I want you to take a moment to think about how many women you know who are not only mothers, but are also raising the standards in their industries, their communities, and their culture. Candy King is one of those women. She is the founder and CEO of Carnival by Candy, a brand dedicated to all things Carnival and making women feel confident. Her products are innovative and beautifully made, but what makes Carnival by Candy extraordinary is the intention behind it.
You see, Candy is not just designing stockings and other accessories, She's designing experiences. Her story is a reminder that building a brand isn't just about strategy. It's about intention. It's about vision that's rooted in something deeper than profit, a desire to be of service to your culture, your family, and yourself. She's not just creating space for Caribbean creatives.
She's showing us that excellence and authenticity can coexist. In the midst of an already powerful dialogue, Candy and I realized that we share a cool connection. Both of our mothers were flight attendants for Air Jamaica. Now, if you know anything about Air Jamaica, you'll remember their iconic slogan soaring to new heights, And as I sat with that moment afterwards, it struck me how fitting it was for the women we are now and the women who raised us.
Candy is now charting her own flight path, not through aviation, but through artistry. Even her daughter's name Chorus, speaks to a form of artistry. In music, a chorus is what brings a song together. It's what echoes, what repeats, and in Candy's life, it symbolizes something deeper, the harmony between womanhood and motherhood, creativity and clarity. This episode is about that balance, about what it means to lead with ambition and intention to build something royal in its essence and
rooted in the rhythm of who you are. So grab your tea, coffee, or a glass of wine and let's Talk the Things. Hello everyone, Welcome back to Let's Talk the Things, where we discuss personal growth, travel, music, beauty and wellness while encouraging you to live fearlessly and fabulously.
I'm your host, Ash and this week we are talking to Taints with a woman who has taken the business of carnival and turned it into a vehicle of culture, empowerment, and Undeniable Caribbean pride entrepreneur, television host and CEO of Carnival by Candy Candy King. Hi Candy, how are you? Hi?
Ash? I'm so excited to be on your podcast. Thank you so much for having me. I am doing it just fine today.
That's great. Thank you so much for being here. So I'm really excited.
Let's go me too.
So, for as a first time guest, I should say, and for persons that are listening for the first time, we begin each episode with our listener's favorite segment, and it's called datna Sound safe? So so, Candy, I'm going to read messages or social media posts that listeners sent in. And if you think it sounds crazy or a little bit concerning, you just say that notes sounds safe and explain why. And if you agree, you say you agree and explain why sounds good?
Okay, all right, so.
Don't worry, it's not scary, just.
All right.
So the first person said, my son found me crying in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered, mummy, is it because you're fat? Now I'm crying for two reasons, you know, so none So for she.
K's and I mean, can't blame them right because they haven't as called it, and as you grow up you kind of learn and get to what's appropriate and what's not appropriate.
So there's a little bit of very true, very.
True, half and half half. I agree, okay. The next person said, don't tell me you miss me, tell me you're outside with doubles. I agree.
I agree. Very safe love language like come on, yes, tell me whatever you know.
I like, absolutely, I'm in the group.
Okay.
The next one, the person said, what is a luxury that most people I should say? The person asked, what is a luxury that most people don't realize is a luxury? And the person answered friends. Having actual friends, not familiar acquaintances, real friends one of the best hacks for a fulfilling life.
Absolutely agree, actual and factual. I live by that. I have had friends since high school. It's something that I love to talk about that they've seen me through every season. We've seen each other through all our seasons where knowing motherhood together coincidentally, it's great. It does enhance my life in so many ways. Just social literally yesterday that the quality of the relationships in your life is what determines like how happy you are and how long you live
and things like that. I one thousand person believe that.
So yes, I agree, Yes, that is very safe. And I think what you just said is so true the quality of relationships, right, because you'll see some people and they have like so many friends, but they're not really friends, if you get what I'm saying. Like they have a lot of people show up to their birthday party, but can they call those people having a hard time? Or can they tell them their secrets? You know, I feel like people don't understand the value of friendship and same.
I have friends from high school still, some friends even from prep school, you know what I mean. So I think like we can call on you know who you can ye?
Absolutely?
Yeah, absolutely, Okay, that one sounds safe. All right? Two more, This one is hilarious. The person said he blocked me on everything, so I applied to his job and I'm starting next week.
That let's sound safe. That's sound safe. That sounds very toxic, miss, miss, that sounds very toxic. Let's not go there. Let's just let by.
Yes, yes, don't try to force things. Please, it's not that serious. It can never be that non at all.
Please, we have to learn to let go, and this is one of those things.
Let it go.
Yes, the only thing we're supposed to be chasing, ladies is our dreams. Please not not the man, not them, let them come to you. Exactly exactly. That's wild, though not applied for his dream crazy.
I mean, I don't. Okay, Like as a species, I don't we do that.
Yeah, but we're what we're doing better, We're sure sure, sure, okay. Last one in this segment, the person said, you'll find me where there is peace, where there is joy, where there is reciprocity, where words of protection are spoken over me, where I'm celebrated for growing and wanting better for myself. This is where I exist.
Absolutely, this is where we bloom, This is where we grow, and this is all. I love that. That sounds very safe to me. I'm here for the reassurance, for the words of affirmation, like, yeah, I love that.
That is how we grow. Yes, the relationships as well, Yes, yes, And just like what you said, you know, it's important our environment too, we surround ourselves with and just being somewhere where you're valued. I think that says a lot about how you see yourself too. Exactly. You know, so yeah, that one sounds very safe.
So that was fun.
See I told you, it's always frightened when I say that. I was sure, sure, Oh no, it's good, just you know, just to loosen it up a little bit, something fun.
