Shakin' Hands
Welcome to 'Shakin' Hands,' the podcast where entrepreneurship meets fascinating stories from the most intriguing minds today. From proven business practices to groundbreaking ideas that challenge the status quo, Shakin' Hands' is not just about the handshake that seals a deal but about the shared experiences and values that unite us all. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business owner, or someone who loves a good story about overcoming odds, Shakin' Hands' promises to deliver compelling content that shakes up the conventional and celebrates the extraordinary.
Tune in to Shakin' Hands' where leaders, thinkers, and doers come to share, inspire, and, most importantly, connect. Let's shake hands with the world, one story at a time.
Host: Jack Moran
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Shakin' Hands
Ep. 42 | Turning Your Essence Into a Business Asset - Candace Smith
Jack Moran and Candace Smith dive into the power of personal branding and why many entrepreneurs struggle with visibility and messaging. Candace shares how to craft an authentic brand that attracts clients, the psychology behind standing out, and the biggest mistakes business owners make. She also reveals how to balance creativity with structure and overcome self-doubt to scale successfully.
Candace Smith
The Essence Photographer Website
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Host: Jack Moran
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Welcome to Shakin’ Hands, where we provide the platform for entrepreneurs and thought leaders to share their stories in order to hopefully influence others to get out of the rat race and chase their own dreams. If you have any recommendations for guests or questions that you want to be asked, please don't hesitate to reach out. Anyways, if you enjoy the podcast, please like, comment, subscribe and share in order to keep the podcast growing. Otherwise, I'm your host, Jack Moran and this is Shakin’ Hands. If you're looking for business mentorship, I have a place where you can get feedback on your unique personal development and business growth challenges. Over the last year, I've brought together a group of impact driven thought leaders where we meet every single day to discuss psychology, communication, mindset, and business case studies. We have people who have made millions of dollars, lost millions of dollars, Harvard MBAs and new entrepreneurs like you and I. Entrepreneurship can be lonely. So if you're looking for a support system, please follow the link in the description below for some more information. So your New Year's resolution is to get on more podcasts. I don't really do resolutions, but yes, that is one of my goals for 25 is be more visible and claim more space that. Because I've been very passive in how I'm building my business, and I'm in the process of building another business because I am an entrepreneur and that's what we do. And, yeah, I just, I think creating the consistency for how I want to show up and being an actual leader in doing that. Okay. What do you got going on right now? Like what's your. So my business is, the essence photographer. I am a photographer. I specifically work with brands. So typically solopreneurs, and small businesses, helping them be more visible and, get their message out and a clearer and more consistent way. And the next business is a brand agency. So I'm helping them actually create the strategy and implement everything so that they can go from getting these badass photos into actually knowing how to use them and and putting them out so that they can make more money ultimately. Why is that important to a business owner other than making more money? Yeah. Well, it depends on how they want to build and how they want to scale. Typically, I work with solopreneurs so they are the face of their brand. So they have to they have to get out and they have to show up in order to generate the income that they need in order to make the impact that they want. What's kind of your methodology for doing the methodology? So, it's funny you ask. I actually just defined it. It's called Beyond the Brand Method. And it's a four part process and it helps them get into who they are so that they like, define the character of how they want to show up. And then a couple other parts, I don't know if I want to share all of it, but, it's basically sourcing who you are so that you are gain more confidence in how you want to show up and be seen. Okay. That's a difficult challenge. How do you define for someone with their authentic self as how do you how don't I just ask them questions and I help them define it? Okay. Like what? Like what do you want to be known for? What's what's your legacy? That's a good question. Yeah. Who are you becoming? Stuff like that. It depends on the person. Depends on how much I know of them and how what how they're showing up on social media and their website and the content that they present. Then I can ask curated questions based on what I want to know. Okay, so that makes it easy for me. In your business, what do you want to be known for? Yeah, helping people remember who they are and