Candice McMillian's Odyssey from Employee to Empowered Entrepreneur
Feb 23, 2024
Harriet West-Moore
Embark on a transformative journey with Candice McMillian, business coach and founder of Worldwide Training Systems, as she takes us through her escape from the suffocating office politics to the expanse of entrepreneurship. Our discussion unfolds her story—a tale of persistence and personal growth, highlighting the barriers that women, especially those of color, encounter in the corporate sphere. Candice's path from discomfort in a structured environment to discovering the freedom and potential in leading her own business is not just enlightening but empowering, offering keys to unlocking the doors of independence and self-reliance.
Diving into the heart of what makes a successful trainee in any system, Candice lays bare the essential qualities that separate the committed from the curious. She talks about the relentless pursuit of success, the true meaning of commitment over mere interest, and the transformative power of being coachable. Throughout this chapter, she underscores the stark difference a growth mindset can make, contrasting it with a fixed mindset that hinders progress, and setting the stage for what Worldwide Training Systems stands for—an endless quest for improvement and mastery.
Our episode culminates with an inspirational note, singing praises to the power of positivity and the difference it can make in our contributions to the world. By drowning out negative noise and stepping into the light of uplifting content, we discuss the need for more women role models who exemplify wisdom and leadership. Embracing gratitude for our supportive community, we leave you with an actionable message—don't just dream, do. Tune in for this beacon of motivation, leadership, and the unyielding spirit of women in business.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/@candice.mcmillian Email: candice.mcmillian@gmail.com Business: World Wide Training Systems
Facebook: www.facebook.com/@moore2discover Moore Self Discovery email: contact@mooreselfdiscovery.com
Embark on a transformative journey with Candice McMillian, business coach and founder of Worldwide Training Systems, as she takes us through her escape from the suffocating office politics to the expanse of entrepreneurship. Our discussion unfolds her story—a tale of persistence and personal growth, highlighting the barriers that women, especially those of color, encounter in the corporate sphere. Candice's path from discomfort in a structured environment to discovering the freedom and potential in leading her own business is not just enlightening but empowering, offering keys to unlocking the doors of independence and self-reliance.
Diving into the heart of what makes a successful trainee in any system, Candice lays bare the essential qualities that separate the committed from the curious. She talks about the relentless pursuit of success, the true meaning of commitment over mere interest, and the transformative power of being coachable. Throughout this chapter, she underscores the stark difference a growth mindset can make, contrasting it with a fixed mindset that hinders progress, and setting the stage for what Worldwide Training Systems stands for—an endless quest for improvement and mastery.
Our episode culminates with an inspirational note, singing praises to the power of positivity and the difference it can make in our contributions to the world. By drowning out negative noise and stepping into the light of uplifting content, we discuss the need for more women role models who exemplify wisdom and leadership. Embracing gratitude for our supportive community, we leave you with an actionable message—don't just dream, do. Tune in for this beacon of motivation, leadership, and the unyielding spirit of women in business.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/@candice.mcmillian Email: candice.mcmillian@gmail.com Business: World Wide Training Systems
Facebook: www.facebook.com/@moore2discover Moore Self Discovery email: contact@mooreselfdiscovery.com
Speaker 1:
The Good afternoon everyone. This is Harriet West-Moore, the host of More Self-Discovery Podcast. This is a podcast where we have very interesting and inspiring conversations for those of us who want to discover ourselves in our journey, where we call life so welcome. Before we get started to our very special guest, I want to do a little bit of house keeping for those who are looking at us on YouTube. I want you to hit that like and subscribe button. I want to get that algorithm going, so please hit that like and subscribe. You can check out some of the previous videos that are there with very interesting people. I try to get inspiring people on my show because we need to be more uplifted and more empowerment. This is enough drama, especially on these YouTube streets, so I'm trying to steer into another direction. So please hit that like and subscribe Without further ado.
Speaker 1:
Let me introduce you to this lovely young lady. Her name is Candice McMillan. She is a business coach online. She helps those who want to start their businesses, either online or in person a brick and mortar, so to speak. She is the founder and CEO of Worldwide Training Systems. I just want to give her all the praise and just humbled. I'm so glad that you decided to come on to my show. I so much appreciate you coming. Thank you so much, Candice. How are you today?