That worked.
Now let's talk the real things. You are someone that I've really been looking forward to talking to, not just about business, but about purpose and just all of the amazing achievements you've accomplished as a woman in the male dominated carnival industry. So let's go back to younger Candy. Take me back to your prep school days in Jamaica. What kind of little girl were you and were there any early signs of you wanting to build something on your own?
Absolutely not, I age. I was not one of those people that knew what they wanted to do in life or had any idea or I don't think it's something my parents pressured me for either. So it wasn't really on my book my radar until I was grown up, and then I had to decide at some point, which I still I mean, the story about how I ended up in Cannibal is quite accidental, even though I've loved it since being a child. So I mean growing up, I would have seen my parents play Jamaica Cannival, which
was fun. We would me and my cousins would go out on the roadside to watch them pass. And even at that time, it was just a thing to do on that day, no real interest. But when I became of age, now, I guess sometime in high school and I was able to jump Cannibal for my first time. I think maybe it would be a little after high school and trying to remember if I was sixteen or eighteen when it happened, But you know, I wanted to experience it because it was something for us to do.
Was very cool at the time. Everybody wanted to be a part of it. And I did it for the first time, and I wouldn't even sat arrest this history like we enjoyed it. We continued to jump here after year I went to college. That kind of put us spoke in the wheels because I was at home to jump Cannibal. But I remember just even as a little girl, like I said, I had no clean for carnival. I was just being a kid.
No, I was just being a kid, right right.
I remember being very outspoken. I have a brother and our parents would describe each of us as like this is the old spoken one, like this is a little shy one. And I was not they one. So I was spoken one. I was a social butterfly. Yeah, you know, everybody said I was a chatterbox. All my report cards came back with the chat too much as potentials, but just too much that kind.
Of thing that was me.
Yeah right, you know I used to be so nothing to do with carnival or even business. I mean, even as I got older, I kind of saw myself in a corporate environment, working my way up. I was not beaten by no entrepreneurial book.
I never wanted to be known.
I never want myself that did so hard. So yeah, no, I never wanted to do. It's completely by accident.
But in terms of my child. So what is the story then, because it's so strange to me, like you've done so much. I just exacted you to have that story.
It's so interesting. So I would have had a corporate job when I first I went to school in Ohio for four years, I got my degree, I came, I moved back to Jamaica.
I got a corporate job. I was working. I was comfortable, it was fun. I enjoyed my job. I thought I was good at my job, and I.
Knew once I had enough money, which is this was my first real stable, corporate job. Now that I wanted to try to go to Trinidad Cannibal because you know, I would have seen people gone. It looked really fun, but it's also really expensive, so not a girl job. I'm like, Okay, can you know, spend the morney I got to Cannival. So I went to my first cannival in two thousand and eleven or twelve of one of those. And the year after I went, a couple of people are like, boy, I didn't want to go, but they
don't know how to go. And I had a girl who had helped me at the time to like get a costume and tickets for parties and stuff like that, and I was think, it's apressive. If I never have her in Trinidad to help me, what would I have done. But since I had gone and kind new the ropes and met a couple of people, I helped other people
the following year. By the second year, I was seen im a boy, you know, as a matter charge, and people are because it's works and its work and in the beginning, I just wanted it to be supplemental income. I was like, my goal was like to get thirty help thirty people to get to cannival. And I said to myself, boy, that would have been great supplemental income based on what I'm earning in corporate. I just did this once a year, I get a little you know,
side money, and I'm good to go. That job ended up making me redundant, and I was like, well, this just going half a work. So I didn't have a job for a while. So I was just kind of winging it with the carnivals. But it blossomed, it bloomed, it continued to grow. People wanted to go to other carnivals.
So after Trinidad, I had trainees that wanted to come to Jamaica, and then after that they wanted to go to crop Over and it I just built up an audience of people who wanted to travel to different cannivals. I realized that, you know, it's kind of a niche, but there are people who carnival hop. There's a really yeah like industry hair. So that's how I first got started doing that. I did have other jobs, corporate jobs,
even in between, because I was sure. I was like, I mean, look good, but you know my parents rested, like we need to get a serious job. You know, yes, my parents, yes, And so you know I didn't have the confidence at the time either. You know, I've still you know, needed to be guided and very much. I'm like, you know, I started to do other little things that doubuild the media for a bit, had some other jobs.
Right, I remember you were hosting a show. Yes I was.
Yes, I was hosting.
Access TV.
Yes, yeah I did. And those things are things I'm still passionate about to be stayed. But boy, I can't of all just kind of come compact over my whole life.
And you know, I still do it where I can.
I got to the other day, which I hosted an amazing show, but I was still in Cannibal.
Yeah. That's that's really.
Ultimately how I got started my advice. Every time I'm talking to other entrepreneurs, like how did you start, and I'm that boy, I still had a foot.
In corporate and that's really what it was.
Like. I had other incomes at the time because I just was not sure. Sometimes the money was good, sometimes it wasn't. Monster great, monster, h you know what I mean.
So that's how it goes. Yeah, I still had a push.
In corporate somewhere. There was some stable income at all times as I went along. After that, we started a band in twenty sixteen here in Generica.
That went really well for a time.
But like most entrepreneurs, some things work out, some things don't, and this was one of the things that did not work out for me. It was very hardbreaking in a life, okay, but it's just one of those things that, yeah, you just have.
It just didn't work out. Yeah, it didn't work out.
I was okay with it. And then the pandemic hit.
Girl. Oh yes, that's food right. Yes, that must have been so hard, just for the industry exactly.
