I recently had the opportunity to exclusively interview Candra Burns about ten random facts about herself, challenging part about starting her business. Plus what she is currently working on. Check out my interview with Candra below:
Loryn: What is an important lesson you've learned from being a military wife?
Candra: Being defined as a dependent is not a good feeling. I worked for the past 12 years to become my own person and love just being me. My Air Force husband married me in 2017 halfway during his year-long tour in Korea. He came back to Washington State where we lived before and we got married on Lake Quinault in the rainforest. After Korea, we were assigned a station in Germany. My life has changed forever living in Germany. I traveled through Europe more than I have traveled through the USA. I gained my freelancer license in Germany which gave me the right to become a global entrepreneur. This means I have learned to live outside of my comfort zone and pivot to be creative to get things done. The challenges that come with being overseas are overwhelming, but I treat them as hurdles on a track and just jolt over the challenge in front of me. The military has been known to try to define who you are, and I will not let that be in my life. I am still Candra!
Loryn: What was the challenging part about starting your business?
Candra: I started my business, Talking Forests, in Washington State as a side hustle because I had a passion for forestry and studied it for 5 years in college. I learned how to communicate and message in a forest policy position and run social media platforms from behind the scenes as an employee and volunteer. I learned and absorbed as much industry knowledge as I could while I was still working as an employee. Fast forward to moving to Germany in 2018, I am now a fulltime global entrepreneur. The administrative process to get to be global took me 5 months. It is not easy. Also, these past two years have been the first time that I worked for myself after working 9-5 jobs for other people. Transitioning to be my the boss brought challenges like getting my priorities straight and having to work on a swing shift in Germany to be able to be awake while North America is awake and working as well.
Loryn: What advice would you give those interested in starting a small business?
Candra: Gather all the resources you can and seek assistance from programs that are in place for you. Try all the things and find what makes you happy, then it does not truly feel like you are working anymore which is REAL and pure bliss! Passion speaks a thousand words.
Loryn: What's an advice you've received and actually put into practice?
Candra: The best feeling in the world is when people believe in you. They guide you through spots in your life that you may not be able to get through just on your own. The advice that I have followed from mentors is that there is no shortage of resources, just a shortage of asking for help. I ask as much as I can when I am at a sticking point and I am not afraid to speak out if and when it is needed to achieve something.
Loryn: What have you've learned from being a virtual podcaster?
Candra: The podcast was not in my original business plan, I had an idea to start a podcast after listening to Gary Vaynerchuk in 2018. After creating episodes, I found out that it came with opportunities that I never imagined would come to me for many things. My goal has been to feature other people and share stories about others. We talk openly about each podcast guest. This is raw and original which is something that industry is not used to. Curated and fully edited perfect content is not serving people the way it used to. I am the first female in the world to create a forest sector podcast and darn proud to feature people from around the world.
Loryn: What is your favorite thing about speaking?
Candra: Speaking comes easily for me because I was placed outside of my comfort zone to speak in 4-H and FFA as a child, regularly for projects. The topic varies, but I am comfortable on stage giving the audience words that resonate with them to then go act on themselves. Speaking globally to different cultures and their comments to me afterward has been humbling. I love the network that comes with each speaking opportunity and I work to keep the relationships strong.
Loryn: Where has been your favorite place to travel, and why?
Candra: Traveling Europe in 9 countries, the past two years in kind of a blur in a good way. Each place I go to means a new experience and a chance to learn a new culture. Meeting really cool people along the way has been the best because I now have friends from around the world which I never imagined happening as a small-town USA person.
Loryn: What is your favorite book to read or listen to?
Candra: I have had a problem reading books my entire life and was never diagnosed with a disability, but I do not have the tension span or the processing ability to piece a plot together. The moment that I had a chance to buy Audible books, I was back in business with learning from listening to books. I listened to “You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero while I was working a 9-5 job with an hour-long commute each way and she rocked my world! Her inspiration in 2017 was what I needed to start getting ready to be a fulltime entrepreneur and rid myself of limiting beliefs that we engraved in my mind.
Loryn: What is something you are currently working on?
Candra: I am currently working on a Virtual LinkedIn Webinar class that anyone can purchase off of my website, recording podcast episodes with cool people for Talking Forests and I am featured on other podcasts as well, I am an influencer so I am also working on being a guest or host on many virtual platforms as a way to grow into this new time that we are in.
Loryn: What is something people may not know about you?
Candra: In high school, I was trying all the extracurricular activities and I did a strenuous sport called Powerlifting for two years!
Be sure to stay updated with Candra Burns by checking out her website :https://talkingforests.com/. Plus you can contact with her on all social platforms under talkingforests .
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