Aspire with Emma Grede - Why Your Biggest Gambles Must Always Be On Yourself (with Kandi Burruss)

Episode Date: August 19, 2025

If you’ve ever felt the sting of being underestimated, been told your best ideas were too big, or wondered how to turn the next chapter of your life into a big win, this is your episode. We dive into the emotional highs and lows of being someone who refused to stay behind the scenes, the balance of motherhood and ambition and the gamble of betting on yourself when the stakes feel impossibly high. You'll hear how Kandi navigated the heartbreak of deals that fell through, leaned into vulnerability to write songs that became cultural anthems, and faced the drama of 'Real Housewives' cameras while protecting her sense of self.  Kandi gets real about being a Grammy winning hit maker crafting culture-defining hits like “No Scrubs,” launching businesses out of tough seasons, and the humility hack that keeps her grounded no matter how high she climbs. In this conversation, she shares the blueprint she’s built for making bold moves, trusting your gut, and using every platform—housewives drama, hit records, even home kitchens—to power a life that truly aspires. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am so excited to share my debut book with you or Start With Yourself, which is available now. You might have seen the headlines, you might have seen the social, but this book is exactly what I intended, a conversation that will make you think. And it's a blueprint for anyone who wants success without the toxic positivity. Start with yourself is about self-leadership, because wherever I go, women ask me how I got to where I am. But what you really want to know is how you can get there. So I'm doing what I do best, sharing and navigate keeping what's works for me in the hope that you can borrow from a philosophy that has served me so well. The truth is I'm not an expert. I've just lived it. I've made the mistakes. I've had the

failures and I've learned what actually works. It takes a lot. It takes the most. And this book is for anyone who's tired of feeling like a passenger in their own life. It's about taking responsibility for your thinking, managing your emotions and getting clear on your ideas and then knowing your next step. It's about picking yourself up after failure, being accountable, but also forgiving yourself, pushing for wins and never, ever apologising for your ambition. It's also about challenging the rules that you've been told. There is no perfect time. Balance isn't the goal. Alignment is, and there's nothing wrong with you wanting more. I'm precisely sure that the reason I've been so successful is so I can share it with you. Start with yourself. My debut book is available now.

Visit emigre.com to purchase the book. Also, available on Amazon, your favorite audio platforms and all good bookshops. Candy Burris is a Grammy-winning songwriter, reality TV icon, serial entrepreneur and Broadway Powerhouse. Candy has never fit into one box because she never planned to. From girl group fame with escape to penning hits for music legends like Whitney Houston and Destiny's Child, from dominating Real Housewives of Atlanta for over a decade to rewriting the rules as one of the most successful producers on Broadway.

Candies built a career on talent, tenacity and a fierce commitment to ownership. But behind the spotlight is a woman shaped by early values, smart hustle and the belief that every opportunity is a chance to create another. Today, we talk about what it means to build leverage, learn from mistakes and make bold moves across industries that weren't always built for women like her. This is a conversation about evolution, influence and what it takes to play the long game. Coming up on the Aspire podcast today, Candy Burris. Candy, I'm so happy to have you here today in Atlanta.

Welcome to Aspire. Well, thank you for having me. I have so much to talk to you about, but I have to tell you I went to see Othello on Broadway. Oh, you did? Of course I did with Denzel and Jake. And I literally, first of all, I never seen more black people in the theatre.

And I thought, one, I have to ask you, do you think that that's because of you? And how proud are you to have the highest. grossing theater production on Broadway. What achievement. Okay, first of all, that's an amazing achievement to say that we made history. It's crazy. It was crazy.

I mean, it's a blessing to be able to put up numbers, obviously, in any project that you're a part of, but to be able to do Broadway as a producer as a black producer and say, we made history. Like on opening night, you know, I was, you know, sitting next to Anna Wintour and Joe Biden, President Joe Biden, excuse me, I don't want to just act like we're so familiar. He was like right, right next to the same aisle, right, like two seats over. So it was like, wow, in my mind, I think I was sitting there thinking to myself like, wow, this is such a blessing.

And you know how you have one of those moments when you're doing the thing and you're like, this is, yeah, this is what I'm doing. But then you have that moment where it sinks in like, wow, not only am I doing the thing that I've always wanted to do. At a level. At that level. Yes. It's crazy. It's a dream come true.

Honestly, I could feel that for you because it feels like such a monumental moment. And I feel like just understanding your journey. Could you take it in? Could you sit there and be like, I am so proud of myself right now? Yeah, it was definitely a proud moment. because it's, you know, so many people that I admire and look up to were in the room. Yeah. You know?

But not just that, right, the audiences. Because I go to the theatre a lot. I grew up in London and it's just like part of what I've always loved doing. Yeah. But the audience, just looking around, I mean, it was palpable, the difference in there. Never have I seen more black people, more people of colour, but also more young people. Yes. And I think, do you, is that directly attributed to the fact of your involvement, do you think?

It's so important to be supported by our community. Yes. And I have definitely used my platform. And I go here, there, and everywhere to make sure that. And I think it's the thing of we never as black Americans, anyway, felt like that was our place. Of course. Meaning that was the place that welcomed us. For years, you know, Broadway was known as the Great White Way.

And it's not that, you know, obviously America itself has become, you know, more aware of race and trying to do, I guess, hopefully people want to do better. But we as a community have to put ourselves in those spaces and help bring each other up. Yeah, but also to have stories that are more reflective of that audience. Yes. And I feel like that's what you've done. I mean, I want to talk to you about your entire theater career because this is just like, the cherry on the cake. But there's so much work there

and a body of work that is so reflective of your community. And to me, it just, it felt like a big deal. I sat down and I said to my husband, who is a white guy, I was like, look at this. And he said, oh, yeah, like, there's a lot of black people here. That must be candy.

And I was like, damn right it is. This funny thing is, I'm lost. I find it so hilarious that people actually recognize that because it's funny. I mean, I'm just going to be honest. You know, I do see some people in certain, you know, platforms and blogs that like to be like, I mean, she's not the only producer. What is she doing?

Like, oh, that's what you think? That's what you think. Do you think I have no, oh, okay. Because I'm not going to take anything away from anybody on our team, right? I think all of us bring a lot to the table. No doubt you do it. But I will say that I know I bring a lot to the table. And it's in everything I do, not just Broadway.

I'm always trying to find a way to bring more opportunity and bring just, allowing us to just be grand. Yeah. Well, honestly, I think you do it beautifully and you should be really, really proud of yourself. And I want to get a better understanding of how you got to where you are today. Okay. Can I ask you, did you grow up around anyone who had a business? Like, did you have an early example of what it means to be an entrepreneur? No. No.

I always tell people, I didn't go to college. I did not have a lot of college graduates around me because, like I said... When did you leave school? Well, I got my record deal and I was still in high school. So we signed a Soso death when I was in the 11th grade. Wow. And coming into my senior year, just kicking it was like already top of the chart, you know? So it was like a dream coming true.

But it's a lot that happened in my young. younger years, I guess that kind of made me reflective of who I am. My mom was a single mom raising me and my brother. And then, you know, I lost my brother when I was summer before 10th grade. So it was a lot that, you know, happened, I guess, leading up to the success, I guess. Yes. Yes. So I have to, I mean, we've got to go back and talk about Escape a little bit because, I mean, escape was absolutely huge. But like you said, you started that when you were in high school. that you were so, so young doing a pretty big woman job, I imagine at the time. Right? And getting big woman attention.