Speaker 2:
I am absolutely fabulous today, very excited to be on your podcast and connect with you and your listeners and share some value today, something that will help impact someone's life. I'm just, I'm excited, I'm ecstatic. I'm doing really well today. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:
I'm doing great On a Tuesday, like we talked before we got online that where we are, the luncheon is shining. What more can we ask for in February? Because it could be something else, yeah, exactly, all right, tell us about yourself what led you to become a business coach. Just give us a brief walkthrough from the beginning to where you are now.
Speaker 2:
So a series of serendipitous, amazing events about 15, 16 years ago, right so I was. I started my first business when I was 21. And I had prior to that, I have been in corporate America. Right so I was always trained to. I was literally put through an indoctrination to get good grades and get a good job.
Speaker 1:
Right, right.
Speaker 2:
Right, that was the, that was the order of the day, right. And so I went to school in Boston. I'm here, I live here in New York, grew up in New York, and so I came back to New York to start my first corporate job. I mean, I had been working since I was like 14, but first real job, right. So I worked in the legal fields as a legal secretary and one of the top law firms here in New York, in Midtown, and I quickly realized over a number of years that I didn't enjoy working for anyone. I didn't enjoy the office politics.
Speaker 2:
Right, right I didn't enjoy corporate America, corporate culture. You know I didn't enjoy. I felt like it. I just knew I could see decades and years down the line that if I continued on this trajectory, that it would stifle my growth as a human being.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
That's how I felt. I wasn't having fun and I also obviously didn't have control over the money I made, right. So, you know, I prayed and prayed and prayed, like I was like, what am I going to do? I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I thought that would be years down the line. Right, and I started on personal development. I started taking seminars and I started networking and connecting with different people and I realized I could. I could start my own business. So I started my first business. It was an online it was. It was something that I could do online.
Speaker 2:
Right, we're in a world that started part time, and it was in the energy and telecommunications industry, and that was what one of the best decisions I had ever made in my life because I think entrepreneurship is something that it's not taught in schools, right. And so I put myself on this pathway and that's the reason why I started it. I said I'm going to learn from this experience. Right, I haven't been taught to me before. I'm going to learn. I learned so much about myself. I learned so much about human nature, right, I learned so much about humanity, so much about also tangible soft skills and hard school right.
Speaker 2:
That weren't taught to me, you know, when I was younger, in school. So it was just an amazing experience. I created residual income for myself for the first time in my life.
Speaker 2:
And it opened up a whole world to me, that wealth building is a real concept and that it's available for any one of us who just decided to step into it and grow and learn every day. So I'm so grateful for that. One choice like making one choice in your life and just having belief. You don't have to believe in yourself at first, just believe in the higher power that just trust that God, trust that the universe has your back and take a step out on faith, and that's what I did.
Speaker 1:
Wow, wow, that's amazing. Now let me ask you something going back into when you were working in the corporate field and I've always, you know, I'm always interested, because I worked in the corporate field too Before I changed and wanted to get out what was it that you felt stifled by being, you know, working in that type of environment, especially for women of color? I don't know, I'm gonna just put it out.
Speaker 2:
How much time do you have? How much time do you have? How much time do you have? How much time do you have? How much time do you have? Oh, my God, oh Lord, okay, okay, so, without taking that too much time, so okay. So, first of all, there's like an energy right, or like a spirit, like every organization that you move into. Everything is a living being right. You know so. In Think and Grow Rich, napoleon Hill, it talks about the concept of mastermind right.
Speaker 2:
And how you know there's a quote, quote anywhere that there's more than one mind right, two minds, three minds. It creates another entity. And so corporate culture and corporate America is an entity in and of itself. Right that you know. We'll speak candidly. On the podcast, you know it was, in my opinion, created out of another basis, another foundation that this country was also founded on you know and the general culture of how the economy came about. It's a slave economy.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
When you, when you know and I'm not talking down on on anything people pay their bills.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
America. People put their kids to school, people buy homes, people pass down homes in their family. You know people. People have used corporate America as a basis to create, begin to create generational wealth. So, with everything that's good and bad, right, everything has duality, but it would. There is a a sort of a pervasive kind of mindset within that entity, a spirit within that entity. That it it's. It seeks to extract the life force of human beings in order to push forward, whatever the agenda is.
Speaker 2:
And so if you're a person who's, like, not aligned with that one thing I talked about the other day, I did a live on Facebook. I was like the mission of the company that I worked for. I didn't even know what the mission was until I started working there. I was shuffling paper, right, you know paper, doing what I'm told to do. And you know, when I sat and looked at the paperwork, finally, right, I realized, oh, I'm helping this company, right, that is representing multi-billion dollar corporations and helping them to sue each other. Right, you know, you breach this contract when it's sue you for a billion dollars, you know, and, and I'm like, how is that helping to serve humanity? How is that helping to push forward like the world?
