We had the good fortune of connecting with Christine Fekete and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I created the THINK HAPPY STUFF brand in 2006 out of my need for it. I need to be reminded to focus on the positive and to not obsess over what I can not control- which is pretty much everything. Starting my day by using a mug with THINK HAPPY STUFF on it leads to subtle changes in my thinking which not only impacts me but the world around me.

Most can relate to the challenge to stay positive in the midst of many challenging life events. My little gift book is filled with practical and simple suggestions of things we can do for ourselves as well as others that help get us “unstuck” in a downward spiral of thinking.

I have had customers reach out to replace their beloved THINK HAPPY STUFF mug that broke who say they have used it daily for YEARS. One mother purchased her mug on the day she was burying her 15 year-old son. She associated the mug with pushing through the pain and remembering the good. Such testimonies move me deeply.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My life experience (thus far) includes depression, an abusive relationship (post divorce), excessive self-medicating, a breakdown (or three), an arrest (or three), a search for the right meds and, by the grace of God…healing.

Stand-up comedy has been an essential part of that healing. I share much of my story from the stage. I filmed a hometown special called WHAT THE FEKETE that is available on YouTube (Christine Fekete Comedy). Finding the funny in the midst of trauma helped me reject the shame that could have weighed me down. Instead, I have found that people respond to vulnerability and transparency. I have not been ostracized for my “realness’. I have been embraced for it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am surprised by the number of people that have not been to a stand-up comedy show. This outing tops the list for things-to-do for friends and family that visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband Doug and I married quite young. He was 20 and I was 23. We raised eight children. Yes! Eight! We have four birth and four adoption children. We adopted older, “at risk” children. At one point, we had seven children under the age of 10. We were poor. In hindsight, “God will provide” is not the best financial plan. We persevered through the help of food banks and our church community.

The stress took a toll and we divorced after 19 years of marriage in 2011. In 2016, I moved from our home in Nashville to Los Angeles. In 2018, Doug joined me in L.A. We both quit drinking in 2020. Sobriety brought personal growth and clarity and we re-married in December 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic.

Doug has consistently been nothing but supportive, even in our years apart. We partnered for our children and he even continued to help with the accounting needs for THINK HAPPY STUFF. I am forever grateful for his love and support.

Website: thinkhappystuff.com

Instagram: what.the.fekete

Facebook: Christine Knapp Fekete

Youtube: https://youtu.be/VLhmLDBBhMU

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