Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign the podcast for those who find themselves immersed in adversity and choose to write their story instead of having others write it for them. I'm Drew Duraney and I'm your host.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: Today's guest is Candace Snyder. Candace Snyder believes in the power of connection, gratitude, and lifting others up. Through her podcast, she's found a way to share authentic conversations that spark inspiration and create space for growth. Whether it's highlighting someone's story, encouraging others to dream bigger, or exploring the beauty in everyday moments, her goal is always to empower and uplift.
Candace considers herself a cheerleader for anyone pursuing their passions or making a difference. As a humanitarian and gratitude ambassador, she's focused on finding ways to contribute positively to the world, whether that's through volunteering, amplifying important causes, or simply encouraging others to keep going. If you're passionate about making meaningful connections, sharing stories, or just want to chat about ways to spread positivity, she'd love to connect. Let's inspire each other to keep growing, dreaming, and making the world a better place. One step at a time.
Enjoy the show.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: Candice, so great to see you.
[00:01:24] Speaker C: So great to see you. Thanks for having me.
[00:01:26] Speaker A: Oh, it's my pleasure. And I appreciate being on your podcast. That was so much fun.
[00:01:32] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:01:33] Speaker A: Well, I always thank the person who introduced me to my guest, so Rob Wentz, thank you, sir, for introducing me to Candace. I now I know why you did. She's awesome and so I want to thank you, pal.
Audience knows I always start this out by talking about when we're young, we're taught that life is linear. Our family, they don't mean any malicious intent by it. They want it to be for us. And for the most part, if we do, A plus B plus C D is going to happen. And life was linear for a while until it wasn't. There's always a defining moment, an external circumstance that comes in between one of those letters and kind of changes our path from a straight one to a little circuitous one.
When that happens, that's when we say adversity happened. And when adversity rears its ugly head, I believe there's three types of women out there. You have woman number one who's got a ton of blind spots. She doesn't even notice the adversity. She just lives life the way she's been told to live it and nothing changes. And that's it. And I don't have woman number one on the show now. Woman number two, on the other hand, has a heightened self awareness. She notices the adversity, yet she's not ready to take it on. She says that adversity is a barrier.
It's I'm the victim life. It is what it is. Everybody else is to blame. I have no control over changing things. So she doesn't change anything. And on her deathbed, she's got so many regrets. All right, I don't have woman number two on this show. I have woman number three on this show. It's Candace Snyder. Woman number three sees the adversity, yet she says, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. So she decides to do something different, Take it head on, take massive action, do something differently. I mean, she becomes a stronger woman on the other side.
So with that, Candace, if you could reach back as far as you need to for that defining moment, whether it was the tap in the shoulder, the whisper in the ear, or like I needed two by four upside my head, that transformed you from the woman you used to be to the woman you are now and how that proactive change changed you personally and professionally.
[00:03:41] Speaker C: Okay, so I'm going to go back to, you know, high school growing up, and my dad was the father that said, I'm not going to pay for college for you to take time and space.
You're going to pick a major, you're going to pick something that you will always be able to have a job fall back on if you decide to leave for a period of time to have a family and something that's always needed.
So I ended up going to dental hygiene school.
[00:04:13] Speaker A: And.
[00:04:13] Speaker C: And it just so happened my dad worked at a dental company at the time, so. And there was a dental hygienist on the board of the company. And he's like, her name was Regina. He was like, you're going to talk to Regina. You know, this is the best thing for you. And really, you know, back then I was considering, like liberal arts and maybe going to law school.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: Oh, okay. But.
[00:04:36] Speaker C: But that was just like not happening in his eyes. That was just not going to happen. And I know it's because it really came from a place of love because he wanted the best because he didn't have that growing up. But it wasn't the best for me. So, you know, I always talk about, you know, passion and purpose and possibility. And I was never passionate about being a dental hygienist.
And then, you know, fast forward 14 years as a hygienist, I got injured on the job. That was a life changing injury for me.
I already had a bad back and Fell off a broken dental chair. And when that happened, it was so bad that I couldn't be a hygienist anymore and ended up with two back surgeries over the years. Two big ones.
But a big part of me, I felt I was like, that was my identity. My identity was, yeah, I was a wife and mom, but I was no longer this hygienist that had this purpose of taking care of other people. And I ran the dental department, you know, the dental hygiene department. And so I really didn't know who I was.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: Right.
[00:05:48] Speaker C: So during this injury or recuperation and finally getting a full diagnosis, I.
I had to figure out who I was.
Right.
So through this time, I discover direct sales.
[00:06:03] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:06:04] Speaker C: Okay. So I was making my own jewelry and I found this article in one of the magazines that, you know, gives you patterns and things like that. And it was for this company. And I fell in love with these earrings. And I called.
No, I filled out the form because it wouldn't let you just order. You had to go through somebody. So this rep gets in contact with me and she's so excited about what she does and how she connects to all these women and she has all these friends. And I was like, okay, I'll sign up without even seeing a pair of. Of earrings, without any piece of jewelry. And I jumped in and I did that for almost 10 years.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:06:46] Speaker C: And I loved it because I now had a purpose and was, you know, connected to making all these friends.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: Right.
