Rising Stars: Meet Candace Vallarta of Fullerton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Vallarta.

Hi Candace, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is one of redemption, resilience, faith, and refusing to give up.

My story started long before Tattoo Candy.

I grew up in a home affected by domestic violence—physical, mental, and emotional—and a family impacted by addiction, drugs, trauma, and hurt. When I was about six years old, I entered the foster care system. I thought I would only be there for a few days, but I ended up being there for almost a year. I remember being put in the back of a police car and having to experience things no child should have to experience.

Growing up, I also experienced the pain of not having my father truly present in my life. Even when he was around, he wasn’t really there for me. That left me with a lot of resentment, questions, and hurt.

When I was around 14 or 15, another devastating experience happened. A person who was supposed to be a father figure to me took advantage of me. I don’t talk about this part of my life often, but about two years ago, I finally opened up about something else connected to that chapter of my life: I have a daughter.

I have a daughter out there. We talk. We communicate. And today, having that relationship is such a blessing in my life. I’m grateful for her, and I’m grateful that I made the decisions I had to make at that time to give her a different opportunity.

That experience came with a lot of pain. I was in the hospital. I was hiding my pregnancy at school. I was dealing with emotions that I didn’t know how to process at such a young age.

I also want to acknowledge Project Cuddle, an organization that supports women facing crisis pregnancies and provides resources for women considering adoption. That support is part of a chapter of my life I will always remember.

As I got older, my life continued to take me through experiences that could have destroyed me. Before recovery, I was arrested. There were times when I met people online and put myself in dangerous situations. I found myself in abandoned houses and situations where I could have lost my life.

There were moments when I honestly could have died.

But somehow, I kept getting out.

I remember being in situations where it felt like everyone else was gone, and somehow I was still standing. I would get out safely, and I would get out fast.

Looking back now, I believe there was a reason I survived.

On October 10, 2020, I walked into Victory Outreach Santa Ana struggling with drugs, darkness, loneliness, helplessness, and hopelessness. I was broken and lost. That moment changed my life. I got sober, and God became #1 in my life.

From there, everything started changing.

I began traveling, attending major events, speaking at recovery homes and rehabilitation programs, and sharing my story at places like Azusa Pacific University, Fullerton College, and César Chávez Middle School. I was invited onto a radio station in the Inland Empire and even hosted at Toyota Arena in Ontario.

I also had opportunities in entertainment. I worked as a background actor in Los Angeles and was part of projects and music videos connected to artists and productions including Ozzy Osbourne, Maluma, Roddy Ricch, Netflix productions, Mayans M.C., On My Block, Veronica Mars, Vida, STARZ, and Paramount Pictures. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet people like Jennifer Garner, Angela Bassett, and Viola Davis.

Then COVID happened.

Production stopped. Acting opportunities disappeared. I lost jobs and financially and emotionally, I took some major hits. But I’ve learned that sometimes what feels like the end is actually the beginning of something completely different.

Before recovery, I had already been interested in tattooing. I was inspired by artists like Kat Von D and Miami Ink. When I was around 13, I submitted my artwork to a Lowrider Magazine art competition and was selected.

After getting sober, I became a Marketing Manager for Liberty Tax, where I was promoted from Marketing Associate to Regional Marketing Manager overseeing seven offices. I learned marketing, management, leadership, advertising, business, and how to build relationships. Those skills eventually helped me build my own business.

I started Tattoo Candy in the kitchen of my home in Anaheim, California. I bought my machines, supplies, furniture, and everything I needed. I believed in myself enough to start—not as someone waiting for permission, but as a tattoo artist and business owner.

I worked in several tattoo shops, but I often found myself leaving because the environments didn’t always align with my values of professionalism, teamwork, integrity, passion, people skills, marketing, advertising, and growth.

At my last shop, I was let go before I had the opportunity to give notice. I heard people were talking about my artwork, and it taught me something important: don’t let somebody who hasn’t done what you’re trying to do tell you what you can’t do.

If someone genuinely wants to help you grow, they teach you.

“Hey Candy, let me show you how to shade.”

“Let me show you how to pull a clean line.”

“Let me show you how to improve.”

There were two men at that shop who actually did that for me, and I’m grateful for them. They went on to open their own shop, and I respect them for helping me when they didn’t have to.

Eventually, I realized there needed to be a different kind of tattoo environment—one built around connection, professionalism, respect, and community.

Because tattooing isn’t just ink.

People sit in your chair and bring their stories with them. They bring their trauma, their pain, their memories, their losses, their victories, and sometimes parts of themselves they’ve never shared with anyone.

That’s when Tattoo Candy LLC became more than just a tattoo business.

My relationships within the entertainment industry helped open doors. People drove hours to support me. People volunteered their time to help me build. I’ve tattooed private clients, artists, at hip-hop events, cannabis events, lowrider and motorcycle events, activations, fundraisers, and community events.

I’ve also been blessed to tattoo some well-known people, but I don’t post everything. Some people value their privacy, and I respect that.

I’ve used my business to give back, raise money, and support causes close to my heart, including women in domestic violence shelters, recovery homes, homeless outreach, nonprofits, and community events.

But what people don’t always see is everything that happens behind the scenes.

I’ve driven hours to events, arrived three hours early, carried equipment up stairs, dealt with downtown Los Angeles traffic and crowds, searched for parking, worked long hours, packed everything back up late at night, and sometimes did it alone.

This isn’t just business.

It takes critical thinking. It takes awareness. It takes discipline. It takes sacrifice. It takes knowing your surroundings. It takes survival.

And it’s not for the weak.