Entertainment was completely dead. We could not gather, we could not go to carnival, we could not do anything. It was a really difficult time. Thank god, I had a really amazing partner who's not my husband. Yes, I got pregnant started a family in that time, and I'm so blessed that I was able to afford to do that. I'm actually glad it happened in the pandemic because it afforded me the space and the time, especially the mental capacity to really like doning on being a mom and
even learning things. Yeah, I mean, because girl, let me just tell you that, you know, and it was wrong, I can well imagine because it was also very lonely. But me with notice, I mean, people used to send to me all the time, like my my child was talking early A lot of the pandemic babies, we're doing a lot of crazy things much than people would say that their children would have done them or whatever. But it's because we had the space and the time to like be with them all the time.
All the time. Yeah, we were with them all the time.
And you see the difference that that makes when you are present and fully present with your children and your family. And yeah, so that's those are the positive things that I would have taken out of the pandemic. But yeah, continued in Carnival and right before the pandemic though, is when I would have thought of the kind of a accessories idea.
So yes, yes, I thought that was so brilliant.
Yeah, that's really what changed life. That's really that was the idea. Yeah, man, the only one I was a catalyst that was that was so I would have thought of that right before the pandemic and then the pandemic and then I was just like more mom. But right after the pandemic I had to really pick things back up by rebranded. I came back really really strong with
uh well, I rebranded the company. So initially, when I used to help people to get to carnivals, I call that Carnival by Candy, But when I thought of the stockings and the accessories, I named it stocking by Candy because you know, well, Carnival by Candy was something else and I can't. I had kind of shut down that concerge side of the business because the reality was it was I guess, like way too much stress and like not enough money.
Wasn't making me like.
Wealth you know what, I like, I want to do from when they were were like you put in it was great supplemental income, but like scaleability just was not really there for me. And there are a bunch of ways I thought that, wow, if I did this and I did that, I could scale. But it just came back to when you're doing a service based thing, it's your time and it's like there's only twenty four hours
in a day to get me. It's like yeah, so it's like I felt like it was almost like two hard to scale because it required too much out of me. But when I thought of like the stuckings, I'm like, butt, this can sell wellness, you know what I mean? Yeah, this, this can sell all time a day.
You know what I mean.
Well, I'm skill. I don't have to about this is brilliant, No, it really is. I'm so like pushing products on people now, I'm like, find a product. Everybody, find a product. Yeah, product, because it changed my life. I don't know, everybody's experience is different because they're different. Because there's a lot of people in service based industries that are thriving and doing well and wealthy and have scaled their business. Is just true, that's true, but it just was not working for me
at the time. I'm like, I look like a prop of all of my time, my mental energy, and I you know, like I felt like I could only do so much with the twenty four.
Hours in the day. And I have talked about all sorts of stuff.
But when it's like, I don't know, I thank god every day that he planted that stucking idea in my brain because girl, it was transformative or so brilliant.
Yeah, and like that's a transformative I think for a weeks.
Yes, it was for the industry, and I love plain like because people I think it's like like sucks, Like you can just buy and sell sucks from any supplier. You're fine, and you just sell sucks. You know, you go downtown this it sucks. It's so it's different. So I actually went ahead and got all the protections that I needed for my stockings. Yeah, and that's really what made the difference because actually when you have an idea,
it's really important to protect the idea. And I am an for this because in the we don't do it, we don't do it, we don't believe in it. I mean, yeah, it's under utilized. Service gypoy is up there, just I don't know if they're gathering industry or what. I know people do it, but you know, you think it's for something company or it's for some corporates. Protecting ideas, protective designs, protect the things that you create. And I created something
and I am really proud of it. But immediately as I thought of that idea, I didn't want somebody else to do with somebody who had more money. I had a better network than me and then when you get I didn't want that, So yes, it was very important. You know, it was real and it has happened, and there have been a lot of copiers. It's one of the greatest.
On a second, because this is definitely a thing. I had Printon Omar from ja on here a couple of weeks ago, and they said the same thing. They talked about importance of having things done on the business side because somebody was literally trying to sell their product at a trade show and I'm like.
What these people are bright, And you know, when you gets into like fashion and designing, it even gets more difficult because the laws are not as even straight.
They're not that stockings something exists for that already.
So I did It's not actually a patent because I didn't invent stockings. I put a design on seconds. So I put a VCT band on existing, an existing item, and that's just called an industrial design protection. And I went ahead and I filed in Jamaica, and I was shocked. Cheap cheap. It was not no big expensive not to
do either. Yeah, it's reasonably priced to do. But you know, I had a lawyer that was advising me at the time she's like, boy, girl, you have to go to all these different jurisdictions and file this exact industrial design protection. If you want to be protected from somebody doing it in Trinidad, or somebody doing it in Barbados, or somebody doing it anywhere else in the world, you literally have to go to the US and file it, Go to Barbados filet go to Trinidad and file it. And I
was a boy again. This is going to take upon my time again. As you go along in this journey, you learn more and more, you get more educated. She introduced me to what's called the Hague Agreement, which is all these countries sign on to the agreement to say, if you apply to the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, you can get a protection that protects it in all the countries that have signed on to the agreement. So she's like, okay, spensive, that one was expensive.
That it was expensive. It was worth it.
It was.
Me.
And when I was doing that en it was in the pandemic when money was a little tight, and I'm like, so I feel like.
This could be worth it.
Let me just spend a little money and do it. But at the times like something you can't see I return on right. So it's very hard to put money into something and money inside. And you know, but I'm so happy that I did that because I did it and I got through. I got I was shy because I felt like I was doing commissions applications. No, I do not know what I'm doing or what I'm even answering, like they're asking questions.