[00:06:54] Speaker C: But the biggest part of that was the personal growth that you get through direct sales, which is, you know, as controversial as direct sales. Multilevel marketing is a really good part of that is the personal growth.
So then the company decides to sell.
[00:07:12] Speaker A: Oh, no.
[00:07:14] Speaker C: And I was just about to do my 10 year walk across the stage and get this award. And so that didn't happen because they canceled the conference. And I really thought, like, that was the end of dental, you know. You know, direct sales. Direct sales. I know you said you were going to, like, not edit anything.
Yeah, Real life. So a friend reached out to me and she's like, I have an opportunity. I want you to come to my house and, and, you know, learn about this.
And it was for another company, which I'm still with. And I was like, well, this is pretty in alignment with the fact that I have a science background, right? Because this was hair care, skincare, wellness.
So I was like, okay. And I was like, I really could use a community. That's the, that's the reason I joined. So see, I'VE been with them for eight years.
But the big turning point came when this company has something called a gratitude ambassador program.
And that means that if you're an ambassador, you're representing the company in the field for their give back efforts.
So I said, I'm going to, I'm going to apply for this.
At the time, it was a very lengthy application. And as I'm going through it, I'm like, I've been doing this my whole life. This is what my parents instilled in me. We, we took everybody in, right? My dad would take the kids in that, you know, they were not getting along with their families, or he would go buy all the football equipment for the kids that couldn't afford it. And so I get to the last question and it asks me if I'm a particular rank in the company and I'm like, well, I hit the rank, but I'm not maintaining the rank. But you know what?
If nothing else, I just learned who I am.
Hit the submit button. Wasn't expecting anything to happen.
This was 2020.
Conference was virtual.
I'm sitting here at my desk in my office and I have a big screen TV above the desk.
I'm watching the conference virtually and my picture is right in the middle of the screen.
[00:09:25] Speaker A: Whoa.
[00:09:26] Speaker C: And I was like, I was shocked. I think I was crying because I was just in shock that this actually happened.
So at the time, I was like one of 25ambassadors chosen. And it's a year long commitment. And when my one year was, I mean, it was the best year. I loved what I was doing. If I ever. They used to joke and say if this could be my full time job, that that would be my job.
So when my one year was up, I was kind of sad about it. And my then life slash business coach, she said, you know what, you should have a podcast. And that's because we were listening to somebody give a seminar on podcasting for your business.
And I was like, I hate technology.
I can never do this.
And she's like, I'm telling you, are you writing this down? Are you taking notes? This is what you should be doing next.
[00:10:17] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:10:18] Speaker C: And so I spoke with the person who gave the seminar. She had a podcast school.
And I said, I don't think I can do this. I hate technology. She said, if I can do this, you can do this and nobody gets left behind. And in 30 days, you will have a podcast. And it has been the best decision I have ever made.
Yeah. It's like having a coach every, every time I talk to somebody and then.
[00:10:44] Speaker A: You know, that's true. I hadn't thought of it that way. Because you do learn something every day. Even if you ask the same question to the same. To different guests, their replies bring the conversation always to a different, different place. So it is. It's great.
[00:10:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:10:58] Speaker A: So that's. That's you. So what are you doing? So with all that, what. What you're especially your father instilled in you, are you taking any skills from the dental hygienist life that you apply with the direct sales life and with the podcasting life?
[00:11:15] Speaker C: Oh, yes, because it's still about service and.
And relationships. Right. It's always about the one and one on one relationship. So those definitely carry over.
I would say, too, that, you know, the longer you've been in business, just the business of people, you know, the more you learn about people and emotional intelligence. And so I'm able to, you know, bring that all together.
[00:11:45] Speaker A: That's it. That's a good point. So tell me a little about the podcast that you. That you have. I know I was on it, but in your words, like, I know why you started it because the coach told you to, but you still must have passion behind it, because passion is one of the words in the title of your podcast.
[00:12:01] Speaker C: Yes. So, I mean, really, it started because when I was no longer the gratitude ambassador, but still considered an alumni ambassador.
[00:12:10] Speaker A: Right.
[00:12:11] Speaker C: I was missing the extra part of being able to support causes, maybe causes that don't get enough recognition. Right. And I was like, well, this will be a way for me to highlight other organizations and other causes that people really care about to, you know, give them more exposure. And especially for me, the mental health part of all of that was. Is something I'm super passionate about. I had lost my brother to suicide, so anytime I can now use the platform, I consider the podcast a platform to talk about mental health and suicide prevention. You know, I'm totally all about that.
Also, I would say that it transformed a little bit, because then I'm like, wait a minute. There's stories of transformation. Like, I have my own story of transformation, but all these people, a lot of times you don't start out doing what you originally were doing out of college or, you know, early adulthood, and you end up reinventing yourself.
And there are these stories of resilience. So it's transformation, resilience, and how somebody found their path to purpose.
[00:13:33] Speaker A: Amazing. So I. I don't want to gloss over what happened to you with your brother when that happened, how long ago? Did that happen?