be able to, show up with more authenticity and prowess. Prowess? Yeah, I love that. That's a great mission. Yeah. How'd you get into photography? So I was actually a model I modeled for over a decade, and that's how I learned photography. So I've never actually taken the class. I just was art, and I learned by doing so. And I just, like, paid attention to people setting up the lights and, you know, telling me I was being part of the stories. So now, ultimately, what I do is help people tell their stories. Gotcha. And what do you think the key aspects are to accurately defining someone's story and presenting it and giving it an authentic light? Yeah. I honestly hate the word authenticity. So it's it's, what's a good replacement? There's not essence. So. Yeah, my my business is the essence. Photographer. So I use essence instead of authenticity. It's the same thing. Except essence is like the core of who you are. Why don't you like authenticity? I don't, I think it's overused. It's just too cliche. Weird tech that I have. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. What was your question? How do you what are the key aspects to, like, get the essence of not use authenticity getting. Yeah. Get the essence of someone's story. Yeah. It's, you know, it's genuine curiosity. I, I start with questions most of the time. So it's, it's a process of like looking at how they're representing themselves currently and then how they want to be seen in the future. So it's like helping them build the brand with the vision of the bigger picture in mind. Okay. That's interesting. Yeah. What was kind of like your journey into entrepreneurship? I know you said, like, you know, you're a model, and then it's a good one. Yeah. So I've been an entrepreneur my entire life. My first born within my first job. I'm pretty sure I was born with it. Yeah. I think, like, straight out of the gate, like I'm the oldest of three. So my first technical job, like, getting paid for, was, babysitting. And don't let your kids babysit at age nine. Pay for the little too early. And then the entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, and, I would take all the neighborhood kids because we lived on a cul de sac. So I would gather all the kids and teach them a dance routine. And then I went around to all the parents and sold them tickets to come see my performance. That's hilarious. It was funny. That's a great idea. Yeah. It was it was fun. It was super fun. And, you know, it was like, all the skills that I currently use was like gathering the people and, like, creating the audience and, being able to teach people something that they didn't know that they wanted to learn. And, making money selling tickets. Yeah. So what did that evolve into? What was kind of next year, next venture like what was between gathering kids and putting on performances? Oh, man. And now I've done quite a few things. So I sold clothes for a while. It's I kind of just follow my own whatever I'm inspired by and then like, make a job out of it. So the, the modeling piece, I actually fell into our scouted then I thought they were crazy. I'm like, what? I'm short. What? No. So I did that for many decades. And in many decades, it was a take over a decade. And while I was modeling, I actually did a lot of, like, brand ambassador work. And using. I have a degree in marketing. So it was a lot of like in-person things and generally like bringing the crowd. So I did a lot of that kind of stuff and, just honed my skills of like, mastering the art, of being in front of people so that they feel safe, welcome, and, get the result that they came for. What do you think are the biggest mistakes that you see in people's brands? Trying to be like somebody else. I think that's mistake number one is like not taking the time to figure out what your messages and who you're speaking to. There's, you know, there's the core of how entrepreneurs should show up. And then there's like, being true to yourself. So, a lot of the clients that I work with are rebels. So, you know, I, I get to help them find the details of, what makes them unique and, like, capitalize on that. Okay. And then, like, what is the best way you like to do it through photo, but you're doing the brand agency now. Are you guys doing, like, messaging as well? Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot of messaging and storytelling essentially. And because, you know, it's like, what do you want to be known for is kind of the through line. And I, I think photography in general is about legacy. It's like you get the photos and now you can keep them forever. You might not you might hate them. But the option is there to like, be a part of your future after you're gone. These photos can live on same as your messaging if you do it right. So it's like, who are you and why should we care? Yeah, and I think it's like at least for me. And I feel like for a lot of people it is kind of difficult to define that. It can be that core self. Yeah. You know, do you help with that process at all or would you rather them have that figured out? And you're just like, yeah, I've, I've definitely works with many people where