Name: Candace Moore
Job Title and Description: International yoga instructor, YouTube partner and healthy living blogger.
College Name/Major: University of Connecticut/BA in Spanish and MA in Secondary Education
Website: www.yogabycandace.com
Twitter Handle: @yogabycandace
What does your current job entail?
Candace Moore: A little background on how I got to where I am: When I met my husband, I was a Spanish teacher in the inner city. It was a rough job, but I really loved it. Soon after we got engaged, my husband’s job had us moving frequently within the US and I wound up having to leave teaching.
About a month after getting married, I was bitten by a dog, and wound up getting extremely sick. After eight months and six doctors, I finally found out I had Lyme disease, which is a blood disease that can affect joints, energy level and the brain. By the time my doctor found out what was wrong with me, the disease had progressed to the point where I couldn’t walk. I was in a really dark place and vowed that if I ever got better, I would go out and do all the things I have always wanted to do.
I began treatment for the disease, which lasted about a year and a half. After treatment, my body was a mess from the harsh medication, and it took another three years to start feeling back to normal.
When I was on the mend, I left Europe and headed to Thailand to start that promise I had made to myself. I had practiced yoga on and off for about thirteen years and decided I would go complete yoga teacher training. After the training, I came back to Europe and decided that while I couldn’t use my Spanish teaching degree due to my husband and I having to move so often for his job, I could certainly use my education degree in a creative way, and YogaByCandace was born; [it’s] a yoga blog that shares instructional yoga videos, tips and more. It has since branched out to include a popular yoga YouTube channel, international yoga retreats and pop-up classes, a power yoga DVD entitled Sweat and a book currently in the works.
What is the best part of your job?
CM: Helping people. The other day I received an email from a girl who said she was suffering from severe depression and that she recently discovered the YBC YouTube channel. She said the videos had made her feel so much better in two months than she had in four years, and that she feels the videos very likely could have saved her life. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means to me to know that the content I offer is impacting people to that extent.
What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
CM: This has been a real learn-as-I-go process, and I’ve been taking everything as it comes. The thing about blogging is that there are many different revenue streams, and it took me a while to figure out what was going to work best for me and where to invest my time. Now that I’ve got it down, I’ve been able to create a Business for Blogging workshop series that I offer at a handful of yoga retreats to help out future bloggers so they can quickly get to where they want to be.
Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
CM: While I feel my background in education set me up with the tools I need to create engaging, educational yoga posts, I felt my business skills were somewhat lacking. One of my friends, Carley, is a brilliant businesswoman in investments and she has always offered incredible, honest feedback for ideas I’ve had and been there to coach me when I had to lead my first conference call and start negotiating business deals. I value her advice so much.
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
CM: “For today and all its blessings, we owe the world an attitude of gratitude.” It’s one of my favorite quotes, and inspires me to approach everything with a sense of quiet confidence that everything is going to work out perfectly.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
CM: I once lost nearly a thousand dollars on a retreat I lead. Mistakes: Not charging enough for the retreat, nor promoting early enough.
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
CM: Every once in a while YBC is invited to stay at incredible hotels when we travel for work, and everything is taken care of from food to beautiful suites to spa services. I never get used to that. It is always the most surreal experience.
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
CM: YBC is comprised of a small team of people and I love them. First and foremost, I look to be sure he or she has an interest in the yoga/wellness industry, and then I look for razor sharp attention to detail and excellent communication skills.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
CM: Surround yourself with people who inspire you, challenge you and believe in you. Work hard, be nice to people and think outside the box.