What do you remember about that moment in your life? Like, can you just take me back to like how that was founded and like how you felt being so young and having all that attention? I mean, I feel great. I love you for saying that. It felt so good. Yeah, I mean, okay. Did the kids around you, like did the kids in your high school embrace it? Were they like, oh my God, this is amazing?

Yeah. At first, I mean, yeah, I would say for sure. See, so our high school was a performing arts high school. Right. So our group went there. Outcast went there. So a lot of us, you know, went to the same school before we took off. You get what I'm saying?

So everybody had dreams of being an artist, you know. I met my group members when I first got there. I was in the ninth grade and Tamika Scott was in the 10th and Tasha was a senior at the school. And so we met, I started hanging out with them all the time. We were singing at church together all the time. And when we first started, like, actually becoming a group, we ended up, we were a group for like two years before the deal actually happened. So I think. So what you were like gigging and you were going and like doing shows in places? You know, we would just go sing for anybody who would listen. Have you? Yeah. Yeah. And hopefully, you know, and finally we sang for

Jermaine Dupree. Yes. And we sang for him at his 19th birthday party. I remember that. And he was like, oh, yeah, I'm going to sign y'all. Was that a big deal then? Like, was Jermaine Dupree at 19, like, a thing? Well, he had done some things, but he, Chris Cross hadn't come out yet.

Okay. So he was actually working on them at the time. And so he was like, you know, I got a group that's about to come out. And once I, you know, I remember that I finished with them. Every boy in my neighborhood turned their pants around and went around. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Biggest thing all over Europe.

Obviously in the States, but all over Europe. Yeah. Well, he said he was going to come back and sign up. And we were like, oh, yeah, right. Because a lot of people had kind of said they wanted to work with us and he didn't work out for whatever reason. So we were kind of feeling like, oh, it's just another person that's saying it. Did you know you were going to be successful?

Was that like a feeling that you had? In my mind, we were. I always just used to be like, oh, we got to do is get a deal. When we get an idea, we're going to blow up. I had no idea, no clue that it could happen any other way. Like, I just felt like, all we needed was the chance. Somebody signed us, it's out of here. That's how I felt, that's how it actually happened, but that's not the norm.

And I didn't realize that. And I think we kind of took things for granted, you know, as the sex. Being so young, you would have, right? Yeah. But with that being said, you know, we did, you know, he did come back and sign us a year later. And once we took off, it was good and bad. Like our group, you know, we was killing it. I still had to go to school, though.

I was the only one that was still in high school. How did you do it? Like, you literally just... I literally would go do the show and then come back and be at school with everybody else every day. And then I had all this work that I had to do while I was on the road.

So while all the other girls was, you know, kicking in and chilling and having a good time, I was still doing schoolwork. And then I had to come home and do more schoolwork. And then some teachers was trying to lay it on thick just so they could say they didn't give me, you know, give it away to me or whatever. So it was, it was what it was.

But I'm kind of a determined person. So I was like, okay, I'm going to get my diploma. I know I'm going to have that. So whatever we got to do to make that happen, that's what's going to happen. So when did you realize that you were more than just a performer and that you could actually write, but more than that, like you could write hits? Because, I mean, I look, you've written for Whitney Ustyn, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, don't forget Destiny's Child, TLC, so many.

anymore, but it's like a role call of, I feel like it's my whole life. Like, that was like the 90s. That was the golden moment. Was there a moment? Two thousand. Two thousand. But was there a moment when you were like, oh my goodness, like, I have a talent and I'm not just a performer.

Well, you know, when our group was working with Germain, I always was like, let me write, let me write. But he would let us write like a little bit here and there. But when our group started having issues, that's when I was like, okay, Tiny, we need to get in the studio because we're going to have to try. to figure out what we're going to do because we knew when our group members was going to go solo when the third album was being created. So we were like, okay, we got to make a plan. And I was like, let's go in the studio.

How old are you at this point? Oh, I was like 19, 20. Pretty mature decision for a 19 year. No, I was 19. Yeah. So we was going in the studio working on. We called it Ket at the time, Candy and Tiny. original.

I love that. And No Scrubs was actually a song that we did for ourselves. Wow. He gave it to LA read and he was like, I want the song for TLC. I was like,

cool, let them have it. And you did. That's your first reaction. Cool, let him have it. Because in my mind, delusional as it may be, I always feel like I can write another hit. That's just in my mind.

What is not that delusional for you? You had a few, if you had a few, but that feels like the pinnacle, right? Well, actually, we had a manager that was working with us that was like, yeah, that's a good song. It's not as good as your other songs. No!

Did you know it was a hit? I loved it right off rip when I was doing it. I was like, oh, this is a gentleman right here. I thought it was hot. I feel like we all knew as soon as we had that introduction. I mean, I don't know how long I sang that song for, but it was also like such a turning point in like, I don't know, like the zeitgeist of like what you said

and the words in that song. like that was a, there wasn't just a hit, it was like a moment, like a moment in popular culture. It did. It felt like that, though, right? Well, I didn't know it was going to do it. It did, though. I was just hoping that, yeah, I didn't even know they were going to make it a single. I was just hoping they kept it on the album. Because I ran into L.A. Rita at a party before the song came out, and he was like, I'm going to make this the biggest song of your career.

And I was like, in my mind, I was like, yeah, thank you. And I was like, man, please. I was like, escape. We already got hits. Like, my life. That's what I was thinking. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, okay.

I'm like, just keep that song on that. That's what I'm thinking. But what is the deal that you did? So you sold that track, but you retained some rights around it. You retain the publishing. Oh, yeah. So basically, if you're a writer on the song, yeah, somebody can record it,

but you still have all your publishing. Like, I didn't sell my publishing to them. So they recorded it. And the song was like the biggest song that year or something. It was the most played song in history. at that time. People have passed it now. Wow.

But yeah, so it was a moment. And it's still a moment because people still sample that song. So it gives me more publishing on other people's songs without having to be there. That's amazing. Did you get paid from different people now? Did you make a ton of money on that song? Yeah. And you still do.

Because people license it again and again and again and again. Oh my God. That must be so satisfactory. It's unbelievable. It's a blessing. out of this world. What actually separates, like, a good songwriter from a great one? Do you know?

I feel like there are certain people who it doesn't matter what you give them. They can write something to. Like, it doesn't matter what track you give me. I can probably write five songs to the same track because I'm a good melody person. And I'm a great person at putting concepts together. So, like, as soon as I hear the track, first of all, I can listen to a track sometime and tell you that's, that's going to hit or that's not, before I even put a word to it.

Matter of fact, I really don't even need your beat. I can come up with a song and put you put a beat to my song because I'm a melody person. I can hear it in my head how it should go, you know, from just a click track. You get what I'm saying? But I am good at bringing to life concepts and stories that people can relate to.

Yeah, that's clear. It's the relational part that I think is that, again, the reason I say it was a moment in popular culture because people felt it deeply and they really related to the work. Well, because it's a real story. I mean, it was inspired by people that I actually knew at the time.