they, they think they know who they are. And then we get into this process that I take them doing that like, oh, I didn't think of that. And the I think the, the way that I like to help entrepreneurs, specifically solopreneurs that that are the brand, it's getting into the different parts of who you are. So I believe that everyone has multi facets to their humanity and how they want to be seen and what they want to stand up for. So, and that's like the fun for me is like figuring out what your characters are and how you can be more dynamic and how you show up online. What have been the biggest hang ups that you've seen? Solopreneurs getting stuck on the the visuals like I'm 10 pounds overweight? Yeah, it's a it's a lack of, ultimately trusting yourself. And, you know, getting stuck in the details is where most people get hung up, which is why I just make it easy, like, full service. So it's it's the most important thing is who you are. And then all the details are basically the fluff. Important, yes, but not as important as, like, defining who you are and what your actual messages. People will pay attention to that and they'll be magnetized. So as a creative, and wanting to voice your own essence and your own brand and have your own creative spin on your business, but you're obviously being influenced as well by your clients in your vision. How do you find that balance and still, you know, keep your creative integrity, while meeting the needs of your clients? Yeah. Good question. I do a lot of personal projects, so I see, every client that I work with, I, I'm a facilitator. I basically like, help them define their story and then help them create visuals of how to tell that. And, for me, it's ideas all the time. I'm also A.D.D., so it's just like I wake up at three in the morning like, oh my God, I got to write this down. So I tend to have, like, multiple projects that I'm working on, just for art's sake, so. And I'm also, I do self-portraits, too. So even when I don't have someone to play with, I can, like, create art just because I'm inspired. So how do you cultivate, like, a good foundation for inspiration and creativity? What are the key elements in your environment that you need, for finding inspiration? Yeah. Is it intentional or is it passive? Yeah, I am inspired by everything. For I think I have an unfair advantage because I can be inspired by, like, how the light is reflecting off this table, for example. So, as far as, like how would help someone else find that it again, it's like getting into what, sparkles for you. Ultimately it's like, what, lights you up? And how can we make that bigger so I can deal with that? Like. Or it can be a bad thing for me being inspired by a lot of things because it can be distracting. It's totally distracting. So how do you stay grounded in kind of like your core mission when you have all these things that are inspiring you all around? Wow. Good question. I don't ultimately, and that's why I'm always like creating other businesses. And that's also why I work with entrepreneurs, because I can stay inspired by them and like, it keeps me in my lane so that I'm not just, like, bouncing all over the place. Clients can repurpose. So it's like they keep me grounded because then I have a focus of my attention for all the inspiration that's going to come anyway, but I get to channel it into telling their story. What would you say are the like key aspects or characteristics of your own personality? Like both the pros and the cons? Well, the A.D.D. thing is real, and it's. Yeah, yeah, it's, I lose my train of thought often. Or I'll just, like, move on to the next thing and, like, not finish that thing. So, Yeah, consistency is where I probably struggle the most, which is a large part of why I do the work that I do is so like, help people do what I need help with and therefore, like, I can do the same. Yeah. To that it's three questions. Yeah. So to follow up with that, like what habits have because I deal with that. And I think a lot of people in our audience and a lot of entrepreneurs in general, you know, have that ADHD characteristic and can kind of get spread thin by distractions and it's difficult to stay focused. So what habits do you implement in your own life that kind of counterbalance? Yeah. Time blocking is really important. Okay. So if it's not on my calendar and I won't do it, so accountability is really important for me. So, doing co-working and body doubling, I don't know if you know, so, so body doubling is like physically having another human next to you so that you can stay focused. Specifically for me, like, there's millions of types of A.D.D., but not millions, but, everybody, it, how it shows up is different for me. Without another human next to me, I just I'll just, like, keep scrolling through Instagram or, you know, click 42 different tabs and not be able to like pick one. So having another person who's productive, ideally it's someone who's like also doing work and staying in their dedication to self, is really helpful to that body. Doubling. Interesting. Yeah, most of my I know you don't like New Year's resolutions, but one of my New Year's