Speaker 2:
And so, if your purpose is not aligned with that, some, some people's purpose is like, completely what they were meant to do here on earth is completely the intensities of the company, the mission of the company that they're working for. Now, that was the case for me. And so, if that's the case, you're going to feel like this lack of fulfillment, like it's, it's inevitable, like you're going to just it's not going to sit right in your spirit and what, and your life force is going to be used towards something that's the complete antithesis antithesis of why you're here on this earth. And so I think, at the basis, right At the basis, that's really a big, big issue for a lot of people. But what do we? What do we? Got to do Like we got to, got to take care of our families.
Speaker 2:
We got to you know, and so it just important to like, maybe keep that in mind and figure out a balance, figure figure something out right, Because a lot of there's so many people who come into this world who can do so many great things and that's stolen from them. And they don't even realize it, you know. So that conversation could go on all day, but that's definitely the foundation of, you know, slave economy.
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
You know, which then translate into you know. Oh, what the wrong.
Speaker 1:
Right, exactly.
Speaker 2:
You know so.
Speaker 1:
And it sounds like to me, as it was from what I'm hearing and how you, what you're describing. It sounds like the that was the epiphany of you.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, Definitely Not me. I can't do it.
Speaker 1:
So you kind of transition out of that. You know, in that whole culture, that whole world and henceforth, you wanted to. How did you start being a business coach and wanted to help others?
Speaker 2:
Yes, yes. So my first business I ran that for that was 2008. And I started and until about 2018, right, and then I took a sabbatical right and in that sabbatical I kind of just traveled, like in you know roads. I kind of downloaded, you know the past 10 years of my, my growth, and in that phase in my life and I also, you know, went through personal, did more personal development, more spiritual development, and then in 2022, I started to pray for, okay, I recognize even more so what my purpose is right, which is to is to help communities, help empower communities across the globe, right From the indoctrination of lack and scarcity.
Speaker 2:
That has been given, from the time we were children, into a paradigm or a mindset of abundance, which is our natural birthright, and so I always say that's my pathway and whatever modality, medium, vehicle that I that I choose, I'm flexible right no-transcript.
Speaker 2:
But that's the pathway, that's the focus, and so I started to pray for a platform for my purpose, and December 2022, I got a call from my business partner and we launched this project, and it's just been absolutely, absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2:
I specifically wanted to focus on working with women, because I believe women are the leaders, the next generation of leaders in the world are women, and I have to, in my lifetime, help more women to be in a position to fully embrace their purpose and to fully be bold in their purpose, and so one of the things that is important for young women to be able to master is our financial independence, so that we then have the power and the opportunities and the options, and also what I've just found personally with entrepreneurship. I think it helps If you're open to it. I think it helps for someone to navigate through life, understanding who they are more and understanding why they're here, and so that's been my focus, and I'm absolutely passionate about helping and empowering women. It's just I see myself in so many people that I speak to every single day that I coach at.
Speaker 1:
What's one great ending story of someone that you've helped. How did they come in and what was the process and what was the end result?
Speaker 2:
Oh yes, so one woman that I worked with, she's in Virginia right. Richmond and she's also in corporate America, which she wanted to kind of start a part-time business to be able to transition out of that environment. And she also was dealing with like a bit of confidence, wanting to expand her confidence, which I think entrepreneurship and anything that you set out to do right, that you've always wanted to do right Once you do it, your confidence raises right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah right. So I coached her and worked with her and it was so amazing to see her be even more consistent in her work and even to be. As each day went along she was more confident and now she's in a position I've been working with her for about a year now. Now she's in a position where she's making residual income, right.
Speaker 1:
Wow.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and that's something that she didn't even think she could do before. Right, and she's going to continue to expand her growth from there and do absolutely amazing things. So it's just awesome. It's an awesome story for her and I'm so proud of her, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Wow, that is awesome. It is inspiring for others, so are there. What are the criterias for anyone who wish to work with you at Worldwide Training Systems?
Speaker 2:
Yes, so the criteria is. I always say three things.
Speaker 1:
Okay.
