Candice Speaks

Leadership conversations are rarely difficult because people don’t care.
They’re difficult because we waited too long to have them.

A few reflections and lessons from my recent leadership workshop around clarity, accountability, performance…and the very human side of leadership.

Read the full article on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/clarity-changes-everything-candice-speaks-uno8f

If you want different results, stop managing results.
Start managing the conversations, behaviours and actions that create them.

You think you can do it all yourself…until someone shows you what great looks like.

I met Cara Roodt through her mom, Denise Roodt, the incredible force behind Glad Rags, a project I’ve had the privilege of being part of.

At the time, Candice Speaks was ready to launch. Brand done. Vision clear.

And social media?
“How hard can it be?” I thought.

I’d convinced myself I should save costs and do it on my own, so I spent hours trying to build posts, figure it all out, and keep up. Then, completely out the blue… Cara sent me a WhatsApp. She apologised for reaching out and said she’d overheard me talking about Candice Speaks, and had taken the liberty of creating a few posts for me. I could have hugged her!

Because in that moment, I realised two things:
1. I was overwhelmed (even if I didn’t fully admit it yet)
2. This was someone who got it

That one message turned into one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business.
Cara takes my thoughts, my message, my direction, and turns it into something visually powerful and consistent. She brings structure to what can so easily feel like noise. She’s incredibly easy to work with, understands the pace of building a business (there are no “office hours” when it’s your own), and she challenges me in all the right ways.

I feel very fortunate to have been part of Cara’s journey early on, and I have no doubt we’ll all be watching her build something remarkable.

If your brand matters (and it should), I can highly recommend , and her work.

Simon Says. Candice Speaks. And just like that… a brand was born

When I decided to launch Candice Speaks, I knew one thing for sure, brand wasn’t something I could “figure out as I go.” It mattered too much.

I’d known Simon Le Gras from Simon Says for some time, and he came highly
recommended… but if I’m honest, I assumed he worked with big corporates, not small, start-up businesses like mine. Still, I took a chance and reached out. Within minutes, he replied: “Of course I’ll help you.”

What he created from our first one hour meeting was something I can’t fully explain, he understood my vision, my voice, and somehow even the parts I hadn’t quite figured out myself!

I still remember receiving the first draft of my logo…and almost crying at my desk because it felt so right.

From day one, I was treated like a valued client, not a “small job.”
Every visit to his office, every interaction with his team… professional, warm, and just
genuinely good people (the Halloween visit will always stand out 🎃).

If you’re building something, whether it’s big, small, or still just an idea, I can highly
recommend Simon and his team.

He didn’t just create a brand. He helps bring DREAMS to life. Simon Le Gras

“The cost of doing it alone is higher than you think.”

I’ve always been a strong advocate for coaching and mentoring, having had the privilege of being on both sides of the table throughout my career. But I believe it becomes even more important as you step into senior leadership. When the load gets heavier, and it can start to feel like you’re meant to carry it alone.

I’ve always valued external, objective input, and that’s what led me to Steve Levy from Dare2be Coaching and Beyond.

We started a journey together that, if I’m honest, didn’t look anything like where I’ve landed today, proudly building Candice Speaks!

A few of the many takeaways from our journey thus far:
- Spend money on services required within your business - don’t try do everything yourself. The cost of time matters.
- Get clear on your “why” and even when you think you’ve answered it… you probably haven’t. (I was challenged on mine more than once!)
- Trust your instinct, it’s not naive, it’s often your greatest guide.

More than anything, Steve never tried to change how I think, he helped me trust that there’s nothing wrong with thinking that way.

If you’re in business or leadership and trying to navigate it all on your own…you don’t have to.

I can highly recommend Steven Levy and coaching as a whole.

So excited for tomorrow’s leadership workshop.

For many leaders, the success that got you where you are today was built on DOING. Being hands-on. Fixing. Solving. Delivering.

But leadership growth often starts when you learn to step away from the doing.

Sometimes… the very thing slowing your team’s growth is YOU. 👀

Can’t wait to unpack this and so much more tomorrow.