I do not, But you know what, you did it.
I did it, and that's it.
And so now I'm pretty much protective for the.
World's the idea, which is really really not just humbling, but I feel good about it, like it gives me the confidence to continue to pursue this dream and this business in a very serious way because it means that I really had I really had an idea that made sense, you know what I mean, the ideas.
Worldwide candy that meant that that means.
And when I see all the copiers at first, the copiers, it was really it would bother me and I would pursue them from the legal route and see some desist. So many I'm not I don't even want certain things. I don't want to say. I don't want to encourage a body to copy anybody's idea. Right a point where I decided I just have to focus on what I am doing and making sure that my product is the best and when people look at the quality of it
and the features not they'll know. Because if I sit on a fight, fight, fight, fight, for all I'm going to do is.
Yeah, you can't fight. Everybody can't fight. Everybody worst fighting.
Right Hello, let let's say it's not you know, some little know them have no business, a hustle or whatever it is. Like I said, everybody thinks just like I don't know, sucks it does buy and sell it themselves. So a big party tell us. People don't have the education around it.
They don't know, they don't know that it's true.
They don't know.
They don't know any better. So so I always approach people amicably. First, I'm like, hey, you may not know, but I actually owned the I callic patent. Because people don't know any better either, you know. So I'm like, I actually owned the patent for this design. So and I even said to people like seller for yeah any more. I have done that before because I that's unreasonable, Like, I know, you spend your money to go buy the team, you know, sell it out or buy no more or
whatever it is. But I usually want to give people the education first and approach it amicably. And Limitus tell you, actually, not one time have I approaching am akable that it has been approached back to me amicably. It's always like people calling my bluff. You don't own it, what you're going to do. I have never had one personship Wow, I didn't know, crazy, okay, understood.
You know.
And that's something that I find is really hard for me to digest a lot of times. We talk a lot about it on this podcast, you know, being kind and being good to people and you know, just considering being considerate of people, and the fact that when you do that, it seems like the majority of people don't take it, as you said, as like whoa, this person really could have sued me, but instead they're coming to
me kindly and asking me to do something. They take it as oh, well, they don't have any backbone, so I can just tell them whatever, and they're probably going to be too scared to do anything. And it's just so unfortunate because to me, I would be appreciative of somebody approaching me.
Like that, but Nobody, not one person as not one person has ever been thank you for the information, thank you for the education I'm going to do. That's crazy always, and I have curated and changed that message because I'm like, maybe it's me, maybe maybe my message is on aggressive.
Or maybe it's the tone or so many as a whole nicely.
Who soft. I feel like it doesn't matter that the messages will either get ignored or it would just it's just always nobody has ever.
Said back to me, you know, thank you. I'm so sorry.
I didn't know even just that I just didn't know, because I know people don't.
Know even just to take accountability.
It's hard, Yeah, it's hard. So yeah, we we we continue to struggle through that challenge. But like I said, I have done so many things on my stockings now to distinguish them from the pack. I've added features to them. I've done like quality checks, We've done different types of stockings now, like we the thing is so elevated now that it's it's almost hard to know all of the features that are under stockings.
And I love it. I love it.
I love it.
That's the best route you could take.
And then let me just tell you again, people think this thing is so simple, like, oh, she's just buying and selling stockings. But when I say that, this has been the single most profitable thing I've ever done in my life, I'm a whole thing.
I've done a lot of I know you have self jobs girls, and it.
Has far surpassed any corporate job I've ever had. I mean really, yeah, I'm surpassing.
Even my's amazing.
And who are in corporate, I'm surpassing their salaries. It has been very successful for me. I'm very proud of it. And it continues to grow. It continues to grow.
Yeah, I love that, and I think that's such a good example that you're setting, even for your daughter, right, And it brings me to my next topic. There's a quote I came across that made me think of you, and it says a mother is not defined by what she gives up to have a child, but what she chooses to build alongside her child, not despite them, but because of them. That's so interesting, isn't it, Because a lot of times I think that people think once you
become a mother, like your life is over. You know you can do that way? Do you think for yourself? I'm sure it can. I'm not a mother yet, I'm sure it can't feel that way. But you're a great example of, you know, being a mother, a CEO, a creative, you know, a daughter of the Caribbean. You know, some would say, how do you balance those roles and how has motherhood changed maybe your definition of success.
So very interesting that you should even bring this up, because just last week when I was struggling through Cannibal in Jamaica, which this was a very season for me.
Us of course, get a corporate job, ok, baby, get a corporate se You know, you sound like your parents.
But again, you know, I mean I'm joking. Of course, can do what you want. I'm not one of those people that is going to force her to do something that I have or project something on her in my hand about who she should be. I want her to be her own person. I want her to live out her own dreams in whatever world where she wants to do them. And I'm not hard on fast on any curve. I mean, she doesn't need to be a doctor or
a lot. I just want her to do something. Oh yeah, you have doing and good enough money for her own lifestyle. So I'm not hard and fast on that. But in terms of the balance, every single time people have asked me this question, I have the same answer, and the answer is there's no balance. You know, if I am doing one thing strong, something else is suffering. So, for example, even during those like Carnival in Jamaica is a very
difficult time for me in terms of time. I am also the head of marketing at a band in Jamaica which is exited as Carnival. I do have Carnival by Candy, pop up shops and various things to manage it. That's is concerned. I have an event Carnival week as well. There's a lot of different moving parts. It's also distribution to Exodus, so we have If you've ever played Cannibal and you see what distribution is like, it's very busy for.
The staff who have to work it.
Yeah, yeah, it's it's a very tedious, time consuming thing and it will take up your whole day and your whole night just to make sure that things are in place for mascarados.
