Candice Lorraine Soffner
Some conversations linger long after the microphones are turned off. This one with my friend Candice Lorraine Soffner is one of them.
Candice’s story is layered — teacher, planner, stylist, art director, producer, and now, the founder of her namesake company, Candice Lorraine LLC. She describes her background as a “smorgasbord,” and she’s not wrong. Every chapter, every pivot, feels like it’s been stitched together by equal parts curiosity and courage.
We talked about what it means to choose yourself — in business, in love, and in the quiet spaces in between. There’s a certain bravery in walking away from something stable when you know it no longer fits. It’s the kind of bravery that rarely looks glamorous, but almost always leads you closer to who you were meant to be.
Listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple.
Resilience in Real Time
Candice reminded me that resilience doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it looks like showing up to the load-in dock with tears in your eyes and getting back to work anyway.
Event professionals know this rhythm well. We thrive in chaos, navigate the unpredictable, and often do it with grace that goes unnoticed. Candice spoke about how her years as a first-grade teacher shaped her approach to planning — learning to keep calm amid the noise, to guide instead of command, and to find humor when everything feels like it might fall apart.
Her take on leadership is simple but profound: you can have high standards and still be kind. You can demand excellence without barking orders. True leadership, she said, comes from taking the time to explain why something matters. That one line stuck with me.
Community Over Competition
We also talked about the reality of working in a small creative community — one where everyone knows everyone, and reputation travels faster than gossip. Candice has mastered the art of transitioning gracefully, whether it’s in a job, a partnership, or a season of life.
She said something that I think every professional should remember: “If it was really toxic, their behavior will trash itself. I don’t need to do it.”
There’s a quiet power in that kind of confidence. In this industry, where egos can be loud and boundaries blurred, she reminds us that longevity comes from integrity. The people who move forward with grace are often the ones who build the strongest, most enduring connections.
Choosing Renewal
One of my favorite moments in the episode was when we talked about giving yourself room to breathe — what David Beahm once called creating space for creativity. Candice compared it to negative space in design. Without breathing room, nothing can truly stand out.
Her decision to relaunch Candice Lorraine LLC was rooted in that very idea: saying yes to projects that spark joy, and no to the ones that drain it. Some of her work now includes interior design, art direction, and freelance production for other planners — roles that let her bring order, cohesion, and refinement to creative chaos.
It’s proof that renewal doesn’t always mean starting over. Sometimes, it’s simply giving yourself permission to evolve.
What Stays With Me
There was a moment near the end of our conversation that felt like the heart of it all. Candice said, “It’s not going to say on our tombstones that we answered emails the fastest. It’s going to say that we made people feel seen and loved.”
It’s a simple truth — one that reaches far beyond weddings or events. It’s a reminder that the real measure of success isn’t the production schedule or the publication feature. It’s the way we treat people when things don’t go as planned, when we’re tired, when we’re stretched thin.
Grace and grit can coexist. In fact, they have to.
Listen to the full episode via Spotify or Apple.
If you would like to talk with us about planning your next event, HERE.
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