We recently connected with Juliaette Long and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Juliaette, thanks for joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

I’ve been building this for over 15 years. I was already telling stories before I knew what to call it. I was writing scripts, always had a camera with me, documenting my life, conversations, and ideas, and shaping them into stories.

I started producing content for other companies, but eventually realized I wanted to showcase my own perspective. That led me to launch iCandiTV on YouTube, where I documented the process of building a production company in real time. From there, I formalized iCandi Productions, learned the business side, and allowed the brand to evolve alongside my life.

Today, iCandi Productions is an ecosystem. I’m still telling stories, just through more intentional formats, events, books, blogs, and now podcasting. Execution for me has always been about consistency and evolution, not a single launch moment.

Juliaette, 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 Juli Long, and at my core, I’m a storyteller. I’ve been building iCandi Productions for over 15 years, but honestly, I was telling stories long before I ever thought of it as a business.

When I started iCandi Productions, it was very production-focused. I was creating web-based TV shows, executive producing projects for other creatives, and launching iCandiTV on YouTube as a way to document what I was building in real time. I wasn’t trying to create a perfect brand back then, I was just capturing moments, conversations, and ideas as they happened.

That curiosity eventually led me into talk radio, where I discovered how powerful conversation could be as a form of storytelling. I ended up developing my own online radio network, and from there the brand kept expanding naturally. I created an online e-magazine, produced in-person experiences like women’s empowerment conferences, charity concerts and albums, themed events like Christmas in Candiland, and a lot of community mixers and creative gatherings along the way.

Writing has always been part of my process too. I wrote my first book, Women to Woman: 10 Ways We Sabotage Relationships, because I wanted to have real conversations about growth, relationships, and accountability. That same idea carried into digital content like my YouTube series Chick Chat, which later evolved into the Two Hot Chicks podcast.

What I’ve learned over the years is that iCandi Productions has never been about one lane. It’s always been about creating space for stories, experiences, and conversations that feel real. Some seasons looked like TV and radio. Other seasons looked like books, blogs, or live events. And now, it looks like things like MsiCandi Movie Night, The Butterfly Journal, podcasting, and community-centered experiences.

What I’m most proud of is that the brand has been able to grow and shift without losing its heart. Life changed, I changed, and the work evolved with me. I’m still building, still learning, and still telling stories, just with more clarity and intention than when I started.

I want people to know that iCandi Productions wasn’t built overnight. It was built over time, through consistency, curiosity, and a real love for storytelling in all its forms.

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

At this point in my journey, everything I create is rooted in community.

Early on, I was focused on storytelling for the sake of creating, learning, and expressing myself. As the years went on, I realized that what really mattered to me wasn’t just the content or the platform, it was the connection happening around it. The conversations, the shared experiences, the feeling of people being in a space where they felt seen and understood.

Now, I’m very intentional about building community through my work. Whether it’s through events like MsiCandi Movie Night, my writing, podcasting, or live experiences, my goal is to create spaces where people can slow down, connect, and engage with each other in real ways. I want people to feel like they’re part of something, not just consuming something.

I’m less interested in chasing trends and more focused on creating experiences that last beyond the moment. Community, to me, is about consistency, care, and creating room for conversation, growth, and joy. That mission guides how I show up, what projects I say yes to, and how iCandi Productions continues to evolve.

At the end of the day, if people leave feeling connected, inspired, or like they found their place in the room, then I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

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

I think one of the biggest things non-creatives don’t always realize is that this isn’t all fun and games. It can look fun, covering events, hosting experiences, interviewing people, creating beautiful moments, but it’s still work. Passion work, but work.

There are long hours that nobody sees. There are days where you’re tired, pushing through, showing up anyway. There are seasons where you’re pouring time, energy, and creativity into something with little or no immediate payoff because you’re building a dream, not just chasing a check.

Being a creative means accepting that there will be high seasons and low seasons. Sometimes you’re thriving, sometimes you’re regrouping, and sometimes you’re doing what you need to do to support the dream while still believing in it. That takes determination, flexibility, and a lot of heart.

I think people also underestimate how much responsibility creatives carry. You can have a team, and that support is invaluable, but no one will ever believe in the vision the way you do. You’re the one holding it together, pivoting when needed, pushing forward even when you’re tired, sick, overwhelmed, or juggling life behind the scenes.

And yes, sometimes it looks glamorous because I make it look good. But there have been plenty of moments where I showed up exhausted, coming straight from another job, managing life at home, or pushing through when rest would have been easier. That’s part of it too.

Creativity is joyful, but it’s also commitment. It’s showing up over and over again, even when it’s hard, because you believe in what you’re building.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGIl7BT6VE/gSA8c_psYjkSgtTJ5GZlpw/view?utm_content=DAGIl7BT6VE&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h8fb681d06c
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candijuli/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MSICANDI
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@icanditv

Image Credits

Images courtesy of iCandi Productions LLC and Dillingham Film & Photography. Additional images are personal candid photos.