We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Candice Hunt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Candice below.
Candice , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
When I was 20 years old and studying abroad in Scotland, I received a devastating phone call that changed the trajectory of my life: My older brother (23 years old) tragically died. Within hours, all my belongings were packed up and I was on a flight home. My semester ended abruptly. It took me years to understand the impact of what had happened to me and how it affected me. I had just had the absolute best time of my life, and then suddenly I was thrust into the absolute worst time of my life. It was a weird mix of emotions when I got home. I couldn’t wait to tell everyone about my amazing semester in Scotland and show them photos, but I also had to bury my brother. I hadn’t seen my college friends for three months, but didn’t want to see them for the first time at my brother’s wake. I’ve learned that we grow the most through times of struggle, and I certainly grew from this. I became more resilient by realizing that the small challenges are nothing because I’ve been through one of the worst things imaginable. When I’m faced with a new challenge, I always tell myself that I can do this because I’ve done far more difficult things in my life. And this always carries me through.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I consider myself a Confidence Catalyst. I help people identify their strengths, and then use these strengths to create meaningful lives and careers. I help people build their confidence in their own skills and paths when that confidence has been shaken.
I began my career as a teacher and then worked in Talent Development for over a decade where I helped employees and leaders at all levels develop skills to succeed in whatever their chosen career path was. I coached managers, executives, and even new employees.
The most exciting part of my job is seeing my clients have “aha” moments when they have learned something about themselves. I love helping my clients view a situation differently, change the limiting thoughts in their heads, and watch them start to ask themselves, “What if?”
My services include: life and career coaching, executive coaching, and public speaking coaching. I taught and coached public speaking for 10+ years and have been a regular speaker at HR and Learning and Development conferences and events. I love watching my clients work through their speaking anxieties and grow their confidence and skillset!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Hmmm, this is a great question. I believe that my public speaking and listening skills have served me very well in my career. Public speaking is such an important leadership skill, and unfortunately it’s something that most people struggle with. I wasn’t always a good public speaker. I had to practice a lot and learn how to manage my speaking anxiety. Everyone can do it! It’s a skill, not a talent. Remember that.
When I used to lead a high-potential leadership program, I always told my trainees that we must lean into discomfort in order to grow the most. When we constantly live and work within our comfort zones, we are depriving ourselves of the opportunity to stretch and grow. The moment we lean into discomfort, we challenge our view, tap into skills we didn’t know we had, and gain confidence by working through new challenges.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking to make new connections and learn from others. I sometimes tell my clients that I learn more from them than they learn from me! If you’re looking to collaborate on a project, co-host a webinar, or work together in any capacity, please reach out to me. I’m open to collaborating with other life and career coaches, wellness coaches, HR/Learning and Development professionals, authors, and anyone with an interest in helping others improve their wellbeing. If this is you, I’d love to meet you! I am also currently writing a book and hoping to publish within the next year. If you’re interested in connecting, you can email me at: candice@candicehunt.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://candicehunt.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564016834427
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicehuntcoaching
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