But I just got to feel like... Still the same, Goddy. No, but the thing is, it's like a lot of... How many times have we been walking out? the street and a guy like trying to hollet you from the curb and you're like yeah no yeah no you know the first one that's always popping the most is the person who's with the person who's really pop you know like it's always you go to the section and it's always the guy is like not paying for nothing and be like oh you want

a drink you want this you want that dude that's the dude I'm talking about yeah that guy yeah it's like we all know that person so I feel like it was just people can relate. It was funny as well. It was funny. There was humor there. And the melody is easy to sing along with. Yes.

The other part of it is for me, for a majority of my songs, I like my B section to be as hooky as the hook. What's the B section? So the part that comes right before the hook. So, no, I don't want your number. No, I don't want to give you mine. You know what I'm saying? So it almost everybody can sing along with that.

part, right? It's memorable. Just like a hook is very memorable. So you feel like there's a formula that's a great songwriting. This is for me. I don't know what everybody has a different formula. But for me, I like my B sections to be as strong as the hook. Now, a lot of times now, because everybody's, you know, times have changed. So sometimes now people don't even put a B section or a preverse or whatever pre-chorus, or what they call it. Sometimes they don't even put it in the song anymore because the songs are much shorter now. But even in a song I did recently, they are short now, right? Way shorter. Way shorter.

But even in a song I did recently, it's very short, but I still have a hooky part before the hook. Yes. It's sections of the song that everybody, no matter who they are, once you hear it once or twice, you can sing along. Yes, it's in you. It's in you. You can sing along with this.

Sometimes I'll be writing a song and I'll be like, oh, this is a hook. And then I'll be like, hmm, it's good, but it's not strong enough. So this is going to be my pre-course and I'll write another hook that's stronger. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, I totally. get what you're saying. What do you think, I'm just trying to understand what you've learned from the music industry. Like when you think about contracts, ownership, publishing, what did you learn from the music industry that's been, you know, something that you could bring into

your life as an entrepreneur? Okay, well, obviously, with contracts, I mean, definitely got to have those lawyers reading, reading, reading, reading, reading, reading. You know, you got to be very, and as a woman in the music business, okay? Especially in any business. Yeah. People sometimes feel like they can chump you off or get over. So you have to be very about your business and very stern when it comes to, you know, what you deserve. So when it comes to the splits or, you know, the percentage meaning your percentage of the song or whatever.

And that's just any business, right? Yeah. How have you navigated that? Do you feel like you've had to fight for? what you deserve? And in certain situations. Some situations, everybody's fair. Everybody's like, okay, this is what we're going to do, you know.

And in some situations, yeah, they thought they was going to try me. And I'm like, yeah, no. It don't work like that. Are they more, I would imagine there's more, they're more gentlemanly maybe in the theater than they are in music, or is that just my imagination? Well. Because entertainment's entertainment at the end of the day. It's a tough business.

Music industry can be very a lot more grimy to me than film TV in the theater. I can imagine. You know, music, they try you all the time, especially back in the 90s. They think they could jump you off and like, oh, yeah, you only getting this. Oh, no, that's not what I'm going to. Were you always like that? I mean, because obviously you had success so young. Do you think you were always there advocating for yourself or have you learned to be a better self-advocator?

I feel like even as the youngest in the group. I feel like I was very outspoken when it came to anything that, you know, had something to do with this is business. As long as it's right, you know, I'm cool. But I have no problems with saying, yeah, that's not going to work. I think I come from a family of strong women. And, you know, for sure, I am definitely, I'm not meek at all. You're wired that way. Yeah, that's just how I'm wired.

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15th in New York City. Tickets are on sale now at emmagre.com. I love this conversation because again, you started by talking about lawyers. And I'm someone who reads every single contract that I'm involved in, right? It's like I have lawyers, I have business managers, I have people around me. But I'm going to read before my signatures going on something, I'm going to read. And even with my home stuff with my husband, it's like, my husband will be like, this is something that we're doing. And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to look at that. I'm going to check that. Because that's just how I'm wired. I am too. Yeah. I was raised to think that someone's, always trying to get something over me.

And so I'm just going to check, check, and check. Well, that's not how all women operate. Yeah, no, I've always been like that. And actually, my husband, he's the one that's kid. Can you read over that? Because I already know you're going to make sure it's right. Or even with some of the business people, except for my lawyer, they'll send stuff to me.

And I'm like, yeah, you know, that's not correct. You need to fix that. Or, you know, the wording on this is that. And I'm very anal. Even though I wasn't a woman who, I didn't. never went to school for this, but I'm definitely like, yeah, that's incorrect and you, you know, why do you have, and I, and I, I'm so petty, I'm like, why you got an extra comma here? That's not right. No, you're not.

No, you're not. That's, that's just, it's a contract or something. Yeah, like, on my tweets, I'm going to talk crazy in any, what I say, monics, I'm doing all that. But when it comes to this contract, what? That's not right. Ticked and tied. Yeah, no. What do you think? And I sign out my checks.

I don't have anybody. 100,000%. I remember watching Oprah when I was younger and she was killing stuff. Do you remember? Yes, that's why I did it too. I was that power of attorney, what? Like, never. I'm signing every check.

Every check. Exactly. Yes, yes, thank you. That's the one thing that drives me crazy about being in a group versus doing things on my own. Oh, because there needs to be consensus in the group. Yeah. Well, in the group, you know, I'm just. trying to be a team player.

So I'm, you know, saying letting them make decisions or kind of go, I'm trying to go with the flow as a grown woman. I was going to say, don't really feel like your personality having known you for, no, no, I've been doing so much better in this stage in my life because when I was younger, they would be like, you know, you know, oh, she's got to be the bitch. No, but I'm going to make sure it's right. They're not going to play with us. How did you get that mindset?

Like, do you just think, my mama? My mother is very, well, they sit on TV. You know my mama don't play. My mom is not playing. But, you know, she is not playing at all. As a young person, she always used to be like, don't put all your eggs in one basket and all this stuff. And because I had started my career at a young age and started making money,

not a lot at first with the group, but making money, though, at a young age, it was always this concern of I did not want to be the one hit wonder or the, artist that is old and they were like they had all this money or whatever when they was a kid and now they you know old and broke i did not want to be that person coming from a pace of fear of being broke or like fear of being broke i had a fear of being do you still have a fear of being broke still well i feel like i've set myself up at this point in life that i'm definitely going to be comfortable from this day for my my family, my inner household is going to be comfortable no matter what because of the way the things that I put in place.

Doesn't that feel so liberating to you to say like my inner family will be comfortable no matter what because of you? Oh, it feels great. But I feel like there were times where people don't have the expectations from their females. Does that make sense? Yes. where they feel like, oh, well, I had a son, he'd be doing this and doing that. I'm like, well, I'm a daughter and I'm doing a whole lot. You know what I mean?

But I just feel like at the end of the day, as a woman, and, you know, you get everybody always want to make a comparison about relationships, obviously, you know, oh, who is making the most money and all this other kind of stuff. You know, I love my husband. My husband is very, he pushes me. and his mind is like very, he's an extremely great businessman and extremely creative mind, you know. Obviously, I've been financially successful for a very long time.

So, you know, of course, I'm, you know, I've made more. And that's okay. People have a lot of, have a major problem with it. A lot of opinions about that. A lot of opinions about that. But it works for us. So when I say this, I'm not taking anything away from the things that my husband is doing. Well, we can't all sit here and talk about female empowerment and then get mad when a woman earns more than a partner.