Speaker 2:
For someone to be hungry, right, meaning that the desire is strong, right, and that they know why they want to start a business, why they want to be financially free, financially independent. That's a major thing, right, because a lot of people would like to be financially independent or financially free. A lot of people would like to achieve financial goals right, but there's a difference between being interested and being committed right, absolutely.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and so I definitely like to work with people who are committed, because time is time is like money you can always make, but time you can't get back.
Speaker 1:
Exactly Time is valuable.
Speaker 2:
Secondly is coachable, right Mm-hmm. And that's essentially that once you step into a space with a coach or a mentor, right, there has to be a little bit of a dynamic where the ego comes down a little bit right and you are open to the coaching that this person has to give right. You know, when you think about somebody like a Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, or you think about someone like who's the guy who does all the three pointers, I love him. I'm drawing a blank right now from the Golden State Warriors.
Speaker 1:
Oh, steph, and Curry.
Speaker 2:
Steph and Curry right, these are superstars. Right, they're talented, but they all have points Right. So, being able to take coaching and then and then apply it right, because sometimes a coach sees something that it's maybe a blind spot for that person, right, or or it they? They walk the pathway, right, there walk the pathway and and the mentee is now walking that path, like up, okay, Don't turn down there. I went down there already.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, right, right, right.
Speaker 2:
Um and so coach being coachable is important, and being teachable right like. So what that means is being open to Growing like having a growth mindset right. There's a fixed mindset and then there's a growth mindset, right.
Speaker 2:
I know the fixed mindset. Um tells some people listen, I um, I Um, I think I pretty much know everything that I need to know, right, and I'm not capable of learning anymore, or I don't really think that I can Learn more or that I can grow and develop a growth mindset. It embraces Um. Number one thing I think a growth mindset does is it embraces the fact that in your process of learning, you'll make mistakes. Right, and making mistakes are how you actually learn right. When you think about a child, a baby, when they're trying to figure out how to walk, they fall right Until they eventually master how to walk, and it's it's the same with Everything else right, and so someone with a growth mindset they may fall and make a mistake and they go oh okay, that's, this is what I did wrong. I'm supposed to tweak this down a third.
Speaker 2:
Mm-hmm, they'll come back to their coach and say, well, you think I should have done differently. Or you know, blah, blah, blah, someone with a fixed mindset they'll fall and they'll go up. Doesn't work.
Speaker 1:
Right and do this and that's it. Yeah, that's it that's it.
Speaker 2:
um, you know, I was working with another young lady and it was absolutely amazing because she is now learning how to trade, right, like she's taking some of her Income and she's actually trading. Oh, and she did not at all know how to do this at all six months ago and she's been learning like, um, you know, there's a course that I have that I'm affiliated with, and she's been able to learn from that course how to trade and now she's doing Trades which she's making four figures of trade, wow, yeah, yeah, of course you know she's lost some yeah more losses, small wins, you know.
Speaker 2:
But now she's had some, some big wins and you know she has a growth mindset. You know, he has a growth mindset and and I think, in order to, in order to be successful at anything, in order to step out and reinvent ourselves and learn something, that we have to embrace the growth mindset and and and I like to work with people who have a Growth mindset or who are willing to step into and embrace the growth mindset. So, yeah, being teachable.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely those those three things. They also can be international as well. I work with some clients in Europe and the Caribbean and Latin America and and, of course, us and so so those are, those are the basic, those are the basic Requirements, really yeah now I'm real curious when you say you coach International people.
Speaker 1:
I've you know. I like to ask questions because I like to learn about people of themselves. What is the Mind, the mindset between our Caribbean brothers and sisters as you know, you're those who are in Europe or Canada as opposed to Us in here in the States. Are they more teachable? Are they ready, are they more Hungry to learn, or is it this the same?
Speaker 2:
it depends on the one thing out Of course cultures are different, right?
Speaker 1:
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:
One thing I will say is, like human, human nature, human beings, right, they pretty much have similar wants and desires, right? And human nature is pretty much you'll find, like, wherever you go You'll find you know Different characters, right? I think that the difference between people in the US and different Some of these different countries is that in the US we have a lot of. There's just a lot going on, mm-hmm, a lot of opportunities here, a lot of them. Also a lot of noise.
Speaker 2:
Right whereas in some of some other countries they don't. There are not many opportunities, so there's maybe a little more hunger sometimes. You know um, whereas here there's there's a lot of opportunities. When you go to um, for example, africa, you go to Caribbean, you go to the. You know healthcare Government programs. Yeah, it does not exist. You got to pay for first school right, yeah, like yeah.
