Meet Candice Shields | Business Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Candice Shields and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Candice, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Working for myself has allotted me a work life balance that I did not have before. When working in the retail industry, I worked all of the time and it took up the majority of my time. Life around me was passing me by. I often missed holidays, birthdays, and events held for my family and friends. This was a major motivator for me to make the change that I did. In the beginning phases of starting a business, the best thing you get back is time. You are able to schedule your activities around your business. In the past year I have been able to attend games for my nephews, homeschool my daughter during the pandemic and spend more time with my parents and family. The time that I have gained is of immeasurable value to me. Of course it cannot be all play and no work, so making sure that I utilize my time management has been important to give myself allotted work hours, and allotted family time. You also have to be as disciplined as possible to set boundaries. If not you will find your self falling into the same habits that you did before and working more hours than anything else.Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
WYS Consulting Solutions is different from most business consulting firms because we specialize in people. We not only help businesses, we also work with non-profit organizations. I work hard to ensure that my business represents me in that, it isn’t about the money made, it’s about the changes and successes of the clients that we help. When I get a client and do a consultation, their businesses becomes my own, and I look at it as if it were my business, or my project to find ways that I can best help them. You have to have great listening skill and a skilled strategic thought process to be able to hear the unspoken words and thoughts of a client, and to be able to make sense of the things that do not make sense to them in their own heads. That is what I am able to do. I often get clients that are at a stand still and have jumbled thoughts. I encourage them to give those thoughts to me, no matter what order, or how crazy they are, and together we are able to lay out sensible, realistic, achievable, clear plans that allow them to move forward with their vision. Building this type of business has not been easy. Everyone wants your services, however, everyone is not in position to pay for it and therefore you meet delays and gaps in the business. You are also working on other peoples timelines, which can cause delays on your own schedule while you are awaiting information from them, so you have to be patient and planful. I have worked to develop a follow-up schedule for my clients to remind them of what is needed and to keep in communication with them. It also helps to make specific guidelines in your contracts, so that there are clear expectations set. This was something that I had to adjust. You also learn how to properly price your services when you learn the realistic amount of work that goes into what you do. Don’t sell yourself short! I learned that the hard way. Giving a client your all is #1 when it comes to representing your brand. Remember, your brand is you. This is how people in the world will see you, and you do not want to misrepresent yourself. Always be open, honest and transparent. Every client will not be for you, it may not be your forte, and that is ok. Don’t take on business that you cannot properly handle, if you do, you will not be well represented and the result will not benefit you. Your clientele will find you if you are walking in your calling, you just have to be patient and diligent!If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my bff were visiting the city we would definitely eat a lot, lol, we are self proclaimed foodies. We would hit the Turkey Leg Hut, it’s a must experience place, as well as Soul Food Vegan. I have been hearing a lot about Cooking With FlavouR and I’d love to try that out! We could visit the Breakfast Klub, but I also like Snooze. There are a few places on my list that I’ve never been, so we could try those together, such as OMG Baked Potatoes, Twisted Grilled Cheese, and J&J Lounge. I’m not a big club person and neither is my BFF, so we would do more culture outings. We’d go to the museum and see what exhibit is on display, and see what plays are showing this season. We may catch an escape room challenge. And if it were a week long visit, honestly we would leave the perimeters of the city and head on down Hwy 90 to visit my family. There’s no better company and you can’t get better food than good, country home cooking.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that I can shout out that have attributed to my successes. Not to be cliché’, but I always have to give thanks to God, He has sustained me and my family during my transition. My husband, Richard, has been a huge support in being patient with me as I worked to get the business off of the ground, and for taking on the load of our household financially, allowing me to build my business. I am grateful to my sister, Izenia and my cousin, Aisha for being my sounding boards. I run ideas and things through them before releasing to the public. They are some of my biggest cheerleaders. I also have the support of the rest of my family, especially my parents who are always reaching out to make sure that we are ok, and telling everyone that they meet to call me! And there are also my mentees, some of whom have become clients. They cheer me on daily and send resources my way like never before! Big shout outs to them, especially Sena, Kim and Toshia!

Website: wyssolutions.com

Facebook: fb.me/1WYSSolutions

Image Credits
Regina Alexander Photography Photos with Holy Kiss Cosmetics Photos with Society of Royals non-profit Organization