So there were a lots of different living.
Parts, stockings and Carnival by Candy on the accessoris end is also very logistical, so I have to make sure stock gets to certain locations. We have to do stock checks. If something runs, oh you have to bring it up back from another location. There's a lot, and I have staff and everybody is doing what they're supposed but it's it's physically demanding on me for a cannibal week, and so I'm not present at home, and so I am not at home right, So there's no balancer that's is concerned.
Sometimes I come home and my daughter would be sleeping, and she gets I kiss up in her sleep and I tell her I love her. Well, she's sleeping, and that's that's just it. Before she wake up, I'm probably gone, or all I get to do is wake up and take her to school or tell her goodbye as she goes to school. But I don't like when one thing is thriving, something else is suffering and something so.
It has been in my life.
I don't I can't say I'm doing two things really well, but I will say in the end, and I always talk about this with my husband, especially just in our dynamic. My daughter always all right, you know, she's always fine. The guilt is on me when I'm not present.
I'm like, okay, yes, what she feeling get home with her dad, or.
She's with her grandma or you know what I mean. She's fine. She's actually fine. And so the guilt has actually been living with mothers all this time, because it's not that I've never present, It's just that I had a project whill I was working. And so those are the examples that I set, or that I hope to set. That, Like mommy is hard working. And I always said to her, even if mommy leaves, mommy always comes back.
So you know, that's the.
Thing, Like even if she's like, Momie, don't go, I'm like, yes, Mommy has to go, but Mommy is gonna come back.
And that's just saying like we live by that, like I'm not.
Gone, I'm just going to do something. I'll be right back, you know, or I'll see you tomorrow.
Or what ad I say is your dreams exactly, know, like you're pursuing your dreams and you're getting up and you're in a very non traditional way. But yeah, exactly. But it's important for her to see all aspects of working. You know, working is not just nine to five, and it's in our generations that's a lot.
With myself and her dad, who is a musician, right, so yeah, we both have non traditional entertainment based jobs, and so she right. Sometimes we're like, of course if we did have nine to five, you know, because she loved you know, she loves when we are just quickly northstet when I'm not.
She loved that. She loved more than having.
Ninety fives.
Girl, what would she do till six pens? And that's so funny. I feel like I can relate to because my dad is a musician and my mom used to work for a Jamaica when I was great, so I know that life. Yeah, she was a flight attendant for many years. I probably know each other, I'm sure you know. Oh my gosh, they still talk on around. Yes, they're in group chats everything. No, it's it's like my mom talks about it and it's like tears want to come to her eyes. It's a very strange thing.
Love that company, you know.
Oh, but you have to admit it was but it was a lovely feeling. Yes, you know you know what I mean. Yes, I feel bad for anyone that didn't get to experience Jamaica like utensils, knife and fork, peanuts.
Aware, silverware, yes, silver aware.
Sometimes we'll be traveling and my mom would be like, wow, is this all the the flight attendant dress nowadays? Mom a judgment because she's so used to like how they had she tells me do all these things and going for like you know, measurements and all these It was like a hole to do, you know what I mean, So like she's just not used to hald flight attendants just come and serve you peanuts like still not she still can't.
It was just thrown back of peanuts on the table.
That's it, yes, exactly. And she was in a time where they were doing like modeling on the plane and all that. So yeah, it was it was definitely to tell you, yeah, I agree with it.
I mean like that entire being a flight attendant was like this option. Like Jamaica flight attendants were amazing to.
Me, like they were like mister, yes, they were just beautiful, like everybody was beautiful.
Like it was like I said, it was a moment. If you know you know you were there, then yeah, I want to talk to.
You really quickly about the emotional and even spiritual I guess sense behind carnival, right because people think it's just like jumping up and down and pretty costumes. But I think there's more to it, right. I think it's just it really represents freedom and liberation and celebration. I think, you know, Soca music in and of itself is just so positive, So I wonder what it means to you you Carnival as a whole.
Well, Carnival has been a very liberating experience for me.
I remember my.
First training that Carnival. It was like an epiphany of sorts. It was like it was the funnest thing I had ever done in my entire life, and I felt really free in those moments where I was jumping off and down or that's just what it represented.
It was.
It was like freedom in motion for me at the time, where I got to be like fully myself and unfiltered, and it felt really good. I mean, I know a lot of people think it's just like phetos and beds and skill because exactly, but it is very spiritual for people, particularly for those who you know, like the training is. They have the cultural element behind their Carnival as well,
so they're very serious about it. And once I got the education behind how it started, how we got to where we are today, you get a greater appreciation for it. It's very you know, ancestral, and it's a spiritual relea so a lot of people, not just for myself. So it has been very healing for me. And one of the things that I have taken pride in doing is making women more confident. And that is where that journey kind of began for me. Yes, I wanted to once I started and I was like, boy, this thing is
so nice. And I mean it was all fun, fun and well and good and healing, and but like you know, you start to see some gaps and that stucking thing. Like literally, I'm just like scrolling on social media and I'm seeing like everybody look good, but I'm stucking band just showing it's like an eyesore, and even coming from the concierge, like you want to elevate people's experience because Trinidad was a carnival, it was hard to get to.
It's not like Jimmy Corey your stuff at Esa Tagamat and buy a ticket for the dance and it.
Just got to dance, you know what I mean?
That is what we culturally have come to me.
There's no expensivity around events.
Every promote and want them dance to run, and so the tickets are all over everywhere. It can stuff and get one anytime, and so Jamaicans are not accustomed to that. And you have to in its entirety holistically plan A trined that Carnival trip from top to bottom. You have to know what fetes you're going to in advance, you have to know who you're on the road with in advance. Everything has to be planned in advance. And I was saying to myself at that time, like I need to make.