The two things are not congruent. Like, they don't work. Yes. Like, no way. Do you remember the first time you made real money and how that felt? So as a teenager, it was just my goal to see $100,000 in my bank account. I love those numbers. I love it.

Yeah, you know, we have a number. Yeah, you know, $100,000. So I had saved. I didn't buy nothing. Everybody else in my group was buying cars. Really? Is that what you did? You saved?

You didn't buy nothing. Yes. Oh, see, I'm such a squanderberg. That hundred thousand would be gone. No. Yes. Really? I'm that girl.

I firmly believe. See, the thing is, what I was telling about being afraid of being broke, I read a lot of financial books as a teenager. You did? Yes. So they say, in order to be a millionaire, say a millionaire, you have to live below your means. Yes, you do. Okay. They are right.

I was living below my means. and I saved until I saw the $100,000. And I was like, okay, I guess I can get a car and I'm going to build up my credit so I didn't want to pay it off at once. I put so much down and I made my payments. Yes. I used to not anymore.

I feel like I was better with money then. But I used to back then before everybody was like doing it on their apps and stuff, I used to balance my checkbook to the penny. As a teenager. Yes, I understand that. I have always been so careful. Even to this day, I tell everyone it's like,

I know the cost of a pint of milk. I know the cost of bread. I know what everything is, and I know how much is going in and how much is going out. And that will never leave me because that's just how I was raised. Yes.

And that's one of the reasons that, like that here. And that's why I say I'm not as good with money now because now I spend a lot of money, but it's because. You have more money. Yeah, I got more money. And I know I have, like, you know, you have your nest egg that you don't touch.

Hopefully. Oh, no. You're not touching. No. Do you consider yourself now as someone then who is good with money? Like if you, like, I'm just trying to understand because I think when you come from not very much and you make a lot of money, like your relationship changes to money all the way along. Like, do you still feel, like, I know you still have the fear, but you've obviously grown around like how you think about money. Yeah.

You're more relaxed with like how you spend it now. I'm very much relaxed how I'm spending it right now. And I was just saying, I need the day going to pull the reins because I'm just spending too much lately. But I spent, when my spending is not buying frivolous things like buying a new car, buying a house, well, unless it's an investment property. Like, I don't just buy that type of stuff. I'm investing more things for my business. But right now my daughter is about to do her career.

I'm investing in her and setting her up properly or a group. I'm working with a girl group now. So spending money on them to help them. But it's that speculate to accumulate. You're actually investing in things in your career, in your child, in your businesses. Yeah, yeah. But I spend a lot. What is your relationship like with your kids and money?

What do you mean you gamble? I'm a gambler. I gamble on my ideas. So I'll take a big gamble if I want to see something work. You know what I mean? I gamble at the casino too, but only if I'm on vacation. Yeah. I love that.

I really love that about you. All right, so first of all, you get to the point where you win this Grammy Award, which is so unbelievable and coming from your background, all the work that you put in, that was like obviously a massive achievement. And then you end up on the real housewives of Atlanta. And I just need to understand like that jump in your life. That was crazy. Okay, so basically, you know, I had got comfortable with being behind the scenes.

Then Tiny hit me up. she had this bright idea of this talk show she was trying to do that she wanted to put together. She's creative too. But she loves to lean in on me for stuff like execution or whatever. Make it happen. Yeah, she's one of those. So, Kenny, I was thinking about this idea ahead. I want you to come, you know, so it has a great idea doing this show.

So it was me or her. It was Toya, which is Toya Johnson now. She's our friend. And then another young lady named Joy. four of us, they had already started on it the talk show they were trying to do and they had already was working with James DuPose who was a big producer.

Anyway, in the midst of doing that, it was somebody had an interest in the show that we were putting together. And my friend Derek Jay, who's a hairstylist and he had appeared on Housewives with the first season, he had came into me, he was like, girl, so they're looking for new Housewives

for season too. He was like, I think you should be on the show. And I was like, oh, no, I'm busy, I'm doing something. Had you seen the show? I watched the first season. Okay. I thought it was funny, but I didn't see myself on it. Okay.

So I was like, yeah, I'm doing something. And so then he was like, well, I'm going to tell them to call you anyway because they need somebody with their own money. And I said, that's what he said. Those are the exact words. And I was like, yeah, yeah, whatever. So literally, like maybe a week or a couple weeks after the people that were working, that were signing the show. Well, actually, I can say it now. It was BT.

BET was going to do the show. but they decided to just use Tiny and Toya. Right. And so myself and the young lady I said was a part of it. They no longer wanted us to be a part of it. And so I was just like, I was disappointed, but I was just like, all right, it's cool. And is that just like the normal ebbs and flows have been in entertainment? You didn't take that personally.

I didn't take it personally because, you know, they're still my friends. I wanted Tiny to still win. And she was the one who introduced it to me anyway. So I was just like, okay, well, that's fine. But the thing about it, the reason why I brought her up is because she made me open-minded and excited about the idea

of possibly doing something on TV. And then, a week after they told me they didn't want to use me, the people from Housewives called me and asked me, could they interview me for the show? And I was like, all right. So you're kind of open at this point.

I was open. See, if it wasn't for doing the other thing, I wouldn't have been open to it. Yes, I get that. But when they called me, I was like, okay, cool, you know. Take a meeting. I'll take the meeting or whatever.

And I thought it was just going to be something I did for fund for a year. I had no clue that that was going to turn into something like me being on a show for 14 seasons and all the other spinoffs that came from it. I was, who knew that my life was about to change at the time, but I guess you just have to be open. You have to be open. I mean, Housewives has come with so many unbelievable benefits. I think for you, but for everyone who's gone through that show. But there's like the highs of it and there's like the low.

The scrutiny that the housewives get is kind of unimaginable, right? Like we, I feel like I know all the housewives. I tell everyone, housewives is my guilty pleasure. I've watched Beverly Hills, Atlanta and New York, probably every episode. It's like I love it. And I watched it from early days, like early Nene, you days. I was obsessed. But what of the downsides?

being versus the upside. Like, do you look at it like that and go, it's brought you so much? Yeah. It has brought a lot. So what I will say, the benefit of Housewives is and Bravo overall,

it's a fan base that comes with it that is like no other. Yes. You know. Loyal. We've been watching that. Like our whole lives. Bravo fans are like no other things.

You know what I mean? And so the support that you get from the show Now, when they don't like you, the hate can be brutal. They're going to tell you too. Yeah, that can be brutal. They have a right to tell you too. Yeah. See, the thing is, that was crazy.

Like, I thought because I had been in a music group and we had already been in the public eye, I didn't think it was really going to change my life like that. But I did not realize that it just gave a whole second wind to everything I had been doing. Like, it took it to the next level, I guess. It surpasses music. You know what? And I'm going to say this, and people may or may not agree.

I feel like reality fans are way more supportive and feel more connected to you than music and TV fans. I mean, now you can go somewhere. I'm not a musician or reality TV style, but I could understand that because you feel more of a sense of, I don't want to say ownership, that's the wrong word,

but the familiarity, it feels really real. It is. I know like I know you and I don't know you. Like I feel about it. Yeah, but you know my family. I know my friends. I know your mom. I feel like I know your daughter.

I feel like I know something about your relationship. Like that's the real feelings. Yes, we feel that. Yeah. So it's a different connection. So with that, a lot of great things have happened. And on top of it, I met my husband doing the show. Now, did I have a couple of things that went left on that show?

