We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Candace Stull a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Candace, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have always been such an inspiration to me. I couldn’t imagine doing all the things they did to start their own business and continue to be successful and thus, provide for our family. There are many things my parents taught me, but from a very young age, I was always taught that nothing in life is handed to you. It comes with hard work and dedication. If you really want something, then you need to work for it. Then, in the end, when you know that you’ve put your all into it and given it everything you’ve got, the reward you get and the benefits you reap will be that much sweeter.

Why? Because you never gave up. You persevered even when it was hard. You failed, learned from those mistakes and kept going. You ignored others when they said you couldn’t do it or maybe talked behind your back because they were jealous, and you proved them all wrong.

Everything you’ve gone through… All the self-motivation… The courage… Belief you had in yourself makes you that much stronger of a person, and it’s a trait that only few are able to exhibit.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started sharing on social media more consistently after I had my second daughter. I was very much in a place during postpartum that left me feeling lost. As cliche as it sounds, sharing my life on social media, what real, average mom life, parenting and raising a family on a budget looks like helped me find myself again. My college degree was in communications, with an emphasis in public relations, and I later went back to get my MBA, with a Sales/Marketing focus, shortly after. I did love my communications and marketing major, and social media gave me a way to use my degree in a sense, build a brand around myself and connect with other moms who also felt lost in that “fourth trimester” after deciding to start a family

We are our own worst critic, — and I beat myself up about this daily — but I am proud of what I have been able to do and how I have been able to grow my community over the last 4 years. I’ve not had explosive growth like others can say they have, but I have had consistent growth over the last 4 years, and I think that says a lot about what I share. My authenticity and the realness of motherhood. I’ve learned that it’s very relatable because most mothers are in my position — on a budget, managing all the motherhood emotions, navigating a healthy marriage with children, how to find pockets of time in our day to fill our own cup…etc.

Motherhood is often romanticized, and I think it’s also important to talk about the hard things… Be able to laugh at the things that drive us crazy as mothers… Because when we only share the highlights and the big things, it’s not real. And mom life can be lonely, especially when you feel like you’re the only mom who feels like she needs a vacation from being a mom… the mom who feels like she’s drowning in housework, even though she’s home all day long to get things done… the mom who hides in her bedroom to get a good cry out because she’s low on sleep, no one wants what she fixed for the lunch, the house is a mess, and the kids have literally been fighting non-stop since 7am.

The reality: Mom life is hard. You’ re NOT the only one who feels this way. In fact, you’re the majority of moms out there.

And, when I can share that part of motherhood, I feel like it’s a way to give other moms s BIG virtual hug and let them know that they’re not going crazy, and I am here. I can relate. I am that mom friend who just get its.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Caring less about what others think.

This is huge for me because I am a MAJOR people pleaser. I say yes way too much when I should say no. And, for so many years I worried way too much about what others thought about what I was sharing on social media. I come from a very small town, and for those who find themselves in the same boat, you know what I mean when I say “people like to talk.” They’re bored, and they like to talk about others — stir the pot, gossip — so that the conversations when they’re not around are not about them. It’s sad, but true.

Once I started caring less about what others had to say about what I shared on social media — a common one I would get wind of is “who does she think she is?” My answer: No one! That’s the point! I don’t think I am anyone special, and that’s why people relate to what I share. I am an average, real life, midwest mom on a budget, just trying to figure out how to navigate this journey we call motherhood.

And, the moment I stopped caring about what others were saying was the moment I felt like I was truly able to open up. That’s what people want to see. Vulnerability. Realness. The everyday life of those just trying to figure it all out like they are.

So be you… Be vulnerable… Share what you love… and care less about what they have to say about it. Those are likely the people who:
1. Wish they would’ve done it themselves.
2. Are consuming your content incognito — saving, sharing, viewing, but not “liking” it to show their support for you
3. Have something going on inside of them that is making them sad, angry, resentful…etc.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When I get a message or a comment from another mom telling me that what I shared is exactly what I they needed to hear. Truthfully, these comments and messages are few and far between; but, the few I do get, I hold near and dear to my heart and use them as motivation to keep going, keep creating, and get new ideas of what to share.

It’s never an annoyance to me to get a longer comment or message, I LOVE THEM! I always tell my community to slide into my DMs at any time, and I mean it. I love getting to know them. I appreciate them and their support for my page. And, it keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.smalltownswag.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/small.town.swag/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallTownSwagLifestyle/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candacegreubel/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Small.Town.SwagCCS
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@small.town.swag
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/smalltownswag
• TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@small.town.swag

Image Credits
The professional photos were taken by KathySollomanPhotography — I’m happy to give you her IG handle. She is a local photographer, but when we bought photos we also got the rights to them. The others are just real life photos taken by me