Speaker 2:
There's not as many jobs right, so that that creates it. I think that creates a bit more of a desire and Hunger and people, and so one like piece I would probably give to people in the.
Speaker 2:
US is Don't, don't let, don't let society bamboozle you and make you feel like I'm you know, comfortable, because yeah, you know right part of the design is Sometimes it's to love people to sleep and make them feel like they can be comfortable, like they can sit back, and you know, and, and, and so always keep, keep yourself on your toes, be. I would say to one thing I try to do is be honest with myself. Right, I'm gonna be honest. If you try to be honest with yourself, like and do an assessment of where you are in life, where you want to be, and, and, and that desire, try to always feed your desire to keep yourself hungry.
Speaker 1:
I'm be kind of word, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. So I would probably say that's probably the the biggest thing with. You know, us versus other countries and and. But the one thing I would say about being in the US I have noticed you know it's not a perfect country, but I'm thankful, be thankful, be thankful because it's it's not a game. It's not a game out here and we do have opportunities that other people do not have right that that is so real, that is Extremely real we have. People do not have, so take advantage of those opportunities absolutely.
Speaker 1:
And and you said a Hit the nail on the head when I mean, I think a lot of us here in the US, we can get so complacent, yeah, and you know, whereas other countries, you know they don't have as many resources that they. That we have and we need, you know, we take advantage of it, we take it for granted, right, and I think you, like you said, we have to stay hungry. We have to, you know. You know, stay on our toes and be mindful of, you know, are on our journey, on our path, and not just get lazy. And you know the next thing you know People are passing you up and you sitting here wondering what happened, how come I'm still stuck in the same position I was 10 years ago, you know, right, yeah, absolutely. So how can people reach out to you if they want to work with you? Yes, how can they reach out to you?
Speaker 2:
Yes, so I'm on all social media platforms. Facebook is if you're on Facebook, that easiest way to reach me is slide into my DMs. Okay, I'm. My Facebook profile is Candice Macmillan, right. Instagram is Candice Macmillan. I'm on TikTok, candice Macmillan, and that's the easiest, easiest way to reach me, best way to reach me. So that's C A N D. I see period MCM, I, l, l, I, a and I'm Candice with an I and there you go.
Speaker 1:
There you go. So those of us who are or were you watching by YouTube, you can see on the ticker Her name. Now those, when I do the audio version I will make sure everything is in the show notes are her contact information. So what is your? Before we sign off, what is one Powerful advice you can give to women who want to transition from being working for someone else to work for themselves?
Speaker 2:
mm-hmm, wow. One piece of powerful advice I would give to, especially to women period, and especially to young women, is like don't you really embody your power? And in order to do that, one thing I had to do and I think it'll have value to other women is don't feel like you have to fit in some sort of box to be palatable to other people, right? You know there's a lot of conversation about what a woman should be. Shouldn't be this thing?
Speaker 1:
Right.
Speaker 2:
Be who you are and you'll find the opportunities that are meant for you right. You'll find the people who are meant for you, and that's what you want. You want what's meant for you.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
So be you and be the best and highest version of you.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely, and what a great advice and like stay in your, don't worry about what everybody else is doing. What's for you is for you and it will come in due time. Yes, yes, so absolutely. I am so happy to have you today, candice. I really appreciate you. You guys again hit that like and subscribe button so we can have more inspiring people like Candice on our show because, like I said, I'm trying to change the narrative from drama to something empowering. Yes, we need it Exactly exactly. So please reach out to her. She would be more than happy to help you on your journey or to your self-discovery, to whatever your business, that you have something in your dream is within you, and she will help you navigate that dream and bring it out into fruition. Yes, that being said, thank you so much, candice. I look forward to talking with you soon and, you know, peace and blessings to you on your business.
Speaker 2:
Thank you, harriet. This was amazing. It's such a pleasure to connect with you. I really champion your purpose in this podcast, which is to bring more positivity and lights right and drown out the noise and we definitely need it, and I thank you for taking the time and the energy and the space to do that right, because so many people have the thought. But you actually took, you're taking the action right and you're contributing to this world, and we definitely need more women. We need more women who we can look up to as a source of wisdom and you definitely are that.
Speaker 1:
So thank you. Thank you so much. That means a lot to me. Thank you so much. All right, you guys be safe and be blessed. So talk with you guys soon. Bye, bye, bye, thank you.