One or two. But did it outweigh the good stuff? Like when you look back with the hindsight, because now you've left the show after like so many years. You look back and you feel like net positive or like I could have. Net positive. I would say anytime net positive. And the reason why I say that is because like I said, I met my husband on that show.

And the support of the fans that I gained while doing that show, I cannot complain. You cannot complain. I cannot. Did you ever feel like because obviously you were there for so long, you see so many housewives come and go. And I mean, like across the franchise as well. Longest running straight 14 seasons. I mean, I love that. for you.

She's there. Hands up. That would be me. Because everybody else, most people have made it to number. But even if they do say they come to that number now, they never do the straight. They all,

the rest of them took a break. And I feel like so much of that was your vulnerability, right? Because you went all in. Like we knew the good, the bad, the ugly. Yeah, I didn't try to happen. Did you ever feel like a sense of like, I can't leave this? Like it's too good.

And like almost like that golden handcuff kind of feeding. Yeah. it was definitely a hard decision to make. The reason being is because, you know, when you do something for that long, it's like becomes a part of you and what you are used to. So it's like it's life changing to say, you know what, I'm not going to do it anymore. You know, so that was the hard decision. Plus the money was good.

I'm not going to lie. Is that? Yeah. That guarantee check. Yeah. It's a difference. I know. I'm still going to make money, but it's like, it's a difference.

You know, all I got to do is show up to this set and I'm, you know what I mean? 1,000, and that it's additive to so much of the rest of your business stuff because there's a guaranteed amount of coverage, there's a guaranteed amount of visibility. Like, it's built in, right? Yeah. It's like watching from the sidelines now. It's like, I don't, do I have a fear of missing out? No.

No, no FOMO for you. No, fomo for me. And the funny thing is, Cynthia told me that I probably would feel it once the show started. and I don't. And I think really the reason probably why is because I've been doing so much with Othello. And yeah, so I don't feel like I missed the thing. Like while they were filming last summer,

I was on tour with Escape and SWV and we had our big, we was killing it. So I had a great time. We all have that dream trip. We've been wishing we could go on. But too often life or usually price gets in the way. That's why Priceline is here to help you turn your dream

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You're like, I've got to keep my relevancy. I've got to keep myself busy. Yes. For sure. So coming, when I had made the decision to leave, I already knew that Othello was going to be happening. I already knew that the, well, the conversations about the tour was already happening as well. So I knew that I was going to have that. You're booked and busy.

Well, I already knew I was going to be doing something. Yes. But so, yeah. Because it's really difficult to leave if you don't have something going on, right? I mean, let's be fair. Would you have left in a quiet time and like maybe, I mean, again, because all that time on that show, you could have been like, I want to take a year off. Never. I wouldn't have never did it.

Even if I didn't have those things, I would have already, I would have already been putting things in place. Like certain things, even when there's nothing going on, I'm going to make something going. Like me and my husband, we've shot two movies in the past few months that we're going to release soon. So it's going to be the thing about I always tell people, I'm always working on my next move while I'm in my current move. Oh, but that's a big deal. That is a very big deal. And I feel like it's one of the key attributes of an entrepreneur. Like you're always cooking.

It's a bit like, you know, I just feel like that is the number one thing that you have to do. You always have to keep moving and keep creating and keep figuring out, like, what's next, what's next? So remember when I said that I felt like my group, we kind of took for granted the success, right? So in the beginning, we had our songs, was to the point where you couldn't turn on urban radio without it being on one station. And sometimes we'd be like, oh, change the station, right? But when our group had split up, and it was, you know, I started writing songs for people, but it was like a period of time where the songs weren't out yet. It was like the in-between time where I just, I didn't know where my career was going to be.

I know what was going to happen for me. And I was really kind of like, stressed, because I get stressed if I don't know what's going to happen next, right? And I remember the songs wasn't playing on the radio as much. It wasn't like to the point where, you know, oh, every time I turn on the radio, they're planning an escape record anymore. And so I started feeling like, okay, panicking. And I said, if I ever get my career back to where it once was, I'm never going to take it for granted again.

And have you never? Never. You never, I never sit there and like I don't believe my own hype. Because I know for a fact, like when I see people, they have, you know, they're popping right now. they think that moment is going to last forever and it does not. It never does. By next year, people are going to be sitting there looking and like, okay, well.

Yeah, on to the next one. Especially now in today's culture, because things move too much. Do you feel like you crave the limelight or do you crave the creativity or is it a mixture of both somehow? I crave the accomplishments. I'm an accomplishment person. How do you stack up your accomplishments? Like what to you feels like, I mean, obviously a fellow, right? It's like when you get in a war,

and you're standing on a stage with something. But how do you measure your accomplishments these days? I just like to be able to say, okay, I was the first do this. So I'm going into history. That's why I want to have the EGOT's so bad because I know it's only. I don't. That's a big thing to send yourself up for.

You speak things into existence. You speak them. Just I have been saying that for years. Let me tell you, years. And I know people probably look to me like, yeah, okay, whatever. But that year, when we did piano lesson, I was nominated for an Emmy and a Tony at the same time. And that's when I knew it's real. Even though I didn't get it that year, I was like, it's real because it's all about the work you put in and what you put your energy to.

And you can see the thought, you can make it happen. I'm telling you. So it was like for everybody who doubted that that was possible for me, it became very possible in that moment. And I'm going to keep chasing it until I get it. But what I line up, okay, so I was the first black woman to get songwriter of the year for ASCab, which that is one of my tops. Having a Grammy for a song of the year, that's a major thing to be the first woman to win mad singer. I love that one. I love that one too.

You know, to be the longest running housewife, no matter how you put it, there's a lot of them may come and go. It's going to be a long time to say they did 14 years straight with no breaks. You know what I mean? No one. I mean, no one. And I do look at that as achievement because, I mean, I look at you and I think you are, you've become known and someone who's synonymous but collecting their checks, right? Because while you've been doing housewives, it's not like you've just been doing housewives.

You have the restaurant business. You have a range of sex toys. You've got the theater. You've got all the things that have been going on in the background. So it's like you never essentially rested. You never just did housewives. You were always building. You're a real entrepreneur.

How hard does that thing? Too hard. I mean, it's stressful. Especially somebody. That restaurant business is a doozy. It's a doozy. It's a doozy. I have to tell you, my dream,

like in my heart, I see myself like, I'm a cook, I'm a chef, I love it. And every now and again, I'll say to my husband, I'm like, I should open a, And he's like, no, you don't. No, you absolutely. It is so stressful.

It's a hard business as well. It's extremely hard because it's not about if you are good at what you do. It's about the entire infrastructure and team. And it's a lot of turnover. Is that the hardest business that you've been a part of, the restaurant business? I would give it number one, for sure. For sure. Has it been worth it, Candy?

Um, what is time. I feel like when your voice goes like that, oh. I mean. Because everything is not about the money. Yes, we've done for the great numbers. But it was a great while we were doing it like full steam ahead. Because, yeah, I mean, it gave us a place where the fans could come. And then it's also, you know, more of a connection that way.

Yes. When you have a place where your fans could come and they can actually see you there. Yes. You know, that's fun. And then, you know, the TV show that came from it and all of those things. And then my family was a part of it. And it was good. It was something fun and cool to do.