resolutions this year is to be more intentional about my environment. Because I think that you're a product of your surroundings, especially when you have A.D.D., because whatever's in your direct line of sight is going to, attract your conscious ass. So if I can be more intentional about what's within that line of sight, and remove those things that I know distract me. It leads to more research activity. Yes. More success. Yeah, yeah. So you said we talked off air. You started out in San Francisco. Is that what your originally from, or. That's just where you were before Denver. No. Yeah I, I don't have it originally. My family's all in Maryland, so that's like where I started my career was Maryland, DC, New York. And I lived in California for eight and a half years. Yeah. And then the pandemic. So I lived roughly three and a half years just traveling. So. And I have, more global network. So I also photograph retreats. So I got to, like, go to a couple different countries, and just live the nomadic lifestyle, even though I had an in-person service. So it was a wildly fun challenge. What did you learn from traveling like that? I find, like, travel to be some of the luck, most insightful experiences you can have. What did you learn from traveling and why is it? Why is it important to you now? Yeah, I think it's always been important to me. It's, I'm an Air Force brat, so I moved around just enough to, like, make me uncomfortable. And so I, I learned how to take the not, not knowing anyone in an area and like, having being forced to start over into a superpower. So, like, now I can go anywhere and talk to random strangers at a bar, or sit next to someone on the bus and be like, start some random conversation. So I think that skill set of like, not being afraid to fail, essentially, had has formed who I am. Did you have that fear before? Absolutely. Yeah, I was super. I was painfully shy as a kid. Okay. Yeah. How did you get through that? Forced myself versus of. Yeah, I think, you know, there was a well, I went to college. I think that was part of it was I left everything that I knew behind. And then I grew up so. And it was in college where I decided that, I was more of a performer. So I've always been a dancer as well. But I, like, threw myself into dance and actually being on stage and, like, creating more creative, endeavors in general. And, yeah, just making myself be who I wanted to be through. Like this journey as an entrepreneur, what has been the most difficult moment that you've encountered thus far? Oh, it oh, it's hard. The most difficult. I mean, the pandemic was hard, man. The. What was hard about it for you? I had two businesses that were very successful and I was forced to not be able to do anything. So in the interim, while I was before, I, like, picked up a, packed up all my stuff and just hopped on the road. I built an online community. So, yeah, I just, you know, kept making up something to entertain myself with. And, lost a large piece of myself because creativity and, like, helping people tell their stories is what I do. So and not being able to do that physically was very challenging. How did you get through that? Well, part of it was building the thing online. So, I created like an online mastermind and a whole community. So I was still like being with people, but not, like physically with people. And learned a whole different skill set, because doing virtual things is very different than in-person. So that was part of it. And, you know, therapy, all the ways that you like, take care of yourself. I had my support group, and, I built, you know, a bigger network because I could be more global. So. Yeah, just finding more people doing cool shit. Did you have any big realizations through that process that are beneficial to you today? Yeah. I mean, I don't know if it was anything that I didn't know. Like, I thrive on human connection. So it just made it more obvious that, like being forced to stay in my studio by myself and not do anything was torturous. So, yeah, I think, you know, human connection is very important in general. But specifically as a creative and a generator. I don't know if you know, human design, but like, I need to have somebody else to bounce ideas off of. And it's a lot more satisfying if you can, like, create something tangible. What's, human design? I feel like we had a guest. This girl, Emily Elbe, might have mentioned. Not to me, but, Yeah, forget what it is. It's, it's another way to get to know yourself. So it's it's based. I can't speak to all the details. I know just enough about myself to know that it's true and accurate. But it's it's follows your, the dynamic of who you are. So it basically, like, define it helps you get a clear definition of, how you came into this life based on your birthday. Okay. I yeah, I have heard of this. Yeah. So it's it's wild. You should definitely check it out. Do you know what your Myers-Briggs is? I used? Are you extroverted or introverted? I am, yeah, I'm equal parts of both. Equal parts of both. That's crazy. Yeah, it's. How do you define that light dynamic in my brain often? So I like to be the center of attention. I'm