I’ve experienced poverty. I’ve experienced homelessness and instability. I’ve experienced break-ins, loss, heartbreak, financial struggles, and losing people I love. I’ve watched my bank account go below zero. I’ve had money taken from my accounts. I didn’t come from a family with money or a roadmap showing me how to build wealth.

So I had to learn.

I learned about business, investing, real estate, management, saving money, and making money work for me. A lot of the time, I felt like a lone wolf. I’ve also had to learn how to protect my heart because sometimes you can care so much about helping everybody else that you forget you can’t carry everyone without eventually becoming exhausted yourself.

I even spent about two years trying to get into law enforcement because I wanted to serve, speak for people who didn’t have a voice, and use my lived experience to help others.

That path didn’t happen the way I expected.

So I continued moving forward. I went into nursing and recently graduated from nursing school, and I’m still looking for opportunities where I can serve people and make an impact.

My life today may not look exactly how I want it to look yet, but I believe I’m where God needs me to be right now.

And I have a lot of dreams.

I know I’m going to own properties, land, and investments. I want to build something bigger than myself. One of my biggest dreams is opening a domestic violence shelter and a home for recovery—a place where people can feel safe, loved, protected, and supported while they heal.

Addiction, depression, suicide, trauma, hurt, and darkness do not discriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you look like, how much money you have, or where you come from. I’ve seen people from every walk of life struggle.

We’re so consumed with social media, followers, likes, the blue check mark, and showing the world how good our lives look that sometimes we miss the signs when someone is hurting right in front of us.

Behind the picture, the smile, and the success, someone could be fighting a battle we know nothing about.

I’ve witnessed overdoses, addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, and so much pain throughout my life. I’ve either been there, loved someone who has been there, or witnessed it firsthand.

That’s why I want to continue being a voice for people who feel forgotten.

I want my future creative tattoo studio to be more than a tattoo shop. I want it to be a place where people can learn about business, investing, generational wealth, healing, trauma, addiction, entrepreneurship, and self-development—things I wasn’t always taught growing up.

I want people to understand that where they come from does not determine where they’re going.

I want people to heal. I want people to believe in themselves. I want people to know that they can become something.

I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I’m going to make it.

I believe God has ordained my life. Everything He has brought me through—the pain, the rejection, the losses, the struggles, the setbacks—has shaped me into who I am today. I believe there is purpose in it.

I’m not done.

I know there is more.

And I’m excited to see what God does with it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the owner and artist behind Tattoo Candy LLC. I specialize in tattooing, creative experiences, event activations, and connecting with people through art. I work with private clients, artists, entertainment events, fundraisers, nonprofits, community events, lowrider and motorcycle events, and other activations.

What makes my work different is that I don’t see tattooing as just putting ink on someone’s skin. I see it as a connection. People bring their stories, memories, pain, healing, and identity into my chair, and I want them to feel comfortable, heard, and respected.
I also specialize in marketing, business development, relationship-building, and creating opportunities. My background in management, marketing, mental health, recovery, community outreach, and entertainment has allowed me to work with many different communities and understand people on a deeper level.

Ultimately, my work is about people. Whether I’m tattooing someone, building my business, working an event, or giving back to the community, I want people to feel seen, valued, and inspired.

I’m proud that I choose me. I’m proud and grateful for my health, for my life, and for what I’m still capable of doing.
Living through life and seeing so much happen to people has taught me that sometimes people don’t make it out of the things they’re going through mentally, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. People can become paralyzed by darkness. They can become trapped in addiction, trauma, pain, and strongholds.

But I believe with the right people, the right love, the right compassion, and the right heart, healing is possible.
Where there is darkness, there is always light—and light will always cast out darkness.
I’m proud that I chose to keep going. I’m proud that I chose myself. And I’m grateful that I’m still here to see what God has planned for my life.

What sets me apart is that when people meet me, they already feel at home with me. They don’t feel judged. They feel loved, heard, and comfortable being themselves.
I can meet someone down the street and, within a few minutes, learn about their whole life. People trust me. So many conversations I have end with, “Girl, I trust you,” “Girl, I feel you,” or “I feel your love and your passion.”
I’m not afraid to be who I am. I’m not afraid to talk about what I’ve done, where I’ve been, or what I’ve overcome. There’s nothing for me to hide. My experiences are part of my story, and I believe there is so much more to give because of everything I’ve been through.

Thats what sets me apart. I connect with people genuinely, and I make people feel like they can be themselves around me.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The quality that has been most important to my success is resilience, but right alongside it is my authenticity.

I’ve had to learn how to keep going when things didn’t go my way, when doors closed, when people doubted me, and when life knocked me down. I’ve learned how to get back up, learn from it, and keep moving.

But my authenticity is something I will never compromise. I’m not afraid to be myself. I’m not afraid to talk about where I came from, what I’ve done, what I’ve survived, or what I’ve overcome. When I speak, you can hear it in my voice. You can feel the passion. You can feel the love. You can feel the energy behind my words.

I believe people can feel when something is real. You can’t fake heart. You can’t fake passion. You can’t fake the energy that comes from someone who has lived through darkness and still chooses to bring light.

I want people to feel that when they encounter me. I want my presence to remind people that they are seen, they are worthy, and they don’t have to hide who they are.

That is what I bring into everything I do: my whole heart, my truth, my energy, and my story. I don’t want to just be successful—I want my success to inspire somebody else to believe they can rise too.

Pricing:

• Pricing is available upon consultation and varies depending on the tattoo, project, event, or services requested. For custom work and private events, clients can contact Tattoo Candy directly for a personalized quote.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tat2candy / candacevallarta

Image Credits
Good Mijas Productions

B-Real (Cypress Hill)

Girlz N The Hood (Car Club)

Iron Goddess (Bunny)

Street Queenz (Krazy Kat)

Netflix (On the Block)