And that must be so lovely when you can involve them in your success. Yeah. Yeah. And hard too, because working with family ain't easy. Yeah. But I think after the pandemic happened, it's just, the restaurant business became super hard. Yeah. Yeah.

And for so many people, not just for you. I want to talk to you about money because I read that you are self-funding a lot of your businesses. How do you find that? And I guess, I guess my question is, given who. you are and probably your ability to go out and raise money if you needed to. You've chosen to self-fund a lot of what you've done. It's not that. I feel like because I and I have to just say, because I did not go to school for this, I don't know that way. I only know the, okay, I got an idea, I got some money, let me figure it out, make it happen. But no one's ever come to you and been like,

let me do this thing with you. I have a hard thing. I have a hard thing. I have a hard thing. I have a trust issue too. I know. Yeah, and I'm just going to be honest. I wouldn't even know how to set that up, you know. And so that's why when a lot of people ask me questions, I feel like I am learning as I'm doing. I'm definitely a person learning on the job, you know?

So it's like, yes, I've been able to accomplish a lot in a lot of different areas, but it's mainly by trial and error. It's not because I knew what I was doing when I did it. You know what I'm saying? Did you make a bunch of mistakes? mistakes? Of course. Of course. And for sure I have. But I think the thing about me, just because I make a mistake or something goes wrong or, you know, sometimes the people, first time they lose a little bit of money, they're ready to quit. Not I mean, I'm like, okay, well, that's what nice to do.

So let's fix it. Even when it's your own money, you've been like, okay, I can go back to the drawing board. I'll have got to make it back. I got to make that back. I'm a gambler. That's what we do. That's what we do. We gamble on the idea. It didn't work like that. Okay, let's go back. Roll the dice again. Let's go.

You know what I mean? And don't get me wrong. I feel, can I say this from the heart in any business? Because I don't know the normal way to do things or to do it by the book. I feel like it works for me better a lot of times. Because people sometimes make too many rules to get to the. the point. I just know, okay, I'm here at A. I want to be at B. You're going to figure it out. I'm going to figure it out. You're going to figure it out.

Yeah, I'm going to get to B. But if you went to school for it, you're like, okay, we got to do this and we got to do that. It's going to take another year before we set up this. No, me, I'm like, okay, buy. That's the same thing with bedroom candy. So I wanted to have a sex toy. And where did that come from? What did you mean you just want to have some sex toys? Why did you need to make the toys? I was doing candy-coated nights at the time, which was like an online talk show. I guess it was a podcast before podcast exists. I love it. And we talked about sex and relationships all the time. So we have built a following for it. And I was like, oh, it'll be cool if we had our own products or something to go with this.

One of my friends at the time, she was like, you should have a sex toy. I was like, that's a good idea. Don't ask me why, because at the time, that wasn't popular. It wasn't, it was kind of taboo, especially in the black. community because everybody is always hush-hush and everything about sex. Now everybody's more outspoken about it. But at that time, it was kind of like, what are you doing? You know?

And I'm like, I want a sex toy. Did you get backlash from your community? No. Actually, I think it's all about how you introduce ideas. Yeah. So I think the problem was back then, it was always the porn star on the box or you had to go to some like scary sex. shop to get a toy. Okay. No, my whole point in it is, is based on facts. Facts are a majority of

women never accomplished an orgasm from penetration. So therefore, get a little help. We need to learn our bodies and all of that. And it's all about sex and education. And that was the one thing that we never allowed to happen within our community. We had nobody who was just the normal woman who was a mom, me. I was a single mom. I'm a business woman. And, and, And this is what it is. And I'm telling you this is the truth. Whereas a lot of women, they wanted to have a toy or they had it's a way where they were scared to talk to people about it.

I never had a problem talking about sex to anybody. So it just made people who, you know, kind of followed me, followed my journey. They felt more comfortable being part of the conversation. How did that business work out? Excellent. It did. I'm so glad for you. That's crazy.

Because I've read about it. It's been over a decade now. We're like a 12 years in? QVC model, right? Like people, is it that type of thing? So after having our tours for you, oh, so what I was saying was I decided anything I did on the show. If I talk about it, it has to be done and be able to see by the world by the end of the season. Meaning it has to happen.

You're very strategic. It has to be developed. And I need to have a product in my hand for you to see. Where did that decision come from? How did you learn that? My first year on the show, I felt like this show is. it's cool, but the money ain't matching this popularity. And I was

like, their money got to match. And I'm a dependent, I'm a tourist, dependable. If I say I'm going to do something, it's done. I cannot stand seeing people on TV talking about what they want to do and you never see it happen. And I was like, if I do that, you're never going to see me say something and it don't come together. That's just

who I am as a person and I don't want to be looked at as flaky. So if I say I'm going to do it, it's going to come out by the end of the season. Exactly, which means you're working overtime while filming, why you got all this other kind of stuff to make sure you got something that's quality that looks good, makes product, and is ready to be seen.

And not just out by the time the show airs, I mean by the time we finish filming. Wow. So it has to be within six months. Yes, so you can use the leverage of the show to get the sales. Well, all the housewives doing that back then because I feel like it's become much more commonplace. Right.

You set the actual benchmark for that being more of a thing. I guess. I mean, in the housewives, not know. Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean, I know Bethany, she had her product as well, her drink. She did very well with that. I don't know what her process was because I'm not going to lie, I didn't watch the show at the time, so I didn't know where her process was. But for me, that's just how I work. And that's anything. That was with the product, you know, so you saw the bedroom candy, the toy, the actual toy, and we had a candy kiss. which is still one of our popular items to this day.

We had it available and out. It was, no, it was came out by the time the show aired, but it was available for you to see at the party at the end of the season. Amazing. That year. Amazing. So, and then following out their year, it wasn't about the show, it was just about the business.

And I wanted to do the multi-level marketing for that room candy to help more female entrepreneurs. And now we don't even just have women. We have, you know, non-binary female males. It doesn't matter. They're all apart. I feel like we're like a click now. But that's like a...

That's a real business for you 10 years later. Yeah, over 10 years. But yeah. You must be really proud because I think there's one thing when you start a business and it does well and it impacts you and your family. But I think when you are giving people jobs and you're able to give people jobs like in their own, like that feels good, no? Yeah, but that was something that I, that was a goal of mine back a long time ago.

Actually, back when I did the candy factory, So there had to be like only three, four seasons in, three seasons on TV, I guess, when I did Candy Factory, it was a separate show, the first show I did. But I had my dream that year before the show even came about, I wanted to employ at least 100 people. That was my goal. Because I always want to, like, I want to be a person that I use my opportunity to help make more opportunities. And I remember after we finished rapping Candy Factory and all the people that was working on, say, everybody came together for a picture. And I sat there and I was like, this is what I pray for.

It's happening. So each year I make it a little bit bigger and bigger and bigger. Not loving your AT&T or T Mobile Bill. Yeah, we've been hearing that a lot. Good news. Bring your AT&T or T Mobile Bill to Verizon and we'll give you a better deal. So get away from that unfortunate phone bill and get to Verizon. Run, ride, canoe.

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Book your spring break now. Are you a big goal setter? Yes. Are you like physically writing them down or are you like praying and dreaming? Like, how do you do that? How do you decide like this is what I want next? Well, right now, I go through these modes of doubt and, you know, like, where do I want to be right now? I want to do

and what's my next move? You know, I started feeling all uneasy about it in that moment. I was like, you know, I want to do this. And then all of a sudden, because my brain tells me that that's what I want to do, I start doing it and it just comes together somehow. Don't ask me how.