also a Leo, so I don't know if you follow the horoscope and the. Not really, but. Yeah. So I have I have tapes of, like, lots of ways that we define ourselves based on whatever system. So, so I like to be the center of attention, but I'm also a hermit. So while I like, will stand on stage and, like, demand attention, I also have to resource myself and go home and, like, disappear for three days. And a lot of people think that like extroversion versus introvert gen is if you like to go and, you know, socialize. But it has more to do with how you, you're, you react afterwards. If it charges you or energizes you, which it can do both for you. Both. Yeah. Okay. So because like if I, if I host an event, for example, and I have like a room full of people, I'm like, this is like easy. And then I'm high for three days. But on the flip side, also, if I host an event and then I have to like going, which is why I before I hit the road and just kept driving for three years. I hated driving, hated it, but I like turned it into like this place where I would just sit with my thoughts and get to know myself better and listen to some good podcasts. So yeah. Yeah. Okay. So the next one is, are you more introverted or sensory? So introverted is like, excuse me, not introverted, intuitive or sensory. So, intuitive being like, you think more in the future, kind of go with the flow. Sensory being like, I like the here and now more of like a list maker type. Definitely a list maker. Yeah. I think, I also try to stay in the present. So while, like, part of my business is helping people figure out who they're becoming without knowing where you are right now, nothing works. So I would say I'm probably more sensory or sensory. Definitely. But okay. Yeah. And like most people do, like in different situations, will lean one way or the other. Yeah. And I think that like, you know, there's no one size fits all, but the Myers-Briggs is more just like a baseline on what is your natural impulse? I'm going to have to do that again. Yeah. It's, I think there's a website that's the easiest one I found is I think it's called 16 personalities.com. And it's like 20 minute quiz, I know give you it, but third one is, thinking or feeling. So do you make decisions with your heart or with your head? Well, if I, if I'm actually true to my alignment, it would be with my gut tech. Okay. But, yeah, I'm wildly impulsive, so probably with my heart feeling. Yeah, yeah, I feeler. Yeah, definitely a feeler. Okay. And then the last one is, if you are perceptive or for judgment, judgment or perceiving. So like in decisions, do you know right away what your decision is or you like to keep your options open. Decisions kind of give you anxiety or like with a meeting a new person? You know, right away if you like them or it takes a little bit longer to, like, get to know them before you make that decision. Sure. When you put the people spin on it, it complicates things. But I don't default to judgment. I like to see the whole picture. And I think perspective is everything. And I trust my gut. So if if I'm meeting someone for the first time, I'm like, you know, you're not my people. I'll still give them another chance. But usually I'm right. So in decision making, like in a specific decision, if you have a, like a decision to make, are you usually like like go with that one or. No. Or are you. Yeah. It's a yes or no. So more judgment. So yeah you'd be an e either an e I s f j. So you got to look that up now afterwards and see which one if it, if it lines up with you. That was a little tangent. That is absolutely has zero benefit to our audience. But it might, you know, questions. Questions. People think, yeah, yeah, maybe it'd spark some inspiration. You had talked about before, like having to go from this in-person business into this digital business, which a lot of people experience. I'm kind of experiencing that. What did you learn from that journey? What we're kind of the key elements to having a successful virtual business that is different from, having an in-person business. And then what elements did you replicate from that are similar in both businesses? Yeah. So the thing that I did not focus on was generating income. So while I have, you know, there's like almost a thousand people in the community and that was very active. I didn't monetize it, which I'm really good at with my photography business and everything else. So, it was an interesting dynamic, watching myself, like, not ask for money. Which also, you know, led to the chaos that happened after, so and like, what I do now, like my main focus is helping people establish themselves well enough so that the money just comes easily. So it's like becoming the magnet for the business you want to build. So I guess that's the transition I like. So my lack of ability or whatever, whatever the word is there that I just like failed on generating income. I've made it into, more of a focus now becoming the magnet to the business that you want to build. Is that what you just said? I think so something what does that mean? So a lot of what I do is, storytelling, as I mentioned, but it's specifically for