Interview with Candace Newman: CEO of Live Out L!ve

Written by Holly Zhang on Saturday, 07 August 2021. Posted in Interviews

Image courtesy of Candace Newman


Candace Newman is the founder and CEO of Live Out L!ve, an organization inspired by her career and journey within the live music industry. Before creating her company, Newman received her bachelor’s and master's degrees and worked for several large organizations in the music industry. However, she wanted to go beyond working for a company and hoped to combine her passions for music and create opportunities for diverse faces, thus leading to the creation of her company.

Last month, Girls For Business had the pleasure of asking Newman a few questions regarding her work life, personal backstory, and experiences as a woman of color in the business field.

Q: How did you start your business and what steps did you take?

Newman shared that she picked up many skills from other business executives while working in the corporate world, all of which helped her to start and grow her company. These skills include how to conduct business properly, how to communicate with people on different levels, how to build relationships, and most importantly, how to be a good person.

Q: How would you describe being a woman in the business field?

Knowing that she is a woman in business empowers Newman to continue reaching for her goals because she knows that it is a rarity for women to create a business, let alone a successful business. Newman shared that she often faces the challenge of navigating around male dominance in the music industry as well as finding the confidence to be herself and exert herself. However, she allows these challenges to redirect her and encourage her to dig deeper. She hopes to be an example of a woman of color leading in the business field to encourage other young girls to follow their passions as well.

Q: What is the biggest business mistake you have made that taught you a powerful lesson?

“I am a human being and so sometimes, I allow emotion to drive me.” Newman shared that when she is not thinking clearly and makes hasty decisions, she tends to receive results she did not set out to acquire. However, she reminded us that there is more to life than dwelling on mistakes and that they will eventually play themselves out of the way.

Q: What is the typical workday in the music/entrepreneurship industry like?

Newman explained that everyday is completely different from the day before. “Everyday there is a new task to accomplish, everyday there are new priorities that come about, everyday there is a new fire to put out… but it is always fun and exciting and rewarding.”

Q: What is the most rewarding part of working as an entrepreneur?

Newman explained that as an entrepreneur, she has a flexible life and schedule. Building a business on her own terms and having people receive it, buy into it, and be empowered by it tells her that she is doing what she is supposed to be doing.

Q: When times get tough, what motivates you to keep going?

Newman shared that “knowing that [she has] a purpose, knowing that [she is] living that purpose, and knowing that every day when [she wakes] up [she has] an opportunity to pursue that purpose” pushes her to keep going.

Q: What is so unique about the music industry? 

Music is a uniting factor. When Newman goes to a live concert, she is able to share a special moment with people of all different backgrounds, not only as a fan, but also as someone who has an impact on creating that experience.

Q: How does Live Out L!ve help promote diversity in the industry?

Newman shared that she is currently working to create a platform that promotes tour education in the live space as well as creates internship opportunities that give students resources on how they can pursue careers. She wants to see more women, more people of color, and more people who identify as different genders within the live music business. She hopes to build bridges to connect opportunities to more marginalized groups. 

Q: What advice do you have for girls who would like to pursue business in their future careers?

Newman concluded by advising everyone to believe in themselves and never give up on themselves. Everyone is born with passion, purpose, and talent that the world deserves. She encouraged everyone to “believe in [themselves] enough to pursue those talents, those passions, and those purposes, so that [everyone] can live up and build a happy life in creating a business that could possibly live on, outlive [us] even.”

About the Author

Holly Zhang

Holly Zhang

Holly is a Business Analytics Writer at Girls For Business.

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