If You’ve Ever Been Told to “Just Focus”… Read This.

What if your scattered path is actually your secret weapon?

Multi-passionate? You’re not the problem. You’re the blueprint.

Hi friends,
Let’s start with a little confession: I’ve never had a five-year plan...
Not once.
Not even close.

In fact, if I had waited to find my “one true calling,” I’d probably still be sitting behind a desk in a cubicle, wondering if Excel formulas were my destiny.

Spoiler alert: they weren’t.

But guess what? Neither was just baking. Or just investing. Or just being on TV. Or speaking. Or mentoring. Or writing this very newsletter.

And for a long time, I thought that made me unfocused. Like I hadn’t figured it out. Like I was somehow behind.

Turns out? It made me an entrepreneur.

Realizing I’m an entrepreneur!

You Don’t Need to “Pick a Lane”

We’ve been fed this narrative that in order to succeed, we need to specialize. Niche down. Pick a lane and stay in it. And for some people, that works beautifully.

But for the rest of us - the ones with overflowing Notes apps, Pinterest boards, and late-night Google rabbit holes - it can feel suffocating.

I’m here to tell you: if your brain jumps from branding ideas to product development to a side hustle you dreamed up while brushing your teeth…

You are not scattered. You are not indecisive. You are not behind. You’re wired to create - maybe even built for entrepreneurship.

Every Step Adds Up

Looking back, nothing I’ve done has been wasted. Even the roles and phases that felt random at the time were building something under the surface.

• Finance taught me how to understand the numbers, raise capital, and think strategically. It also taught me the value of company culture - by showing me what happens when it’s completely missing!

• Unemployment, after getting laid off, released me from the rules of the corporate path I felt compelled to follow. It gave me something I hadn’t had in years: time and space to dream.

• Reality TV put me in the hearts and homes of people across America and helped build a sense of trust and familiarity - something I’ve carried into every business since.

  

  A throwback to my Cupcake Wars days.

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• Speaking and writing give me a platform to crystallize my ideas, share hard-won lessons, and connect with others who are building bold, unconventional paths of their own.

• Investing and mentoring remind me that we’re all asking the same questions - about purpose, clarity, and how to move forward. Even when the work looks different on the surface, the fundamental challenges remain the same.

On paper, it might not look like a clear-cut path. But in practice, each experience laid the groundwork for the next. The combination is what makes it powerful.

You don’t have to follow a straight line to build something meaningful.
You just have to keep moving in the direction of what feels true.

There Are No Rules (I Checked)

One of the most liberating realizations I’ve had is this: there are no rules. Not in entrepreneurship. Not in career-building. Not in life.

We spend so much time trying to fit into boxes. The “career woman” box. The “creative” box. The “mom” box. The “female founder” box.

But the truth is, the most magnetic people I know - the ones building fulfilling, vibrant, category-defying lives - aren’t trying to fit in. They’re following what lights them up. Even if it doesn’t make perfect sense (yet). Even if it changes over time. Especially if it changes over time.

Because when you let curiosity lead the way, you open doors you didn’t even know existed.

You Can Be More Than One Thing

Here’s the other truth: people are multi-dimensional. You can be strategic and intuitive. You can be a spreadsheet person and a creative. You can love building brands and have 14 tabs open deciding on the perfect pair of sandals for summer. (Btw, my favorite pair is linked below.)

You don’t have to choose between your interests. You can let them layer.

Because entrepreneurship isn’t about being one thing. It’s about building something new from everything you are.

So if you’ve ever been told you’re doing too much?
Maybe you’re just doing you.

Sharing my

So here’s the takeaway:

If you’ve ever felt pressure to narrow down, to pick one thing, to find your “one true passion” - what if the real magic is in doing the opposite?

Instead of asking, “What should I focus on?”
Try asking, “What do all these pieces make possible?”

That shift - seeing your interests as ingredients, not distractions—is where creativity lives. It’s where entrepreneurship begins.

So if you’re nodding along, wondering how to harness your multi-passionate energy instead of fighting it, here are a few ways to lean in:

1. Treat your interests like data points.

Each idea, curiosity, or “what if” moment is a clue. Write them down. Track them. See which ones keep resurfacing. They’re not random - they’re patterns trying to tell you something. Before Sprinkles became the Original Cupcake Bakery, I considered launching a cooking school, a cake decorating site, even a Bûche de Noël business.

2. Look for the common thread.

Even if your career path feels all over the place, there's usually a throughline. Maybe it’s storytelling. Maybe it’s building community. Maybe it’s making beautiful things. Identify it - and use it as your compass.

3. Stop asking for permission.

You don’t need credentials to start something new. You don’t need to wait until you're “ready.” The best entrepreneurs are self-taught, self-starting, and self-directed. The path gets clearer once you’re on it.

4. Think in chapters, not lifetimes.

You’re not committing to one identity forever. Each chapter builds on the last. The finance chapter taught me discipline. The Sprinkles chapter taught me brand. The Shark Tank chapter taught me discernment. What’s your current chapter teaching you?

5. Ask: What lights me up right now?

Not what should I be doing. Not what looks good on LinkedIn. Follow the spark. (I followed mine from my couch into my kitchen!) It may be the beginning of something game-changing, or simply something joyful. Either way, it counts.

You don’t have to find your “thing” once and for all.
You just have to keep following what feels aligned.
The clarity, the confidence, the career? It builds along the way.

Your journey doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else.
It just has to make sense to you.

Keep going.

XO,
candace

P.S. Sharing a few products that have been lighting me up lately….

1. Vanilla Bean Collagen
We’re all on a protein mission, and this is the easiest morning win. I blend it into my coffee and the flavor is chef’s kiss - rich, real vanilla bean with no weird aftertaste. Try it here.

2. K18 Hair Treatment
The foundation of my hair health journey. Olaplex never did it for me, but K18 is the real deal - worth every penny. Link.

3. Rose Gold Teardrop Earrings
I’ve literally been chased down the street while wearing these earrings. They’re a quality dupe for the Bottega pair - bold on impact and soft on budget. I have them in the large size, rose gold color. Get them here.

4. Rope Flip-Flop Sandals
A comfy take on the covetable Miu Miu style. They give every outfit a little extra edge. (photo below and link.)

5. Small Charlie Suede Clutch
I am loving a mini bag these days and this Parker Thatch beauty in caramel suede is luxe without being fancy. It's the perfect size and has been my go-to bag so far this year. (photo below and link.)

Rope sandals and Parker Thatch Charlie bag on repeat.

6. Vegobears Gummy Candy
A cleaner, organic alternative to traditional gummies, but I love them for the juicy flavors and perfect texture. Regular + Sour.

7. Brynn Drawstring Shorts
I’ve been on a Goldilocks jorts journey all summer and finally found my perfect pair. The length, the fit, the rope tie - just right. Link.

8. Janessa Leone Judith Hat (Packable!)
My forever favorite hat - now in a travel-friendly, packable version. Chic and protective. Link

HAPPY SUMMER!