WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD...

And why there’s no place like home—especially when home is YOU!

Courage is personal for me.

It’s been with me in every season of my life—from publicist to marketing exec, entrepreneur and strategist to coach, daughter to wife to mother, performer to leader. Different roles, same throughline: COURAGE.

Some days, I feel like the Lion.

Some days, I’m definitely Dorothy—just trying to find my way home.And most days lately? I’m channeling Elphaba—rising, bold, uniquely and deeply myself.

The roles may shift, but the road underneath stays the same:Messy. Brave. Unfolding one step at a time.

Just skipping down the yellow brick road in front of me, following the light. This mama is on a mission to help you lead, mother, and live from the inside out.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately—how much of leadership, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and life is about walking a road you can’t fully see.

We want a plan. A step-by-step. The five-year vision.But most of the time? You don’t need the whole map.You just need the courage to take the next step.

Earlier this week, I had lunch with a former client now dear friend—one of the first entrepreneurs I ever supported in building her brand, business and her worth. She’s ten years ahead of me now. Thriving. Leading. Owning her lane.

And yet, even now, she still needs the reminder sometimes:That she’s enough. That she’s doing it. That she’s already there in so many ways.

And I’m still the one who sees her clearly—sometimes more than she sees herself.

That’s what this work is about.That’s what we do for each other.

Later this week, I caught up with two dear friends-both powerhouse coaches, both women who meet the moment with truth and tenderness.

We talked about the middle.

The stretch between where you are and where you think you should be.The ache of ambition rubbing up against the slowness of becoming.And what it means to keep going, especially when it’s unclear, uncomfortable, or unexpectedly quiet.

That conversation brought me back to a different season—when I was a young publicist, coaching CEOs before high-stakes media interviews.

I’d prep their messaging, shape their story, and help them center themselves before stepping into the spotlight.

And I always told them:

“You can’t get lost if you speak from your heart.”

I meant it. I still do.

But back then? I only believed it for them.

For me, visibility brought nerves. Speaking publicly left me shaky and small.

Until recently, when I realized I couldn’t keep asking others to be courageous while I kept hiding behind polish and perfection.

So I took my own advice.

Speak from your heart. Lead from your truth. Let it be messy. Let it be real.

That shift—though uncomfortable—was everything.It brought me home to myself.

A few months ago, Jonathan Pattinson asked me:

“What do you say to ground yourself before you speak to a room of leaders?”

Feeling like the Lion in that moment, I paused, put my hand on my heart, and said without hesitation:

“There’s no place like home.”

Not the house I live in.But the place inside me that knows who I am.

That doesn’t perform. That doesn’t chase. That doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful.

The home that grounds my thoughts, my words, my decisions, and how I show up every day for myself, my family, and my clients.

And then, like a little cosmic wink, a few friends texted me this week to say The Sphere in Vegas is doing a Wizard of Oz tribute.

How apropos. I squealed.

That story is part of my soul.

As a little girl, I played the Cowardly Lion in our school play—timid, wide-eyed, doing my best to be brave.

And now? I’m in my fearless era (thank you Tay Tay ;)

Not because the fear disappeared.But because I trust myself to move with it.

To speak from the middle.To lead without the whole map.To come back home to myself—again and again.

So if you’re in a season that feels uncertain…

If the vision isn’t fully clear yet…

If you’re walking forward without a map in hand…

If you don’t see the road…

Please know this:

The path will reveal itself. The signs will come.You’re not behind—you’re becoming.And the truth?

There’s no place like home.

And home? It’s YOU.Unpolished. Brave. In process. Becoming!

With heart + a lion’s roar,

Candice

P.S. If this spoke to you—trust that.

Drop a comment below to help with reach, forward it to someone who’s in the messy middle too, or reach out if you’re ready for a deeper conversation.

I’d be honored to help you take your next step home—to you.

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