Meet Candice Laxa | Freelance Model & Financial Counselor

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

Hi Candice, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I was actually not much of a risk taker until the pandemic. For the longest time, I believed that playing the safest bet would give me a guaranteed outcome. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I realized nothing in life is ever guaranteed. Additionally, playing safe also meant sacrificing so much joy. One of the riskiest things I’ve done in my life was choosing to leave a toxic relationship & moving across the ocean with my 2 children in the middle of a global pandemic with no house lined up or even a job. Yes, everyone called me crazy & thought I went off the deep end. With that said, I have never experienced so much infectious joy & love in my life. And you bet your boots, the most perfect home arrived, the perfect bill-paying career that aligns my passions yet still permits the time & energy for me to pursue my creative career at the same time. Take the risk. It won’t disappoint. I promise.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Funny enough, I began freelance modeling because I believed it would save me from the negative things I thought about myself & the trauma I experienced from a long-term toxic relationship. But apparently that’s not how healing works & I stepped away from it for years! I returned to the art in the midst of the separation & found it to be a cathartic experience. Fast forward 2 years later & I now model to not only encourage others & share with the world the joy I’ve found through the darkness, the sadness, and the grief, but to also remind them that it’s ok to feel those emotions also. Life isn’t linear & that’s ok!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Great question! I’m a total SoCal girl born & raised with a whole lot of Hawaiian Aloha running in my veins, so I do have so many places I’d want to take them! With that said, I’m currently completing this interview in one of my favorite local spots! In fact, I almost always take my best girlfriends here. I’m sitting inside the Peltzer Winery Barn right now enjoying a glass of Tempranillo. Peltzer is my favorite place to unwind, enjoy a glass of wine, read a book, and listen to live local music. With that said, Temecula Wine Country is just divine. Other places would be Coronado beach to go shelling (jaw dropping!), Sequoia National Park for some nature basking & tree hugging (make sure to hike Moro Rock!), and Old Town San Diego Coyote Grill for the best hot, fresh tortillas! Really, I love to show friends around SoCal & tend to tailor everyone’s visit to their interests 💗

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
“I get by with a little help from my friends.” I have been so incredibly blessed by THE most supportive group of girlfriends, all arriving in different parts of my life & in the exact moments that I’ve needed them. These women have supported me, motivated me, and loved on me in the valleys, on the mountaintops, and the deserts in between. They push me to be brilliant, excellent, strong, and brave. When I don’t believe in myself (whether as a mom, a career woman, a creative, or just a human), I can rely on them to continue believing for me & reminding me of the incredible things I’ve done, I’m doing, and will do.

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/CandiceLaxa

Linkedin: Candice Laxa MacInnes

Image Credits
Dani Michael, Sarah Mich, Bruna Dollor