We were lucky to catch up with Candace Collins Jordan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Candace, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Every job I’ve ever taken has been a risk and has usually turned out not quite as I imagined going in—both in good ways and bad ways. You really have to do your homework ahead of time but, even then, this won’t guarantee a positive result. I worked for Today’s Chicago Woman magazine, under publisher Sherren Leigh. I wrote dozens of stories and styled almost every cover. In the end, when she became disillusioned with “God knows what”, she trashed the entire website—thus losing all the work so many great writers had trusted her with. I was one of the first bloggers for Chicago Now, a popular website run by the Chicago Tribune, which had over 300 excellent writers. Without warning and for no apparent reason, they struck the site down with everyone losing a lifetime of work. (I had over 800 columns there that are now lost forever). Even Playboy, the magazine that jump-started my career, took an unexpected U-turn, canning the magazine in favor of digital. Bottom line, as far as taking risks, I guess they are a necessary part of life and, in large part, unavoidable. BUT, be sure to always have a plan B and be able to pivot on a dime.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context? I was raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, Dupo, to be exact. It’s a railroad town of about 3000 people. I was valedictorian of my class and received a scholarship to St. Louis University. I attended for a short while but realized I was burnt out of school in general so, as luck would have it, the St. Louis Playboy Club was hiring and a friend suggested I go for an interview. I did and was hired even though, at the time, I wasn’t old enough to serve liquor. So, I greeted guests at the door, worked in the gift shop and played bumper pool. Since I’m an only child, I felt like I’d acquired a whole new family. I loved the girls I met there and am still friends with many of them to this day. Shortly after I was hired, Playboy photographer David Chan came to the St. Louis Club looking for Bunnies to photograph for the magazine’s annual “Best Bunnies” issue. He chose me, and after the layout came out, the powers that be in Chicago (the hub) saw my photos and I was invited to transfer there, an opportunity I jumped at! I moved right into the Playboy Mansion on State Street when Hefner was in residence. When I arrived on September 22, 1974, a butler greeted me at the door and said, “Welcome home Miss Collins.” I was in heaven! Fast forward to December 1979—I was the centerfold for the magazine’s largest issue to date. I’ve appeared on 9 Playboy covers, numerous “Best Bunnies” features, another feature that revisited my Feb. 1979 cover in 2017. In another feature in 2020, I appeared in a 12-page cover story in the “Equality Issue,” shot by Nadia Lee Cohen that featured 5 Playmates throughout the decades. It turned out to be the next to last printed edition of the magazine. I feel like I’m the kiss of death for print publications!
Following my Playboy stint, although I am still an ambassador for the magazine, I modeled throughout Europe, lunched with Salvador Dali and his wife Gala at their home on the Costa Brava, had a billboard in Times Square, appeared in “Risky Business” with Tom Cruise (and still get residual checks); was tapped to appear in “Class” with Jacqueline Bisset and filmed a role for “Smokey and the Bandit III” in Florida with the film’s principals.
I had a social column in the Chicago Tribune for 10 years called “Candid Candace” and my blog, candidcandace.com is a popular source (for the last 12 years) for the “who, what, where and WOW” in Chicago.
My husband of 33 years, Chuck Jordan, is retired from his JTC Advertising Agency and we love driving the back roads in our vintage convertible, rescue Chihuahuas and collecting rare books.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken. Every job I’ve ever taken has been a risk and has usually turned out not quite as I imagined going in—both in good ways and bad ways. You really have to do your homework ahead of time but, even then, this won’t guarantee a positive result. I worked for Today’s Chicago Woman magazine, under publisher Sherren Leigh. I wrote dozens of stories and styled almost every cover. In the end, when she became disillusioned with “God knows what”, she trashed the entire website—thus losing all the work so many great writers had trusted her with. I was one of the first bloggers for Chicago Now, a popular website run by the Chicago Tribune, which had over 300 excellent writers. Without warning and for no apparent reason, they struck the site down with everyone losing a lifetime of work. (I had over 800 columns there that are now lost forever). Even Playboy, the magazine that jump-started my career, took an unexpected U-turn, canning the magazine in favor of digital. Bottom line, as far as taking risks, I guess they are a necessary part of life and, in large part, unavoidable. BUT, be sure to always have a plan B and be able to pivot on a dime.
How’d you meet your business partner?
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context? I was raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, Dupo, to be exact. It’s a railroad town of about 3000 people. I was valedictorian of my class and received a scholarship to St. Louis University. I attended for a short while but realized I was burnt out of school in general so, as luck would have it, the St. Louis Playboy Club was hiring and a friend suggested I go for an interview. I did and was hired even though, at the time, I wasn’t old enough to serve liquor. So, I greeted guests at the door, worked in the gift shop and played bumper pool. Since I’m an only child, I felt like I’d acquired a whole new family. I loved the girls I met there and am still friends with many of them to this day. Shortly after I was hired, Playboy photographer David Chan came to the St. Louis Club looking for Bunnies to photograph for the magazine’s annual “Best Bunnies” issue. He chose me, and after the layout came out, the powers that be in Chicago (the hub) saw my photos and I was invited to transfer there, an opportunity I jumped at! I moved right into the Playboy Mansion on State Street when Hefner was in residence. When I arrived on September 22, 1974, a butler greeted me at the door and said, “Welcome home Miss Collins.” I was in heaven! Fast forward to December 1979—I was the centerfold for the magazine’s largest issue to date. I’ve appeared on 9 Playboy covers, numerous “Best Bunnies” features, another feature that revisited my Feb. 1979 cover 20 years later and, in another feature, appeared in a 12-page cover story in the “Equality Issue,” shot by Nadia Lee Cohen. It turned out to be the next to last printed edition of the magazine. I feel like I’m the kiss of death for print publications!
Following my Playboy stint, although I am still an ambassador for the magazine, I modeled throughout Europe, lunched with Salvador Dali and his wife Gala at their home on the Costa Brava, had a billboard in Times Square, appeared in “Risky Business” with Tom Cruise (and still get residual checks); was tapped to appear in “Class” with Jacqueline Bisset and filmed a role for “Smokey and the Bandit III” in Florida with the film’s principals.
I had a social column in the Chicago Tribune for 10 years called “Candid Candace” and my blog, candidcandace.com is a popular source (for the last 12 years) for the “who, what, where and WOW” in Chicago.
My husband of 33 years, Chuck Jordan, is retired from his JTC Advertising Agency and we love driving the back roads in our vintage convertible, rescue Chihuahuas and collecting rare books.
Contact Info:
- Website: candidcandace.com
- Instagram: Instagram (Candid Candace): https://www.instagram.com/candidcandace/
- Facebook: Facebook personal page (Candace Jordan): https://www.facebook.com/CandidCandace?ref=name
- Linkedin: LinkedIn (Candace Collins Jordan): https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-jordan-b451275/
- Twitter: Twitter (Candace Jordan, @CandidCandace): https://twitter.com/CandidCandace
- Youtube: Candid Candace TV: https://www.youtube.com/c/candidcandacetv
- Other: Facebook fan page (Candid Candace): https://www.facebook.com/CandidCandaceBlog Lily’s Talent: 312-601-2345, [email protected] (SAG/AFTRA)
Image Credits
Mila Samokhina, Tom Staebler, Linda Matlow