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

Hi Candice, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

How PlantED with Candy Began

PlantED with Candy really started as part of my own healing journey. I was in a season where I needed to slow down and find peace again. Caring for my plants became a grounding ritual — and one day, I realized the way I was tending to them mirrored how I wanted to care for myself. That’s when the idea came: what if I created something that helped other women do the same?

The next day, I opened a notebook and started sketching out what would become the PlantED with Candy journal. I didn’t have a business plan yet — just intention. Over the next few weeks, I researched self-publishing, journal design, and ways to make it feel soulful and empowering, especially for Black women who give so much of themselves to others.

I taught myself Canva and KDP, designed every spread, and built pages like “Sun Up, Soul Set” and “Root Reflections.” Each section was designed to blend plant care with self-care — gentle reminders to grow slow and give yourself grace.

When I held the first printed copy, I knew it was more than a product — it was purpose. Launching PlantED with Candy taught me that growth starts with one small seed of intention, watered with consistency, courage, and love.

Candice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Candice Gadsden — but most people just call me Candy — a creative entrepreneur, chef, and storyteller at heart. I’ve always been a person of many interests, and I don’t believe you have to shrink yourself to fit one lane. I’m currently the owner of TKO Catering by Candy, a Dallas-based mobile catering company known for soulful brunches and comfort-style dishes that bring people together. And I’m also the founder and creator of PlantED with Candy, a lifestyle brand and journal line that merges plant care with self-care, healing, and reflection.

My journey into both food and creative wellness work came from the same place — connection. With catering, I get to connect through flavor and experience; with PlantED, I connect through words and growth. Both brands were born out of my desire to nourish people — body and soul.

PlantED with Candy offers journals, affirmation cards, and soon, planters and care kits — all designed to help women, especially Black women, slow down and nurture themselves with intention. The journal blends seasonal self-care reminders with space to reflect, heal, and celebrate growth. It’s not just about plants — it’s about rooting yourself in peace.

What sets me apart is authenticity. I create from lived experience — from long nights balancing motherhood, work, and school, to moments of stillness that reminded me it’s okay to grow slow. My goal isn’t perfection — it’s presence.

I’m most proud of the way my work makes people feel. Whether it’s someone smiling over a plate of my shrimp and grits or another woman telling me my journal helped her reconnect with herself — that’s what keeps me going.

I want people to know that PlantED with Candy and TKO Catering by Candy both come from the same heart: one that believes growth, healing, and joy can be found in everyday rituals — from watering your plants to sharing a meal with people you love.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think what non-creatives sometimes struggle to understand is that creativity isn’t a switch you just turn on — it’s something you live through. For me, creativity often comes from emotion, healing, or a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way. There are seasons when ideas are flowing and I’m creating nonstop, and other seasons where I have to pause, refill, and just be human again before I can pour into my work.

When people see the finished product — the journal, the catering spread, the photos — it can look effortless. But every idea takes energy, faith, and vulnerability. You’re putting a piece of yourself out there every single time, and that’s both beautiful and exhausting.

As a creative, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always look like progress on paper. Sometimes it’s the quiet moments — the ones no one claps for — where you’re actually being stretched and shaped for the next chapter.

What I hope people understand is that creativity isn’t just art; it’s resilience. It’s the courage to keep showing up with your heart open, even when it would be easier to play it safe.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

At the heart of everything I do — whether it’s cooking, creating, or writing — my mission is to help people feel seen, nourished, and rooted.

With PlantED with Candy, my goal is to remind women, especially Black women, that growth doesn’t have to be rushed. We live in a world that glorifies hustle and productivity, but healing and self-connection take time. My journal and upcoming product line were created to help women pause, check in with themselves, and honor every stage of their growth — even the messy or quiet parts.

With TKO Catering by Candy, that same intention shows up in a different form. Food is love, and I use it as a way to bring people together, to create moments of comfort and joy that linger long after the last bite.

My creative journey is really about creating spaces — through words, meals, or rituals — where people can breathe, reconnect, and remember their power. Everything I build is rooted in authenticity and service. If my work can help someone feel a little more grounded, a little more hopeful, or a little more themselves, then I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://a.co/d/6vt75iZ
• Instagram: tkocateringby_candyllc