But it just does. Because you're a force of nature. I mean, like, clearly it comes together because like you go and you put it together, it sounds like no one's handing you these opportunities. You are using your own money. You're bringing together your own connections. You're leveraging your, like, everything that you've built through the housewives and everything like the legacy that's going to follow you after that.

But it's like you're making that stuff happen. Yeah, but here's the other thing. I don't want people to think everything works because I do have moments where things can work. Please talk to me about that because I love to talk about failure. I had so many things didn't work out. Yeah. But that's not what we post about on social media. But it's hard, right?

It's like you have a lot of things that inevitably just like flop, they don't work out. Yeah. Well, hell. I mean, I'll talk about, like, even with my restaurant right now, the old lady gang has done phenomenal for years. But the Blade Steak and Seafood did not. You know what I mean? So the restaurant itself, it never really, it didn't, it didn't really make any money. It was just kind of there being a headache. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? There's so many businesses are. I mean, that's part of it, right? Like, you're always, I remember someone saying to me, you know, running businesses, it's like you'll only ever be as happy as your most unhappy child. And it's the same with businesses. Like you'll always have like one that's given you problems. And that's just the life of an entrepreneur. Yeah. And then even with, because everything has been such a headache on the restaurant side, we decided to just narrow down a lady gang to one location. Was that hard for you? Is it hard when you have to, to close something or take a step back? Like, how do you handle that? It's very much hard for me because, you know, I'm an accomplishment's person. Like, that's my thing. So if I feel like I could not figure out, I feel like everything can be figured out.

I'm all about solutions. Anything can be fixed. But if I can't figure something out, it drives me insane. Totally. I totally get that. Insane. So it's not that we couldn't figure it out just between, just, you know, once you get like bad press on a situation, you know, it's hard to come out of that.

And then you want to fix things. And so it's like our best way of fixing it, we're going to focus on the one and then figure out where we want to go from there. Well, that's the added thing, right? You have the scrutiny, which can be like a massive value ad, but it can also, when things don't go right, it can really shine a light in places you don't necessarily need it or want it. Yeah, but it is part of it. Yeah, it is what it is. I don't stress myself. I want to ask you about your mistakes. Like, do you, I just want to understand more like the lessons that you've learned because again, I think that we don't talk about our mistakes. We don't talk about failure very much. But it is such a huge part of running businesses, of being an entrepreneur. What have you learned that you really think about and take to heart as you go into like, as you're going into this next chapter? What are you thinking about like the last 15, 20 years of your career that you'll take forward?

I'm trying to narrow my focus going as I feel like I am all over the place. And as my kids are getting older and they want to do things, I want to narrow my focus. Like, it's cool to have a lot of businesses. But at the same time, you know, yeah, it's good money. But for me, things are not about the money right now. So I want to narrow more to the things that I love to do. So I want to do more music again. And I want to start writing more songs and I want to do more film and TV projects that are produced by me and my husband.

I want to do more creative stuff. Yeah, I'm going to try to make more time for that and just narrow my focus. Yeah. I honestly think that's such amazing advice because to have priorities, like I feel like is the kind of key thing that makes you successful in business. When you can be really narrow and you can go really deep on a few things, it actually really benefits you. in such a big way. And I think it's interesting because especially,

listen, the more successful you get, the more choices you have. So it's hard to be narrow because you have a lot of opportunity in front of you. But again, if you said it's not about the check

and you're such a creative that wants to do quality work, I understand that narrowing it in makes it almost more interesting for you, no? Yeah. I mean, I feel like I don't really have a point

to prove about me being able to do a business because all the businesses that I did, did do, where they lasted over a decade. Incredible. I would say that I don't feel like I have a point to prove to people about those things. What I have a point to prove to myself is getting this eagat. So I really want to focus more.

Put it out there. Put it out there. She said it. On the creative things. Yeah, and on the things that are going to get you towards that far. You know, whether it's music, TV, stage, whatever. Those are the things. that I really want to hone in on, you know, take to the next little bit.

And you will, no doubt. I only have one more housewives question because I am obsessed. Okay. If you had to go into business with one of the housewives, or actually, let's do it like this, if you had to back a business by one of the housewives, who would it be? Oh, you're trying to be funny. It's a good question.

I feel like your face is the answer, but I don't know. Child, I'll do it. Okay, okay, okay, let me say this. Let me say this. Let me say this. Let me say this. Do I get to control everything? See, I think that's the problem. It's a partnership. Go on, you get to control it. You get to control it. Because we already know like you're a control person.

Part of the problem is they don't be knowing what they're doing. Or they don't have the gambler spirit. They stop. They don't want to put up no money. A lot of them, don't want to use their own money. Well, that's just a big, that's a big red flag for me. Anyone who's not willing to put a little bit of their own in, I'm like, well, why?

And even if it's been people who probably want to invest money in them, they don't want to give up any control. So you got to understand, you can't take the people money and the people have nothing to say. So if I was to be a part of anybody's businesses, they would have to let me kind of take the rank. You're the CEO. Not, it's just, I just want to be able, let me guide the ship. Which are good. Let me help you. Let us get money.

Let me help you. It's a housewife as a staff member. Is that what you're looking for? No, it's not that I, not that they can't make the money. I'm not trying to take any money out of their pocket. But just let me make the decisions. Okay. Okay. I think she didn't.

I think she said none of them. I didn't say. You know what, this is a funny thing. What are my words in your mouth? Even though, even though. Even though me and Shiree fell out bad at that last season, I always felt like Shibai Chiray is the brand of the whole housewife. The biggest brand that never really made it to its full potential.

Okay, so it's a Shibai relaunch. Well, I don't know about now. I mean back then? You mean right now to this date? No, I wouldn't do it. None of them. Okay. We're moving on.

We're moving on. Nah, I thought you meant like while I was on the show. So talking of reality TV stars, your lovely daughter Riley is about to go on to a new show. Can you tell me a bit about it? Oh, Riley is going to be on the next gen, NYC. So cute. And so I'm so excited for her because, you know, now, you know, I got her a publicist and a stylist and she's doing her thing, you know what I mean? I love you.

Are you a bit of a mumager? Is this happening? Yeah. I mean, I'm trying not to be too harsh, but, you know, I'm paying for everything. So look, this is what needs to be done. Well, you can have a little opinion. I see, I have a vision of where I want to see my daughter go. Yes. And yeah, I need everybody to be on this vision. Let's get her where she needs to be. So given everything, your honestly extraordinary career as a creative, as a businesswoman, as an entrepreneur, you started out. in Atlanta. I was really surprised when I was doing my research for you. Yes, because I was looking, when I do research, I usually go, I'm looking for like the New York Times, for variety, for Hollywood reporter. And I was like, well, you're so accomplished. You won so

many awards. You did so many things. Like, where was that article? I thought it was like a little bit surprising because you have so many accolades. And I feel like maybe the best is just yet to come for you. Like maybe like the end of housewives is the beginning of everything. Like I don't know. Honestly I think it is. And the reason why I say that is as wonderful as a

platform housewives is people discriminate against housewives. There's a little stick to the business community. Yes, yes. Discriminates against real housewives talent or whatever. But whatever... Across the board, you believe. Yeah. Like certain

shows You don't see Housewives come on as guests. Certain magazines, you never see them highlight what Housewives are doing. I mean, it's factual because I looked. Yeah. So I think, and even in TV and film, it was one time, before I did The Shy, I had got a role on a really, let me say this. The director, the producers in casting wanted me for this role. And my agent was like, oh, you know, you got the role and whatever because that's norm.