solopreneurs. Like, if you are the face of your brand, people know, like and trust you based on what you're putting out there. So it's not only like the visuals that you use that stop the scroll, but it's also the messaging that you use to convince them or to position yourself or to, like, be seen as the authority. Gotcha. Becoming the magnet, being like a thought leader. Yeah. How do you do that? It's that's there through credible information or passion. And what other aspects. Yeah. It's it's the definition I would say is I, part of it is figuring out, the different elements of who you are and how to define the, the pieces of that. Okay. So if you had like a cheat sheet here, like a, a form that I had to fill out to define my brand, what would be the things that I need to define like authority, my mission, my. Yeah, those are, those are all part of it. Like your mission, your vision. Your message. Like what? The legacy statement, I would say. What's a legacy statement? What legacy do you want to leave? What tracks you want to be known for? Like one. If you died today, how do you want people to remember you? Okay. What's your answer? My my goal and my mission is to be inspiration. The inspiration to inspiration. Yeah. What does that mean to to be inspiration. To be. To be inspiring? Or is it different than that? It's it's more I would consider it more comprehensive. So yes, there is, there's the, the act of being inspiring, but I also want people that I interact with to to feel their own inspiration. So it's not just like, see, you want to inspire inspiration. Correct. Interesting. Okay. That's pretty cool. Yeah. As a creative. And I'll kind of like wrap it up with a couple questions here. But as a creative for a lot of creatives, sales is difficult and sourcing clients is difficult. How do you get through that challenge? Like how do you find clientele and, what's your methodology for that? Yeah, I have lots of ideas on, for me personally, I like working with leaders. So, specifically community organizers, that if I work with this person and they're people, trust me, then my job is much easier because I get to I go to the source. Essentially, if I get in distribution channel, sure. You can put it that way. Yeah. Or for for my business specifically, it's, the, the head of the community. So I mostly work with women entrepreneurs, so I tend to gravitate towards, community leaders that like, are coaches typically, and they have a community of 40 to 900 people. Interesting. So I go right to the top right, and I go, I go to the top of the food chain and then let it trickle down from there. That's a great idea. So how do you like interface with those people? What are the keys to like, you know, because I think I understand like my what my strategy would be. But for someone who may be more introverted as a creative, it might be even scarier to go to an executive and. Yeah, facilitate that relationship and and sell themselves. Yeah. I lead everything with curiosity. And so I think, oh, that's a good point. You know, the the easiest way to get someone to trust you is to ask curious questions and to be interested. I really enjoy seeing. Yeah. So and you know, the people like to talk about themselves. So if you give them reasons to talk about themselves, they will automatically like you better. And then once you've kind of like started with that curiosity, what do you think are the elements of a long term relationship? That's beneficial for both parties? Yeah, I think helping them see the gaps in how they're showing up now, and, and my expertise. So it's like showing what they don't have and then positioning myself as the expert. Interesting. That's really cool. What would you say? And this would be my final question. What would you say is something that you didn't know when you started on your journey as an entrepreneur, that you know now that you wish you knew before or like one profound piece of advice for entrepreneurs, I had to put in the profound part. Trust yourself. Yeah. When I started, I did what everybody else was doing, and I didn't do it my own way. And I think ultimately that's like the endgame is like actually being able to trust yourself to know that you know, best for you. Right. And I think, yeah, it's like using your intuition. And I think that when you what I mean is maybe this is a personal belief, but I feel like you drive your reality like from the inside out. And when you are utilizing using external to drive that reality, it causes an incongruence with your like, your essence on what you just said. Yeah. So serve with your essence and that leads to conflict in your life. Whereas when you are using your intuition to like write your own script, then you get more alignment, in your life and you start attracting the things that you truly want. Exactly. Or if people are like interested in working with you or could be interested in your services, where can I find you? Yeah. My brand is the essence photographer, so it's the the essence photographer. Dot com and same handle on all the socials. Okay. Fantastic. I appreciate you coming out. It's been great talking to you. Yeah. You too. Thank you. Yep.