This more seamless and easier for people.
And it was the same thing when I thought of the accessories and the stockings. It's like I wanted to elevate the Carnival experience. And a lot of what has happened for me in Carnival is because I wanted to improve the product in some way. But yes, it started from that spiritual aspect and feeling very liberated and feeling like just having a really good time. That's really where it's you crave that once you've experienced it.
And I felt like, how.
Can I make this better for people, particularly women.
And I and you.
Honestly, it's so hard when people give you a compliment it's like I want to thank you, like.
You know, take it can please thank you just say.
The truth is every year when people were in things like particularly the last two years, because I have further put another little feature on the stockings now where girls can think of like a baby one day they can open a little flap and use the bathroom if they need.
To or cuse me their feminine heigh. Oh my gosh, no, I need to get up here, because that is serious. That a vading.
Once you string up antirep your costume, which girls do, they will nothing. They will tie it up them string it up set.
As it can.
Some girls will stitch themselves in so that pieces don't move or don't slide down or slide off.
You don't get to take.
It off until the end of the day.
Know, Oh my gosh, So we.
Used to back in the day it's a little hole in the seats of the stocking, so that you could just be used to that. And I said, well, we just need to make the stockings with a little thing, you know, like we thought. So I just I just put a little flap on the stocking. Now you just open it and if you need to, you know, feminine hygiene things, use the restroom whatever it is, and then
you can close it back and continue. And people have to be on the road to be like, oh my god, I was on a period or because that time in a month, or I'm so happy I did this. I used to to cut the hole and then the whole stocking would rip for whatever it is. And that makes me feel good for women, that makes me feel.
Yes, oh my gosh. That is literally like a game changer, seriously, for so many reasons, just for the simple fact if you're just somebody that has to use the bathroom a lot.
You know what I mean.
Like sometimes people come up to the booth to buy a stockings and I will ask them, I'm like, are you a person that like uses the bathroom a lot on the road Because I don't know, some reason I do not have to go on the road, So I don't know if I'm sweating, I don't know if I'm drinking.
I really I never have to go. I do not know the entire time. Entire time, I never have.
Yeah, it's a little crazy, man, but its czy.
Maybe it's a stress Maybe I don't know if it is stressful.
Trust me when I tell you that that is the single most comment. I'm a game changer for me, So yes, thank you all of that to say thank you all the things. Yes, thank you, thank you so much.
No, you're welcome, and you know. In addition to all of that, I just think even the way that some of the costumes are structured now everybody is not necessarily comfortable with, like let's say the front part. So I feel like it also gives us women a little bit more confidence that nothing is going to pop out that should you know? Ye exactly, So I think, yeah, that's that's why it's just such a game changer to me.
Sure, the innovation now in terms of features on the stuffings has no big come like a pillar of carnival by candy, Like people look out for what are we going to do next on an accessory or how are we going to elevate or make it easier for women or for people who are playing masks.
So this has become a little pressure in on a life. Yes, what happens when you're great, People have higher expectations.
Right, So I am we are really pushing the company now to continue to innovate and to invent and to create things because we don't just want to buy and sell, right, Like I said, we want to elevate their carnival experiences. We want to move into different experiences because this doesn't just have to be carnivals. Like every time I look at Beyond Our World Torn and tell us we're performing all over the stockings they have, Yes, they're.
Dancing all especially Beyonce.
She loves us, she loves us stuckling. So you know, we're trying to, like, you know, go into other industries and navigate through the space in the performing arts in some way.
So I mean that's kind of work the five year goal.
Not that you asked, but well, I feel well, you.
Know what I was going to say. First of all, I feel like you're reading my notes because that's going to be my next question. So thank you you got ahead of me. But I will stop that to say, I'm just going to put it on in the universe. I feel like Beyonce Act three, she's going to have to have some carnival by candy, Thank you, And I think that's what we're seeing.
That's right then, thanks, and that's on that period.
Yes, yes, so I wanted to ask you what's next for a Carnival by Candy besides Beyonce wearing it exactly.
So, like I said, yeah, we want to move into some different spaces, particularly in particularly in the dance world. I don't even feel like I've completely dominated the carnival space. Carnival is a multi billion industry. Girl, there is a long way to go. This is a long way to go.
And the girls, yes, you pick the right industry business perspective.
The girls paid to Carnival. Carnival is not cheap.
The costume not cheap. No, the flight not cheap.
It's not cheap.
Nothing is cheap.
Nothing about it is cheap. And I want, like I said, I want them to have a good experience. I want them to be comfortable on the road. For some reason, when people put on stockings, I feel like they have on pants. As you know, the costumes can be very skim piece. So it's it's like I want to continue. There are a lot of other markets. I haven't even gone in with the stockings. People have heard of it. They're like, oh, what are you bringing your stockings to?
Where about Saint Martin or or a little cannival. There's lots of Caribbean carnivals in every nook and cranny around the world, around North America, there's all kinds of living canivals, big cannivals. There's nothing hill, there's there's still a long way for me to go in Cannibal. So I know people will often be like, oh, what's next time. It's like, I'm still focusing on dominating here in this industry, and then three to five are moving on into other industries.
So yeah, that's really where we are.
But I mean, again, with some emphasis on innovation, will continue. We want to have new drops every year. We want to innovate, we want to elevate the experience. So yeah, I love that We're going to continue to create. That's what we're going to continue to do.
Before we transition to our final segment, I've been allowing my guests to ask me one question this season, So is there anything you'd like to ask me?