But it's another process. It has to be approved by the network. So he was like, yeah, you got it. You know, I was like, okay, I was excited. I told my friends. And the next thing I found out that I didn't get it. And I was like, what happened? And they were like the network didn't want to look like they were stunt casting.

So they didn't want to. It wasn't about if I had the talent to do the role. It was just because Optics. People knew me from housewives. And, you know, I don't want to say what show it was or what it ended up being a big show.

And I was so sad about it and I cried. It was like so messed up. But I tell you that to say it was a gift and a curse being on the show. So there are so many things that I want to accomplish and I feel like the door opens a little bit more now that I'm not on the show, which is crazy. Yeah.

And thankfully, you've got, this incredible platform, an unbelievable fan base, and you've been building outside the show since day one. So no doubt you've got all the best things to come. Thank you. No doubt. I want to take you to a very quick, quick fire round. The rapid fire round. Okay. Candy, what is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? It's bad, but I pick up my phone and look at Instagram. At least you're honest, girl. Don't answer the same answer to the next question. What's the last thing you do before you go to bed. If I had a big of the phone and look at Instagram.

It's terrible. I'm terrible. And it's not helping you get restful sleep. I know that. That's not it. And what are you currently aspiring? Well, that's in the last night I was giving it in. Okay.

Oh, okay. Using your products or no? Just natural. Just natural. Okay, good for you, girl. Yes. What are you currently aspiring for in your business life? Oh, well, what I was saying to just kind of game off

more focus on the things that fulfill me. Yes. Great answer. And what are you aspiring for in your personal? To find the balance to make sure I'm giving my kids the time and, you know, all the love that they need. Do you believe in work-life balance, Candy? I haven't found it yet.

Thank you very much, dear. Correct answer. You feel the same? Oh, girl, I mean, I've got a long... I don't know if I should mention work-life balance. anymore. You got guilt. I have no guilt. I just get a lot of, I just get a lot of commentary on my feelings about work life balance because I don't think that it exists. Oh, okay. And I think it's very hard to find it. And I think if we just stopped trying to find it, we'd probably end up with more

of it because I don't think it's there. I think that you do whatever you're doing to the best of your ability and the moment you're doing it. If I'm with my kids, I'm with my kids. If I ain't, and I'm doing something over there, I'm doing the thing over there. But I'm not going to be made to feel guilty about it the whole time. I don't understand. I don't understand. understand like I love it. Like I'm just trying to live. About a bit about me there. Tell me darling a book that changed your life.

Oh, the millionaire next door. Oh, it's a good one. It's a very good one. Okay. What is something that you valued when you were starting out your career that you don't anymore? Ooh. Something that I valued that I don't anymore? That's a good question.

There must have been something that you really cared about, that you're like, that is not a thing anymore. Did you care about pleasing people? Did you care about what other people thought of you? Did you, were you bothered about what your mom was doing? Like, I don't know. No, okay, okay. My mom is my mom.

My mom, it used to like, totally like, if she'd be upset, with me, it would totally ruin my day. And I could not like, like think for the rest of the day. Yes. Like it would make me, it would be like crushing to me. But now, I'm like, she'll be all right. It took a long time for me to get there. That's training.

That's real growth. That's hard. It took a long time. Yes, because you are raised to care about what your mom thinks. Like you're constantly seeking your mother's approval. And then one day you're like, no. Yeah, but don't get me wrong. I love my mom dearly.

We know her to see this and think that I, you know, I'm not saying that I don't love you dearly. No, no, no. I'm just saying that now I don't get crushed. It's not day ruining. No. You think about it for a few minutes and then you're moving on. Yeah.

I was like, she'll be right. That's the real. Here we go. But I've never been one who, I've never been one, been one to care about what the people think about me. That's a gift. And I'm okay with being dislikes.

You have a thick skin. I have a very, in all housewives, you don't have, you can't help but having a thick, thick, thick skin. Because you wouldn't be dead on the floor

if you cared for all those people things. No, but I laugh to this day. Me and my friend Carmen, we laugh about this all the time. In middle school, don't ask me why.

I do not know what I did to these girls. These girls, it was a couple of girls. lames. They had the I Hate Candy Burroughs Club. That bitches!

How did that? Did you know at that time? Uh-uh. Because they didn't have the nerve to tell me. They basically, I never forget this, I was in the gym locker room.

And it was some gross. It was like, you know, they would talk about their clubs. I-H-K-B. And I was like, oh, that's cute. Y.

club? What's it? And they made up a whole other name to tell me that it meant like something, some heart, something. I don't know. You know, so they leave out the locker room. And so the other girl that I knew was like laughing and she was like, you know what that really means, right?

And I was like, what? She was like, I-H-K-B, the I-H-B-K-B-K-B-H-B-A-H-Bad Candy Birds Club. But you didn't laugh like that. Don't tell me you laughed like that. I did. Oh, I was like, I was like, oh. I was like, oh. Oh.

I was like, they are so lame. Like, come on. I thought it was like funny, to be honest with you because I was like, what? That's so corny. Like, you couldn't even say that. You got the nerve to make the club, but you didn't have the nerve to tell me.

Like, okay. Those people aren't telling you. Right. So every time my name ends up in a blog of some hating ass home, got something to say about me, me with my rear car with a lap. He said, oh, there I go to I hate Candy Burris Club.

A group of life. I ain't know what it was. The guy was training me. I know now. For what I had to come. Like, I'm used to it. This is it. You were just in preparation.

That was a preparation. All the hate that was to come. Yes. Let me tell you, Candy, this is that we love Candy Burris Club. Like, let me tell you, over here, a spy we've ever agreed. We love you. I'm so grateful to you. And I genuinely mean it, I'm so grateful for your time.

And I'm really happy to meet you, but also that, you know, some people like, it's such a disappointment. You are the least disappointing woman in the world. Oh, thank you. It was a pleasure. Thank you. It's a really great meeting you as well. If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favorite listening platform. While you're there, give us a review and a five-star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend who'll be so grateful.

A spy with Emigreed is presented by Odyssey. I'm your host, Emma Greed. Our executive producers are Corrine Gilliard Fisher, Derek Brown, and me. Our executive producers from Odyssey are Maddie Sprung Kaiser, Leah Reese Dennis, Asha Saluja and Jenna Weiss Berman. Our producer is Kristen Torres. Sound design and engineering by Bill Shorts. Angela Paluso is our Booker, original music by Charles Black. Video production by Evan Cox, Kurt Courtney, Andrew Steele, Carlos Delgado and Arnie Agassi.

Social media by Olivia Holman. Special thanks go to Brittany Smith, Sydney Falls, My teams at Jones Works and W&E. Mora Curran, Josephina Francis, Hillary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson Rose, Tim M-E-Kol, Sean Cherry and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DME at Aspire with Emma Greed. Greed is spelled G-R-E-D-E, that's AspI-R-E with Emma Greed. Or you can submit a question to me on my website, emigreed.me. Ambition comes in all shapes and sizes. At First Citizens Bank, we roll with your goals because we're built for what you're building.

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