people be happy without making it mean something about you.

Then there's Yesteryear. I always thought I was writing the character's postpartum depression. Turns out the page was holding a mirror up to my own state of mind in menopause. The writing knew before I did.

In this episode of RTDB:

• What a "window of tolerance" is, in plain language
• Why menopause narrows that window — and how to notice the edges sooner
• The difference between protecting your peace and stealing someone else's
• How my own writing surfaced what I wasn't saying out loud
• A gentler way to move through a depleted week

Key takeaways:

• Your window of tolerance isn't fixed — hormones, sleep, and stress move the walls
• Feeling depleted doesn't make you a bad person; it makes you human
• Someone else's joy is not a withdrawal from your account
• The creative work you make often reflects you before you're ready to look
• You don't have to fix the whole feeling — you can just name where you are

• What is a window of tolerance? The range where your nervous system can handle stress and emotion without tipping into overwhelm (hyperarousal) or shutdown (hypoarousal).
• How does menopause affect emotional regulation? Hormonal shifts can narrow that window, making it easier to feel flooded or flat with less provocation than before.
• What does "stealing someone's joy" mean? Diminishing another person's happiness — often unconsciously, when you're depleted — instead of letting their good moment exist on its own.

Learn more about The Thrive Collective at thrivewithchristy.com

In this Sunday Shortie episode of Rock the Damn Boat (RTDB), Christy slows down. Before she heads back to corporate life and a lot more screen time, she's spending the week outside — trading notifications for fresh air and reconnecting with nature.

Benefits of nature include:

• Pattern Recognition and Nervous System: Pattern recognition can create nervous system regulation.

• Bird Song and Safety: Bird song can create a sense of safety.

• Trees and Calming Effect: Trees releasing phytocides can have a calming effect.

This one's a gentle nudge to celebrate your milestones, even when it feels like bragging. If you were taught to shrink as a kid, or you've spent years as a people-pleaser, owning your wins can feel uncomfortable. But Christy makes the case that celebrating your achievements isn't ego — it's a ripple effect. When you honor how far you've come, you give someone else permission to chase their own passions too.

Tune in for a grounded reminder to rest, unplug, and take real pride in what you've built.

Seven months into building a business from scratch, Christy Hughes gets honest about what entrepreneurship in this economy actually looks like — and why the disappointment so many women feel isn't a sign they didn't believe hard enough.

In this Sunday Shortie, she shares how a new corporate opportunity found her when she stopped forcing it, what it sounds like when intuition speaks up, and why The THRIVE Collective isn't going anywhere. If you're building something while wondering if you're doing it wrong, this one's for you.

What You'll Hear:

• Why business disappointment in this economy is normal — not a personal failing
• The manifesting myth: why you didn't think your way into struggle
• How Christy's new role landed when she listened to her gut instead of pushing harder
• What intuition actually sounds like in a job search
• Why The THRIVE Collective continues — and why going back to corporate makes it stronger
• The case for a life that holds both professional success and personal wholeness

Enjoyed this episode? Share it with a woman who's building something and wondering if she's failing.

Learn more about The Thrive Collective at thrivewithchristy.com

What if the support people need most arrives before the crisis hits? In this episode of RTDB, Christy sits down with Laura Kunz, co-founder and President of Spirence, for an honest conversation about recovery, resilience, and why workplace mental health support can't wait until burnout becomes a breakdown.

Laura's path is anything but linear — from selling water filtration systems in early recovery (and getting called out for her recovery journey) to building a career in behavioral health to co-founding Spirence. Spirence is an award-winning wellness platform that lets you choose the learning tools that best fit your needs. Her story is proof that need drives ingenuity.

In this episode:

• Why people need mental health and wellness support before they reach crisis
• How Laura's own recovery shaped her approach to behavioral health
• What Spirence offers and who it's designed to serve
• The joy of podcasting — and Laura's show, Prevention Pioneers
• Breaking the stigma around asking for help at work
• What Laura's personal tools are for mental health fitness

If you've ever white-knuckled your way through burnout instead of reaching out, this one's for you.

🎙️ Connect with Laura: spirencewellness.com

Listen to Laura's show: Prevention Pioneers podcast

Connect with Christy and learn more about The Thrive Collective at thrivewithchristy.com