I would love to know, like this podcast thing, Like tell me about the business of podcasting. I need to be educated on the business of podcasting because it's something I'm like loosely interested in. So it's something I would have asked you off the airport. I mean, since you asked, yeah, shine some light, how has it been going, How did you get started? All of that stuff?
So you know what's so funny? You may want to ask a different question. Here's why I know when I tell you, you're gonna be shocked, because most people are. I know nothing about part casting, I know nothing about journalism, I know nothing about communicating. I'm being dead serious. Oh. I started this podcast was I was doing my masters at Harvard and I had a project where I looked at the effects of violence on women and girls of
the Jamaica and diaspora. Right, so, persons that leave Jamaica come here, you know the man, the man may end up killing some woman, or the woman ends up with an abuser, stuff like that. And I found that most of these women they just didn't have a space where they felt encouraged to leave that situation, or the men didn't have a space where they felt seen, or just didn't really have a space.
Right.
So I just had this idea, what if I just started a podcast where I just brought people on, like first, my friends and family at first, and like my uncles
because I told you, my dad's a musician. So brought people on that just talked about their lives and how they got to where they got to just for people to be encouraged, and then it just turned into this, so I had wow, Yes, that's why I'm like, I'm probably not the best person because it literally just happened and from there so many people heard about it, and you know, getting people that are very famous obviously that helps, and a lot of people and this is what means
a lot to me. A lot of people have come on just because they feel comfortable speaking to me. I've never had anyone ask me to tell them the questions beforehand. I take that very seriously. I did, Oh my gosh, I'm the first person. You know.
I actually a little bit from anxiety.
It is like I need to know.
I need to know because I want to prepare and I don't want to not be prepared. I actually thought to myself that I need to practice more interviews where I don't know the questions or I don't know the questions, and.
That's the reason. So the reason behind that is I've even have my parents on here, and the reason behind that is because I want it to be genuine. I don't want it to be something where I'm like, so, Candy, how have you you know what I mean? Yeah, and like you whole show, so you know how it is like some people you can give them the questions and they do know how to respond in a genuine way. But you have a lots of people that are going to answer like a robot, and I feel like, I don't.
I want people to come here and feel like it's genuine, you know what I mean. So you've done so I feel like, oh, thank you so much.
So it's just something.
It's really something that there ends up being a business side, yes, but I honestly just started doing it and I'm doing it just for my community. Really, I'm not. It's not anything that I was like, oh my gosh, this is going to be a big thing. It's just turned into that because usually I end up having conversations with people and we end up being friends afterwards, or we end
up you know, talking. It just happens because you know, we just feel comfortable talking to each other, and I think people feel good that they can trust me because I'm a stranger. And then it just was like wait, wow, you know that was fun, or she didn't ask me anything salacious or nothing like that. So people end up feeling comfortable. So I know it doesn't really answer your questions. I don't know it does.
No, no, no, no that I actually it sounds a lot like my story, like it just kind of happened and it just it yes, yes, exactly turning into something so yeah, no, I get it.
I guess it exactly exactly.
It makes me. It comforts me to know that there are other people with similar experiences, because you know, I have people and friends who have seriously pursued being a doctor her entire lives, or being a what if it is a lawyer an engineer, like all the people with real professions out there who have been studying for the last I don't know, fifteen twenty years.
Of their lives.
Yeah. Personally, yeah, it's like I'm envious, and at first it's almost intimidating, like, well me just leant of being accountable now, and I'm going to.
Make the best of it.
I had no business plan. I had no you know what I mean. There's a school you got to learn the industry or or even business.
See, that's why you're so good at it because it's your passion. Passion. Like when something is your passion, it's just that's like ever.
Because I want to make you feel better in your costume, and so you're going to continue not thinking with profits in mind, but thinking with how can I make this experience better for you in mind?
And that's the exactly enough coming sleep.
It's the passion, okay, because exactly that's what's going to drive you.
Yep, and calling sick. You can't for your passion, No, I cannot sick. Yeah, it's been Yeah, that's the journey.
And I'm happy that you're also walking a similar pass and.
Yes, we're both trying to make it refreshing conversation.
So thank you so much.
Oh you're welcome. Okay, so we're not totally done yet. I'm going to ask you six rapid fire questions. So you just say the first thing that comes.
To after you just exactly. I literally was like, oh my god, it was fun.
It's fun. But now you know you can trust me. It's fun, trust me, trust me. The first question a book, film, or quote you return to when you need clarity.
All right, well, let me let me talk about the book, because I just finished this book and it really sat well with me. It was big magic. Oh yes, and that gave me a lot of clarity on a lot of things that's going on in my life about ideas and how they create. And yeah, it's much about being a creative, continuing to pursue my passion and making sure that I act on ideas and I get the ideas.
So it was very it was very motivating for me that last book that I just read, and of course it's not top of mine for me.
I love that perfect Okay, so we'll go with that the book, all right. Next question, what's a personal habit or ritual that keeps you grounded? The gym girl working out? Yes, I love that. I love working out. I'm not a big drinker. I don't do anything else as my vice.
It is working out. I work out four times a week at the gym. And I also just added pilates.
I'm a plates girl. Now welcome. I love pilates.
Yeah, I'm a platus girl. No, so I just added that to love that. Yeah, but definitely in the health and wellness space in that way for just for the it's not really so much about the aesthetic of it is like, yeah, but it did it, didn't know. It's really about just being healthy and from my.
Mind, yeah, and it makes you feel good. I feel it does it does for sure? All right? Next question, If you weren't in the carnival or entertainment space, what else would you be doing.