[00:13:43] Speaker C: 2003.
So 22 years. Yeah.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: So when that happened, how did that. How did that impact you moving forward?
I mean, obviously resilience and stuff. But how did you. How did you get through that? Because that, to me, is a defining moment as well, actually.
[00:14:00] Speaker C: I became. I went into caregiver mode.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: You did? Okay.
[00:14:03] Speaker C: I went to caregiver mode because I'm the oldest. My brother was in the middle, and then I have a younger sister, so it was all about taking care of my parents, taking care of my sister, taking care of my kids. My kids were only 12 and 8 when my brother died. And my oldest son was. Even though we lived 3,000 miles away, he was still pretty close to his Uncle Mo.
[00:14:25] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:14:25] Speaker C: And it had a tremendous effect on him.
So it took me a year, really, before I started going through my own personal grieving process and now having several grief counselors on my podcast. I have learned so much more than I knew 20 plus years ago, but I. I automatically was like, okay, what can I do with this tragedy, this trauma, and do something purposeful? And so then I started doing the out of the Darkness community walks through the American foundation of Suicide Prevention. I took some courses.
I tried to do the suicide hotline, you know, to be one of those callers.
[00:15:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:15:09] Speaker C: And there I think it was 10 sessions, and I think I got to eat, and I was like, I can't. I can't do it. Like, I. Emotionally, I couldn't do it. And they're like, that's okay. Most people don't make it through the program, but there are plenty of other ways that you can be supportive. So.
[00:15:26] Speaker A: Wow, that's unbelievable.
So fast forwarding now with the. With the direct sales. How's that going for you now?
[00:15:34] Speaker C: So I still have, you know, many customers. I still have a team, but I'm not focused so much on the leadership role now as I was when I first started with the company.
I more focused on the podcast and growing the podcast and what it can do and have some other ideas in the work.
[00:16:02] Speaker A: You can't stick to one thing.
[00:16:03] Speaker C: But we do have a book coming out next week.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: What?
[00:16:07] Speaker C: Yes, next week.
Tuesday the 30th. I don't know when this will be out, but 21 women authors.
[00:16:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:19] Speaker C: Sharing their story of finding their path to purpose in a collaborative book inspired by the podcast. Okay, so it's called Passion, Purpose, and Possibilities.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Beautiful. All right, so it's coming out on the 30th.
[00:16:33] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Up on Amazon.
[00:16:36] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:16:36] Speaker A: How are you doing it? Okay. All right. So the launch date is the 30th?
[00:16:40] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:16:41] Speaker A: All right, we got everybody. You guys gotta. Geez, I wanna. I don't know if I can get this out by then.
[00:16:46] Speaker C: It's okay. They can still go get it after.
[00:16:49] Speaker A: Get it after. All right, well, the audience certainly has captured the essence of Candace Snyder. They're going to want to get in touch with you. And folks, Candace said the best way is on LinkedIn. So look up, look up Candace Snyder on LinkedIn. And in the show notes, I'll have her LinkedIn handle. So you'll be able just to, just to go, go straight to it and connect with her.
I've got two final questions for you. Are you ready for these two final questions?
[00:17:15] Speaker C: Yes, I am.
[00:17:16] Speaker A: All right, here we go. First, one, picture that you're sitting in your happy place and you have the liberty of sitting down with young 7 to 10 year old Candace Snyder, your younger self, and you want to give her advice about life. What are you going to tell her?
[00:17:34] Speaker C: Tune out the noise and focus on what you love.
[00:17:42] Speaker A: I love that. Wow. Tune out the noise and focus on what you love. Love it. All right, switch hats. Now you're sitting down with young Candace, the young businesswoman, young entrepreneur, and you want to give her advice about business. What are you going to tell her?
[00:17:58] Speaker C: It's all about the relationships.
Build relationships and you'll be able to create whatever you want to create.
[00:18:05] Speaker A: Love it.
[00:18:06] Speaker C: Love it.
[00:18:06] Speaker A: Love it.
Wow.
Very good advice. And people can take that both in their life and business, both of those pieces of advice.
[00:18:14] Speaker C: It's true.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: Well, Candace, I want to thank you for coming on, coming into my life, and being who you are, because you're certainly helping a lot of people, especially with your podcast. And I admire you for your resilience and for your authenticity, and I appreciate that.
[00:18:29] Speaker C: Thank you, Drew, for having me on here. I'm so glad that Rob connected us.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: Yes, me too. Me too.
[00:18:35] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:18:35] Speaker A: All right, well, you take care of yourself, Candace, and everybody out there. Please take care of yourselves.
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe and give us a review. To help others find it, I'd like you to answer this question.
Are you living the life you want to live, or are you living the life others want you to live? I'd like you to think about that for a second, because I strongly suggest you live the life you want to live. If you want to learn more about what I stand for and my services and how I'm able to help many men get out of their own way. Please go to my website at www.profitcompassion.com.
feel free to also email me at drewrophetcompassion.com I'd love to have a conversation with with you. Take care of yourself and choose to write your own story instead of letting others write it for you.
