Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Reels.
Candace, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At 26, I had my what-am-I-doing-with-my-life existential moment. Unhappy with my job at the time and lacking any kind of inspiration, I knew it was time to hit the refresh button. I went on Instagram looking for ways to motivate myself but didn’t really see anything I connected with. So I started my own Instagram account, I didn’t tell anyone about it.
None of my friends and family knew. And I just started posted things that motivated and inspired me — quotes from people that inspired me like Maya Angelou and Angela Davis, along with my own self-love quotes. I started seeing that I wasn’t the only one who needed to be motivated, feel inspired, and remind myself of my worthiness. A lot of people started commenting things like, “This is exactly what I needed today and thank you for motivating me to keep going.” It truly just started growing from there. Enter the Female Collective, a platform born out of my passion for activism, intersectional feminism and just the need for daily self-love reminders. Female Collective is a digital community empowering women to come together, tell their stories, and bring awareness to the issues that matter to them most. It’s a safe space for people who reject the social constructs of the patriarchy and status quo.
Community has always been important to me. As I believe it’s vital to us as humans to have the right people around us who support, listen, and are just there for you no matter what. A safe space where you know you won’t be judge and I’ve been able to create that with Female Collective.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It absolutely has not been a smooth road. Being vulnerable and putting myself out there hasn’t always been my strong suit. But having this platform has really brought me out of my shell. I’m able to share how I’m feeling with other people on a daily and we are able to connect and help each other heal, learn, and grow. I’ve also struggled a lot with comparing myself to others. It’s a really easy thing to do so when you spend most of your day online and seeing everyone’s highlight reel. Just always having that feeling that I’m behind. What has helped is to just remind myself that we are all on our own journey and to just continue to look inward and not outward. We are all worthy humans who need to be gentle with ourselves and know that there is no rush. Live life as slowly as you need.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Los Angeles native, intersectional feminist, culture curator, self-love advocate, fierce champion for female empowerment and founder of Female Collective. I have built a global community that empowers, uplifts, and celebrates the female perspective. Through daily affirmations, cultural conversations and community events I remind women and non-binary folks everywhere that they are loved, they matter, and they are worthy.
Some of my proudest moments include being one of the original organizers for the Women’s March LA in 2016. Speaking on panels with incredible women discussing the power of community and women empowerment. Having a t-shirt that I designed go viral during the 2016 election “Pussy Grabs Back.” Being featured in Who What Wear, Teen Vogue, Bustle, and Bust Magazine. Curating store launches with brands like FARM Rio and working with brands like Real Techniques. Where we collaborated on a collection of makeup tools that were sold across North America in all Ulta Stores. It ended up being on the most bought limited edition collections at Ulta Stores. This Feb I will be speaking at Yale university which is definitely something I am beyond honored and proud to do.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
As an introvert networking used to be a really big struggle. But now I just show up as my most authentic self and know that I deserve to be in these rooms with other incredible people. Don’t be afraid to go up to people and just be yourself. People love real people, no BS. Just your truest self and I really feel like that helped in the networking game. Some of my closest friends are people that I have met through networking. Just don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. There’s no such thing as rejection, only redirection.
Contact Info:
- Website: wearefemalecollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femalecollective/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/candacereels/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/femalecollectivemedia/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-reels-1b83014a
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/femalecoll