Media and television. I've said that my whole life. If I really, if if kind of all afforded me the space and time to continue to pursue media and television, I would have. I recently just completed a project called Carnival Catwalk, which aired all well. It aired regionally here in the Caribbean, and I was the host of that show. But you know, the opportunities are not as I'm not able to take on the opportunities as I would have
liked to because I'm busy, I'm doing other things. And if I've been honest and I really play as well, again, it's more of a passion project. It's like, if I pursued this, I know I probably could have earned more of a Right now, It's like, yeah, I do it when I can.
When you can. All right, makes sense. What's one thing most people misunderstand about you?
I would have to say that I have it all figured out and I have some amazing work life balance, which people I was like, how do you do it? You seem like you're doing so much, and I just feel like everything's on high all the time, and I feel like I'm outing files every single day, you know
I do because of everything that transfered. I'll give you a really short story, because of any everything that transparred in Cannival this year, I was really on a mental break for the last two weeks, like I have just been zonkeed and zoned out and just trying to catch my head from a tail.
At this point.
Have been very kind of lowkey. I mean at home, I haven't really been paying attention to so much, like what's going on. And my daughter had pictured day at school, and let me just tell it was a mess.
First, I brought her on.
The wrong day day's school. It was like fix her up, comb, hair, dress, everything, their life tomorrow.
Then when I brought her the following.
Day, she's graduating from preschool to go to big school, and there was like a cap so her hair in a high ponytail. They're like, we're going to have to that, Oh mom. It was in the email that they're going to be.
Oh no.
Yeah. I think it is the perception that I have it all together.
Yeah, but you're human.
Yeah, But I'm very much very human almost, and I make a lot of mistakes. Okay, let me just tell you so all the time. Yeah, that's the biggest misconception that like people see me, you know, social media is a lie and they would see what ye be on social media.
Like, oh, I'm so happy you said your daughter.
Yeah, like your career and you're this and you're that, and yeah she's on that school of the wrong picture.
I'm so happy you said that because I think it's good to humanize yourself a lot of times. Sure, because yeah, people don't understand social media is just things you're choosing to share. Like everybody is dealing with something at some point. Just because they're not on camera crying. Absolutely, that doesn't mean that they're not dealing with something. So I'm really glad you said that for sure. All right, if you want an all expense paigre to the Maldives, which five
people are you bringing? Wow? Well my husband of course, of course. Yes, it's like I want to send my daughter us. I wouldn't manage to stay home with grandma.
That bad.
No, we're not judging, absolutely not.
I'm so happy that this is a safe space. Yes, I love my daughter's name is Corus. I love her to the moon, but I want her to have experiences that feel authentic to her. And I'm all these kind of sound a little bit more me than it's on her. I mean, I know she'd love the bee chancing and she love our parents he but it's on it it sounds like she may not have the best timey right after that, I would bring my girls. Oh my god, like I said, I've had the same friends for the
last twenty addios. Yes, so yeah, that would be Janelle, Giordance, Selina so Moora, and then my husband. A lot of people they're meant to kill me.
So you would bring more than five people? You can't say that that's fine? I will okay, So you'd have I mean, it is the whole group chat. It is all expense paid. So I don't see why.
Now everybody, I need a whole group chat call me.
I love that.
I love that. And your husband should be able to bring some people to right because.
If he's a musician, you know who answer yes, that's true, killing me just come alone?
Oh my gosh, I can't manage. But yeah, you're right about the answer. Ash Okay, so that works, that works all right. So last question, what would you say to the eighteen year old version of yourself, the young woman who hadn't built the brand, hadn't become a mother, but was dreaming of something more. It's going to be a bumpy ride, but you'll get there. And you know the quote that I returned to and it just came, it just popped in your hand. Yes, it is that.
And I constantly remind myself of this is that I dreamt about the things I have now, and I always remind myself of that quote that bees are dreams realized right now, and I have to keep dreaming a new dream. Basically, well, this is.
Something I prayed for.
I prayed for the family, I prayed for the husband, I prayed for the house. I prayed for the business to be successful. I know, I want the business to be more successful, Like there was a time where we just wanted profits, or we just wanted to make sure we could sell off the stock or I know it's like I have I have people all over the world asking for the stockings and the demand is high, and I'm like, okay, now I got to take like another level. We need to take it to another level. You know
what I mean, so, yeah, we need to. It's a quote that I constantly remind myself of that Diesel. I'm living in a dream realized and if I could talk so that eighteen year old girl like a bumpy right, And it's not It is not linear.
Entrepreneurship is not linear.
You're not constantly sending the way climb a corporate ladder or it's not going to be like that.
And there's going to be a lot of values.
There's probably more valides at this point than than peaks, but the peaks are peaking.
Now it's time for my little thank you candle problem. Thank you for sure. Thank you for showing us that building a life of meaning doesn't require choosing between motherhood and ambition, softness and strength, or culture and commerce. I think you are a living example that legacy is not just about what we leave behind, but how we live while we're here, how we show up, who we uplift, and what we create with intention.
Now you.
You reminded us that being a woman in leadership is not simply about holding a title. It's about holding space for creativity, for responsibility, for joy, and for others to rise and for those listening, especially women I hope this episode really just reminds you that your dreams are not too big, your timing is not off, and your story is still unfolding, and you don't need permission to step
fully into who you are begin coming. You only need courage and perhaps a little candy colored vision along the way. So yeah, thank you so much for coming. I really enjoyed this.
Thank you so much for having me Ash, thank you for thinking of me and inviting me. I'm happy to share my story, something I'm trying to practice to do more of, because, like I said, I always dread being the interviewee. So thank you so much for the very well done, practice crushing interview.
I appreciate it. Thank you so much. Yes, right, not like that.